Favorite Win32 Freeware & Shareware
Submitted by Stardust_HR on Sun, 01/19/2003 - 08:46
Tags:
INTERNET
- 40tude Dialog - news/e-mail reader. It has scripting support that allows users to create custom options. Best examples being Agent Threading script, and X-Body script. Before Dialog I was using Forte Agent and Becky, but it made them both obsolete. [License and version I'm using: freeware - v2.0.15.1] [Size: 4.0 MB] [Developer: Marcus Moenning, Germany] [screenshot]
- Opera - web browser. Since Internet Explorer is insecure, it's better to look for some alternative. Opera represents best pick for user seeking powerful, stable and secure browser. Freeware contender Firefox is almost as good. [freeware - v8.54] [3.6 MB] [Opera Software ASA, Norway] [screenshot]
- Proxomitron - web filter. This program can remove all undesirable stuff from web pages. You'll never have to see any ads, banners, counters, web-bugs, pop-up windows... on internet ever again. [freeware - v4.4] [1.1 MB] [Scott R. Lemmon, USA] [screenshot]
- Agnitum Outpost Firewall - firewall. Controls which programs have access to the net, and shields your computer from internet port probes. Kerio 2.1.5 is another well behaved firewall. [sharware - v2.7] [7.3 MB] [Agnitum, Ltd., Cyprus] [screenshot]
- eMule - p2p client. Large community of users where you can find anything imaginable. Best p2p network for finding older and rare files. [freeware - v0.48a] [3.6 MB] [Emule-Project.net] [screenshot]
- uTorrent - p2p client. Best for downloading new files. [freeware - v1.6] [174 kb] [Ludvig Strigeus, Sweden] [screenshot]
- StrongDC++ - p2p client. Almost as good as eMule for finding rare files. [freeware - v2.02] [4.2 MB] [BigMuscle, Czech Republic] [screenshot]
- Free Download Manager - good to have around when downloading large files, it can resume broken downloads. [freeware - v2.1] [1.6 MB] [FreeDownloadManager.ORG, ?] [screenshot]
- DU Super Controler - net limiter. It can limit upload and download traffic. [shareware - v1.90] [822 kb] [Zukanovic Software, ?] [screenshot]
- Nvu - web editor. Simple editor for creating your internet home page. For more complex stuff try Dreamweaver. [freeware - v1.0] [6.7 MB] [Linspire Inc, ?] [screenshot]
- BookmarkPriest - bookmark converter with fast conversion between Opera, IE and Mozilla. [freeware - v1.1] [154 kb] [Phillip Perkmann, Austria] [screenshot]
WRITING
- win32pad - lite text editor. It has just one file, no install, doesn't write anything to windows registry. (in that regard it's even better then Metapad) Perfect candidate for replacing weak Microsoft Notepad. [freeware - v1.5.0] [33 kb] [Gennady Feldman, USA] [screenshot]
- KeyNote - personal information manager. On the left side are user definable categories, like "movies to rent", "DVDs to buy" "books to read" and on the right side are your entries. [freeware - v1.6.1] [1.6 MB] [Marek Jedlinski, Poland] [screenshot]
- WordWeb - English dictionary. It can lookup words from any currently active application. [freeware - v2.2] [5.4 MB] [Antony Lewis, UK] [screenshot]
- EditPlus - powerful text editor. A lot more options than win32pad, but it takes longer to load. It has syntax highlighting, tab support, spell checker ...etc. PSPad is decent freeware alternative. [shareware - v2.12] [914 KB] [Sangil Kim, ES-Computing, South Korea] [screenshot]
- Letter Chase Typing Tutor - typing tutor. Learn how to type with all 10 fingers, without watching the keyboard. [old freeware version - v1.1] [530 kb] [David Ray, USA] [screenshot]
GRAPHICS
- XnView - image viewer. It has many useful options and small load time. Alternatives are IrfanView and ACDSee Classic. [freeware - v1.82.4] [820 kb] [Pierre.e Gougelet, France] [screenshot]
- GIMP - image editor. When some extensive image editing needs to be done, this is program for that job. Free alternative to shareware heavyweights Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop. [freeware - v2.0.3] [7.7 MB] [Windows port done by Tor Lillqvist, Finland] [screenshot]
- paint.net - image editor. This one isn't as powerful, but it's much lighter on computer resources and more stable. That makes it better choice for smaller editing tasks. PhotoFiltre is also good. [freeware - v2.72] [3.7 MB] [Rick Brewster, USA] [screenshot]
MULTIMEDIA
- foobar2000 - music player. Light on resources, extremely powerful in features. It has playlist with tab support which makes switching between different lists, easy as pressing just one key. [freeware - v0.8] [1.2 MB] [Peter Pawlowski, Poland] [screenshot]
- Media Player Classic - music and video player. What makes MPC so special is ability to play RealMedia and QuickTime files. I always disliked QuickTime (what kind of video player doesn't support full screen?) and RealPlayer (mostly spyware issues). Thanks to MPC plugins QuickTime Alternative and Real Alternative , I finally got rid of those two programs. [freeware - v6.4.8.4] [2 MB] [Gabest, Hungary] [screenshot]
- K-Lite Codec Pack Basic - multimedia codec pack. Latest DivX codecs have spyware advertising build into them! Use this one instead... It has everything needed to play DivX and XviD movies. (and doesn't contain any spyware/adware) [freeware - v2.27] [1.4 MB] [Hilbrand Edskes, Netherlands] [screenshot]
- BSPlayer - video player. Excels in playing all kinds of video files, especially DivX movies. [freeware - v0.86] [1.1 MB] [Boris Voglar, Slovenia] [screenshot]
- DeliPlayer - music player. Supports 214 music formats, can play any old music without the need for extra plugins. BTW - old music from Commodore 64 and Amiga 500 is simply incredible. To get some of the best tunes ever produced, check out Classics for UAE, ExoticA, The Mod Archive and High Voltage Sid Collection. [freeware - v1.30] [3.8 MB] [Florian Vorberger and Peter Kunath, Germany] [screenshot]
- MP3Gain - volume normalizer. This can save you from constantly adjusting sound volume while listening MP3 songs. (suggested by jim, thanks man!) [freeware - v1.0] [654 kb] [Glen Sawyer, USA] [screenshot]
- Amiglobe 98 - world atlas. Full of interesting facts about different countries, including anthems in midi format. [old postcardware version - "98"] [2.5 MB] [Olivier Collard, France] [screenshot]
DECRYPTING AND BURNING
- DVD Decrypter - DVD backup. Create backup of your DVD movies for safe keeping. [freeware - v3.5.1.0] [827 kb] [LIGHTNING UK!, UK] [screenshot]
- DVD Shrink - DVD editing tool. If some movie has annoyingly long advertisements, this can remove them. By removing all other extras, you can save enough space to fit double layer DVD, onto single layer DVD backup. [freeware - v3.2.0.15] [1.1 MB] [dvdshrink, Japan] [screenshot]
- DeepBurner - DVD burner. Backup important files from hard disk to DVD. Its very reliable, simple and fuss-free. For more power look to BurnAtOnce or Nero. [freeware - v1.5.1.192] [2.7 MB] [Astonsoft Co., Estonia] [screenshot]
