What software do I need for new Mac and business??

Question

I am looking for website where I can purchase software for my new Macs that I plan to purchase and for my hobby below: Can anyone help??? ( I am switching from Microsoft to Apple)

I am looking for the main type of apps also:
1. Microsoft Office - What version should I purchase (prof, teachers, etc)?
2. What Virus protection software should I purchase?
3. Building Web sites and pages - what software should I purchase?
4. What Firewall protection software should I purchase?
5. What email software?

My Occupation: I am lucky enough that my hobby has turned into a full time job.

I want to start building a web site of my own instead of depending on someone else, and find some type of software that would help with the following:

1. Keep track of inventory, sales, bookkeeping, and etc.. for the used car business. Be able to post on the internet my inventory with pictures and also post on ebay. Keep track of prospects (possible buyers)- call backs, a calendar, keep track of their birthdays and when they need to service their car or truck.

2. Build web site for the business.

I am also looking for other types of software for heavy number crunching, analysis, stock analysis, etc.

Should I just use Filemaker??? and Quickbooks???

Please!!! Can anyone help???

Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mike

Answer 1

MS Office Standard Edition seems to have everything I could want. The Pro Edition adds Virtual PC which I find unnecesary.

I love FileMaker Pro and used to use it quite a lot but it doesn't get used much in my semi-retired teaching job now or my two sidelines that need only a shoebox for bookkeeping. QuickBooks is very good for a typical small-medium size operation.

You didn't mention photo editing. iPhoto is good but basic and has a fabulous database system that automatically dates each days folder of images. Photoshop gets a lot of use but I'm a photographer with thousands of images. Unless you want to do very detailed editing, don't buy Photshop right away and then consider the Adobe Design Premium suite that has Photoshop, Flash, InDesign and Illustrator for a whopping 1800 clams!

I've never had a virus that I know of on any of a dozen Macs I have used at home and at work for the last 10 years but you can install ClamAV if you want. I use it and it finds nothing. When I get a virus on my mobile disk that came from a Windows computer, I just connect it to my Mac, the invisible virus suddenly can be seen and I delete it.

I do a lot of web. For basic page creation, I don't buy any software. Almost everyone who creates pages professionally does hard coding but for fast formatting, I use Nvu from Mozilla which complies with www3 and doesn't use any funky code that only works in IE.

If you want to add video to pages so they will take forever to load on slow connections : o ) , you'll need Macromedia Flash. If you are only going to make a few Flash-loading web pages each year, pay someone to make them for you rather than shell out 700 bucks for a tool that some say can not add much to your bottom line.

Mac OS has an excellent built-in Firewall. Add Firefox to that plus the NoScripts plugin for best protection.

Apple Mail comes with OS X and it is excellent. You could also look at Thunderbird that uses feedback tweeking for spam filter. I can't use Hotmail due to spam even though they say they tweek the filter from my dozens of feedbacks. The same spam keeps coming. YahooMail? Used it for years and get about 2 spams a year. But it doen't sound professional to use Yahoo address. They do have a premium service that can be set to use your domain for the address. That would be nice.

Answer 2

whilst you're severe approximately commencing a employer, then overlook freeware or shareware. purchase a first rate spreadsheet or greater helpful nonetheless, a database application which will competently shelter all invoicing and billing besides as protecting database of your turning out to be purchasers, their paying for behavior, your revenues, their purchases, inventory administration etc. etc.