Christian Dunn

Looking for a PDF creation AND editing tool that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? What about if they decided to make it free on Facebook?

What is it? This is Sonic PDF Creator. This program has every PDF editing and creation feature you'll actually ever use....(if you are like me)

• Create PDFs
• Create Secure PDFs
• Print to PDF
• Split and Merge PDFs
• Add pages, text and images to PDFs
• Rotate Pages
• Add Bookmarks
• Create Booklets, Handouts and Powerpoints from PDFs
• Attach Documents

Ok, so it doesn't have every feature of Adobe Acrobat X, but do you really use them all?
Marketing department, look away... nothing to see here..
If you are like me and all you need to do is merge some documents, add or remove a page here or there and maybe insert a logo or some text then this is perfect for you.
All the stuff you actually use without all the extra features and thingamyjigs that you never know what they actually do.

I have used it for a bit and can't really fault it. Probably not enough time for a good review, but times are tight, $50 is $50 and when that $50 is free on facebook then you have $50 more to spend on saturday night. So for free software this is awesome.

I tried it out (hence the review) but I always worry about offers on facebook, personal data blah blah. All you have to do to claim the offer is 'like' their page to get a code for a software download. 
This means they can only see the public side of my facebook page (not even a friend), so they will probably get my email address but very little else.
Since then I haven't yet had to enter any personal information at any stage.

By now I was already starting to like the software then I found something cool... They also have online PDF convertors on facebook enabling you to convert both to and from PDF to Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Cool huh? Although, are you allowed to use facebook on company time? Why don't you ask your manager for Adobe Acrobat X Pro and when they baulk at the price, tell them if they gave you facebook access you could get free software. You might almost be the most popular person in the office for the time it takes to download and install.

Visit the Investintech Facebook page to claim your copy.

I know I have been quiet lately but that's because I have been testing.

In the last few weeks I got the chance to play with a range of operating systems so here's a quick rundown on what's hot, what for and what not....

• Windows 8 Developer
  • The best preview demonstration of Windows 8 including some great sample gadgets. Some features in this version are not in the consumer version. Looking forward to this operating system, just wish my laptop had a touchscreen. Developers can download this from Microsoft for free.
• Windows 8 Consumer
  • This is the consumer preview demonstration for Windows 8 and while very limited in included features is fun to play with. If you have a spare computer at home you can give this a try. Remember not everything works and it isn't the final software so don't upgrade your main computer now. You can download this from Microsoft for free. See my review for how to install this as a virtual machine to test it without affecting your computer.
• Server Hyper V 8
  • This is the Hyper V dedicated version of server 8. Looking forward to finally seeing a competitive alternative to VMWare.
• Server 8
  • This is the fantastic new Windows server to come with Windows 8. The ability for a full and server core installation and great cloud enabled features provides a real competitor in the server market. Server 8 can compete for use in the secure core only style appliance or hosting markets and with full installations in the virtual desktops and traditional windows networking environments. This can be downloaded from Microsoft Technet.
• Windows Server 2008 R2
  • The current standard in Windows server the latest iteration provides some great new features and improved security and compatibility with Windows 7.
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation
  • This limited version of windows server is designed for small micro server appliances or cloud focused businesses. It provides no support for Sharepoint or Exchange and the ability to support up to 15 users.
• Windows Server 2003 R2 x64
  • Old operating systems may appear dead but if you have an old computer that doesn't support the latest operating system you may be in trouble. This version of server 2003 enabled me to bring an old server back to life to use as a backup server when 2008 R2 could not support the raid or processor requirements.
• Mac OS X Lion
  • I have been building virtual machines and playing with OS X with both Entourage 2008 and Office 2011 in both domain and workgroup environments. I love the usability and simplicity of the operating system. Integration into a windows domain network is getting easier but there are still some tricks for beginners. I do admit I enjoy using it and keep playing with it.

This week Microsoft has released the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

Now you can finally try it for yourself. There are 2 ways that you can download Windows 8. 
One is an in place upgrade program which will upgrade your current computer. The second option is an ISO file.

In this article I will show you how to use the ISO file to try Windows 8 as a virtual machine without affecting your current computer.

Getting Started

Download VMware Player (http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_player/4_0)
Sign up for an account, it is free to download.

Download the ISO file (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows-8/iso)
You can run the 64 bit version in a virtual machine on a 32 bit machine if you have a capable processor. Most Intel/AMD processors under 4 years old (excluding atom) should be fine.

You will need at least 60GB of hard drive space.

You can use an external drive but performance may be affected.

Creating the Virtual Machine

Start VMware Player

Select Create a new virtual machine

When the wizard starts select your ISO file as the Installer Disc Image File.

When setting virtual machine memory always leave at least 1GB of RAM below the maximum available for your computer to operate effectively while you have virtual machines running.

Complete the wizard and your new virtual computer will start.

The windows 8 installation should begin automatically. Follow the Wizard.

Congratulations

You have just created a virtual machine. You can turn this off and on and use it like a normal computer.  You can configure Windows 8 to test all the features without affecting your own computer.

Now that I have my OS X lion 10.7.2 and my Windows 8 developer preview fired up let's find out what is going to be worth a buy late this year.

So let's get started.

Both operating systems were easy to install. These days most is wizard based the the windows machines often come with some vendor assisted wizards as well. Apple definitely have one of the easiest and cleanest install procedures without this and a wide range of inbuilt applications make this even easier.

