photo credit: kalandrakas

I came across a great article in a magazine that lists a number of free websites that let you do anything you may need to do on your computer without having to install or buy any software packages. Most of you will probably be familiar with some of the sites on the list, but there are some gems that that aren’t so well known, so I thought I’d share with you all. Here they are for your perusal:

Office Tools:

• Google Docs: Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Presentations
• Zoho: Wide range of office applications
• Lovely Charts: From flow charts to family trees, create any chart you like
• PDF to Word: Convert PDFs into documents you can edit and change

Multimedia Tools

• Screen Toaster: Record what’s going on your desktop and turn it into a video
• Animoto: Turn your photos into an awesome slideshow
• Aviary: An online image editor that supports sophisticated features like layers and effects
• Motionbox: A video sharing website that lets you edit your clips

Communication

• Meebo: Let’s you sign into multiple IM accounts through this website, including MSN, Facebook, Yahoo and others
• Google Mail: One of the best email websites on the planet

Security and Safety

• Bitdefender Online Scanner: Online Virus Scanner
• Passpack: A secure website that lets you store passwords for different websites

Storage and Files

• Zamzar: Online file converter. I’ve used this in the past and it’s works just perfectly
• YouSendIt: Ever needed to send a file that’s too big for email. This site lets you do just that
• Humyo: An secure online backup site that gives you 10Gb for free

Miscellaneous

• Remember the Milk: Great to-do list website with a variety of ways to get reminders
• Floorplanner: Create and share interactive floor plans
• Logmein Free: Get remote access to any computer you use. Personally recommended
• Google Maps Distance Calculator: Ever wondered about the distance between two points. Now you can find out exactly how far apart they are

There are loads of other websites out there, but these are some to try if you haven’t been there before.

The email advised me that Sprout had closed off the ability to produce free Sprouts and launched tiered pricing ranging from $140 a year to $3000 a year, depending on the number of projects, storage and support options people require. The Basic service lets you produce up to 3 Sprouts but is only available to current users.

Now, I’ll be the first to insist that a company has a pricing strategy which can guarantee growth and sustainability, especially in today’s harsh climate. However, it’s always worth bearing in mind that free advertising can be valuable, as it taps into hobbyists and people experimenting with the medium. I have a friend who’s heavily into sports attire and I’m sure he’s geeky enough to try and put together a Sprout about NFL jerseys if he had the time and knew about the service.

I believe Sprout are making a mistake but not allowing a free aspect to their service. Even if it’s time-bound, it allows people to play with their technology, evangelise about their services and draw in more paying customers.

What do you think?

Anyway, I had a look through the directory and tried to submit this blog, but was asked for a payment of $4.00 for a standard listing or $7.00 for an express listing. I’m still looking for a way to submit a free link and will update this post when I find out how.

Anyway, free directories are generally a good idea because any links you can get to your website will in some way help pull traffic to your door. So keep a look out for any opportunity you can find, and leave a trail to your website wherever you go.

The Road to Know Where: Ultimate List of Free Windows Software from Microsoft

Enjoy!