From the Beginning (a running review)

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Trasd
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Joined: 19 Oct 2011 15:45

From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Trasd »

From the Beginning - Review

Overview
After many years (I'm guessing 15) of using the same file manager, I find myself searching for a replacement.

The purpose of this topic is two-fold:
  • Share my experiences - from the beginning - with XYplorer's powers-that-be
  • Log an unbiased, running review for others in search of a file manager
By no stretch of the imagination is this post meant to be a how-to guide.

I hope my efforts benefit others searching for a file manager. I will continue adding entries until I decide XYplorer is not for me, or I purchase the program and become efficient enough to offer an informed opinion. Either way I will end the topic with a final succinct, conclusive review.


A Little History
I have been working with computers (programming, repairing, teaching, etc.) since the late 1970s. When the IBM PC was released in the fall of 1981, I was fortunate enough to have a father working for Big Blue who purchased one. One of the first utilities we installed was a useful little TSR called File Command (FC3 was the last, most stable release), a brilliant DOS file manager. After Windows was released, I used the built-in explorer until I discovered a suitable replacement. At one point I even attempted to write my own FC3 Windows clone, but I was quickly hampered by my lack of programming experience (this is the reason I learned assembly and C/C++). But, alas, I never returned to the project.

The file manager I am replacing is PowerDesk Pro. I don't think there is any reason to go into all the details, but PowerDesk Pro is now defunct (if you are interested, pop some popcorn, Google the program, and enjoy the show).


The XYplorer decision
Why did I decide on XYplorer? After searching the WEB and reading reviews, I narrowed it down to three possibilities:
  1. Directory Opus
  2. FileBoss
  3. XYplorer
Many reviews say that Directory Opus is a great file manager, but go on to say it's settings are extensive and can be quite confusing. Also, I refuse to pay what they ask for the program and, as far as I know (their site is down), they offer no pricing schedules or alternatives. This left FileBoss and XYplorer, so I downloaded trials for both.

One of the features I look for in a file manager is the ability to add my own programs to a toolbar. Though neither program advertised this feature (they both say only customizable toolbars) this is the first customization I tried. I could not find a way to complete this task in FileBoss or XYplorer, nor could I find this topic in help (I did not spend a lot of time searching, I figured this feature would be prominent). I was about to give up and start my review process over again when I luckily looked in XYplorer's customize toolbar options dialog box once more and found user definable buttons at the bottom of the list. Using XYplorer's robust scripting to setup external tools on the toolbar was very easy and I look forward to fully learning and exploiting this feature.

Another feature I like is separate columns for a file's dates and times. Unfortunately, neither of these programs have this particular setting. Next I tried different file views (though I spend 95% of my time in details view, I do need other views) and was surprised to find FileBoss did not offer any other besides details.

My decision was made; to me, XYplorer is the clear winner. I hope my search is over, but before I make my final decision, and as my testing progresses, I will be posting my experiences to this topic.
(Continued)
Last edited by Trasd on 19 Mar 2012 03:19, edited 12 times in total.
Trasd

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A.C.C.

"I'll tell you this, no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn." J. M.

Trasd
Posts: 147
Joined: 19 Oct 2011 15:45

Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Trasd »

From the Beginning - Review (Continued)

Installation
XYplorer offers 3 downloads:
  • A zipped Installer Package
  • A manual ZIP installation
  • A manual RAR installation
I went with the Installer option because I wanted it to setup the start menu icons. Also, for me, portability is not much of an issue (though it is nice to have that option).

No problems.


First Run
Launched as expected, but because of the 30 day nag screen, it did not start full screen like I set in the program's properties. No big deal, it seemed to remember its size on subsequent launches.

The default UI is nice and the visual customizations were simple and intuitive. Could not easily find (and I did not know if the program even supported it) how to add my own external programs to the toolbar. Almost gave up on the program at this point because this feature is important to me, but luckily I looked at the bottom of the toolbar customization dialog box list and discovered custom user buttons. Once I found these, it was easy to setup my default text editor (it opens all highlighted files). I did have to look up the scripting command (of course), but this was not a problem nor was this simple script hard to setup.