- CloneCD - CD cloner. Backup your original game CD for safe keeping. [shareware - v4.1.0.1] [3.2 MB] [Elaborate Bytes AG, Switzerland] [screenshot]
- Auto Gordian Knot - Xvid/DivX encoder. It can compress two hour video to a size of single CD disk. [freeware - v1.60] [6.9 MB] [Anton Oleynikov (aka len0x), ?] [screenshot]
- Subtitle Workshop - movie subtitles editor. If subtitles are out of sync with video, this tool can correct it. [freeware - v2.51] [1.1 MB] [URUSoft, Uruguay] [screenshot]
- VirtualDub - movie editor. It can create and edit DivX movies. [freeware - v1.7.0] [1.2 MB] [Avery Lee, ?] [screenshot]
- DAEMON Tools - virtual drive. Mounts ISO image of DVD as virtual drive on hard disk. This is especially useful for games and movies, since you don't have to constantly change disks anymore. Two extra advantages are complete silence, and improved access speed. [freeware - v3.41] [517 kb] [Andrew Naiden (VeNoM386), Romania] [screenshot]
FILE MANAGEMENT
- Total Commander - file manager. Two pane interface, integrated support for all archive files (zip, rar ...etc), ftp support, folder synchronization, keyboard shortcuts for everything. When you try this program, returning to Windows Explorer in no longer an option. Shareware Directory Opus and freeware file manager xplorer2 are good alternatives. [shareware - v6.50] [1.6 MB] [Christian Ghisler, Switzerland] [screenshot]
- ExamDiff - file differences analyzer. It can compare two files and highlight all that is different between them. [freeware - v1.6k] [207 kb] [PrestoSoft, USA] [screenshot]
- Cathy - file cataloger. Keeps a record of all files that are on your CDs. When you need something, this program will instantly tell you what CD to grab. [freeware - v2.20.4] [44 kb] [Robert Vasicek, Slovakia] [screenshot]
SECURITY
- Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal - after examining test results from various sources, Kaspersky came on top as currently the best antivirus program available on the market. [shareware - v5.0.149.4] [9.4 MB] [Kaspersky Lab, Russia] [screenshot]
- avast! - free antivirus. Has slightly better detection rate then his competitor AVG. [freeware - v4.1.335] [7.7 MB] [ALWIL Software, Czech Republic] [screenshot]
- InCtrl5 - installation monitor. Have you ever wondered where programs install their files and what registry changes they make? This utility will give you the answer. What makes this app better then the rest, is ability to compare 4 different snapshots. (others apps can compare only two!) This makes it possible to uninstall programs with normal windows add/remove applet, and still be able to see what was left behind. Use ExamDiff to compare changes in two reports. [once was freeware, now is available only to PC Magazine site subscribers - v1.0.0.0] [785 kb] [Neil J. Rubenking, Ziff-Davis Media Inc., USA] [screenshot]
- EasyClean - installation monitor. InCtrl5 can compare 4 reports, but EasyClean has nicer explorer-like display of changes. So I use both programs, InCtrl5 for tracking, EasyClean for reading through reports. [shareware - v4.0.0.4] [1 MB] [Bernd Klaiber, Germany] [screenshot]
- Process Explorer - task manager. It can display what programs are loaded in memory, their processor usage, memory consumption ...etc. [freeware - v8.41] [254 kb] [Mark Russinovich, USA] [screenshot]
- Autoruns - startup manager. Lets you decide what programs should be given permission to automatically start with Windows. [freeware - v1.1] [49 kb] [Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell, USA] [screenshot]
- SpyBot - Search & Destroy - adware & spyware remover. Cleans computer from programs that compromise privacy and net connection bandwidth. [freeware - v1.3] [4.3 MB] [Patrick Michael Kolla, Germany] [screenshot]
- Ad-aware - adware & spyware remover. Same as above. [freeware - v6.0] [1.5 MB] [Lavasoft, Sweden] [screenshot]
- FileMon - HDD activity monitor. Displays what programs access hard drive. [freeware - v6.11] [93 kb] [Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell, USA] [screenshot]
- RegMon - Registry activity monitor. Display what programs access windows registry. [freeware - v6.10] [86 kb] [Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell, USA] [screenshot]
UTILITY
- PowerPro - shell enhancer. The most useful program of all time! It can display any computer related information (free CPU, free RAM, modem transfer rate...), bind all frequently used actions to keyboard shortcuts (quickly access control panel, add/remove programs, shutdown computer...), track recently used directories in Open/Save dialogs of all programs, store username and passwords in one place, show reminder notes at specified time, minimize windows to system tray, run countdown timers, create virtual desktops and much much more!!! On top of all that, it's very small, fast and light on resources. [freeware - v4.1] [2.6 MB] [Bruce Switzer, Canada] [screenshot]
- ClipCache Plus - clipboard enhancer. Keeps history of clipboard activity and can organize it into different categories. Useful for creating "To visit" lists of sites and copying them later-on into web browser. Shareware ClipMate and freeware CLCL are good alternatives. [shareware - v2.9] [1.4 MB] [John Williams, XRays Software, UK] [screenshot]
- RegEditX - registry editor enhancement. Adds address bar where you can paste registry keys for quick access. Without this little utility, the default windows editor is practically useless. Registrar Lite is also good because is searches through registry 10 times faster then default editor. [freeware - v1.31] [337 kb] [DC Software Design Inc., USA] [screenshot]
- MWSnap - screen capturing utility. All the usual features plus magnifier tool, window information and color picker. [freeware - v3.0.0.74] [658 kb] [Mirek Wojtowicz, Poland] [screenshot]
- Nokia Monitor Test - monitor testing utility. This can help you adjust brightness, contrast and other monitor parameters. [freeware - v1.0a] [1.2 MB] [Nokia Monitors, Sweden] [screenshot]
GAMES
- KP Typing Game - typing game. Words fall from top of the screen, and your have to type them quicky enough before they fall down. [freeware - v2.2] [886 kb] [Zijian Huang, China] [screenshot]
- WinUAE - amiga emulator. Amiga has thousands of games, and this emulator can play them all. My favorites are Pinbal Fantasies and It Came from the Desert. [freeware - v1.3.4] [1.7 MB] [Toni Wilen, ?] [screenshot]
- ePSXe - playstation emulator. Take a look at Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy VII and Rage Racer. [freeware - v1.6.0] [286 kb] [ePSXe team, ?] [screenshot]
- Project 64 - nintendo 64 emulator. Try The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario 64. [freeware - v1.6] [2 MB] [Zilmar, ?] [screenshot]
- TOP-10 MOST VALUABLE PROGRAMS
- 1.PowerPro (simply amazing program!)
