Custom Computing: Boost Productivity with Add-Ons and Plug-Ins

Just about every software package you can install on your computer comes with the ability to set your own preferences, to make that software easier for you to use. But you can also take customizing your computer a step beyond that: for many programs, plug-ins and secondary programs are available that allow you to turn a standard computer program into something that does exactly what you want it to. From your Internet browser to your word processing program, you can operate your computer more efficiently with just a little customization.

Internet Browsers

Firefox has become a popular alternative to Internet Explorer and Safari because of just how easy it is to customize the browser. Mozilla, the developer of Firefox, maintains a list of thousands of plug-ins that work with the Internet browser to make it a more useful tool. For example, one remembers text you routinely type so that you can just paste it in, while another allows you to upload and download photos quickly. The variety of plug-ins available for Firefox is seemingly endless. There are plug-ins available for both Safari and Internet Explorer, as well, although there are not centralized catalogs of such add-ons.

While the creators of each Internet browser have made specific plug-ins and add-ons available themselves, the greatest number of such additions are actually created by people and organizations not associated with the browser itself. Through the use of toolbars, for instance, a wide variety of companies have created customization options for all major Internet browsers. The Google Toolbar, for instance, makes it possible to run searches through Google without having to visit Google.com, as well as translate websites, run spell check, make notes and automatically fill out forms.

Microsoft Office

Many businesses rely on Microsoft Office to handle word processing, spreadsheets and even presentations. But not all businesses need the exact same tools when it comes to their software. Where one company wants to be able to post to its blog directly from Word - as the Blogger for Word plug-in allows - another needs Excel to be able to handle statistical analysis beyond what the software can easily manage. Microsoft makes some plug-ins available through its Office Online website, but if you need a specific type of add-on, you may need to search for it through Google. By searching for the name of the software you need to customize and the type of help you need, along with the keyword "plug-in" or "plugin", you'll find hundreds of plug-ins available from companies other than Microsoft. Because anyone can create a plug-in for most software, you can often find tools to customize your software any way you choose. You can even find industry-specific plug-ins that can allow you to use basic software for reports and projects related to your filed, without having to purchase an entirely separate software package.

In particular, the plug-ins and add-ons available for Microsoft Outlook can truly help make your office more efficient. With an add-on like Xobni, you can organize your email, as well as the contact information for the people you email regularly. The plug-in handles organizing your contacts' information, even bringing information about them from Facebook, LinkedIn and other websites into Outlook so that you can see everything about a contact in one glance. Xobni does have a free version (many plug-ins are free to download and use) but it also has a premium version. You'll find that certain types of add-ons are more likely to have a price tag. If they're meant primarily for business use or they're industry-specific, add-ons are less likely to be available for free.