I was a little surprised to find only one toolbar. Sometimes having multiple toolbars or toolbars that can be turned on or off helps organize your workspace - especially if scripting would allow control of the toolbars state pending other conditions; i.e. if a directory is designated as photos (possibly using XYplorer's Folder View Settings option), show the XXX (photo) toolbar - in all other cases turn it off by default.

No problems.
(Continued)
Last edited by Trasd on 25 Oct 2011 10:29, edited 3 times in total.
Trasd

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A.C.C.

"I'll tell you this, no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn." J. M.

Trasd
Posts: 147
Joined: 19 Oct 2011 15:45

Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Trasd »

From the Beginning - Review (Continued)

Gripe
After trialing XYplorer for a few days, so far I am impressed with the program, but I do have a major gripe about the trial that I feel must be mentioned - that other potential customers, customers who rely on trial edition evaluations, should be made aware of.

I understand I am using a trial version, I understand a "nag screen" is employed, I also understand there are certain inherent restrictions and inconveniences associated with using a program before paying for it; I did, after all, agree to the license when I installed the software.

I am referring to the countdown timer on the nag screen. The longer you use the trial, the longer the countdown timer takes. This technique, in and of itself, is almost aggravating enough to make make me search elsewhere for another file manager (I am not being dramatic either, to me, this is tantamount to high-pressure selling). File managers, by their very nature, tend to get run multiple times per day. I find it difficult to evaluate any utility that is supposed to speed up my work, yet purposely delays me. I cannot find a money-back guarantee anywhere on the WEB site, so I am not willing to risk spending money when there is no chance of recouping it, yet I am purposely hampered in my evaluation of the software by its author. I truly believe XYplorer needs to rethink this strategy; if you are going to release a trial version for evaluation purposes, do not hamper me in my diagnosis.

Until this problem is resolved, for those evaluating the program, I suggest turning on the Minimize and Close to System Tray options (it actually uses a remarkably small amount of resources).


What NOT to Expect
XYplorer is first and foremost, a file manager; "XYplorer is a tabbed file manager for Windows...," is how the program is billed. There is an age old debate about utilities and a problem many programmers face, it is called Feature Creep. Feature Creep, as defined by Wikipeda, is "...the ongoing expansion or addition of new features in a product...," and can become a huge liability. Lines must be drawn. Sacrifices must be made.

The following is a list of features that XYplorer does NOT have (or I have not yet discovered - a more definitive list will be given in my final review):
  • Compressed files are not integrated into the tree (directory) or file structure (an external program must be used)
  • RegEx (Regular Expressions) is not available for file content within searches, RegEx is used only for the file name. This issue is being addressed. The feature is now active in the Beta version (with a minor restriction) and should be rolled out in a future stable release.
  • The Preview option is not a catch-all viewer, but it does support many common file types (image, audio, video, web, office, and font file formats)
This list is not exhaustive, but only what I have found so far; what might be expected, or found, in other file managers. Also, I am not saying that XYplorer should support these capabilities, I am just reporting on my findings, though I do believe RegEx should be utilized in the content search context (say that 5 times fast).

I also believe that XYplorer's approach to the preview function is as it should be. I have found that many file managers try to do too much outside of their main function, which is file management.


Points of Interest
  • By default, Save Settings on Exit is not selected in preferences. After making any changes outside of the Configuration dialog box, be sure to save settings. I find the easiest way to do this is by clicking on the Save Settings icon in the default toolbar, which, incidentally, changes colors when settings have been made but not yet saved.
  • In XYplorer's Properties dialog box (Window's settings), if 'Run: Maximized' is chosen, confirmation dialog boxes (i.e. delete confirmation) will be maximized and take up the full screen. Until this visual bug is addressed, I suggest leaving the Run: setting on Normal.

Features I have Used
Though I have not commented on the functionality of many features I have thus far used, this does not mean I have not been using the program, on the contrary. For instance, I have used the built-in search feature many times; I have found it easy to use and have had no problems with it. However, I have only used its basic functions.