- 2.Total Commander
- 3.40tude Dialog
- 4.Opera
- 5.Agnitum Outpost Firewall
- 6.ClipCache Plus
- 7. EditPlus
- 8.foobar2000
- 9.Media Player Classic
- 10.eMule
- MY STARTUP FOLDER (programs I let automatically start with windows)
- PowerPro
- DAEMON Tools
- Agnitum Outpost Firewall
- DU Super Controler
- ClipCache Plus
Author Comments:
List revision number [ 16 ]
Old program versions are usually not available on developers website, try OldVersion.com and Google.com . Feel free to post your thoughts and suggestions. (pretty much any post is welcome! :), with exception of posting serials or links to cracks-warez)
If you like reading best software lists, there are two others on Listology site:
The software I actually use by jlindquist
Favorite Win32 Software by lukeprog
Good list. Have you tried MP3Gain? it's a "volume normalizer." Used to be the volume on my mix CDs would jump all over the place. Now I never have to touch the volume knob. Great program.
I was just now (after a long time) updating this list, saw your reply and downloaded the program. First impressions are: small, fast and works as advertised... Good candidate for next update, thanks!
Hey, glad to see MP3Gain made the cut! Keynote certainly sounds interesting. I'd give it a try except I'm kinda wedded to my Palm Pilot for that kind of data. One question: any reason you aren't running Opera 7 instead of Opera 6? I also want to me mention that I was an Opera 6 user for a long time, but I finally switched over to Phoenix/Firebird/whatever-they're-calling-it-now, and I haven't looked back. Download a nightly binary; you won't be disappointed.
I think that having KeyNote would still be useful. For example, it has an option for "clipboard capture", so you don't even have to write anything down. I just select what is important in someones lists, and hit ctrl+c).
Opera 7 was a big disappointment to me. It has some stability issues, and they have totally messed-up the Hotlist... neither of the shortcuts (F4, F7 nor Ctrl+1) takes me directly to the links. Also when using keyboard navigation, Hotlist doesn't show addresses in status bar. And finally, when Opera 7 crashes it doesn't remember previous windows state, which was one of my favorite Opera 6 features. ;-)
Phoenix/Firebird... all I can say is wow! On first glance, it looks very promising... finally Opera gets a worthy challenger. Will follow it's development closely.
That clipboard capture feature does sound pretty interesting; I may check it out yet!
I had just switched to Phoenix when Opera 7 came out, so I only just barely played with it. I am sorry to hear it was a step backwards though, as I've always admired that browser!
Hey, let me know if you do any web development - Phoenix has an unbeatable set of debugging tools and bookmarklets. I'll share those with you if you're interested.
Great thing about Opera is, they are so good at listening to users requests. I've tried new 7.1 version, and IMHO 70% of the issues are fixed. If they keep that up, v7.3 should be completely trouble-free.
Thanks for the offer! Web development is [currently] not my area of interest, but if that changes in the future, I'll backtrack to this thread.
Great list! I use quite a few of the items listed myself. A couple of comments:
- About Easy Clean: Are you familiar with Ashampoo Uninstaller Suite? It's the exact same program! Obviously, Ashampoo bought it from the original producer or hired him or whatever. An important difference: Ashampoo Uninstaller Suite is updated frequently!
- I don't think the latest versions of ACDSee are bloated! ACDSee is a great program - *but* have a look at IMatch from http://www.photools.com . It's the image equivalent of Becky and The Bat!
- Are you familiar with the IE-based browser Sleipnir? IMO, it has the most elegant interface of any browser I ever saw. It's being produced in Japan so the URL for the auto-translated version of the site is long and ugly.
Ashampoo Uninstaller Suite
I installed it half a year ago. They added a bit to much advertising for my taste. I ended up thinking... do I really want to entrust them with the job of keeping my registry clean...
ACDSee
PowerPack v5 setup file - 22 MB. Prime example of bloatware. (imho)
IMatch
Thanks so much for the info! I'll look it up. :-)
Sleipnir
It's on my list (in the description for Opera). Yup I agree, Sleipnir is the most powerful IE shell available today. It's a shame that most people don't know about it and still use plain IE.
Ashampoo Uninstaller Suite: Well, register the thing, then :-) No adds and frequent updates.
ACDSee - I don't care how big the exe-file is. It's only bloatware if it has too many stupid features that nobody will benefit from - and, IMHO, this is not at all the case! In face, the only truly stupid feature that I see, is the option for sharing pictures via the web.
IMatch - you're welcome. IMatch 3.5 will be out very soon with a whole new approach to categories - among other things.
