E-Musings Mon Immorata

Good Software Knockoffs Successful applications breed excellent clones, with a few mistakes along the way Imitation is supposed to be the sincerest form of flattery. And so reverse engineering software for its process and features has become a popular trend. But I like only those reverse engineered applications that actually improve on the original. These improvements must include better system resource use. Make features and functions more intuitive. And constantly evolve to improve usability and productivity. Finally the software must be stable enough to be used with any Windows version. From the (now ancient) Windows 95 all the way thru Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. When Windows Explorer first appeared it caused a sensation. Because Windows File Manager (included in Windows 95) was rather feature-strapped. Not that Windows Explorer has evolved all that much since it first arrived. That there are lots of plug-ins and other enhancers available testifies that most users still find this utility wanting. Luckily, there are several replacements -- freeware and shareware -- that bring new features to extend Windows file management. My personal favorite is Total Commander whose features include zip/unzip, archive split/combine, FTP, and a file viewer at a very reasonable price. Another is Nikos Boznis' 2xExplorer. This free Explorer clone offers a dual-pane view. Windows XP (and later users) can also view Zip archives as folders. Other features include file split/combine, print listings for selected files/folders, and advanced stuff like file synchronization and shredding (makes deleted files unrecoverable). 2xExplorer has just been upgraded to xplorer² Alpha. With intelligent file synchronization that lets the user define the parameters. As well as a file build checker: invaluable when you have multiple files with seemingly identical sizes and content. You can also now search in files for binary characters like paragraph marks (^P), tabs (^T), and life feeds (^L). As well as for specific Hex codes. And lots more. Another excellent software from Nikos' stable is Editor². This free Windows Notepad replacement too has been upgraded. The new Beta lets you open multiple instances as separate Windows processes (threads) to reduce resource use. Of course I would have preferred the app with a multi-document interface much like NoteTab. But free beggars can't really be choosers! Do use the multi-thread option with care as the documentation suggests against frequent use. The app also supports a command-line option defined in the Windows shortcut properties dialog. Initialize Editor² from the Start|Run menu box using "/L:nn" to load a document and jump straight to the specified line number. You can also change the text case between lowercase and capitals. And you can also setup an external viewer (like a /web browser) to preview HTML files. Search too has been enhanced and can locate (and replace) binary characters. As well as locate similar instances of the current word under the cursor. And you can setup Editor² as the default file viewer in 2xExplorer/xplorer². For more File Manager software links, check out the Google Directory entry. Also new this week is another MyIE2 build: 0.8.130. Changes include support for Favicon and encoding. You can also define th transparency, background shade and font color for items in the included Collector text editor-cum-store. Download manager support has been improved and the app now works with almost all such utilities. You can use either multiple skins or force MyIE2 to use only the Windows XP theme selected. Click Here to Email Me