Reader – Why Are Workers Comp Apps Extinct and Good Free Laptop Software
Why are Workers Comp apps extinct? I used to cover any workers comp apps that I had seen in the past year. My previous IT degree enabled me to analyze the apps fully. The reasons that I quit covering them are:
- The pool of apps dried up quickly over the last five years;
- The attorney ads were dominant;
- As one reader commented and then called me – the apps are more website based. The apps are going to refer you to a website now that smartphones can handle the web.
I still think there are uses for apps in workers’ comp. The financial incentive is not there, though, for creating and maintaining a workers’ comp standalone app. The answer to the reader’s question is “there is no money” in that venture any longer.
I have seen many apps that just forward the user to a website receive 2 stars or lower for not having a standalone app.
Free Software To Use on Laptops
The reader that asked why are workers comp apps extinct also later sent another email with this request. Over the years, I have used and purchased a lot of software. Please note the websites did not pay me for these recommendations.
Make sure that you are on your personal laptops or desktops. Do not make your IT department mad at you. I do not receive any compensation for recommending the below software.
The free ones that I recommend are: (with links for the downloads)
- Glary Utilities – get the junk out of your computer quickly and safely. This will speed up your computer tremendously. Watch for which one you choose. The Pro version has a 14-day trial period then you have to shut it off or pay a reasonable yearly fee. Make sure you are downloading and updating the free version. The Glary wipe function is great but please use it wisely.
- Ccleaner – this has the same functionality as the Glary software above. Ccleaner cleans out different areas of your computer than Glary. Make sure you download and use the free version. The Pro version lasts for a few weeks and then it shuts off if you do not pay a yearly fee.
- Apache Open Office – a decent alternative to the Microsoft Office packages. Volunteers wrote and maintained the software for many years. A donation to the cause is not required by Apache. When I used their software, I would donate each year.
- Microsoft Windows Defender and Antivirus – this package comes loaded into all Windows 10 and 11 installations. If you have no antivirus, Windows will bug you to set up the Windows Defender and Firewall to protect your computer. Defender does not have all the bells and whistles, but it is free and already on your laptop.
- Agent Ransack – Windows search can be frustrating. Agent Ransack has been around for many years. I bought the Pro version as it allows me to search inside Zip (archived) files. This software package has saved me more than a few times when I could not find a file that I was searching for frantically.
I have a list of more software packages that I recommend heavily. I will save those for another time. If there is any software that you recommend, workers comp or otherwise, please comment below.
My apologies to the 13% of computer users that use Macs.
Thanks to the reader that asked – why are workers comp apps extinct? You awakened my muse.