Sleipnir - glad to see this jewel on your list. Slowly but surely the power of Sleipnir will make itself known...
Ashampoo - Company that shifts advertising, wants to assist me in cleaning registry? Hmmm, even if they pay me money, I still wouldn't use this program. ;)
ACDSee - our definition of bloatware in this category is drastically different... :-) Mine would be closer to "every image viewer that fails to appear in the first second of loading, is bloatware".
Ashampoo - too bad. It's a great program - and if you use Ashampoo's "Make us an offer"-service you can get for almost nothing. Furthermore, I repeat: It's the same program as EasyClean - only updated.
ACDSee - perhaps our definitions are not so different after all :-P Apparently, you are talking about image viewers where I am talking about image *managers*. ACDSee is much more than a viewer. I certainly agree with you that a viewer should load as fast as possible.
I really should update this list more frequently. Sorry for the delay! :-)
Ashampoo - I don't feel comfortable recommending any software that contains advertisement. :-) EasyClean does its job and has never crashed or shown any signs of instability. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't really need any more updates. :)
Image viewers versus image managers. Yes, it all depends on what type of software one needs...
check out DreamKeys (467KB) plugins here
Development stopped long time ago, but the program was already perfect.. for me at least.
It might be same as HotKeys you mention, haven't tried that.
I've tried it just now and it looks fairly good... However it is somewhat limited, because it relys too heavily on plugin system. PowerPro for example gives you much more control and flexibility... Thanks for suggestion though, I appreciate it! :-)
Excuse me - but are you using 40tude Dialog for e-mail?!! The absence of other e-mail clients on your list seems to indicate that you do...
I've changed many e-mail readers over the years and finally settled with Becky!. However I had problem with PowerToolsSoftware Yahoo group. (the posts without references were broken and placed outside their original thread)
The Bat! is very powerful, but I didn't like the feel of it, plus it had the same problem with broken threads. Many others were dismissed for various reasons. Finally - only Dialog was left standing... It has powerful scoring/coloring/filtering abilities, keyboard shortcuts are familiar to me since I use it daily on the Usenet, posts without references are placed in their original thread, score file management is very powerful, x-face support, configurable article header panel, convenience of launching only one application for retrieving e-mails/usenet groups.
But, I guess the most important reason is, I don't send/receive that many e-mails after all! :-) I send maybe 5-10 messages daily. Neither IMAP support nor dedicated reader are really necessary for me. BTW I saw your list, and will give Mulberry a try!
I've just played a little with the e-mail capabilites of Dialog. I can certainly see the attractions and I guess I would switch too if Usenet was more important to me than e-mail. Currently, that's not the case, though. My present focus is definitely IMAP and that's why even Becky! had to go. It's definitely a strong IMAP-client, but IMAP is not it's top priority. The Bat! is actually stronger in that area and moving fast in the right direction, but I doesn't like the feel of it, either (although that's improving too).
Just found ArtRage. Wonderful, fun, and free.
I've done little Google-ing while downloading ArtRage and I see this program is becoming big hit in TabletPC arena. Microsoft is even thinking of donating its developers large sum of money. :) Great program - rather on the simplistic side... but from what I've read that was done "by design". My younger brother is already hard at work, creating new masterpieces with it. Thanks! :)
:-) You're welcome!
Excellent list. I'll have to clone it some time. If music from Commodore 64 and Amiga 500 is so good, could you name just a few of your favorites? I can't be bothered to browse through 1000 tracks on those sites you listed.
Thanks, I'm looking forward to seeing new software list on Listology! Anyway, browsing the web I've stumbled upon this great link that holds some of the best Amiga 500 and Commodore 64 tunes, in just two small archives. (1 MB total) Most of my favorites are there...
thx
I finally got around to listening to the Amiga mods at that link (too lazy to figure out how to play .sid files).
They were alright, but I was annoyed that foobar2000 ALWAYS says 'encoding failed' when I try to convert any type of file to mp3 with lame mp3 encoder, without explaining what the problem is. Grrr.
Anyway, I actually liked the Amiga tunes I aleady have better than any in that .zip at the link. For example, ones I have that I like are:
A King Is Born
Boesendorfer PSS
Revire Of Truth
Spacedebris
and others
Most of songs in zip file are background tunes from famous Amiga games. I wasted countless hours playing those games, so that music has huge nostalgic value to me. Tunes you mentioned are from CD collection "Best of the Amiga scene". :) Some excellent stuff there... Thanks!
Plugin for .sid can be found on foobar2000 site. Don't know about that error with lame encoder, I use ogg vorbis and it works ok.
Actually, I decided not to make my own list because... I'm lazy. Here's a quick low-down anyway:
I use Thunderbird for mail, but I've never tried 40tude. I don't use newsgroups because I've only got a useless 1 GB a month from my ISP.
I use the Firefox browser because it's my bitch - it is and does what I want it to be and do. With extensions, it eliminates the need for about 15 other programs.
I like Notepad and Wordpad, and have actually tried tons of alternatives but didn't care for them (there was always something major lacking in any one of them)
I do all my word stuff online so I don't have to load up WordWeb, but I used that before I had broadband.
I would use Gimp if the interface wasn't so fecked up, and if I didn't already have the slightly superior Photoshop. If they totally redo the interface and catch up with the # of features in Photoshop, I'd totally make the switch.
I use Image Analyzer for real quick image editing needs, though I've never tried PhotoFiltre.
For music, I simply can't do without Winamp's window docking mode and especially the kickass media library. I use MPC (and the quicktime/real replacements) for video.
I also use Process Explorer, Spybot, and Ad-Aware.
I use Trillian (the imitations simply haven't got it yet) for IMing, w.bloggar for blogging, and I'm gonna try Total Commander because I am SOOOOOO sick of Windows Explorer being slow as molasses on my Celeron.
I love Smart FTP for FTPing.
For games, I love Liero Xtreme and Deluxe Snake.
I have really been getting a kick out of Stardock Windowblinds to make Windows look downright amazing and Desktop X for tracking CPU & memory usage, weather, time, date, internet traffic, and program shortcuts. However, I suspect both are significanlty slowing down my feeble Celeron when multitasking, so I may try eliminating Windowblinds and replacing Desktop X with the PowerPro you so highly recommend.
