News and Reviews > Mini-Reviews by Members
Mini-Review and Discount (Sep 2010): USB Safely Remove and Zentimo
Darwin:
a drive letter and label manager-Darwin
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I think that's essentially the same as in USB Safely Remove's device properties\drive properties.
-cranioscopical (August 02, 2010, 09:38 AM)
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Ah, thanks for that. I've just read the website blurb and you're right. I explored using the USB Safely Remove feature in the past (instead of USBDLM), but I rejected that idea. I wonder why...?! I stupidly didn't take any notes. Will have to revisit this idea.
OldElmerFudd:
I bought a license for USB Safely Remove back in November with a promotional discount. (less than $20 - don't remember exactly) Have it installed on five machines at home and works fine. One thing I like is when I turn on/off a USB device like a printer, it notifies me the device is loaded or unloaded.
Curt:
The license details listed for Zentimo are these:
Personal licenses which are for private use only, One user / multiple computers / lifetime usage
Note the difference between lifetime usage and lifetime upgrades.
License with free upgrades for one year$35 USDLicense with free upgrades for two years$45 USDLicense with lifetime upgrades$70 USDTo extend upgrades beyond the initial upgrade period costs $19 USD per additional year.
-cranioscopical (July 20, 2010, 01:42 PM)
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Zentimo discount for existing safelyremove.com customers only: -$15
making it:
one year$20 USDtwo years$30 USDlifetime$55 USD
Also, it should be noted that Zentimo is all new:
July 27, 2010
Zentimo 1.0 Final!
http://zentimo.com/index.htm-Zentimo
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superboyac:
Very interesting. USB SR is one of my favorite little utilities. A very well made program.
I don't quite understand Zentimo. What does it do that USB SR can't do? I mean, i've read the features, but I don't quite get what the big deal is. This is one of those cases where you need that comparison chart with the check marks.
I don't see why the author had to make a different program that does pretty much the same thing. I'm sure he could have done the same by just doing a major version upgrade. I'm also sure it was a business decision. USB SR was a lifetime license if you bought it. That's great for us (the customers) but I've always wondered how that affects their business models. And now that I have had to work with business models lately, I am more sympathetic to things like this. I wonder if it was a situation where the author realized that he can't make enough money by offering these lifetime licenses. So he had to re-launch under a different product name and offer a normal 1,2-year licenses as well as a more expensive lifetime license. I know we'll complain about it, but I understand. In this particular case, I really like the software, i like the author, he's been very responsive for USB SR. So if he needs to change his business model to make more money, I support that. I want good authors making good software and I want to pay them for it. i don't want to give money to the people making mediocre software and using similar methods to extract cash from their customers.
mauzer_tim:
superboyac, thanks for your kind words!
Very interesting. USB SR is one of my favorite little utilities. A very well made program.
I don't quite understand Zentimo. What does it do that USB SR can't do? I mean, i've read the features, but I don't quite get what the big deal is. This is one of those cases where you need that comparison chart with the check marks.
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We will add later this comparision matrix and here I'll describe above the differences. It's copied from the description we are going to put to safelyremove.com so don't mind its a bit commercial style :)
So, what features has Zentimo over 'USB Safely Remove'?
<h2>More powerful and informative device menu</h2>
<img src="http://zentimo.com/screenshots/main_window.png"/>
Now with this menu you can see device drive volume and free space, display hidden devices in a click right in the menu, and do frequent actions in a click such as browsing a drive or launching a portable program
<h2>Honest drive speed test</h2>
<img src="http://zentimo.com/screenshots/speed_test.png">
The program can show the real performance of your devices
<h2>Portable application quick launch menu</h2>
<img src="http://zentimo.com/screenshots/quick_launch_menu_wback.png"/>
Just a menu available via a click to the menu button where you can add programs from your drive and run them in a couple of clicks.
<h2>Strong TrueCrypt integration</h2>
Your TrueCrypt containers that are stored on external drives can be handled like a part of device: you can see them on the device menu, they can be automatically mounted\dismounted on device connection\disconnection and even if a program prevents TrueCrypt volume from being stopped
<strong>Zentimo</strong> allows you to see and unlock such programs.
<h2>Portable settings</h2>
You can set up your device name, image or app quick launch list once and these settings will be available on the other computers where Zentimo is installed
<img src="http://crystalrich.com/uploadi/picture_20100729234237087.png">
I wonder if it was a situation where the author realized that he can't make enough money by offering these lifetime licenses.
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That's true. Actually offering the lifetime upgrades isn't good for a company as the number of customer grows, but not the revenue. So we need to spend more time supporting rather than programming. We are going to change that model even in USB Safely Remove, however that affects only new customers, for those who purchased the license with lifetime upgrades nothing will change.
So he had to re-launch under a different product name and offer a normal 1,2-year licenses as well as a more expensive lifetime license.
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That's not quite correct. I've already described the reasons why we created the similar product in Zentimo's blog. In short, USB Safely Remove is enough mature product and it has large userbase, and its users love its simplicity. So if we start to make hard experiments with its interface and add significantly more features not all people will like it (and this is not just a big phrases, e.g. Zentimo by default stores device settings on external drives as a small file in the drive root making the settings to be portable, however not all people like this feature they think such a behavior very obtrusive, they don't want a program automatically save any data to their drives). Therefore we decided to make a separated application which on the other hand will satisfy the needs of people who need more features, however we will continue developing USB Safely Remove however we will leave it such simple as it is now.
Conclusion: just compare for yourself Zentimo and USB Safely Remove and choose if you need Zentimo. If USB Safely Remove is enough for your need you should stay with it.
Kind regards,
Igor Tkachenko,
Crystal Rich Ltd CEO
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