Once I begin fully exploiting XYplorer's extensive, powerful features, I may review them in more detail. But, this is a program that has been in development for many years (I believe I read somewhere on the WEB site that it has been undergoing improvements since 1997), and, as I am discovering more and more, has many capabilities. In truth, it would take me months to discover all it has to offer. Unfortunately, like feature creep mentioned above, I must remind myself that I am writing this review to help others decide whether or not XYplorer is right for them, and that it functions as advertised.


Today's Conclusion
I thought I would have some difficulty adjusting to a different file manager after using PowerDesk Pro for many, many years, but I find I am adjusting quite well to XYplorer. So far I have not found any problems with how the program itself operates and I have actually enjoyed using it. Also, so far, I have found that I could change the behavior of any feature that I wanted to change (I have not been stuck with something visual that I did not like).

XYplorer is beginning to look like the answer to my file manager needs.
(Continued)
Last edited by Trasd on 25 Oct 2011 17:55, edited 3 times in total.
Trasd

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A.C.C.

"I'll tell you this, no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn." J. M.

j_c_hallgren
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Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by j_c_hallgren »

Trasd wrote:I understand I am using a trial version, I understand a "nag screen" is employed, I also understand there are certain inherent restrictions and inconveniences associated with using a program before paying for it; I did, after all, agree to the license when I installed the software.

I am referring to the countdown timer on the nag screen. The longer you use the trial, the longer the countdown timer takes. This technique, in and of itself, is almost aggravating enough to make make me search elsewhere for another file manager (I am not being dramatic either, to me, this is tantamount to high-pressure selling). File managers, by their very nature, tend to get run multiple times per day. I find it difficult to evaluate any utility that is supposed to speed up my work, yet purposely delays me.
Part of me didn't want to interrupt this thread which seems quite "fair and balanced" thus far but also wanted to suggest that if you keep XY running all the time like I do, the nag screen doesn't become that much of an issue unless you're trying out the command line switches or such...I've found the extending delay in a nbr of other software products and it's never bothered me much as when I encounter those, I then try and minimize the nbr of times I close/open the program.

And about RegEx searches: The most recent beta vers have made some progress on this, I think -- see http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7114
Still spending WAY TOO much time here! But it's such a pleasure helping XY be a treasure!
(XP on laptop with touchpad and thus NO mouse!) Using latest beta vers when possible.

Trasd
Posts: 147
Joined: 19 Oct 2011 15:45

Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Trasd »

No, no - interrupt away! That's one of the reasons I will have a final review at the end - plus, if I miss something (like I almost did with the toolbar and adding my own external programs) someone can catch it and point this out to me.

But, you will notice, I did add "I suggest turning on the Minimize and Close to System Tray options (it actually uses a remarkably small amount of resources)" after my statement. This actually only occurred to me as I was writing the review post, though! So thanks, and like i said, point stuff out to me and interrupt away.

As far as the link to the RegEx topic, yea - that's the only other place I've posted so far. Again, thanks, seems like a nice community here.

Can I even run the beta, not having registered yet?
Trasd

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A.C.C.

"I'll tell you this, no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn." J. M.

Jerry
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Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Jerry »

I also believe that XYplorer's approach to the preview function is as it should be. I have found that many file managers try to do too much outside of their main function, which is file management.
I agree completely and have made this comment elsewhere myself. What I would like to see, though, is more comprehensive support via scripting, for accessing file attributes, especially embedded meta tags, specific to the various audio, video and graphic formats, so this information can be readily viewed in tooltips, status bar, or popup message boxes.
Compressed files are not integrated into the tree (directory) or file structure (an external program must be used)
Other people have asked for this as well. Frankly, I have no desire to see it. I actually like using a good external program, such as WinRAR. I think that the kind of seamless zip integration that Windows does in Explorer is a big mistake and causes problems for less savvy users. I have always disabled that feature in XP and now Windows 7.

Finally, a few tips from a former fellow pilgrim on your journey towards XYplorer enlightenment:
  • As you find things that might at first be missing or not the way you would expect, check the roadmap (http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=830), beta version histories (http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4), forum searches, and of course the builtin help for more information.
  • Remember that you can often do some specific things you want via scripting and binding to a key shortcut.
  • The right click context menu is your friend and will often provide you with what you are looking for. And that includes right clicking on the toolbar buttons, which is an especially handy feature.
Running on Windows 10 Pro 64-bit quad-core ASUS G752-VY notebook with 64 GB RAM, over 26 external USB3 drives attached via multiple powered hubs with letters and mount points, totaling 120+ TB.

