emergedesktop.org

GrumpyKuss · Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:58 am Post subject: Interesting New Apps

Hi guys,

It's been awhile since I've posted anything and one thing I have always appreciated about this particular forum has been the wide range of folks participating. So given that I wondered what anyone has run into app wise in say the last 6 months that is new and you can't live without?

For myself I am quite attached to Google Voice and even the little AIR desktop widget for it found at http://rstoeber.com/apps/Google_Voice_Utility.html

(For the record I have also been doing some other VoIP stuff using various free SIP providers, SipSorcery.com and a Linksys SPA2102 which is giving me 2 different lines of two numbers that I get free telephone service in North America as long as my net connection is on. This has been the extent of my recent Geek type installing as I haven't seen anything else worth bothering with lately... well other than my work projects and those aren't things I can share)

I look forward to seeing what bits are lurking about with the rest of you.
GK
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LoL · Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 353

Dunno 'bout "can't live without", but I've just stumbled across FindAndRunRobot which I'm giving a go as we speak

It has plugins, including ones for W(D)S and SearchEverything [1]

It even has a plugin for Locate32 [2]

I'm also giving CacheMyWork a go

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[1] Which I'm pleased about

[2] Which should please MeToo
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MeToo · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 1677 Location: Faro, Portugal

Hey! You are alive! Welcome back!

Actually now [1] that emergeCommand has Autocomplete, I only need ironhead to create a nice GUI to edit aliases to have the perfect run tool (after hotkeys, that is Smile

)

FARR seems like an interesting tool but most of my searches are by file type and date, because I can't remember the names of all the files...

CacheMyWork seems to have one serious limitation: it only restores the programs. "CacheMyWork is only able to cache your applications, not their documents". For interrupting your work and resuming at the same point, the best method I know is Hibernate...

[1] Now, means the latest build from the source (4.2.1.65)
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LoL · Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 353

LoL · Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 353

Not an app as such, but I'm incredibly impressed with the SimilarWeb plugin/addon for FireFox - Just go to http://www.emergedesktop.org and see what pops up in the SW sidebar Smile

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LoL · Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 353

O ... M ... G!!!

RadTab

Not quite as sophisticated as I'd like ... and certainly not as pretty ... but, OMG, just what I've been looking for!

Launch RadTab

Open your window of choice [1]

Open any other window(s) you like [2]

Right-click the RadTab bar

Select 'Add Window'

Add the window(s)

Now you have a single window containing all the others in separate tabs -
Everything is forced to fit the dimensions of the main application window, but that can always be resized, in the usual way, if necessary

To close a window, simply click the [X] in the corner, as normal - The window (or application) closes, leaving the others intact

Thanks to eD, I've got rid of all the Windows clutter of taskbar / startmenu / etc. ... But now ... (if it works out in the way I hope it will) ... I won't even need emergeTasks any more!

Yes, I know it's really just a replacement Taskbar, but the difference is that selecting a tab hides the others automatically, so there's none of the multiple-windows-on top of each other clutter [3]

EDIT

If you run up two windows/apps and 'glue them together' with RadTab ... open a third window ... run RadTab again ... then you have the option, when you open your fourth window, of adding it to the first two windows or to the third

So, you can have related windows grouped together, each with their own, separate, 'taskbar'

Cool

Just don't try 'glueing' the two different groups together!

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[1] As a general rule, I'd suggest your web-browser of choice

[2] Browser, Folder, Application, whatever

I haven't exhaustively tested it ... and don't know if there are any apps that will balk at it ... but, so far, I've successfully added a QT-TabBar tabbed Explorer window, Word, ProcessManager, Computer Management Console and my Broadband Connection/Analaysis window to a TabGroupsPlus enabled FireFoxPortable without any trouble

I even got it to incorporate the System Properties window (fully functioning) and the file properties of an image file - Can't think why you'd want to do this, but it works as well

Very Happy

[3] Unless you want some of them to be separate
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GrumpyKuss · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:15 pm Post subject:

Well I have found one today that blows me away so much I couldn't buy it fast enough. A replacement file copy/move mechanism that integrates to the shell or runs stand alone.

TeraCopy

This thing is amazingly fast and now all I have to do is customize XYplorer to use it more and I will be set.
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liquid azrael · Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 29 Location: MT

LOL, some other selections other than RadTab that you might want to look at. None are free, but most have at least a free trial.

www.wintabber.com, 5USD

www.windowtabs.com 20USD

I'm personally using windowtabs. not very complicated and very few options, but it works well. The free windowtabs is limited to 3 tabs, the free wintabber is limited to 4 tabs.

Versatile · Joined: 09 May 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Wisconsin

Programs I can't live without:

1) Launchy
2) Skype
3) Tunngle
4) Teracopy
5) 7-zip

In terms of programs that really changed the way I use my computer, Launchy and Tunngle take the awards.
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MeToo · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 1677 Location: Faro, Portugal

Here is another tab launcher thingy. I haven't tested because I don't use Launchers...

http://stablauncher.com/index.html

Good: free and has a gallery of skins available
Bad: requires .NET
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GrumpyKuss · Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 12:42 pm Post subject:

I've started testing Win7 x64 and I ran into a nice little site/installer for doing fresh Windows installs.

Take a look at http://ninite.com/

It lets you bundle a gaggle of Software all in one shot without those nasty AskToolBar nonsense etc. I found it handy and perhaps you folks will too.

I will say that right off under Win7 I don't like that the Explorer window doesn't behave right when using Winroll. I really use that little freeware a lot since I spent so much time on various *nix boxes that behavior is second nature to me.

Well I am going to try the default shell for a week before I swap out to Emerge shell but so far I can tell I am going to hate the default one. I guess Emerge spoils me but I will get it a little time just in case.
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Step666 · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 428 Location: Scotland

Personally, I've been liking the standard Win7 shell.
All the little, arguably unnecessary, elements like Aero Peek, I find 'em really useful - it's kinda like a cross between emergeTasks and MiniMIZE IMO.

As for the site you linked to, it's a nice idea, shame it's such a random collection of programs. Where's foobar?
Also, I have an innate distrust of giving over too much control - I'd rather take the extra time, install everything myself and be sure it's done the way I want.
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MeToo · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 1677 Location: Faro, Portugal

Windows 7 killed the Emerge Desktop shell?

If so there is no point in further development...
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Step666 · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 428 Location: Scotland

I'm not saying that.
Merely that I'm giving Win7 a fair shot on my laptop and so far I've been really quite impressed.

On my desktop, which is still running XP, I would never dream of reverting back to the standard Explorer shell.
And even if/when I get round to updating my desktop, the way I use it is rather different to my laptop (which is really just to keep me from getting too bored when I'm out the house), so I'd probably look to continue using eD on it.
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GrumpyKuss · Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 7:55 pm Post subject:

Random collection? Lets see of the 69 Apps they offer in bundle I use 33 of them regularly. They are in truth missing some things I consider to be in a base install but the sheer simiplicity definately has an appeal.

For configuring a basic box that site has definate utility at least for me. As for foobar, well I suggested that when I saw it and it wouldn't surprise me to see it there after too long.

As for Win7 I am just starting to see what I do and don't like. I know my main desktop won't move to it until a bit after SP1 is released for it. I just have a tendancy to not trust the first version products MS pops in and even then it will likely take me a least a month to do formal testing for my work stuff before I move from XP 64.

Truth be told there the main reason I would want to switch over is there are more drivers for x64 Win7 than I can get XP64. Oh well.
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