I'm also mad at Firefox for two reasons. One, it's deathly slow on loading huge pages (ign.com, the new allmusic.com, etc.), whereas IE is a little faster. Also, it has frequent but unpredictable problems copying and pasting and navigating text boxes with the keyboard. It's frustrating beyond belief because you never know when you're gonna get stuck or when you're gonna lose information because it didn't copy something to the clipboard it should have.
I've thought of trying Opera (after shying away from my previous favorites, IE shells like Avant Browser and MyIE2. However, there are a few things critical for a browser I use to be/have that I wonder if Opera can do. Perhaps you can tell me:
1. Can opera easily navigate multiple tabs (EVERYTHING in one window)? Like, are there shortcuts for opening a link/bookmark/address bar location/web search in a new tab?
2. Is there some kind of Google toolbar? The Googlebar for Firefox is amazing and way more powerful than the Google Toolbar.
3. Can opera set up address bar searches? For example, "a metallica"+enter would go to http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?P=amg&opt1=1&sql=metallica and "n stevie"+enter would go to http://www.netflix.com/Search?search_submit.x=0&search_submit.y=0&v1=stevie as they do now in Firefox (because I set them up that way)?
4. I suppose I could use Proxomitron to filter out ads, popups, etc... but is it configurable? For example, can I easily maintain a 'black list' of URLs with wild card characters to blocks ads (a short example being */ads/*)?
5. Can you easily and powerfully configure the interface? On the default setup last time I tried Opera the buttons were huge and there were way to many of them.
6. What is it's download manager like? Can I hold a key and click something to download it in the background (or middle-click or whatever)? I hate being asked the same 3 questions for every download when my answers are always the same.
Oh yeah, and I love Firefox's 'type and find' feature or whatever. Indispensible.
I tried Total Commander, it was cool, but the 'register now' message is annoying, and I can't right-click on files to perform all sorts of actions on them (that aren't built-in to Total Commander).
Also, I can't see a way to make it 'replace' (but not delete) the default windows explorer - for example when I click on shortcuts to a folder, explorer still opens intsead of the folder opening in Total Commander.
I'll comment again when I try Power Pro.
Power Pro looks incredibly powerful and cool, but it doesn't play well with Windows XP:
I set it up to minimize to tray with right-clicking on the minimize buttons of windows and to bring up a window menu by holding the right mouse button... neither of those work.
Tray Support doesn't work in Windows XP.
I once told it to position the default bar in the taskbar, and then every time after that told it NOT to do that, and even tried moving it with Ctrl+Click, but the bar is stuck there for all eternity, apparently.
Unchecking 'show introductory help' doesn't work.
All this is still a problem even after disabling Windowblinds and TrayIt.
foobar2000 is a lot cooler than I remember it being!
But, it won't let me SCAN a directory I type in for the database (for use with extended search). Also, I cannot assign a hotkey to show/hide the extended search window like I can with the Winamp Media Library. Can I assign a hotkey to show/hide the foobar window? And, most importantly, can I make these hotkeys GLOBAL?
And, are there ANY skins ANYWHERE???
Okay, IGNORE all those questions, I've had them answered on the foobar forums.
Foobar2000 is AMAZING!
First, I have to say I'm sorry for not answering sooner. :o) The thing is... during the day I don't have access to net. And when I finally do get home, there are tons of things usually waiting...
Quick comments:
Thunderbird is great as mail reader, as usenet reader 40tude Dialog is much better... It has so called "massage scoring" ability, which is a thing that makes Dialog whole generation ahead of Thunderbird.
Sorry to hear about that 1 GB limit. Here is my tactic for Usenet... I download only message headers, then mark the ones I'm interested in, connect again and download message bodies. Although I follow more then 20 groups (some of them are quite large, like alt.comp.freeware), this tactic costs me only 700 kb download size per day.
Photoshop is best, no doubt about it... I listed GIMP mostly because it's free, and is enough for my needs. For any professional purposes, I would definitely go with Photoshop.
When I first installed PowerPro, it took me 3 days just to go through options, and get "overall" picture of what this thing can do. It's been six months now, and I still discover something new every day! Simply amazing program... I'm running XP also, don't have any problems with PP. Maybe all those things you have (Window Blinds ...etc.) are interfering with it somehow. My suggestion would be to shut down all those programs, and leave only PP. Give it few days, read some basic stuff in help file, and before you know it you'll be doing wonders with it.
Opera answers...
1. Yes
2. I don't know. When shearching is concerned, I just type letter (g for Google, r for Google groups, w for download.com ...etc.) in address bar and then subject I'm searching for.
3. Yes
4. Proxomitron is, if anything, too powerful... All those things you want, it can do and much more. Look at that screenshot in my review, that screenshot speaks a thousand words.
5. Yes. I don't like default setup as well, as is evident from that screen in my review. ;) Take special notice of upper right corner, where PowerPro shows what he can do.
6. Opera download manager is good, supports resuming ...etc.
7. I agree! "Type and find" feature is something I too can't do without. Opera supports it, and goes one better... It can move focus between the links in page, with "shift+arrow key" navigation.
OK. Later I'll address Total Commander, and compare in detail Opera vs Firefox choice. I'm glad you like foobar2000. Play around with his keyboard configuration abilities, much of its power resides there.
Don't worry about not responding right away. I'm glad you responded at all, after all those pages I gave you to read!
I'm surprised, I wasn't aware Opera could do all that stuff, especially find as you type. I'll have to give it a shot. I'll definitely miss all the Firefox extensions I'm fond of, but it may be worth it for a speed increase and proper focus issues (TERRIBLY annoying in Firefox).
I unloaded Windowblinds when testing Powerpro because I assumed it might casuse trouble. DesktopX is a pretty isolated program - it just ads objects to the desktop and nothing else - so that never interferes with anything (but I'll try disabling it anyway).
Foobar2000 rules. Database search component is awesome. Global hotkeys - there are about 50x more of them configurable than with Winamp. I haven't tried internet radio stations with it yet, but supposedly it handles those just fine. I also haven't been able to figure out diskwriting to MP3, but I'm working on it.
