So you don’t want to spring for Adobe Acrobat Pro? I can empathize as it is really expensive and in today’s economy we shouldn’t be spending money when we don’t have to. What do you do when you need to create a PDF or convert a PDF to word document?
That is why I am about to show you a free application that will allow you to create PDF’s right from your Microsoft application. As an added bonus this will also allow you to convert any PDF or XPS file to an editable Microsoft Word document.
The conversions seem really fast. The only downside I see is the HUGE 120MB download. It seems that the application is so big because they bundle a trial version of their Fusion application which is a PDF viewer. You do NOT need to use this).
Let us take a look at the application. There is a 32 bit and 64 bit version and it is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and 7. Go here to grab the download. Then after the download, the applications will install. Make sure you close your browser and any Open Office applications.
During the install you will see this:
Leave it as it is to run with the free gDoc version and Fusion in evaluation mode. Next you need to decide what you want to do. I would uncheck the box next to the middle two options as to not bring in the evaluation version of their viewer into play. But that is your call and can be dealt with later on.
I received a message that the printer could not be installed during the installation but I continued on. The installation will complete and you will see this:
This is the screen we use to convert a PDF or XPS file to Word, Excel or PowerPoint. For PDF creation we have a much easier method that we will show you. Select what you want to convert to then drag the PDF or XPS file and drop it on the window.
The file will start converting as soon as you drop it and the output will go to the same folder the original is in. The result is a FULLY EDITABLE WORD DOCUMENT! Whooo Hooo!
Next up we will see how to convert an Office document to a PDF or XPS document. Simply open the file in the application you created it in. We will use Word for our example.
Once you have the document open in Word, hit File – Print or Control and P.
Select the gDoc PDF creator or gDoc XPS creator and the wizard will do the rest!
Select where you want the output to go. Hit save and watch the quick fast magic! It will print to the converter and you will have your converted PDF. How awesome is that for free?
When your conversions are done it will attempt to open the file in its Fusion application even if you unchecked the box during setup. To make this stop happening we only found one method and that is to delete the fusion executable. So instead you will see an error that the file could not be found. If you have another method to prevent Fusion from popping up after the conversion is done we would love to know!
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Over the past months, we’ve written quite a few PDF manuals for you, on all kinds of diverging subjects, including BitTorrent, iTunes, iPhone, Twitter, Mac, Linux, Photoshop and several other topics. 
So you finally bought a new computer and your old one sits in the corner and is collecting dust. That’s too bad because there are a number of good uses for old computers.
If your old laptop screen is OK and if either the hard drive or CD/DVD drive are working, you can use it to build a cheap digital photo frame. With a working wireless connection you could even make it show your latest Flickr photos.
If parts of your laptop or desktop computer hardware are broken, you can salvage the working parts. So if the hard drive is still working, you can dismount it and transform it into an external and portable hard drive for your new computer. You’ll have to invest in a USB caddy, which can be acquired cheaply through eBay, Amazon or your local hardware dealer. Be sure to get the right format and connector for your hard drive. For a laptop hard drive, you’ll need a 2.5″ IDE or SATA caddy. For a regular hard drive, generally a 3.5″ IDE or SATA caddy is in order.
You can dismantle your entire broken computer or laptop and sell the working parts on eBay. Hard drive, RAM, A/C adapters, motherboards, graphics and audio cards, and even an intact case will return some cash.
The next best way to use your still working old computer is to make someone else happy!
If you would rather donate to something bigger, such as science, you could hook up the old computer to the internet, install a program such as 
If you’re a Windows user, having an extra computer to play with is your prime chance to get familiar with Linux. And you may just be surprised by how smoothly Linux runs on your old machine. The reason is that Linux demands much less power.
Separating your firewall from the PC you are using, and running it on a standalone computer that sits between the internet and your actual operating system, is a powerful way to protect your data. With Linux as the firewall computer’s operating system it’s almost perfect.
Load all your music and videos onto this computer, if necessary supply it with an external hard drive, set up your favorite media player, listen to Last.fm, install a TV tuner card and record movies, record music from radio stations, download MP3s, stream music throughout the house using wireless speakers etc.