Do you need to capture what you are doing on your computer screen, maybe demonstrate how to use some software?


Well if you don't want to spend money on something like Camtasia, or you don't want to download an application then Screentoaster may be your answer.
It's free and you can use it on any computer (Mac or PC), anytime. It uses a simple Java applet to capture your screen. You can record audio that plays during the capture or you can do a voice over with your internal mic.

The file can be saved as either a swf or a mov file. If you have joined Screentoaster you can download the file right from their website. Within minutes you can download a zip file of your capture.

You can import that file into other programs and edit it or edit it directly with Quicktime Pro. In my previous post, I used Screentoaster for the introduction to Twiddla. The only downside I can see is that it makes a rather large file, but the resolution is great. You might want to compress the file a bit if you are going to post it anywhere.

So how is Screentoaster different from Jing?

The basic unpaid version of Jing is also kind of cool. To use the program you have to download the application and sign up. It has some interesting features but it does have limitations.

The first problem is it will only create a swf file which makes editing more difficult. You are also limited to a 5 minute recording. It seems to me that they really want you to sign up and pay for the bells and whistles of Camtasia. So if you want something free that you can use anywhere anytime then Screentoaster is the way to go.