Perhaps my problem is that I've been trying to 'catch up' first with newsreading by downloading all headers. Perhaps I should just admit I don't have the newsgroups bandwidth to look at all the old releases and just keep up with current ones? Maybe I'll try newsgroups again with 40tude.
Okay, starting over again from the left edge :-)
Opera is WAY better than I remember it being (just like foobar). It's extremely fast and smooth in operation compared to both IE and Firefox. And, it's gone tons of extra cool stuff like full page zooming, mouse gestures, etc.
Things I can't figure out:
1. Apparently, drag-and-drop editing of bookmarks is impossible? And it won't let me use Manage Bookmarks... to move them out of alphabetical order.
2. URL quick-searches are available, but you can't add or edit them - you can only use the ones THEY provide???? That seems pretty f*cked up... I use URL searches constantly, so if that's missing, I'll be quite disappointed... :-( It's like a big tease - and it's not at all difficult to implement adding of new quick searches. Just an url and a shortcut letter.
3. Alas, doesn't support .mht files? Oh well, neither does Firefox.
Lol, I really should stop bothering you personally about everything.
The folks at the Opera forums helped me solve all my Opera issues - Opsed RULES!!!!!!
I tried Proximitron, didn't care for it. I want something where I can right-click on an ad image and use its URL to add a new filter, with wildcards. The search begins....
Oh, and... how did you get all those system stats in your Opera window? Or is that from Power Pro?
That is PowerPro with SystemMeter plugin. (v1.35) I got it from this Yahoo group. It's the best PowerPro resource on the net, but I think you'll have to register to have access to their file library. (registration if free)
Proxomitorn can do what you requested. Right click on banner that you want to remove and press g (in Opera this will copy image address to clipboard). Then just click right mouse on Proxomitron tray icon and select -> Add to blockfile/Adlist. Dialog box will appear where you can enter wildcards.
Of course, this procedure can be simplified with PowerPro... probably right down to a single keyboard shortcut! I can give more detail, if you're interested...
Opera vs Firefox
I tried several times to get rid of Opera and switch to Firefox, but every single time I was forced to come back. :-) Here are main advantages that Opera has over Firefox IMHO...
- zooms entire page, pictures and everything included. (Firefox zooms only text)
- remembers position of last selected bookmark in Hotlist and last accessed folder from hard disk
- has true full screen (in Firefox address bar stays visible no matter what)
- has scroll left/right by margin of "whole page". (this is achieved by pressing ctrl + pgup/down)
- when Firefox crashes, it stays crashed. ;-) Opera resurrects like a phoenix, since it remembers what pages were loaded before it crashed. When you start again, it's like nothing happened.
- has open link in background feature. Don't steal focus from current tab, but instead load link in background tab. (this is done by ctrl+shift+enter on link)
- search in bookmarks notices entries in bookmark description fields. This is great feature, since it allows me to quickly get entire bookmark folders listed as search results. For example, in description of every bookmark in "Listology users" folder, I insert term "Listology Users". When I enter that term in Operas bookmarks search field, it lists all bookmarks from that folder.
- while loading page Firefox shows animated line going left-right... What a joke! :) Opera gives every possible info one can imagine. Number of pictures/number of loaded pictures, size, transfer speed... When page gets "stuck" in Firefox, I don't know what is happening. In Opera just one look in that column is enough to establish what is happening. For instance, I see that only one picture needs to be loaded. This is usually some paypay.com image, which is not accessible right now, so I know it's safe to hit escape key...
- problems with focus in Firefox. After typing link in address field and pressing enter, focus doesn't shift to page. When opening page from hard-disk, focus gets stuck in address bar ...etc. This makes me every so often reach for F6 key, and that I most certainly don't appreciate! :)
- Opera has ability to turn-on-off scroll bars (ctrl + F7)
- in Hotlist Editor I can press shift+link to open bookmark in new tab, and ctrl+shift+link to open bookmark in new "background" tab
- in bookmark search, Opera gives you information in what directory every search result is... This is priceless!
- and finally, check out this amazing Opera feature... Enter some search in bookmarks search field, look through results, put focus on result you're interested in, clear search field, and Opera expands whole directory of that selected bookmark! This is truly amazing, I was waiting for that feature for so long... finally someone implemented it.
OK. This is much more then I planed to write. Sorry about that... We'll have to postpone Total Commander and others for tomorrow. I've just seen three new posts from you... Damn you're quick, I'll comment on them later. :-)
I would never use search in bookmarks - I keep my bookmarks list very simple and short.
One problem I've noticed in Opera is that, for example, when I browse Listology and hit 'enter' it will load the cache of that page (without my most recent changes, if I just edited a while ago), and I have to refresh. Then I do 'save and view' and it loads the old cache again, and I have to refresh again. Can't I set it to always CHECK for a new version, and if there's not THEN load it from the cache?
Power Pro is still pissing me off by not working in all those ways I listed. I think it would have to be re-written for Windows XP before I'd use it. Do you know of an alternative to Power Pro for Windows XP?
In Opera go to Tools/Preferences/HistoryAndCache/CheckDocuments/Always
I don't have any PP problems in XP. You might want to ask in Yahoo group about this. The author himself is regular poster there, if somebody else doesn't answer first, you'll get solution from "THE MAN" himself. :-) There are no free alternatives, that even come close to PP. Heck - there are no shareware alternatives as good as PP! I've tried them all and two of the closest shareware contenders are: Macro ToolsWorks and Macro Express.
Mmm... I guess I'll try to get Power Pro working.
I tried System Meter, and made a snippet for running system meter. I put *Assign x0 "C:\Program Files\PowerPro\skins\SystemMeter\Simple Gray\skin.xml" in the command box, and *Exec Plugin SystemMeter start under 'enter more commands,' but that results in an error message: Invalid Command: *Exec Plugin SystemMeter start
How do I get System Meter to work? How do I make it start up with Power Pro automatically?
Create a text file in PowerPro scripts directory (name it how you wish), and copy/paste this...
SystemMeter.start ("C:\Program Files\PowerPro\skins\SystemMeter\Simple Gray\skin.xml")
Then create new keyboard shortcut in PP and choose under "enter command" drop-down menu *Script, under drop-down menu "script action" -> RunFile, and under "enter file name to run as a script" --> with "spectacles" icon on the right navigate to that text file. Hope that helps! :-)
Running that script causes PowerPro to crash.
