| Disclaimer | | All of the products listed below are included for your convenience only. Sizzling Studios offers no guarantee or warranty whatsoever, and we accept no responsibility should you choose to download any products. Be sure to read our
Terms of Use Disclaimer before you take any action. | |
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To be fully web functional you need a few tools. If you don't have them, get them now! Even if you do have some or all of
them on your computer, you many not have the latest versions. Check out the
tools and make sure your toolbox is up-to-date.
A "Real" ISP
- A real ISP means NO AOL.
- We DO NOT recommend AT&T, Comcast or Verizon. All of these ISPs
are extremely quick to block and ban email for just one SPAM complaint
which may or may not be valid. In other words, they don't investigate.
They just block your mail.
Your Browser
Your E-mail Program
When you use Outlook Express, you can send messages in
color and with embedded photos. It's free and part of the browser
download above.
AOL subscribers cannot easily use Outlook Express.
If you want the concise version of why you shouldn't be
subscribing to AOL:
- You can't easily use a full-featured 3rd party e-mail
program like the one we use - Outlook Express.
- You can't easily include the received message
in your reply. This is a horrible shortcoming for a business person who needs
to include a complete record of ALL e-mail exchanges on a given subject in every e-mail on the
subject.
- You should be using
you@yourdomain.com as your reply-to
address - not SuziQ@aol.com. It's very hard
for a tech savvy person to take any e-mail seriously when the sender is an AOL
subscriber.
- We have heard - but not verified - that a sender can be blocked in AOL for sending as few as 100 emails a month!
We do know you can be blocked at AOL for ONE spam complaint.
A Zip Program
You need a program for compressing and decompressing files, especially if
you send and receive e-mail attachments. We use winzip. This is not a free program
but you can try it free.
Download Address:
http://www.winzip.com/ddchomea.htm
A Virus Checker
There is nothing worse than giving or receiving a virus. We use The Norton
Antivirus Program from Symantec because it 'pushes' new virus definitions to you
automatically when you subscribe to LiveUpdate. This is not a free program
but you can try it free.
Download Address:
http://nct.digitalriver.com/0001/
Macromedia Flash Player
The Player allows you to view flash
animations in your browser. It's free.
Download Address:
http://www.macromedia.com/downloads/
Adobe Acrobat Reader
You must be able to read
.pdf files (portable document format files). It's free. If you want to produce .pdf files, download the
full Acrobat
software program which is not free.
Download Address:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Primo PDF Creator
There is no doubt that the easiest way to distribute documents across the Web is in pdf format. Primo pdf creator is free. Caveat - it sometimes does not handle complex documents correctly.
Download Address:
http://www.primopdf.com/
A Firewall
Prevent hackers from accessing your computer via Trojan Horses, worms, and
spyware. We use Zone Alarm. Search for the free version unless you want to
purchase the Pro version.
Download Address:
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/comparison.jsp?lid=ho_za
A Broadband Internet Connection
You have no idea, if you've never experienced it, how much difference a fast
connection makes. Don't waste your time with a dialup (phone-line connection). Get:
1. a cable modem connection or
2. a DSL connection or
3. a Direct PC connection or
4. an ISDN line connection or
5 a T-1 connection
The above options vary from about $40/month to a
few hundred dollars a month for a T-1. You MUST do something that gives you a faster
connection than a dialup. Remember, your customers are most probably far more
techno-literate than you are. Don't throw away business because you are scared
of technology or too cheap to invest in your success! How much do you lose out
on by just ONE lost commission?
If your broker doesn't provide a broadband (fast)
connection at your office, scream bloody murder. DEMAND the tools that will lead
to your success. Your broker has an obligation to you to help you be productive.
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