“The Internet-based world we live in means that common web-based homework tasks need easy and fast solutions. Ice Cream Apps fills the bill by providing students the software to take care of tasks like capturing screenshots, converting video formats, making slideshows and all kinds of stuff that college students’ coursework can require” (Mooney).
The company’s “mission is to provide millions of users all over the world with great and still free analogues to the popular paid applications for Windows systems. . . .Some of our products are absolutely free, some free versions have limited features with an upgrade possibility to PRO version which have special features and no limitations” (Icecream Apps).
As a former Master’s degree student, what I like about the Icecream Apps website is it is like a “one-stop shop” for applications that most college students will eventually need to use.
- PDF Converter – a PDF format of a document is easier to access and use especially if an instructor does not use Microsoft Word; I have also used this feature many times responding to job applications when a PDF is required. Converts a file to (and from) PDF.
- Screen Recorder – I had to create a presentation for one of my online classes showing a demonstration of something on-screen.
- Ebook Reader – this could come in handy if a student is researching and saving online articles that are in an EPUB format.
- PDF Split and Merge – could be useful if a student is saving an article they found in an online database, but only wants to keep specific pages of pertinent content.
- Slideshow Maker – could help a student create a presentation or just a slideshow of personal pictures.
- Image Resizer – I tested this to resize a background photo for my LinkedIn page and it is very user-friendly.
All of the above software applications work on Windows-based systems; only two (Screen Recorder and PDF Split and Merge) work on Mac based systems so far.
Other features that I like about this website are: there is a “Help Center” drop down menu which offers *manuals and how-tos on using the software; on each separate software product page there is a short video presentation highlighting features of the software; and all the software products offer translations into many different languages for people all around the world.
*Screen shot of the on-screen manual. I created this using the software and added the arrows and the text. Very user-friendly for not having read the manual.
Check out Icecream Apps and let us know what you think!
Icecream Apps. About: Icecream Apps. © 2014-2016. 7 September 2016. <http://icecreamapps.com/about.html>.
Mooney, Paula. “Articles. Technology: 21 Most Useful Websites Every College Student Needs to Know.” n.d. Lifehack Website. Document. 7 September 2016. <http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/21-most-useful-websites-every-college-student-needs-know.html>.