Trasd
Posts: 147
Joined: 19 Oct 2011 15:45

Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Trasd »

Jerry wrote:I agree completely and have made this comment elsewhere myself. What I would like to see, though, is more comprehensive support via scripting, for accessing file attributes, especially embedded meta tags, specific to the various audio, video and graphic formats, so this information can be readily viewed in tooltips, status bar, or popup message boxes.
Jerry, I haven't even looked at the basics of the scripting capabilities yet, but (and this may even be possible, but doesn't sound like it) possibly adding an API via a DLL (wouldn't even need to be GUI) for the kind of things you are asking for sounds like the way to go. But, I will refrain from suggesting anything officially on the "Wishes" forums until I know the program better.

Which, I think, I have decided to purchase (and the crowd goes wild). It only took three days to convince me - and for me, that's saying something.

Jerry, in reference to internal ZIP support, wrote:Other people have asked for this as well. Frankly, I have no desire to see it. I actually like using a good external program, such as WinRAR. I think that the kind of seamless zip integration that Windows does in Explorer is a big mistake and causes problems for less savvy users. I have always disabled that feature in XP and now Windows 7.
Oh, I'm not asking for this! I completely agree with you, an external program is the way to go. But when XP first came out, most compression programs didn't have a GUI so the XP interface built-in to Explorer was nice (the program I used to use had it too), but I feel it is no longer necessary. Also, like you pointed out, the context menu (right mouse click), if the supporting program is any good, should have options for compressing and extracting.
Trasd

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A.C.C.

"I'll tell you this, no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn." J. M.

Jerry
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Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Jerry »

Code: Select all

Which, I think, I have decided to purchase (and the crowd goes wild). It only took three days to convince me - and for me, that's saying something. 
My recognition was even faster, though like you, I usually do exhaustive research before settling on a choice that makes it into my essential toolkit. I actually had been laboring along with Explorer all these years, augmenting it with add-on utilities like Creative Element Power Tools. (The last time I used a full-blown file manager was with Norton Commander back in the old days of DOS.) But after having to convert to Windows 7 with a new machine, some of the stupidities introduced into Explorer - especially the larger, uncustomizable, vertical line spacing in detail view -- was the final death knell. Somebody in a Windows geek forum mentioned XYplorer and I could see right off this was my tool and bought a lifetime pro license right at the start.

Aside from the feature set and ease of use, the other primary criteria for my choice of tools is
  • Direct developer communication
  • Very active support forum
  • Reasonable upgrade policies and costs
XYplorer scores 10+/10 on all of those.

As we've both been saying with respect to things like preview functions, it's important that people not try to wish everything into XYplorer. So while XYplorer is now by far the primary application in my toolbox, other equally excellent utilities stand proudly with it, and I have no need or desire to see XYplorer incorporate their functions.

..Well, actually, maybe just one :wink: -- Everything.exe (from http://voidtools.com), which I use to quickly search by name though many many terabytes of files across many drives. There is nothing I've seen out there that matches the speed and simplicity of implementation of this program, mostly because it builds on the NFTS Master File Table (MFT) rather than doing outright indexing. And it is as indispensable and integral to my daily work flow as XYplorer, which is where I then go to upon double-clicking or dragging something found in a Everything.exe search. Unfortunately, maintenance of this program is slower than molasses, quite in stark contrast to Don's outstanding achievements here. And clearly, one can make a highly compelling case for incorporating this kind of capability into XYplorer.

Finally, I note from your personal history that you seem to be another "old-timer" like me. :o
Running on Windows 10 Pro 64-bit quad-core ASUS G752-VY notebook with 64 GB RAM, over 26 external USB3 drives attached via multiple powered hubs with letters and mount points, totaling 120+ TB.

Trasd
Posts: 147
Joined: 19 Oct 2011 15:45

Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Trasd »

I won't quote your last post Jerry, but I agree with your list. Just the fact that I see some of the members have been here for years and Don answered one of my post and welcomed me in person is a big bonus.

