Windows 7 Explorer alternative

[Ken Blake]

It looks like it's very similar to PowerDesk, which is not free. I've
been using PD for years and it's great so I would figure freeCommander
is too. I particularly like having native dual-pane, it makes it so
easy to move files between directories.

I liked PowerDesk too, but these days I prefer xplorer2, which is also
not free.

See http://zabkat.com/

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

That right. Dual-pane is usually taken to mean what you might call
quadruple pane - like two Explorers side by side. It makes it much
easier to compare file and directories and to move them around,
without all the hassle of using cascaded windows.

Ah. Okay. Matter of taste. I prefer the simplicity of two panes. I
rarely have a situation where I need to open a second instance of
Explorer. I also like to avoid third party add-ons without a really good
reason to add them (like a Notepad replacement). I probably won't keep
CubicExplorer after I play with it a little.

 

[XS11E]

That right. Dual-pane is usually taken to mean what you might call
quadruple pane - like two Explorers side by side. It makes it much
easier to compare file and directories and to move them around,
without all the hassle of using cascaded windows.

The "hassle" you refer to is two mouse clicks. I can manage that, the
struggle to click twice sometimes overwhelms me but not often....

 

[Jeff Layman]

If you deal with archives more than once in awhile, you should
probably have something like 7Zip or Winrar installed. I use Winrar
here, and Cubic Explorer properly includes all of the same right-click
Winrar menus that I normally see in Windows Explorer.

I have PeaZip (although I am thinking of changing to 7zip), and I can
access the PeaZip options. However, WE has its inbuilt unzipper.

FreeCommander is my File Manager of choice, though, and can zip or unzip
as needed without reference to an external utility.

 

[Jeff Layman]

Yes. Here are snapshots showing both compression and extraction options
in operation.
http://crash.thedatalist.com/temp/CubicExplorer.htm

Interesting. Is that "Extract all" from 7-Zip, rather than anything
else? I think I'll stay with FreeCommander, although it always looks a
bit "busy" to me.

Great taste in music, BTW!

 

[Jeff Layman]

FreeCommander is my favorite for synchronising folders on disks and
Flash drives. ZtreeWin looks 'horrible' with this deep-ocean-blue
background, reminds me of good old Word Perfect 5.1 !

Sorry to be critical, but I don't think that Cubic Explorer's "Gold" or
"Hacker BW" are themes I could look at for long, let alone work with!

Moving off topic, in its day WP5.1 was the best Word Processor by far
(and still a lot more user-friendly than any Windows word processor). I
still long for the day when OO3 (4, 5, 6..?) has something as essential
as "Reveal codes". Word XP's "Reveal formatting" had something part of
the way there, but it didn't go far enough. Is it still there in the
latest version of Word?

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Interesting. Is that "Extract all" from 7-Zip, rather than anything
else? I think I'll stay with FreeCommander, although it always looks
a bit "busy" to me.

No, that "Extract all" uses the intrinsic Windows zip utility. I have
to use the "Open with 7-Zip" option if I want to extract with 7-Zip.

Great taste in music, BTW!

My tastes are varied and wide. I actually listen mostly to classical music.

 

[relic]

I have PeaZip (although I am thinking of changing to 7zip), and I can
access the PeaZip options. However, WE has its inbuilt unzipper.

If you plan on changing your ZIP app, try IZArc:
http://www.izarc.org/

....get the Command Line Add-on too.

 

[Percival P. Cassidy]

Moving off topic, in its day WP5.1 was the best Word Processor by far
(and still a lot more user-friendly than any Windows word processor). I
still long for the day when OO3 (4, 5, 6..?) has something as essential
as "Reveal codes". Word XP's "Reveal formatting" had something part of
the way there, but it didn't go far enough. Is it still there in the
latest version of Word?

I can't recall back as far as WP 5.1, but WP 7 for Win 3.x would do
things I still haven't figured out how to do in Word or in Open Office
3 -- especially create documents and then have them "print as booklet"
ready for stapling without having to manually move blocks of text from
one place to another.

Perce

 

[Ken Blake]

I can't recall back as far as WP 5.1, but WP 7 for Win 3.x would do
things I still haven't figured out how to do in Word or in Open Office
3 -- especially create documents and then have them "print as booklet"
ready for stapling without having to manually move blocks of text from
one place to another.

I've been using WordPerfect since version 4.0. I still use it, now
with the latest version, X5. I continue to think that WordPerfect is
the best word processor on the market. As is usual with most software
products, almost every version has been better than its predecessor
(although the differences have been very slight with the last few
versions) and X5 is the best.

 

[Zaidy036]

I can't recall back as far as WP 5.1, but WP 7 for Win 3.x would do
things I still haven't figured out how to do in Word or in Open Office
3 -- especially create documents and then have them "print as booklet"
ready for stapling without having to manually move blocks of text from
one place to another.

Perce

Google: +word +booklet +printing

 

[Char Jackson]

I have PeaZip (although I am thinking of changing to 7zip), and I can
access the PeaZip options. However, WE has its inbuilt unzipper.

