Experienced computer users have a specific routine that they go through whenever they install a new operating system. This includes playing around with the default configuration of the operating system but also installing a set of applications that they consider essential. The following article will take a look at ten applications to install after installing Windows 7. A fair warning though; This is obviously a biased list and what we call essential might be the exact opposite for the user next door. So, this is our list and it will, without doubt, differ from many of the lists that you would create.

All programs that are listed below are fully compatible with the Windows 7 operating system.

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Tags: windows 7, windows 7 applications, windows 7 software, windows software
Categories: Windows, software

After using many different image and photo editors over the years including other free ones like GIMP but also commercial applications like Adobe Photoshop I discovered one that I have been using ever since. Paint.net is an image editor for the Windows operating system which combines the attributes that I value the most: Speed and Ease of use. Most of the other image editors that I tried out where slow to load and quite complex to use. Not so Paint.net which loads up almost as fast as the default Windows Paint application but offers a lot that Paint does not offer.

Is it comparable to Gimp or Adobe Photoshop? I honestly cannot say so and do not care the least. It allows me to do the image editing things that I need to do which are basic image manipulations, e.g. resizing, copying, pasting, and basic editing.

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Tags: image editor, paint.net, paint.net 3.5, photo editor, windows software
Categories: Windows, software

Many programs for the Windows operating system need so called runtimes so that they can execute correctly on the computer system. Two of the most popular runtimes are the Microsoft .net Framework and the Java Runtime Environment. Some programs check for missing runtimes and provide options to install them while others do not which usually leads to some research in the readme or on the developer’s homepage to find out if the program has any dependencies that need to be installed on the PC before the software can be used.

All In One Runtime offers an efficient (critics would probably call it unnecessary or overkill) solution to the problem. The program checks the installed runtimes of the Windows operating system and will automatically display and install the runtimes that are not installed on the PC system.

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Tags: all in one runtime, microsoft .net framework, portable software, runtimes, system runtimes, windows software
Categories: Windows, software

Chance is that the majority of friends, colleagues and relatives do not make use of the full HD TV technology yet. DVD sales do still top Blu-Ray sales by a large margin and it is not likely that this is going to chance anytime soon. But Blu-Ray is obviously not the only technology benefiting from full HD resolutions. TV stations all over the world are slowly (depending on your location very very slowly) beginning to offer HD TV. With all that said it feels surprising that TV developers are already showcasing the next generation of TVs that offer four times the resolution of full HD displays.

The so called 4K standard offers a resolution of 3840×2160 which equals four times the resolution of the current full HD standard. This would theoretically mean that the 4K TV is capable of displaying four full HD screens at the same time.

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Tags: 4k, 4k tv, full hd, ultra high-definition video
Categories: Gadgets

Thunderbird day today? Not sure about that but today is the day where two interesting new add-ons have been posted at the Thunderbird website. The first was the add-on that increased the mass mailing functionality in the web browser. The Unsubscribe From Mailing Lists add-on does exactly that. It provides an option to unsubscribe from mailing lists from withing the email client. A feature similar to the one that Gmail is offering to its users for some time now.

The process is very simply. The Thunderbird add-on will automatically display an option to unsubscribe from support mailing lists in the header of the emails that are send to the accounts that are managed in the desktop email client.

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Tags: Email, gmail unsubscribe, mailing lists, thunderbird, thunderbird add-on, unsubscribe
Categories: Email

The desktop email client Thunderbird does offer mass mailing capabilities by default. It is possible to add multiple recipients for an email. Problems appear however if the number of recipients is extremely large (more than 100 for example) and if the individual recipients should not see the other recipients that received the email. The second problem can be tackled by adding each recipient in the BCC (blind carbon copy) field and a personal email address in the To field. The first problem can be solved by writing multiple emails below the maximum recipient per email limit. Both solutions increase the workload of the user writing the emails. They also make it more difficulty to keep track of the process as the user now has to handle multiple emails instead of just one.

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Tags: mass mail, thunderbird, thunderbird add-on, thunderbird extension
Categories: Email

Several web services exist that allow visitor to make their own business cards. Some of these services are free while the majority of them is not. Paid and free services differ highly in regards to customizability and ease of use. Make Business Cards is a free service that offers enough customization to make it interesting for many users who are looking for a good business card generator. The service does not offer many design choices: It basically comes down to one design that can be customized with a logo or graphic, different font types and text.

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Tags: business cards, make business cards, make your own business cards
Categories: The Web