I was very concerned that Apple still have an 'automatic logon' as a default setting and it took some hunting around for me to figure out how to turn this off. A secure password I see as a must on any business or personal computing device. Joining the OS X machine to our corporate domain was just as easy as the Windows machine.

I also discovered a neat feature. By default when logging on to OS X on a corporate network your network account is used. This is an online account and will not work out of the office effectively keeping your computer secure and making it more of a thin client device. When you first login you are prompted with the option to create a mobile account. This is an offline version of your account so you can login to your computer and continue working when outside of the office. You should answer yes on any laptops when you set them up.

Microsoft Office installed easily on both and I found myself in familiar territory. I have to admit that the Microsoft Document Connection on OS X is fantastic for Sharepoint and I want it on my PC.

So what did I think of Windows 8? Like Windows 7 was to Vista, Windows 8 is a great refresh of the product designed to improve performance, memory usage and provide a better interface for running on a wide range of devices. There are lots of great improvements to Windows Explorer and I like the look of the Metro Start interface... but ...

I NEED A TOUCHSCREEN!

I install hundreds of applications on my computer over the course of a year before it usually goes in for spring cleaning to return anew. I love Metro but scrolling through pages and pages of icons to find my program is not good. It used to be a couple of clicks in the old start menu. Scrolling is even difficult when using a mouse.

Before I despair, there is a registry hack to turn off Metro and bring back the Start Menu which at this stage I will recommend as a must for anyone planning on using Windows 8 without a touch enabled screen. I am looking forward to seeing whether Microsoft have a clever compromise to make it easy for power users to access a basic menu of applications while providing an intuitive interface for mobile devices and consumers.

By this time I had finally installed the printer drivers for my office printer on OS X and mapped the network drives (as my network login scripts won't work on a mac).

So let's call round 1 a draw. Let's see what happens when I begin to rely on them.
ps. I wrote this on my mac.

PathTest - The most accurate network capacity test tool available.

PathTest is a free capacity testing tool that will give you the most accurate results possible. It allows you to determine the maximum capacity between any two network end points using precision packet-flooding techniques to completely fill up the network path to its absolute maximum capacity.

PathTest can test using TCP, UDP or ICMP protocols for either layer 3 or layer 4 capacity testing and it support DSCP markings to adhere to your QoS policies.

PathTest also lets you specify several run-time options including total packets sent, packet size, maximum allowed bandwidth, one-way or bi-directional testing and more.

PathTest will push your network to its absolute limits using precision packet-flooding techniques to completely fill the network path for a user-defined duration (up to 10 secs maximum).

http://www.testmypath.com/

PRTG: Easy to Use Monitoring of Bandwidth, Performance and Availability

PRTG by Paessler provides reliable network monitoring for 10, 100 or 1000 nodes.

Easy to use, simple, at a glance network diagnostics derived from 115 types of sensors allowing you to understand the operation of your network.

Avoid performance bottlenecks and deliver a better level of service.

Reduce costs by minimizing downtime and maximising performance.

PRTG monitoring runs 24/7 to provide real time network activity. With iOS/Android support you can now monitor your network from anywhere.

As soon as outages occur the software will alert you by sending emails, SMS, pager messages, and other notifications. Request times and downtimes are constantly recorded in the database and you can compile performance, downtime, and SLA reports at any given time.

Highly recommended for any network administrator.

Try it free today from http://www.paessler.com/prtg

Use a terminal server? Want to access applications without accessing your desktop?

Looking for a more affordable solution than Citrix?

2x provides cost effective virtual desktop solutions allowing you to turn a terminal server into an application server and provide quick and easy remote access to applications and services.

2x can operate as a thin client operating system, a virtual desktop layer, or as an application on mobile devices to provide virtual desktops & applications to any mobile & desktop device.

It supports all major hypervisors from Microsoft, VMware, Citrix and more and integrates powerful universal printing & scanning functionality.

Best of all it is free to try for up to 3 users.

Find out more at: http://www.2x.com/

What is the fastest way to commission a new server? Virtually of course.

What about if you don't have a datacentre or ISP partner who can do this? Sign up to Rejila.

Rejila provides real time virtual servers, commissioned in minutes with software and services. The fastest way to get a server online.

http://www.rejila.com/

Rejila servers are available from as little as 10c/hour.

No Contracts are required. Hosting is in Australia. Windows or Linux Systems available. Drag and Drop Deployment.

So if you need a server and you need it now. Try Rejila.

BlueStacks is an Android App Player for Windows.

Ever wanted to play Angry Birds on your laptop?

This is only still in the early stages so features are limited but I can see great potential for this app in the future.

www.bluestacks.com

Connectify is the ultimate mobile wireless hotspot maker.

Create and share a wireless network from your computer in seconds.

Easy to use and it works for all types of devices.

Many devices do not support ad hoc networking. Although the feature is available in Windows 7 it also requires a compatible device. New standards such as wi-fi direct are appearing but it is unlikely your current phone, tablet, laptop, desktop ... will support it yet.

Connectify provides an easy to use wireless hotspot right from your computer, no router required.

So here's how it works..

You need a computer running XP or Vista or Windows 7 which is connected to the internet and has a spare wireless card. If your current computer connects to the internet using wireless then you will need two wireless adaptors in the computer for this to work. Ideally you should have this computer plugged in to your internet connection by a cable. Start it up, name the wireless hotspot and specify a password. Pull out your devices and connect to the wireless network.

If your current internet router doesn't support wireless, why spend money buying a new router when you can plug in a computer with a spare wireless card and instantly provide wireless access for your house. Save money using your mobile devices on wireless and get faster downloads.

http://www.connectify.me/