Outlook
You can divide Outlook it into several different modules (or categories if you like) - email, calendar, contacts, to-do list and notes.
Before I start a flamewar here I want to start to say that I’m an Outlook addict! No other application has helped me more to make me more effective. The way it integrates the different modules together is impressive. You can create a contact and you can easily reference all other objects in Outlook with that contact (meetings, emails…). The to-do list is extremely powerful with filtering, grouping and much much more. All this configured with the possibility to access it anywhere with OWA and synchronize with your PDA, your mobile phone etc. So when I’m looking for a replacement, I’m looking for just this - the integration between the modules, the accessibility and the user-friendly interface - all online - always accessible.
With that said - is there any service out there which can compete with commercial alternatives out there such as OWA (Outlook Web Access which is included in Microsoft Exchange) and Zimbra (no to-do list though)? I would say - maybe! There are plenty of free services that offer one or two of the categories, but if you want them all integrated together, you dont have that many competitors.
But I’ve tried to cover the potential competitors offering e-mal, calendar, to-do, contacts, notes but usually not in a integrated package. Check them out!
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Online PDF Converter convert MS Office, Images, Web Pages, Vector Graphic Formats, CHM and HLP files to PDF. They also have tools for PDF -> Word/Excel.
Ok, I confess, not totally uninstalled but Sharpcast is still a pretty cool tool on the web. Most of us have hundreds of pictures stored on the local harddrive. What if it breaks. You have backups? Do you backup it up every day? Well, most of us don’t.
Sharpcast is a service that lets you have your pictures online. It makes sure to synchronize all your local pictures with the online store and whenever you make any changes, the changed photo will be uploaded automatically in the background.
You can create albums for you and your friends to look at and you can even send the pictures from your windows mobile to their site.
Anyway, if you’re into photos and have problems organizing them and want to have them backed up - check it out!
Have you ever re-installed your PC just because you had “too much stuff installed”. You simply wanted a clean desktop as it looked from day 1. Well, the whole thought of my site is to uninstall everything and keep everything online so why do I need to bother with my local desktop computer? All I actually want is an web browser and an Internet connection.
I was inspired by the following post by Max Limpag where he gives you an overview of the web desktops out there.
So maybe now I need is just some minimal thin client with a webbrowser and if I need a complete “desktop” with all my applications - no need to mix Google Apps, Windows Live Apps and so on. Check my web desktops for more articles on the subject.
Have you ever got the question from a non-technical friend if you thought he/she would manage to create a website for themselves? And you knew “no way” since the person didn’t know much about HTML nor how to upload the site using FTP once it was done in some HTML editor?
Office Live could be an alternative for them. No need for HTML or hosting plans or uploading via FTP - easy! Best of it all - it’s free, even with the domain name. Of course, the free package is limited but…
Want to see more? Check the demos out - links are available here.
While living more online and uninstalled, you have to register at more and more websites. I suggest you get two e-mail addresses, one that you use for registering at sites, mailinglists, forums and so on. This will probably end up on in a spamdatabase in the end antway. Then get annother one for personal e-mails.
One suggestion could be to use the bugmenot.com, mytrashmail.com or spambox online services. They offer you to get a temporary e-mail address - completely free and no registration required. Just enter the e-mail address of your choice and it will show you the e-mails send to that address. Perfect for temporary e-mails and you don’t really care about the privacy - you just want that e-mail without giving out your real one or register for a new e-mail account.
