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Messages - Josh [ switch to compact view ]

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3201
Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Push2Talk
« on: April 24, 2006, 05:00 PM »
For some reason, WIN+S isnt doing anything for me. The toggle in the right click menu doesnt change nor do I get a tooltip when pressing win+s, the mic remains active. Any ideas as to why?

3202
The only thing that proxomitron has that ad muncher does not, currently, is support for regexp filters, which 4.8 or 4.9 will include. 4.8 will include options to make filters PER SITE, PER DOMAIN or PER SUB DOMAIN, meaning you can write a filter and not fear about it breaking something else on another page. 4.8's first beta will include full gzip support. Admuncher also comes with a default list which is updated AUTOMATICALLY or manually via the updates menu. The lists are updated 4 times (at least) per week and are highly scrutinized and screened by Jeff, the list maintainer.

I've seen many programs get glowing reviews simply for being free, but free does not always mean better, as most people seem to assume. Proxomitron is nice, but the gui is ugly, the filters are a pain to write (any novice can write a filter for ad muncher with knowledge of regexp), the filters have to be manually updated and its development has stopped some time ago due to the death of its author (RIP). Dont get me wrong, I am not saying ALL commercial apps are better than their freeware counterparts, but in this case, I honestly believe that ad muncher blows the pants off of proxomitron.


3203
Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Lock icons in place on desktop
« on: March 12, 2006, 07:34 PM »
I am using wintidy now, but currently it still lets icons be moved. Is there ANY way to LOCk icons on the desktop so they cannot be moved? Or an app that will password protect the desktop so that you cant move icons without a pass?

3204
by the way, everyone email them at their email addresses listed on their site! This will show we are interested!

3205
Yes, Josh has stepped up to the plate. Josh is also working on getting a few more discounts :)

3206
Honestly, I would love to see a merger between LBC and FARR. This would be the ultimate app as both serve a VERY similar purpose. I would love to have hotkeys assignable to launch certain apps, a tray icon that lists several other programs I run frequently assigned by category, and a way to use the search functionality that FARR has currently!

3207
General Software Discussion / Re: MS AntiSpyware gets a big update
« on: March 06, 2006, 07:46 AM »
Pay? Windows defender is going to be free...

3208
Finished Programs / America's Army Weapon Script Generator
« on: February 19, 2006, 10:28 PM »
This is a quick program that I threw together in vb6 for a clan I am in. Wont be of much use to many of you, but for some that play in a clan that runs their own server, this might prove useful. It generates a text file script that will randomly assign weapons to the player based on the weapons you select in the program. Took me all of maybe 20 minutes, probably less.

3209
Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Lock icons in place on desktop
« on: February 16, 2006, 08:20 AM »
I want a simple program that can lock all icons on my desktop to their current position. My daughter is learning to use a computer and it is annoying when she moves all my icons trying to double click on her dora the explorer game icons. Any ideas for this?

3210
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Tray Management Utilities Mini-Review
« on: February 15, 2006, 11:30 PM »
I will have to check. I dont think there is currently an option, nor have I seen the option in any application currently available. i will email the author as well and see if he can do this for a future version.

3211
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Tray Management Utilities Mini-Review
« on: February 15, 2006, 02:04 PM »
Good to hear my review did some good :) Enjoy, I know I do every day!

3212
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Tray Management Utilities Mini-Review
« on: February 14, 2006, 11:10 AM »
By the way, did you try 2.10? That is the latest release. Perhaps its fixed

3213
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Fewer system tray icons?
« on: February 13, 2006, 10:03 PM »
See my review located here, https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=2315.0 , if you still have questions let me know and I will answer them for ya

3214
Is a widget just like a firefox extension or is it more just a way to add little info panels to opera like yahoo's konfab does? I.E., will this finally allow roboform to incorporate itself into the opera web browser?

3215
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Tray Management Utilities Mini-Review
« on: February 05, 2006, 07:41 PM »
. You can in fact set PS Tray Factory to display an icon only in the tray. In fact, that is the default behavior. If an icon is in the system tray, it will not display in the right click context menu.
-Josh

It was a long time ago since I tried this, but last I remember,  PS Tray Factory didn't allow you to prevent a program from being listed in its menu whilst being visible in the normal System Tray.  Hopefully that is no longer the case.