I will give Everything.exe a try. I've been using Mythicsoft's FileLocator Pro for a few years now, but I started back when RegEx wasn't too well known. I am due for an upgrade, so this is the perfect time to run the two side-by-side. Thanks for the head's up.

And yep - been around computers since the late '70s. The first one I owned was a TI 99/4A. First one I ever purchased with my own money was the PC Jr. (The Peanut), 4.77MHz (notice the MHz) 8088 which I upgraded to 9MHz by changing the crystal. I was sporting 640K (came with 64K) RAM and had three 360K floppies (didn't have a hard drive) which I had to build a custom case with its own power supply for two of the drives. Four color CGA topped it off! I still have the joystick too.

You know I accomplished as much back then as I do now - productivity-wise, now I just do it in style. LOL
Trasd

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A.C.C.

"I'll tell you this, no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn." J. M.

Jerry
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Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Jerry »

I will give Everything.exe a try. I've been using Mythicsoft's FileLocator Pro for a few years now, but I started back when RegEx wasn't too well known. I am due for an upgrade, so this is the perfect time to run the two side-by-side. Thanks for the head's up.
See my post here for other info: http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic. ... 036#p64525
And yep - been around computers since the late '70s. The first one I owned was a TI 99/4A...
My computing days started with the programmable calculator craze of the early 70's. I remember when my father got a TI SR-10 -- not programmable then, but had a square root key! I had learned to do square roots by hand in school and later with a slide rule, so this just blew me away. Later, I took a fortran course in college with decks of punched cards. Finally, when I switched into a software development career, I ran through nearly the full gamut of platforms, OS's, databases and languages: From COBOL, Assembly, Roscoe, TSO/ISPF, CICS on IBM mainframes, Fortran77 on Prime mini computers, then on Unix: C, C++, Bourne/Ksh, Sunview, XWindows, Tcl/Tk, Perl, Smalltalk, Sybase, Oracle, and finally Java, J2EE, Javascript.
Running on Windows 10 Pro 64-bit quad-core ASUS G752-VY notebook with 64 GB RAM, over 26 external USB3 drives attached via multiple powered hubs with letters and mount points, totaling 120+ TB.

j_c_hallgren
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Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by j_c_hallgren »

Jerry wrote:My computing days started with the programmable calculator craze of the early 70's. Later, I took a fortran course in college with decks of punched cards. Finally, when I switched into a software development career, : From COBOL, Assembly, Roscoe, TSO/ISPF, CICS on IBM mainframes,
Now you're talking my language! 8)

I began actual computing in 1975 on a Honeywell time share using ASR-33 teletypes in junior college! Then switched to data processing as my major there and started work in 1977 in RPG on a IBM S/3 Mod 6 with 12KB for a summer job...switched to IBM 370 mainframes in 1978 and did the same as you (COBOL, Assembler, CICS, etc) until 2001 when I "retired" to spend time with my Mom and took over family business next year when she passed.

First home computer was a TRS-80 Model I in 1979 with 16KB, and then a Tandy 1000 and such until I switched to Dell laptops in 2000-ish.

So with that background, it's why I'm SO impressed with how Don does things here and with XY and why I've spent all this time trying to help him out when possible just for "fun".
Still spending WAY TOO much time here! But it's such a pleasure helping XY be a treasure!
(XP on laptop with touchpad and thus NO mouse!) Using latest beta vers when possible.

Jerry
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Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Jerry »

Ah, another geezer! :D I actually came late to PC's myself, starting with a 386 machine at home then later at work as Unix lost the corporate desktop to Windows NT. I forgot to mention that I did a little Basic in high school on a teletype machine connected by one of those old handset phone modems (just like Billy Gates!). And through all of this, I always managed to stay clear of any Windows technology development, apart from a little dabbling in VB in Excel and Word. Of course, Apple was no where to be found in my corporate world though NeXT made a promising but brief appearance at one point.
So with that background, it's why I'm SO impressed with how Don does things here and with XY and why I've spent all this time trying to help him out when possible just for "fun".
And it's even more impressive that Don manages to do this all in Visual Basic (or so I've heard it said).
Running on Windows 10 Pro 64-bit quad-core ASUS G752-VY notebook with 64 GB RAM, over 26 external USB3 drives attached via multiple powered hubs with letters and mount points, totaling 120+ TB.

