Release Type: Freemium ($49.99-$149.99pa
for extra space)
Official Site: www.sugarsync.com
Pros: Incorporates some useful features
missing from Dropbox.
Cons: Not quite different enough to steal
its crown.
Rating: 5/5
The success of Dropbox meant that the
market was soon flooded with file-syncing imitators designed to help people
keep their work, bookmarks and photos consistent between multiple machines, or
backed up safely in the cloud in case of disaster. From the wave of Dropbox
pretenders, one of the most successful third-party alternatives is SugarSync.
A big part of its strength is that it's
quite hard to even distinguish from Dropbox. With a Windows app, 5GB of free
space (you can buy more), a web interface and various mobile versions
available, it's easy to get access to any of your most frequently needed files.
The cross platform compatibility means you can sync files between your phone,
tablet and desktop PC and even a mac, if you have one.
The hard part is in distinguishing
SugarSync from its more popular rival. The app is virtually identical, from the
user end: just drop the files in the folder you want to use and it'll
automatically update them for you. The main difference is that SugarSync allows
you to synchronize any folder, not just a single catch-all directory like
Dropbox does.
SugarSync
This means that you can use SugarSync to
replicate entire file structures across multiple machines without any difficulty
Not much use if you're going cross-platform, admittedly, but far more
convenient if you're syncing a home and work PC. You also get the added value
of a more powerful file manager, locally which is necessary to help you manage
the more complex structures, but this isn't necessarily a good thing -
SugarSync users swap simplicity for power, and that may not suit everyone.
SugarSync also has support for Symbian and
Windows Mobile, which Dropbox doesn't, and you can upload and sync files using
an email interface. None of these features are what you'd describe as Dropbox
killers, but if you've ever found yourself frustrated by their omission,
there's absolutely no reason not to try SugarSync instead. It's fast, simple,
and more powerful than Dropbox, and that alone makes it worth a look.
iSpring Free 6.1
Release Type: Freeware (restricted)
Official Site: www.ispringsolutions.com
Pros: Simple way to create Flash
presentations.
Cons: Expensive commercial version.
Rating: 4/5
The ability to assemble an impressive
PowerPoint presentation has become as much of a necessary office skill as using
a word processor or understanding a spreadsheet. Of course, once the
presentation is done, you can share it for people who weren't there, but this
can lead to problems with compatibility and access.
iSpring Free is a PowerPoint plug-in applet
that can convert any presentation into a Flash SWF file, retaining the look and
feel while providing it in a slightly less picky format - one that can be
shared all over the web and viewed by almost anyone with a web browser.
The program includes support for PowerPoint
2003, 2007 and 2010, and it's given its own ribbon tab or toolbar depending on
which version of the interface you're using. If you use 'Quick Publish', the
conversion is a simple, two-click affair that requires you to do little more
than enter a filename - although if you prefer, there's the option to exercise
more fine control using the 'publish' option.
Take that route, and you're given the
ability to tinker with all sorts of settings, such as slide durations,
background colors, whether the presentation auto-starts or loops, as well as a
huge variety of other behaviors. iSpring also allows you to weave additional
Flash elements into your presentation and do things such as embed YouTube
videos or other flash objects as a way of enhancing it. Don't worry if you're
unfamiliar with Flash; it's easy to understand and can prove a useful soft
introduction and, indeed, may be of interest to those who want to make a Flash
applet but feel more at home in PowerPoint.
iSpring
Free 6.1
The only real down side is that because it
generates Flash, you won't be able to send your presentation to people using
iPads or iPhones. But no change there.
iSpring free is available at no cost for
personal and educational use, but there are commercial versions available with
extra features if you're planning to use it in a business context. Be warned,
though, these versions start at $249, so if you like it, you'll have to really
commit to using it.
That's all for this month. As ever, if you
have any programs that you'd like to see us look at - whether it's something
you want to find, something you like and want to share, or even a program
you've written and want us to review - don't hang around. Get in touch, and
we'll make sure it ends up in the download directories everywhere - courtesy of
The Download Directory! mm
