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Steve's Ravin' Reviews Something
old and something new – I’m proud of this collection. These are programs I
use every week – most daily. Check them out. I haven’t exactly decided about next month, but we’ll move a little graphical, I’m sure. Your suggestions are welcome and encouraged. (steve@inil.com) Take Care….. Steve This Month's Coverage:
Version and Date: 1.2 12/15/2002 Author: Trogladite Software License: Freeware
Rating:
5 Geezers This
is sort of an advanced version of the Microsoft Power Toy which does a similar
function. It’s one of those items that I forget is an add on and not a part of
windows. If you manipulate files, at all, grab this. SendTo
is a tool which places itself in your Windows SendTo right-click menu. When
installed, you will be able to right click on any file, select Send
to, followed by Any
Folder. Doing this will invoke Trogladite Software SendTo, which will allow
you to choose a destination directory for the files you selected in Windows
Explorer. You
can then click on 'Move File(s)' to move the files to this destination
directory, deleting the originals, or 'Copy File(s)' which will create an
identical copy of the selected file(s) at your selected location.
No
picture here since it’s strictly a menu item. Program: Startup Control Panel Version and Date: 2.7 5/21/2000 Author: Mike Lin License: Freeware
Rating:
6 Geezers Startup
Control Panel is a nifty control panel applet that allows you to easily
configure which programs run when your computer starts. It's simple to use, very
small and won't burden your system. Startup
Control Panel is compatible with all modern versions of Windows, including
Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, and XP. I
rarely give 6 Geezers, but this program deserves it on all counts. There are a
whole lot of sneaky ways that programs insert themselves in your start up
process. It’s a rare week that I don’t fire up this program and see what’s
going on. Without fail, it seems, there’s stuff there that needs to be purged. The
program runs as a Control Panel Applet or standalone. I suggest the former.
Version and Date: 1.0.0.122 1/07/2002 Author: Jouni Vuorio License: Freeware Rating: 6 Geezers It
becomes obvious, I guess, that my likes in software run to utilities. I was
always a fan if Jouni’s Registry Cleaner and this is its new big brother. jv16
PowerTools is basically the Tool to control your computer. The program contains
all the tools needed for monitoring, cleaning and controlling the registry, the
file system and your Local Area Network. Here are some of the features:
The
Registry Tool
The
File Tool
The
LAN Tool
This
was written by a 19 year old member of the Finnish Army – don’t know why I
mentioned that except I found it interesting.
The
usual warning with this type of tool – it can IRREVOCABLY AND TOTALLY hose
your system. If you decide to use it – be careful!
Version and Date: 2.1.55 1/31/2002 Author: FooDog Software License: Shareware ($49.95)
Rating:
5 Geezers I
was hesitant to recommend an auction management program, but I know how much
time I personally spent making a decision and thought some of you may need a
program like this. Shooting Star is strictly for Ebay, so if you need Yahoo
Auctions, etc. look elsewhere). However, if you sell and buy on Ebay, give this
a try. Make no mistake – there is a substantial time commitment involved in
setting up and learning the program. Shooting
Star uses a workflow system to effectively move your auctions from start to
finish. Tracking each stage of an auction is tedious, at best, by hand. Shooting
Star makes it simple. While the process is mechanical, you can add the personal
touch all along the way. I
have a personal prejudice against online, pay per use programs like many of
those available for Ebay. I find the one-time fee of $49.95 very reasonable.
No
picture here, as the mass of details made it impractical. Version and Date: 5.3.09 11/20/2001 Author: Thornsoft Development Inc. License: Shareware ($20)
Rating:
4 Geezers I’ve
probably looked at more clipboard managers than anyone in the world (ok probably
an overstatement, but I’ve seen a lot). I copy and paste a large amount of
text, but my needs are very simple – just choose a clip and paste it. The
selection screen needs to stay on top and not take up too much space. I was real
happy with Clipboard Magic until I moved to 2000 and XP. It no longer was the
stable program I used for so long and the authors don’t seem interested in
updating it. If you still run 98, you should check it out here
– works great and it’s free. Clipmate
has been around for a long time and is probably the best known of the genre. I
do like the new spell check, since the editor in Shooting Star does not have a
spell checker. It is very configurable and you can customize it to the way you
work. Rather
than working with one piece of clipboard data at a time, Clipmate enhances the
clipboard functionality by remembering all items (both text and graphic) that
are copied to the clipboard and storing them in "collections" for
later pasting.
This
Month’s Light Recipe Gotta
eat, don’t ya? Shrimp, Asparagus, and Penne Pasta (from Cooking Light magazine). (Broccoli
and chicken could be substituted for the shrimp and asparagus.)
Final
Thought:
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