Tools That Are On Every Windows PC
With all the money we spend on software (Trial Director, OnCue, the Adobe suites), it’s worth a look at the tools that ship with Windows and get used all the time anyway.
Snipping Tool
Around since the XP days, but installed by default since Windows Vista. No more editing screen grabs by hand. Still one of the easiest ways to get pages from a PDF into a PowerPoint presentation without exporting them first.
Microsoft Paint
Installed with Windows since version 1. You’re not going to build trial graphics in Paint, but it makes saving and cropping screen captures dead simple.
Presentation Settings
Part of the Windows Mobility Center (in Control Panel). This handy feature automates the removal of your desktop wallpaper (nobody needs to see that in court) and lets you adjust volume and turn off system notifications and screen savers before you present.
Skype
A love-to-hate relationship, but in a pinch it’s still one of the easiest ways to video-conference in a witness.