You can download it here.

Jing comes from the makers of powerful Snag-it screen capture software and Camtasia Studio screencasting software.

Jing combines screen capture and screencasting into one desktop application and it is absolutely free.

Ok — so what’s the catch?

Jing’s Screen Capture Features

Well, the catch is that the functionality of Jing screen capture is no where near the AWESOME power of the Snag-It paid version.  Jing will allow you to take a screen shot of just about anything.  The image will be of high quality.

The downside is that you will have limited ability to edit the image.  However, when I say limited, I am comparing the functionality to Snag-It which is a ridiculously powerful screen shot tool.

Jing will give you the ability to add arrows and text and a few shapes.  It will do most of the basic things you will need.

Another downside is that it only exports in the .png format — but hey, I love .png’s — they are very versatile.

Jing’s Screencasting Features

I will lead with the two most important limitations to the Jing screen recording application.

Firstly, videos cannot exceed 5 minutes in length without upgrading to a paid version — 14.95 a year.

The second limitation is on the editing — there is none.    What you got is what you got. 

Ok, now for some good news — Jing does allow for audio and this sets it above many free applications out there today.

If you need to shoot quick screencasts or take quick screen recordings (especially for internal use) you have found a great solution in Jing.  The image quality is superior to anything I have seen in a free application.

Holy Jing!  That Was Easy!

Partly because Jing is not crammed to the gills with “bells and whistles” and partly because of brilliant engineering, Jing is extremely easy to use.

When you install Jing, you can choose to have a little “sun” icon appear on the edge of your desktop.  Clicking on the sun icon will activate Jing.  When you are finished with the screen recording, you can publish directly to Techsmiths Screencast.com video hosting site.

From there you can copy and paste a link and send it to your recipient via IM, email, blog post, whatever.

Clicking on the link will take you directly to the screencast on Screencast.com.

This is great when you need to “show” someone a process that is occurring on your computer screen rather than talk them through it on the phone.  You can shoot a 5 minute screencast and IM the link over to the recipient all within 10 minutes or so.  Problem solved.

Pros

• Free
• Very, Very easy to Use
• Versatile – screen recording and screen shots in the same app.

Cons

• Not as powerful as its big brother and sister — Camtasia Studio and Snag-It.

The Uses

Use Jing for quick and not-so-dirty screen shots and screen captures.    You will love the ease of use and the quality of the images it produces.

If you need to edit your screencasting or do a lot of “stuff and things” to your screen shots, opt for a more powerful app.

Firstly, you should know that you can get a free trial of this software and try it before you buy it. Get your free trial or purchase Adobe Captivate 4 by clicking that link.

Adobe Captivate 4 is the “godfather” of all screen recording programs.  Captivate 4 dominates the paid screencasting market because of its superior editing functionality and flexible recording options.

Of course it comes with the support of a behemoth software company in Adobe.  Adobe has done a good job of creating tutorials that will get you up and running with Captivate in a flash (no pun intended).

The real differentiator with Adobe Captivate 4 is its ability to create interactivity in the presentation with ease.  You can create training or teaching videos that require the viewer to follow along with your mouse clicks.  Creating interactive quizzes is also a breeze with Adobe Captivate 4.

The Pros

• Extremely powerful editing capabilities
• Multiple screen recording options
• Ability to create interactive slides (including quizzes)
• Integration with the rest of the Adobe suite of products.

The Cons

• The price is high at $799.00.

The Uses

If you are looking to create robust multimedia presentations or have the need for interactivity within your presentations, Adobe Captivate 4 is worth every penny.   Captivate 4 is not a quick and dirty screencasting program, its intention is to create best-in-class multimedia video and e-learning experiences and it does that very well.

Don’t forget that you can try this software out before purchasing to make sure it meets your needs. Get your free trial or purchase Adobe Captivate 4 by clicking that link.

However, I must say that you are going to get quite a nice program here.  Have a look at the Pros and Cons you are going to get without having to shell out big bucks for an industry leading package.

The Pros

• Once again — It’s Free
• There are callouts available — arrows, banners, etc that can be integrated into the screen.
• It is very intuitive to use — simple interface.
• There is audio available.
• Can shoot in AVI or SWF (Flash)

The Cons

• No post production editing — if you make a mistake you are stuck with it.
• The video quality is average to below average.  Of course I am comparing it to the best of the best paid industry screencasting software.
• The video quality of the Flash files seems even lower than the AVI.

The Uses

If you are looking to shoot professional screencasts for clients, training videos or anything else that would reflect on the professionalism of your company you should not be using CamStudio.

If you need a quick and dirty (and yes… Free!) screen recording software to shoot internal training videos or other inward facing screen video this is a great choice.

Check them out at http://camstudio.org/.

Camtasia Studio by Techsmith will always have a special place in my heart. It is the first screencasting software I ever used and I tend to use it as my go-to screencasting software in a lot of situations.

Camtasia is pretty heavy-hitting software and is not necessarily good for a quick and dirty tutorial to explain something really quickly to a friend or colleague. This software is robust with the following features among others that all work very intuitively:

• Zoom-n-pan
• Nifty Transitions
• Advanced Editing
• Lock Audio or Video Layers

Camtasia also gives you access to Screencast.com which is a place to store and share your video.  After all, where are you going to keep all of this video?  Screencast.com is an easy to use video storage site.  You get a whole gig of storage space for free and the quality is much better than you will get hosting your video content on You Tube.  It’s a nice perk.

If you need a robust tool to conduct training, create information products or record lengthy presentations Camtasia Studio is a good choice.

P.S.  You can test out the FULL version of Camtasia Studio for 30 days with no obligation to buy.  Can’t beat that.

You can find Camtasia Studio by clicking here.