Standard Software Configurations

We need to create a detailed list of the software which should be loaded on all of NESFA's general-use computers. This issue was discussed at an open meeting of the Computer Committee at the Other Meeting on October 24, 2004.

This is a draft which is undoubtedly still missing some important items and may contain some items which should be removed. Please send substantive comments to the geeks[at]nesfa.org mailing list and notice of typos and other nits to dave[at]daveanderson.com.

Standard software configuration for general-use workstations

• Windows XP Pro SP2
• Office Suite
  • Microsoft Office Pro (includes Word, Excel, Access, what else?)
• FTP Client
  • FTP Voyager [will copy only the changed files from a directory tree; used for website backup]
• Telnet, SSH, etc. Client
  • SecureCRT V4.1
• Book publishing tools:
  • PageMaker v6.5 and v7.0
  • Adobe PhotoShop [latest version]
  • PDF tools
    • something to check that all needed resources are embedded
    • what else?
• Browsers & web publishing tools:
  • Internet Explorer [latest version]
  • Firefox [latest version]
  • Netscape v4.7 or v4.8 [used in ecommerce processing]
  • Netscape [latest version] [browser only; don't install mail, news, etc. components]
  • Opera [latest version]
  • FrontPage [latest version] [website editor]
  • HomeSite v4.5 [later versions are less capable] [website editor]
  • ARealValidator [latest version] [HTML (and CSS?) validator]
  • Xenu [latest version] [web spider -- checks for broken links]
• Database software:
  • Microsoft Access [included in Microsoft Office Pro]
  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro [latest version]
  • R&R Report Writer [latest version]
• Fonts:
  • Adobe Garamond
  • we need to survey our current and completed projects to determine what fonts we actually use
  • what else?
• other software
  • Adobe Type Manager [latest version]
  • Adobe Creative Suite (includes Acrobat, InDesign, Illustrator, what else? installs a printer which produces PDF files)
  • QuickTime
  • JetAudio [player for RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, etc. streams]
  • Symantic AntiVirus Client Corporate
  • Autodesk QuickCAD [latest version]
  • PrintFile [sends raw data to a printer; especially useful for PostScript files]
  • Sonic RecordNow [CD & DVD writing and label making]
  • Java J2SE v5.0 JDK
  • Norton Ghost 2003
  • PIRCH98 [IRC software]
  • Conversions Plus 4.5 [includes mounting Macintosh disks]
  • Image Expert [is this actually used by anyone?]
  • Paint Shop Pro [latest version]
    • Jasc Software has just (10/2004) been bought by Corel, which has its own product (Photo-Paint) -- so the future of this package is in doubt
  • .NET framework
  • WinZip [latest version]
  • PaperPort [scanning software]
  • OmniPage Pro [OCR software]
  • Visio [specialized drawing software with hooks for extended functions]
  • Peachtree [accounting/sales software]
• what else?

• Except where there are good reasons not to do so, always install all options/features of a software package.
• PageMaker is no longer supported; the current best known replacement is InDesign.