Software Descriptions
Liberal Arts faculty and staff use a large and diverse library of software. Many of the applications we use are briefly described on this page.
Office Productivity:
- Microsoft Access: Database; record-keeping; reports and analysis; list management; Windows only
- Microsoft Excel: Spreadsheet; charting; list management
- Microsoft PowerPoint: Presentations; charting; audience handouts; speaker notes
- Microsoft Word: Word processing
Web Browsers:
- Apple Safari: The standard web browser for Macintosh
- Mozilla Firefox: A cross-platform freeware alternative web browser
- Microsoft Internet Explorer: The standard web browser for Windows; also available, but no longer supported, for Macintosh
Web Development:
- Macromedia Dreamweaver: Web page creation, suitable for complex pages; web site management; works especially well with Macromedia Fireworks
- Microsoft FrontPage: Web page creation; suitable for entry-level page design and stie management; not well-supported by campus web servers; Windows only
Electronic Mail & calendar:
- Microsoft Outlook: E-mail; server-based message storage, client-based message storage, or both; personal and group calendar; personal information manager; to-do list; journal; Windows only
- Microsoft Entourage: E-mail; server-based message storage or client-based message storage; personal calendar; personal information manager; to-do list; Macintosh only
Desktop Publishing:
- Adobe Acrobat: Create Portable Document Format (PDF) files for universal file exchange
- Adobe InDesign: Page layout; arrange text, graphics, and images for newsletters, brochures, catalogs, books, and complex publications
- Adobe PageMaker: Page layout; arrange text, graphics, and images for newsletters, and brochures
- Microsoft Publisher: Page layout; arrange text, graphics, and images for newsletters, and brochures; Windows only
Graphic Design:
- Adobe AfterEffects: Create high-quality motion graphics for film, broadcast, or CD-ROM
- Adobe Illustrator: Vector graphics editor; create original graphical and/or textual artwork inherently made of lines and curves defined by mathematical objects; scale vector graphics to any resolution while maintaining detail and clarity; works especially well as Adobe Photoshop counterpart
- Adobe ImageReady: Optimize and refine images for web publishing; create GIF animations and image maps; works especially well with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator files; included with Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Photoshop: High-end raster (bitmap) image editor; powerful photo design and production; create original graphical and/or textual artowrk; retouch scanned images and digital photographs; prepare high-quality separations
- Macromedia Fireworks: Optimize and refine images for web publishing; create GIF animations, image maps, and javascript rollovers; works especially well with Macromedia Dreamweaver
- Macromedia FreeHand: Vector graphics editor; create original graphical and/or textual artwork inherently made of lines and curves defined by mathematical objects; scale vector graphics to any resolution while maintaining detail and clarity
Video Editing:
- Adobe Premiere: Digital video editor; Windows only
- Apple Final Cut Express: Mid-level digital video editor; Macintosh only
- Apple Final Cut Pro: Professional-quality digital video editor; Macintosh only
- Apple iMovie: Entry-level / consumer digital video editor; Macintosh only
Digital Photography:
- Adobe Photoshop Album: Import, sort, and manage digital photographs; Windows only
- Adobe Photoshop Elements: Import, edit, and retouch digital photographs and other graphics
- Apple iPhoto: Import, edit, sort, retouch, and manage digital photographs; Macintosh only
Statistical Analysis:
- SAS: Data access, management, analysis, and presentation; Windows only
- SPSS: Data mining; discover patterns and trends in large data sets; Windows only
Internet Applications:
- AOL Instant Messenger: Official AIM instant messenger client; cross-platform; Windows version supports cross-platform video conferencing with Apple iChat
- Apple iChat: AIM-compatible instant messenger client; Macintosh only; supports cross-platform video conferencing with official AIM client for Windows
- Hummingbird HostExplorer: IBM 3270 terminal client for "ADPC" access; Windows only
- Fetch: FTP client; Macintosh only
- Trillian: Freeware multiprotocol instant messenger client; supports AIM, MSN, and Yahoo services; Windows only
- SecureCRT: Secure-shell telnet (SSH) client; Windows only
- SecureFX: Secure FTP (SFTP) client; Windows only
- Windows Messenger / MSN Messenger: Official MSN instant messenger client
- WS-FTP LE: FTP client; Windows only
- Yahoo Messenger: Official Yahoo instant messenger client