4. I agree with the SysTrayX upgrade policy. Requiring a user download a customized registered version of an update is a bit of a hassle and the fact that you can simply enter a reg code into PS Tray is indeed an attractive option for upgrading. I understand why XDesk would have such an upgrade policy, in order to prevent piracy, but it can also detract users if an upgrade became available.
-Josh

It is both a hassle and a frustrating delay, especially if you are waiting for a particular bug to be fixed.  I'm of the belief that developers should put paying customers first, prospective second and the rest 3rd.  Typically if someone wants to download a crack they probably never had and never will have any intention of paying anyway.  At least if you keep existing customers happy, with a yearly subscription model you can be assured of at least a certain level of income and offering excellent benefits will get prospective customers every time.

6. A migration option, in my honest opinion, wouldnt be a worthwhile addition as there are so many different tray utilities out there. The author would be forced to pick and choose which ones he supported. I think the 5-10 minutes spent reconfiguring PS Tray after a swap from another tool is well worth it since you only have to do it once. However, a nice option would be to have an "Export Settings" option for ps tray so that if you want to migrate to a new windows installation this would make transporting your settings very easy. Although, again, that wouldnt be too necessary if you ask me since the 5-10 minutes, again, isnt very much time to ask for an app like this :)
-Josh

True, but an option to move from the main competitor would be a great feature for myself.  Just checking the SysTrayX rules on my server and I currently have 65 in total.  That would take me the best part of at least 4 hours to run and reconfigure those programs I reckon, without fixing any human errors introduded.  With such close competition I feel a feature like this would be enough to consider a switch.  At the moment I think "Yes, this is better, but do I want to spend the time making it work like my existing solution?".  It may be my need for this feature is somewhat exceptional though.


Sorry, I reworded my reply to you, I didnt intend to insenuate that I agreed with SysTrayX's upgrade policy. I think the subscription system only works for certain apps, and a tray utility isnt one of them.

3216
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Tray Management Utilities Mini-Review
« on: February 05, 2006, 03:03 PM »
That's great news.  I've been a registered user of SysTrayX for a while but am strongly considering converting to PS Tray Factory as soon as there is a DonationCoder discount or my SystrayX upgrade expires ($19 for yearly maintenance is just ridiculous).  Frankly the upgrade policy is the one thing that would make or break my purchase of PS Tray Factory.

I'd like to add some of my insights to your review, if I may: -

1. Default Icon.  I too would like to change the default tray icon for both programs.  That being said, PS Tray Factory has a fairly attractive and up to date icon whilst SysTrayX looks like something from the Win 3.1 days.  If you have a fully skinned up version of Windows SysTrayX looks dated and out of place.  It is good to see that PS Tray Factory now allows the changing of other icons in the system tray though.

2. Default position for program icon.  By Default PS Tray Factory places itself at the far-right of any system tray icons which I would consider ideal behaviour.  SysTrayX has a habit of placing itself to the left of any new sys tray icons it encounters until you set 'Special Position' for that icon which can look messy.

3. As I remember SysTrayX has slightly better handling when it comes to settings which icons are displayed in the tray, in its menu, or both.  I could be wrong, but at present you cannot set PS Tray Factory to display an icon only in the tray (I haven't tested it in some time).

4. Registered updates.  I like the fact that PS Tray Factory can be downloaded and made registered with your existing key.  The upgrade to SystrayX is somewhat laborious with the shareware version being released several weeks before the registered version is mailed to registered users (yes, email updates only!).  Surely any software author should consider their paid customers as paramount, especially if you are expecting future revenues from upgrade maintenance.

5. I've found the SysTrayX support lacking with emails going unanswered from the author.  Never used PS Tray Factory support so cannot comment.

6. I have so many programs configured already I'd like to see some form of migration utility included in both tools to allow me to change to the competing product, should I decide to change.

I'll add to this post if I think of anything else.

-

1. The default icon for SysTrayX is very outdated and win3.1ish as you said. The idea of being able to change the default icon is a minor one to me, but the option would be nice.

2. Again, another option that would be nice. The ability to specify where the icon is positioned would indeed be nice, but for me is not needed since I have only the PS Tray icon in my sys tray (and am considering hiding that as well since I can assign various hotkeys to perform clicking functions on the icons.

3. You can in fact set PS Tray Factory to display an icon only in the tray. In fact, that is the default behavior. If an icon is in the system tray, it will not display in the right click context menu.

