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From
TNPC issue #3.14...
Software Bargains
by Dan Butler
July 6, 2000
While configuring my new computer I was struck by how much free
software I use for my day-to-day tasks. Over the next few issues
I'll tell you about my favorites and where you can find them for
yourself.
First up are two software freebies that I use for file management
tasks. Both are patterned after programs that Symantec has put
out under the Norton name in the past.
PowerDesk 4 from OnTrack software is a full replacement for
Windows Explorer. If you used the Norton Desktop under Windows
3.1 you'll feel right at home with PowerDesk. Basically it's
Explorer on steroids. A few of the features you'll find are:
- Zip Files that act like folders making it easy to work with
their contents.
- Compare two directories and it'll flag the files that are the
same in each folder or that are unique to each folder.
- Print file or directory lists.
- Use custom filters to view just the files you want to see.
- Enhanced File Finder utility.
PowerDesk is easy to use and very powerful. Download PowerDesk 4
for free at:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/314/tr.cgi?freeb1
The second freebie is one I've used for several years, Midnight
Commander, a clone of the old Norton Commander program. Midnight
Commander is DOS-based but it does recognize long file names.
After setting up my favorite directories in the hot list (Ctrl-\)
I can quickly move around, view, and edit files. Copying whole
directory structures is a piece of cake, but perhaps the biggest
benefit to Midnight Commander is its ubiquity. I use it on every
system platform I work on: Windows (in several flavors), Linux,
Solaris, and FreeBSD. If you are more at home with a keyboard
than a mouse, Midnight Commander will be a welcome addition to
your toolkit.
Midnight Commander is free software released under the GNU
General Public License. Find Midnight Commander at:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/314/tr.cgi?freeb2
You can reach Dan Butler at:
mailto:danbutler@TheNakedPC.com
Copyright © 2000, PRIME Consulting Group, Inc. and Dan Butler.
All Rights Reserved.
The Naked PC is a trademark of PRIME Consulting Group, Inc.
ISSN: 1522-4422
You may reprint an article from TNPC as long as you show the
entire article and include the authors byline, excerpt and
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Software Bargains
by Dan Butler
(This article originally appeared in The Naked PC
newsletter #3.14, subscribe at http://www.TheNakedPC.com)
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