On my short list of things to do when I install a fresh OS is to
disable the Windows 'zip' functionality. It's far too limited for my
tastes. I've been using Winrar for 10-15 years and added 7-Zip a few
years ago to handle the odd 7-Zip archive that comes along.

FreeCommander is my File Manager of choice, though, and can zip or unzip
as needed without reference to an external utility.

Excellent.

 

[Miles]

* Ken Blake wrote, On 26-Jan-11 11:53:

I've been using WordPerfect since version 4.0. I still use it, now
with the latest version, X5. I continue to think that WordPerfect is
the best word processor on the market. As is usual with most software
products, almost every version has been better than its predecessor
(although the differences have been very slight with the last few
versions) and X5 is the best.

I'm still using WP12 Suite on WinXP32bit and am moving to a laptop
with Win7 64bit. Do you happen to know if WP12 is compatible? Soon
will upgrade to X5, but in the meantime need to keep the small
business running.
Miles

 

[Ken Blake]

* Ken Blake wrote, On 26-Jan-11 11:53:

I'm still using WP12 Suite on WinXP32bit and am moving to a laptop
with Win7 64bit. Do you happen to know if WP12 is compatible? Soon
will upgrade to X5, but in the meantime need to keep the small
business running.

Sorry, I can't remember whether WordPerfect 12 is compatible with
Windows 7.

 

[Percival P. Cassidy]

Google: +word +booklet +printing

Does that work for multi-sheet documents? My wife asked one of the "Word
gurus" at work and was told that she would have to move each page's
material manually to where it was supposed to end up.

E.g., supposing I have a 12-page document I want to print as a booklet.
In WP I could have all the text flowing continuously on the screen, but
"print as booklet" would put each section on the correct half on the
correct side of the correct sheet. If Word can indeed do that, then I've
maligned it and my wife's co-worker needs to do some homework.

Perce

 

[SC Tom]

Does that work for multi-sheet documents? My wife asked one of the "Word
gurus" at work and was told that she would have to move each page's
material manually to where it was supposed to end up.

E.g., supposing I have a 12-page document I want to print as a booklet. In
WP I could have all the text flowing continuously on the screen, but
"print as booklet" would put each section on the correct half on the
correct side of the correct sheet. If Word can indeed do that, then I've
maligned it and my wife's co-worker needs to do some homework.

Perce

Word 2003 will print as a booklet. Open Help and put "print as a booklet" in
the field and follow the directions. It's not too hard, especially if you
have a duplex printer. I tried it on my HP DeskJet 3050 without a duplexer
and it worked well.

The instructions pretty much assume that you are starting a new document,
but it works just as well (well, it did for me anyhow) setting an existing
document to print that way.

 

[Zaidy036]

Does that work for multi-sheet documents? My wife asked one of the "Word
gurus" at work and was told that she would have to move each page's
material manually to where it was supposed to end up.

E.g., supposing I have a 12-page document I want to print as a booklet.
In WP I could have all the text flowing continuously on the screen, but
"print as booklet" would put each section on the correct half on the
correct side of the correct sheet. If Word can indeed do that, then I've
maligned it and my wife's co-worker needs to do some homework.

Perce

Look here:
- http://news.office-watch.com/t/n.aspx?a=803
- http://word.tips.net/Pages/T003927_Booklet_Printing_in_Word.html
- http://word.mvps.org/faqs/formatting/BookletPrinting.htm
- http://www.timeatlas.com/5
_minute_tips/general/how_to_convert_word_document_to_a_booklet
- http://bookletcreator.com/ has free trial

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Word 2003 will print as a booklet. Open Help and put "print as a booklet" in
the field and follow the directions. It's not too hard, especially if you
have a duplex printer. I tried it on my HP DeskJet 3050 without a duplexer
and it worked well.

The instructions pretty much assume that you are starting a new document,
but it works just as well (well, it did for me anyhow) setting an existing
document to print that way.

I was going to make virtually the same post. Good thing I read yours
first

There was one difference: I searched in Word 2003's Help for "print as
booklet" instead of "print as *a* booklet". The first hit was very easy
to follow.

 

[Roy Smith]

No, that "Extract all" uses the intrinsic Windows zip utility. I have
to use the "Open with 7-Zip" option if I want to extract with 7-Zip.


My tastes are varied and wide. I actually listen mostly to classical music.

You sound like me, I have an interest in a wide variety of music. I'll
listen to most anything except RAP and Hip Hop, but mostly to classic rock.


--

Roy Smith
Windows 7 Professional
Thunderbird 3.1.7
Thursday, January 27, 2011 7:10:33 AM

 

[Roy Smith]

I agree, but the native Windows Explorer has dual pane, too. I've always
used that.

No you're confused. Windows Explorer does not show the contents of 2
folders at the same time. You're confusing the Folder Tree pane for a
directory pane. Myself I use Directory Opus (http://www.gpsoft.com.au/)
which can be configured to replace Windows Explorer if one desires.
It's not free, but it is an awesome program.


--

Roy Smith
Windows 7 Professional
Thunderbird 3.1.7
Thursday, January 27, 2011 7:15:43 AM