Recent Posts

1026

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: NoteZilla

« Last post by Dormouse on July 07, 2013, 11:06 AM »

I haven't upgraded Notezilla because I have no interest in an online subscription.
I understand vendors being attracted to the idea because it gives them an extra income stream, but the other side of that coin is that users have an extra cost.

I much prefer any cloud synchronization to be done through cloud storage (Dropbox, Box etc) - or Google Calendar for reminders, etc. The only exception I make is Evernote, which has a different function and which has a free account so you never have to pay. Android/iOS apps would be good if they optionally synchronised with an online database (though I have found that the Android stickies I use all use handwriting, which I have found more convenient).

Agree completely with app103's recommendations for improvements to the reminders feature.

1027

Living Room / Re: SSD's - How They Work Plus Tips

« Last post by Dormouse on May 30, 2013, 07:35 AM »

My 64GB SSD is getting fairly full - so I'm looking at 256GB(ish) and like others will use the old one elsewhere.
There's no question that it is the biggest performance improvement I have ever made. Also the problems with length of life are irrelevant since they last long enough for my upgrade cycle to kick in (I admit that has got quite lengthy now for other components though - long gone are the days when a new computer was needed every 3 years). Agree with the need for a good backup strategy.

1028

General Software Discussion / Re: Opera 15 Preview

« Last post by Dormouse on May 28, 2013, 04:37 PM »

I use Chrome as my No 2 browser anyway, so I don't need another version. I will be very, very careful about updating Opera from here on in. I'm not necessarily bothered by the switch to webkit - but if it changes the browser experience for me, then that is a totally different thing.

I find it hard to look forward to using FF more though and ie isn't going to happen so long as I have any choice at all.

1029

General Software Discussion / Re: File history (time machine) in win 8: worth exploring?

« Last post by Dormouse on April 14, 2013, 04:55 PM »

Quite a few people use FL or Studio One with Reaper; you can use FL within Reaper, I assume you can do the same with S1 though I've never tried it myself. The strengths of Reaper and FL in particular are complement each other. Reaper forum is very friendly & well informed about DAWs in general. If you want to use Melodyne and are happy with a cut down version, then S1 can look a good and cheap way of doing that.

Everything depends on what sort(s) of music you want to make and how you want to do it, though you can probably make any of the DAWs do anything if you work at it.

1030

General Software Discussion / Re: DVD Rip and Burn

« Last post by Dormouse on April 13, 2013, 05:25 AM »

The GOTD comments are a good source of info and alternatives, free and paid, and so are the linked Ashraf reviews. And you can search for all previous DVD copier listings to see the comments made then. Blazevideo seems to have been panned by almost everyone.

1031

General Software Discussion / Re: DVD Rip and Burn

« Last post by Dormouse on April 07, 2013, 05:33 AM »

GOTD frequently gives away this type of software with a lot of user comments by the end of the day. The progs tend to make regular visits. Starburn there today.

1032

Living Room / Re: Yahoo email servers hacked

« Last post by Dormouse on March 05, 2013, 06:33 AM »

Thanks for the headsup Carol.

I checked my account and found it had been accessed from Turkey on Friday. Appears to have tried to spam and then Yahoo blocked it from sending. I've changed password now.

  I can't figure out why anyone would use a yahoo or hotmail account anyway,

-Tinman57 (March 04, 2013, 08:06 PM)

Well, I have it with a Yahoo ID to allow me to manage a Yahoo Group.
I've then used it for an email account when I don't trust the organisations I am giving it to, but may need a continuing address rather than a temporary one. I very rarely look at any of the email in it. So not much lost from my point of view.

But access risks are only just increasing.
And having recently been burgled I'm well aware that having everything local is no panacea either.
Current strategy is having all my eggs in many baskets of many different types with a whole range of encryption strategies for stuff I save in the cloud (and trying not to have anything sensitive in the cloud at all).