4. I agree with you on the SysTrayX upgrade policy. Requiring a user download a customized registered version of an update is a bit of a hassle and the fact that you can simply enter a reg code into PS Tray is indeed an attractive option for upgrading. I understand why XDesk would have such an upgrade policy, in order to prevent piracy, but it can also detract users if an upgrade became available.

6. A migration option, in my honest opinion, wouldnt be a worthwhile addition as there are so many different tray utilities out there. The author would be forced to pick and choose which ones he supported. I think the 5-10 minutes spent reconfiguring PS Tray after a swap from another tool is well worth it since you only have to do it once. However, a nice option would be to have an "Export Settings" option for ps tray so that if you want to migrate to a new windows installation this would make transporting your settings very easy. Although, again, that wouldnt be too necessary if you ask me since the 5-10 minutes, again, isnt very much time to ask for an app like this :)

3217
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Tray Management Utilities Mini-Review
« on: February 05, 2006, 10:52 AM »
I have emailed the author and confirmed the upgrade policy for PS Tray Factory, hence my reason for purchasing it. He stated

Hello Joshua,

All upgrades for ANY future versions are free of charge.
We  have  planned  usage  of  paid  upgrades some time ago, but at the
present  time  such upgrades are free. It is possible that this policy
will  be  changed in the future, but in any case, all upgrades will be
free for previously registered users.

Hope this helps :)

3218
I have a large collection of around 720 metallica bootleg concerts in mp3 format all on a hard disk at home. They are organized as such

d:\metallica\82-11-19 - halifax, nova scotia
d:\metallica\85-04-01 - London, England
etc

I want to take the folder names (82-11-19 - halifax, nova scotia, 85-04-01 - London, England) and make those the ALBUM tag in every mp3 in its respective folder, is there a way to do this with an AHK script? I also want all fo the mp3's in every folder to have the artist value set to Metallica, but I think that can be done with another tool. Any ideas?

3219
Mini-Reviews by Members / Tray Management Utilities Mini-Review
« on: February 04, 2006, 11:04 PM »
This mini-review will cover two of the better tray management utilities available for the microsoft windows platform. The two reviewed are XDesk's SysTrayX and PS Soft Lab's PS Tray Factory.

What is a tray management utility?

These program's are designed to alleviate some space in your system tray by replacing many of your less commonly used or accessed icons with a single icon (or none at all). They give your more real estate in your taskbar and can add another very useful function that allows you to minimize any running app to the system tray.

Why use a tray manager?

As stated above, a tray manager can give you more of the much needed real estate in your system's taskbar

The two major fore-runners of this market?

XDesk's SysTrayX ( www.xdesksoftware.com ) and PS Soft Lab's PS Tray Factory ( http://www.pssoftlab.com/ ).

The Reviews:

SysTrayX



The Good

SysTrayX is a well designed application overall. The interface is very simple and easy to use and the options are many. The program has several different ways of detecting when an application is added to the system tray (On Create, On Notify, etc) and does a decent job of finding applications The minimize to tray functionality is nice and easy to use; assigned via a hotkey in the programs options menu.

The bad

SysTrayX's interface is easy to use, but it lacks some polish. The program sometimes misses certain applications being added to the tray (such as WinWall, the windows wallpaper manager). The program's development appears to have halted,



The Cost

$25.52 US

The upgrade policy

Subscription based. You must pay every year in order to get any upgrades to the product. This costs roughly $19.90 per year.

The support

Initially, this author contacted SysTrayX's support asking for help on the minimize to tray feature and recommending a new feature. The reply was received in about 2 days and solved the problem which I encountered. Subsequent emails however, went unanswered after 3 weeks of waiting. The author was very courteous during his replies about the minimize to tray problem, but didn't make a mention of the feature request. The program also seems to have died off in terms of new versions, with its latest version being released in July 2005.



PS Soft Lab's PS Tray Factory



The Good

This application has the best interface in the industry. The easy to use check boxes in the programs main options window allow the user to select which applications should be hidden from the tray under the programs replacement tray icon. The hotkey option allows you to assign different WIN + hotkey's to  perform various actions on the tray icon such as clicking, double clicking and right clicking, a very useful function indeed.

The Bad

The application requires the use of the windows key for hotkey configuration, instead of letting the user select from the CTRL + ALT combinations. Not a very major problem, but the option to use the windows logo key should be just that, optional.

The Cost

$24.95 US

The upgrade policy

Pay Once, upgrades for life of product.

