Don't Pay for Technology: 25 Freebies for Students

Document Creation

• Zoho Office - Zoho Office is an amazing suite of web-based productivity and collaboration tools. The suite includes free email, a word processor, a spreadsheet tool, a presentation creator and more.
• OpenOffice - The OpenOffice suite of tools can do all of the same things as the pricey Microsoft Office--for free.
• Adobe Buzzword - This free Adobe product is an online word processor that works just like a desktop processor--perfect for students who write academic papers and reports.
• Google Docs - Students can store, share, collaborate, and edit documents online with this free Google app.
• Primo Online - Primo Online is a free online creation service that allows users to create free PDF files. Primo supports a wide range of file types.

Research and Writing

• Schoolr - This meta search engine combines other academic search engines to make research faster and more efficient for students.
• Diigo - Diigo is an awesome tool for student researchers. It allows you to highlight and annotate specific portions of web pages. Highlighted info can be shared with other people and accessed from any PC or phone with an Internet connection.
• Ajax-Spell - This free spell checker makes it easy for students to catch misspellings in their writing.
• WordWeb - Designed for Windows users, this one-click thesaurus/dictionary works off-line but can also be used to look up words and information online. The free version of WordWeb can define a word in almost any program and provide information about the word's root, pronunciation and synonyms.
• BibMe - BibMe allows students to cite sources and create bibliographies in a snap. This free bibliography maker auto-fills info for you in MLA, APA, Chicago or Turabian formats.

Online Storage and Collaboration

• ADrive - Offering more than 50 GB of free storage, ADrive is one of the best places to upload and store files online. Files can also be edited online and shared over any Internet connection.
• 4 Shared - This online storage site provides 5 GB of space to users signing up for a free account. A single file or an entire folder may be uploaded. 4 Shared accepts music, videos, photos and more.
• ZenBe - ZenBe eliminates the need for bulky and lengthy emails by offering students a place to meet, collaborate and chat online.
• Scriblink - Scriblink is a free white board that can be used to collaborate with other people online. It includes a chat window and the ability to save, send or print whatever was created on the board.
• Mikogo - Mikogo is a free screen-sharing tool that simplifies online collaboration among people who aren't sitting in the same room. It can be used to instantly share whatever is on your computer screen with someone else. The program works with up to 10 people.

Study Help and Web-Based Learning

• Mindpicnic - Mindpicnic is helping to revolutionize the way students learn by providing free courses and study materials online.
• VerbaLearn - VerbaLearn is a good place to practice and learn English vocabulary. Students preparing for standardized tests lsuch as the SAT will enjoy this site's vocabulary-building resources.
• Livemocha - You don't have to invest in expensive courses, books or CDs to learn a foreign language. You can do it for free on Livemocha, the world's first free social language learning site.
• ProProfs - ProProfs makes test prep easy and fun. The site allows students to make free quizzes and tests (complete with colors and images) that can be taken online.
• Flashcard Exchange - Students who use Flashcard Exchange can create, study, print and share web-based flashcards on any topic. More than 400,000 students have benefited already.

Miscellaneous Tech Tools

• AVG Free - One of the world's most trusted anti-virus programs, AVG Free provides both anti-virus and spyware protection for Windows users. AVG is easy to install and has more than 80 million users.
• Soshiku - Designed especially for students, this free web app helps them budget their time and stick to schedules. Soshiku can also send notifications about assignment due dates.
• Creative Pro Office - Although this web-based project management system was created for business professionals, it has many features that would be useful to students.
• Billeo - Billeo, a free web browser, helps people track their finances and make online payments. Features include a built-in shopping assistant, bill pay assistant and password assistant.
• Mojo - Mojo makes it easy to sync, share and listen to music online. It can be used to share iTunes libraries and much more.