In skin.xml file, there are options with modem values... For instance PORT="com3" ...etc. Try changing those to the values of your hardware setup.
BTW reading back on articles, I noticed this never got answered... Total Commander right mouse click not working? No problem, just hold mouse button pressed for half second longer and menu will eventually appear! :) Or if you don't want to wait, there is option to change this behavior
Configuration / Options / Operation / Left mouse button (windows standard).
Hmmm... how do I know what my hardware setup is? I know my internet goes to a Cable modem through my ethernet port...
And again, is there any way to make Total Commander my default folder browser so that when I open folders, they will open in Total Commander?
Thank you very much for recommending Power Pro... I'm slowly discovering the joy and power of the program, and it has allowed me to uninstall Stardock's software, and my computer has been running much more quickly since then.
There are two skins, Simply Gray has modem values, Simple Gray 2 has adapter values. Change that script we wrote, to point to Simple Gray 2 directory. SystemMeter readme.txt states that, to get adapter name, you have to press ctrl+right mouse on system meter bar.
Since that bar isn't going to appear as long as monitor type="net values are present in skin.xml, you'll have to edit them out. First backup skin.xml on secure place, and then delete everything in between monitor type="net" and ending in /monitor. Do the same for everything in between monitor type="net_data" and ending in /monitor
Save and launch. Bar should appear, ctrl+right_mouse on it to see adapter name. Enter it in proper places in backup of skin.xml To find Com port value, look in Control panel / System / Hardware / Device Manger
Total Commander (TC)
I allways start TC through keyboard shortcut. Then use ctrl+D to navigate to bookmarked folders. So I never needed that feature you are asking. :-) But it should be possible... try on TC forum.
BTW
Do you have SystemMeter version 1.35 ... Old versions are not compatible with new PowerPro.
There were two each of monitor type="net" and monitor type="net_data" so I deleted them both, launched, and the meter appeared (in lower right corner of screen). I checked the properties of my network adaper in the Device Manager, but it never mentions a COM port value. It is "SiS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter" - location: PCI bus 0, device 4, function 0. Clicked through other tabs looking for useful info, found nothing related to COM.
In the Device manager I went to "Ports (COM and LPT). It only listed COM1 and LPT1, neither of which mentioned being connected to my network adapter.
Also, I just want the CPU, mem, swp, net in, and net out monitors, and I want them on the title bar of the active application as shown in your screenshot of the program. How do I do that?
Thank you for being willing to help me use all this great software you so rightly recommend!
Oh yeah, and the readme.txt is wrong or something: it gives me 'invalid command' errors when I try to run other snippets, saying that "*Exec Plugin SystemMeter *" and "*Exec Plugin SystemMeter showhide" are both invalid (I tried them both with and without quotes).
No problem, I'm glad to help... For port="comX" enter number ranging from 1 to 4. (in place of X) One of them should give positive effects...
Those "*Exec Plugin SystemMeter" commands are obsolete. To unload monitor use SystemMeter.Unload ("C:\Program Files\PowerPro\skins\SystemMeter\Simple Gray\skin.xml")
I wasn't satisfied with skins downloaded from net, so I created my own. You'll have to adjust it to your system though... Replace "modem" values with "net", enter your adapter name as shown in Simple Gray 2 skin. All variables are explained in PowerPro\plugins\SystemMeter_readme.txt On Opera screenshot, there are two rows of values. Lower row is created by SystemMeter, upper row is created by built-in PowerPro bars. Examples of how to build them are in PowerPro's Help / Contents / Demonstrations and Samples
ARGHHHHHH! What on earth is wrong with this skin.xml file that makes SystemMeter not show up at all?
I read over everything in the readme and can NOT figure out why it won't show up.
MONITOR TYPE="mem" parameter is missing /MONITOR statement at the end. :-)
I created another SystemMeter skin. (screenshot). This is Network Adapter version, and Modem version. I tested modem version and works fine. Adjust MAXVAL="50000" to your network adapter speed. (my modem transfer rate is usually 6 kb/sec, so in modem version I have MAXVAL="6000") In network version I've increased this value to 50000. If graph is still displaying too big (or too small) adjust that value accordingly.
*smiles sheepishly
wow, thanks so much. I really love some of this software you've recommended and helped me to use on this page.
Thanks, it's been interesting last couple of days... most traffic this list ever got.
Is there any way to keep Ifranview from resizing itself automatically? Is there a way to get it to remember your preferences for where to save files and which format to save them in?
IrfanView automatic resize problems:
Options / Properties / Viewing / Show images and movies with the original size (on)
Options / Properties / Misc1 / Start in fullscreen mode (on)
Options / Properties / Misc2 / Center window when loading new image (off)
Options / Properties / Misc2 / Remember the last window size/position (on)
View / Display Options / Do not fit anything (on)
Don't know the answer to second question... ;) Try Irfan forum.
thx!
Greetings once again, mate. I figured we could give this list a run for 'Most Discussed' :-)
40tude Dialog is cool, but it's cheating me. I susbscribe to a new group and tell it to download the last 5000 posts, and it only gets 133!!!! Also, when downloading new headers from previously subscribed (and highly popular) groups, it only gets about 20 posts, when I'm sure there have been more than that. What's up with that?
If you would really prefer me not to bother YOU with these questions, just say the word.
Hmm... only thing that comes to mind is that server is not keeping older messages. Look at the date of oldest message in that 133 it got. If it's something like one month old, then server keeps posts for only 1 month. To test this theory sample 5000 posts from alt.comp.freeware and see how many Dialog downloads.
Also look under Group / Message views / if All is selected. ;) If problem persists check out news.software.readers group. Author of Dialog is regular poster there. BTW, I wanted to ask you before... but forgot. Which Firefox extensions are worth installing?
Nope, they're all from the very day I retrieved them!
And Message views->all is selected. I'll post to news.software.readers and see what I can find out.
Firefox extensions: quite a few are worth installing, including many that contribute to 'basic functionality:'
Web Developer - useful sometimes even if you're not a web developer.