The support

This author has contacted the author on numerous occasions and found a reply waiting in his inbox normally within a 24 hour period. The author was very courteous in his replies and also made me feel as if my suggestions for the program were welcome.  The development is still active with its latest release coming in January of this year.


What both are missing

Both programs have some features and functionality that this author believes should be included, such as the ability to change the tray icon that is used to replace the other icons in the tray. Another function is the ability to add an option to the right click context menu of the taskbar entry that allows you to select whether or not the application should minimize to tray every time the application's minimize control button is pushed (similar to that of AllToTray).


Summary and Author's Pick

This author, after reviewing both programs, found one major difference between the two programs. After installing and using SysTrayX, I found myself trying to figure out ways to get certain apps to stay in the tray with the appropriate settings being made in the applications options panel, and still have yet to figure out how to do this. The only things I think that needs to be addressed with SysTrayX are A. Its ability to catch ALL applications in the tray, and B. A new UI design. With PS Tray Factory, however, I installed it one morning, and purchased it that same night. The winner here, according to this author, is PS Tray Factory. With its lifetime free upgrades, no sub's here, and its great technical support, PS Tray factory is a clear winner in this category.

3220
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Fewer system tray icons?
« on: February 04, 2006, 10:20 AM »
Good to hear mouser. PSTray is definitely an app I would love to see offered on dc.com :) This is exactly the caliber of software that should be on the site :)

3221
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Fewer system tray icons?
« on: February 04, 2006, 10:07 AM »
I won a free copy of SysTrayX via DC.com and I thought it was a great program, but after trying PSTray, i was blown away. The interface is simply outstanding, the way it detects tray programs is excellent. Its much more accurate in detecting applications in the system tray. SysTrayX left me trying to figure out why some icons would just not show up in the system tray despite settings I changed, and it also left me wondering why some icons always displayed in the system tray despite my setting the application to hide them. PS Tray has some nice options that systrayx does not, such as the ability to send mouse clicks to the tray icons via hotkeys, or a way to restore all tray icons via a hotkey. Customization is a big plus to me in any application, and ps tray supercedes SysTrayX's ability

One thing that won me over with PS Tray was the authors responsiveness. Upon initially winning SysTrayX, I immediately submitted some feature requests and received a response about 2-3 days later. A few weeks later, I submitted a few more changes (13JAN2006) and still have yet to receive a response to my 3 different emails since that time. The PS Tray author, on the other hand, has responded to every one of my emails within 24 hours and has displayed the utmost professionalism.

And as I said in my above post, another thing that won me over with PS Tray, was their upgrade policy. If there is another version released, it will be provided free to the user. With SysTrayX, you have to purchase 12 month subscriptions for upgrades. With that policy, if you pay and there are no upgrades, you have thrown away money. I am a firm believer in certain applications being on a "Pay once for lifetime upgrades" policy. These types of applications are the ones that seem pretty much feature complete, the ones that might only require an occasional bug fix every now and then. However, other apps are perfectly understandable to be placed on a subscription based upgrade plan. A tray manager is one of the applications that should be pay once since its functions can only be expanded so far.

Anyways, I've said my piece. If you have a chance, try out both apps, I think you will find PS Tray to be a much nicer choice due to its much better UI and the vast majority of options that you are provided with.

3222
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Fewer system tray icons?
« on: February 03, 2006, 10:35 PM »
I just purchased PS Tray Factory. The program offered a 20 day trial, but after having it installed for a single day, I found it to be the most versatile and well programmed application of its kind. The ability to assign shortcut keys to perform clicking and right clicking of an icon in the tray is genious. This is well worth its asking price and according to the author with correspondence via email, all updates to the program are free for users who register now. He said he is considering moving to the "Pay for major upgrades" licensing scheme, but for now all users who register will get free upgrades. This is a winner in my book and I think mouser should try and get some donated copies for the users of this site. Great find!

3223
Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: MP3Drive
« on: February 02, 2006, 07:03 AM »
Yep, sure have, its not installed into windows as a disk device, thats why it doesnt show up there. That is why I was wondering if someone here would take up the project of making a way to interface it like a disk drive in windows :)

3224
Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: MP3Drive
« on: January 31, 2006, 06:07 PM »
nope, the zen micro is a totally different monster from the zen touch

3225
Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: MP3Drive
« on: January 31, 2006, 04:42 PM »
Wont work under the zen touch 40GB

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