Trasd
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Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Trasd »

Well, to be honest, I believe you both have a few years on me. I was too young to participate in the calculator revolution of the 70s. But, Dad sill owns the very first consumer electronic model calculator ever made! It has four functions, that's it. The battery died years ago, but Pop rigged it so it could run just off the wall-wart. It still works fine.

Also, after I stopped to think about it a bit, my PCjr came with 512K of RAM, not the 64K I reported, and I upgraded it to 1M.

But, like I said in my original post, I have been around computers since the late 70s.

BTW, I am now the proud owner of a XYplorer Lifetime Pro license. I am convinced that this is probably one of the best programs I've ever purchased for my computer. I will now systematically test and review all of Don's listed features. This will be a long process, but not only will it help me learn the program, it may prove beneficial for Don (he may be able to make a few corrections and possibly grab a few quotes) and for others searching for a Windows file manager.
Trasd

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A.C.C.

"I'll tell you this, no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn." J. M.

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Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by j_c_hallgren »

Trasd wrote:Well, to be honest, I believe you both have a few years on me. I was too young to participate in the calculator revolution of the 70s. But, Dad sill owns the very first consumer electronic model calculator ever made! It has four functions, that's it.
I'm in my mid-50's so maybe I do...still recall where/when I saw my first "four-banger"...was summer of 72 in a furniture store here...guy had a Bomar calculator...cost him $320 I think...bought my first one a year later...Texas Instr Datamath for about $85 which was quite a price then since my first semester of junior college tuition in fall 74 was only $120 or so.
BTW, I am now the proud owner of a XYplorer Lifetime Pro license. I am convinced that this is probably one of the best programs I've ever purchased for my computer. I will now systematically test and review all of Don's listed features. This will be a long process,
Congrats!!! :D Glad you decided to fully join the XY group!

Please continue your detailed postings about your initial experiences since it's hard for us to relate to what new/first-timers may encounter that might baffle/frustrate them and which we could improve on somehow....oh, BTW, some of us who've used XY for yrs are still finding new things in XY...but maybe that's also because Don keeps adding stuff almost daily too! :lol:
Still spending WAY TOO much time here! But it's such a pleasure helping XY be a treasure!
(XP on laptop with touchpad and thus NO mouse!) Using latest beta vers when possible.

Trasd
Posts: 147
Joined: 19 Oct 2011 15:45

Re: From the Beginning (a running review)

Post by Trasd »

j_c_hallgren wrote:Please continue your detailed postings about your initial experiences since it's hard for us to relate to what new/first-timers may encounter that might baffle/frustrate them and which we could improve on somehow....
I will certainly continue - once that initial exposure is gone, you can't get it back. That's now one of my goals, to keep the review and initial impression commentary going - to document my experiences while they are still fresh in my mind. My initial plans, after deciding to purchase and after learning the program, was to post only a final review (of course I didn't think I would be convinced to purchase a license in only three days), but because the XYplorer community believes (as I do) it will be beneficial, I will continue my evaluations.

One thing that needs to be mentioned here, though, is my computer literacy level. I am working from the assumption that XYplorer's target audience is defined by the very fact that they know what a file manager is and are technical enough to know they can benefit from a good one.

This is the audience my review is meant for as well; experienced computer users, people who generally know their way around a system, users that still call a directory a directory and not a folder ( :lol: JJ here! LOL).

i.e. There is a certain curve associated with the learning of any new scripting, people with programming experience in a similar language will pick it up more quickly. I will be reviewing the functionality of the scripting - not its ease of learning, but its ease of use. For unusual or unique items, though, I will try to make mention of both.

To make finding the reviews easier, I will put "From the Beginning - Review" in large red letters at the beginning of each.

And, as I figured JC, you have about 10 years on me.
Trasd

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A.C.C.

"I'll tell you this, no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn." J. M.

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