DownloadWith - if you use external download managers (Flash Get, DAP, whatever)
Download Manager Tweak - MUST HAVE. Improves download manager.
IE View - MUST HAVE. If it doesn't show up right in Firefox, gives you a context menu option to open the page in IE.
Googlebar - MUST HAVE. Way better than the Google Toolbar. But I get rid of most of the items on the bar to make it simpler.
Compact Menu - allows you to customize the menubar - I used it to remove menus I never used like Go or Navigation or whatever.
Translate page - very useful.
Adblock - MUST HAVE. Just like the Opera Ad filter, but more integrated.
SpiderZilla - God I wish Opera had something like this. Provides a Firefox interface for downloading entire websites (it's a frontend for HTTP-Track or something).
Tabbrowser Preferences - MUST HAVE. Better control for choosing where links open (new window or new tab, etc.)
OpenBook - MUST HAVE. Improves the add bookmarks dialogue.
Show Old Extensions - if you use old extensions like (I think) SpiderZilla or StumbleUpon.
Tabbrowser Extensions is popular, but a bad idea. It's bloated and slows Firefox down and messes it up. Everything it can do can be accomplished with other extensions.
For help trying Firefox from an IE background, see my long post on this page.
I haven't used Firefox since you helped me to like Opera and I found it was much faster and more reliable, but feel free to ask any questions about Firefox you like - I certainly owe you that much!
Of course, see this page for lots more extensions that may provide a functionality you will want that I didn't paricularily want (or that may have arrived since I stopped using Firefox).
That thread on Mozilla forum is interesting, spend a whole hour reading it! :-) I personally never used IE, my first browser was Netscape Navigator. When Netscape lost battle to Microsoft I was lucky enough to find Opera.
Thanks on sharing Firefox extensions info, very interesting stuff! In the following months, I'll try to build up Firefox to best possible level. (in hope to get him into "shape" for another forthcoming comparison with Opera...)
I look forward to that comparison.
Browsing the forum of freeware file manager Xplorer2, I stumbled upon this thread that could possibly solve your Total Commander problem.
Didn't try to implement that solution myself, so it may not work with Total Commander. In any case, be sure to read through entire thread, before doing any changes to registry. :-)
Sorry to bother you again, but I'm not getting replies elsewhere, and perhaps you know the answer!
I want to create a transparent SystemMeter skin so that just the text I have shows up, and nothing behind it. I tried simply not providing a 'background' window attribute, but then nothing showed up. I turned alpha transparency up to 100, but then the text faded, too. I made a background of nothing but the transparent pink color and used that, but again, nothing at all showed up. How can I make it so just the text of my CPU, mem, etc. trackers shows up, and nothing else?
If you can help, that'd be SWEET.
It doesn't seem to be possible. With default PP bars it can be done, but not with SystemMeter bar. Sorry. :-) (just to be 100% sure, try to ask on PowerPro Yahoo group...)
Okay, cool. Yeah, I didn't get any reply from the creator, so... Not a biggie.
Are you aware of any development happening on PowerPro? The home page appears to be quite dead.
The program still rules and I have it running all day, every day, BTW.
Yes, development is still continuing. Every month or so Bruce posts a link to new beta version in PP Yahoo group. On web-site, only the last stable version is available for download.
Okay, cool. Because the site seems very dead, all the action must be on the PP Yahoo group.
Just tried Usenet (newsgroups) for filesharing using a paid trial of UsenetServer and the full version of Newsbin Pro. UsenetServer is extremely fast and Newsbin Pro is some really slick software.
Unfortunately:
The selection of available media, even on the largest groups and with UsenetServer's excellent retention, is tiny when compared to other existing networks (BitTorrent, eDonkey, Gnutella, or even Direct Connect).
Attempts to actually download media usually failed. First attempt (movie): all pieces were supposedly available, but I got 'no file found' for every single file. Second attempt (movie): all pieces downloaded quickly, completely, and without error. Alas, every single .rar file was corrupt. All attempts to fix them with available .par files (9 of them!) failed. Third attempt (software): all pieces downloaded quickly and without errors, but every .rar file was corrupt, and no .par files were available. Fourth attempt (TV show): same story. Fourth attempt (image): corrupt image file. Fifth attempt (image): though I have all thumbnail previews turned off, Newsbin Pro crashed every time I try to download an image. Sixth attempt: Trying another newsreader, 40tude Dialog will download the list of groups from UsenetServer, but refuses to download headers.
Seventh attempt (TV show): back to Newsbin, it downloaded without error. The .nfo opened up just fine, but all the archives were corrupt and unusable. Eight attempt (mp3): no file found. Ninth attempt (ebook): Downloaded without error, but 3 of 17 .rar files were corrupt, and the 6 .par2 files couldn't rebuild them.
Sheesh. What a bunch of useless crap. At least, as far as I can tell. Any suggestions?
I have somewhat limited experience with Usenet binary groups, since I'm on slow 56k modem. However, over the past few months I've downloaded (with 40tude Dialog) around sixty MP3s from my local ISP Usenet server without any problems. So I can vouch that Usenet binaries do work. (at least the stuff I downloded: MP3s, few small files and few hentai images) ;)
If you are paying money to your ISP to access the net, they usually supply you with address of their Usenet server. Try downloading from there. If that also doesn't work, perhaps there's some option in software that produces this errors. (size limit filtering in news reader, badly configured firewall, or something like that)
Okay, thanks. I think it was faulty software - I upgraded to the latest version and it seems to be working.
Man, I couldn't concieve even bothering with newsgroups on a 56k line!
It's an art form. (of how to minimize download size, and maximize content value)
Check out this awesome list.
Thanks, very useful!
For another great resource check out The Pricelessware list.
My new favorite utility is AutoHotKey, which I think you might like too. I've written several scripts for it I posted on my weblog, if you're interested:
Thanks for suggestion. AutoHotKey is great program, but PowerPro is better. It can do all that stuff, plus display user created program launch and computer statistic bars. (like the ones seen in upper right corner of my Opera screenshot)
I would defiantly add to that list the Clickbooth affiliate network program It makes my job so much easier. And thanks God for uTorrent that makes my life more... beautiful!