Tech Tools

As a student in the age of technology, it is important to have the right computer equipment to ensure the best possible learning experience. Electronic communication is the preferred method of communication for students, faculty and staff. In order to take advantage of this technology, it is required that students, faculty and staff acquire and maintain email access with the capability to send and receive attached files.

Some software that students are required to use might seem expensive at first, but don’t worry! There are free alternatives to pricey software like Microsoft Office. Check out these tools that can publish documents in the same file formats as the the big brand names.

• Google Docs
• Libre Office
• Only Office
• WPS Office Suite

OCU  provides a selection of PC-compatible plug-ins and freeware available for download. OCU  is not liable for any issues related to the installation of plug-ins and freeware.

• The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is a cross-platform freely distributable software that lets you view and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.
• Google Chromeis a fast, secure, and free web browser built for the modern web.
• The award-winning Web browser from Mozilla is now faster, even more secure, and totally customizable to your online life.
• Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. Internet Explorer 7 provides improved navigation through tabbed browsing, web search right from the toolbar, advanced printing, easy discovery, reading and subscription to RSS feeds, and much more.
• QuickTime is Apple’s technology for handling video, sound, animation, graphics, text, music, and even 360-degree virtual reality (VR) scenes.
•  The free RealPlayer 10.5 is the first product that integrates Real’s revolutionary new Harmony technology. RealPlayer enables consumers to buy and download music that plays on more than 100 portable devices, including the Apple iPod.
• WinZip, the original and most popular compression utility for Windows, is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that quickly zips and unzips your files to conserve disk space and greatly reduce e-mail transmission time. Trial versions available.
•  StuffIt Lite is the award winning industry-standard shareware compression utility for the Macintosh.
• CuteFTP Professional is an award-winning FTP Client for securely and reliably transferring files over industry standard protocols including FTP, FTPS, HTTP, HTTPS and SSH. It’s the right choice when you want the ultimate in power, performance and security. Trial versions available.
•  SmartFTP is an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client which allows you to transfer files between your local computer and a server on the Internet.