1033

General Software Discussion / Re: 2013 Version: Browser Wars

« Last post by Dormouse on February 13, 2013, 04:41 PM »

Seems to me that the Softpedia take on the announcement is rather extreme. Opera's engine always used to be fast, but webkit is pretty fast too. Little competitive gain and a lot of cost for Opera in maintaining Presto, and it is in the mobile market that their innovations have had the most success. I'd not be surprised to see Opera using Chromium look very similar to the latest Opera using Presto. Reduces us to webkit, gecko & ie trident.

As a user I'm not sure it will make much difference to me. It's a long time since the engine was one of the reasons I chose Opera as my primary browser. What would make me unhappy would be a takeover by Facebook.

1034

General Software Discussion / Re: 2013 Version: Browser Wars

« Last post by Dormouse on February 13, 2013, 04:26 PM »

Sites like Amazon didn't render or work properly

-rgdot (February 13, 2013, 02:40 PM)

I've never had a problem with Amazon on Opera.

Had a problem on a few sites - often banks, HMRC, Windows Update etc - but the number of problems has been reducing over the years. Most browsers seemed to have some problems, with ie being my final fallback when all else failed.

1035

Living Room / Re: Website under attack ... help needed

« Last post by Dormouse on February 12, 2013, 07:39 AM »

Thanks everyone - the common thread to the sites that have been affected seem to be out of date Joomla installations. I don't as a matter of course update Joomla websites for clients when they won't pay for support

-Carol Haynes (February 12, 2013, 04:11 AM)

I don't know what more you could be expected to do, so long as they are aware of the risk they take by not having their sites regularly updated by you. I'm not sure if you could offer an update service fee that would be lower than your support fee.

1036

General Software Discussion / Re: On data storage and applications going cloud (Surfulater, Mindjet et al.)

« Last post by Dormouse on February 08, 2013, 10:36 AM »

The single machine license Office 2013 is another desperate attempt on MS's part to squeeze its lemon cash cow (sorry for mixed metaphors) and push people towards its subscription-based cloud model. I can't see how it can possibly be a good thing for them to do.

-dr_andus (February 08, 2013, 03:25 AM)

+1.  I was frankly astonished at what seems to me a very wrongheaded move on MS's part.  

-cyberdiva (February 08, 2013, 08:45 AM)

+2.
Seems as if the proportion of totally wrongheaded moves by MS has increased hugely since BG shifted his attention to his charitable work.

1037

General Software Discussion / Re: Avast Installs Chrome

« Last post by Dormouse on February 08, 2013, 10:20 AM »

I tried downloading something from CNET recently, and found that it wanted to use a CNET installer and was going to install other stuff. I left it and found the software available on Softpedia with no extra stuff. I can't remember what the program was, but I've avoided CNET since.

-Dormouse (February 08, 2013, 09:44 AM)

That was definitely a jive move on CNET's part. But  they got so much backlash on it that they now furnish a very discreet link on most software titles that will let you go directly to the developer's webpage. If you open the full specs link from the product's main page you'll find it. Unfortunately more than a few devs are now either hosting their downloads on CNET's servers - or have cut a deal with them. So now, even if you go to some dev's homepage, their download link will still direct you back to CNET for the actual download.

I have a firm rule that if a product is only available using the CNET loader, I'll pass. There's enough good stuff out there that we shouldn't have to put up with that.

-40hz (February 08, 2013, 10:07 AM)

I hadn't been aware of that move by CNET. I remember that the developer's site did take me back to CNET, so then looked around and found it clean on Softpedia. I think I must be operating the same rule as you. 

1038

General Software Discussion / Re: Directory Opus 10

« Last post by Dormouse on February 08, 2013, 10:12 AM »

ShellLess Explorer lets you have as many open panels as you want (though I've not checked recent versions, it always used to advertise this as a major feature).

I liked it and do like being able to have multiple panes open, though none of the main file manager developers seem to like the idea. In practice, I found I was quite happy with Q-Dir for quick and easy portable use and liked having the power & configurability of DO for everything else. With Actual Windows 'Keep on top' option, it is easy to make any file manager work for me as if it has multi-pane options - but then I only want to use it manually using a mouse.

1039

General Software Discussion / Re: Avast Installs Chrome

« Last post by Dormouse on February 08, 2013, 09:44 AM »

I tried downloading something from CNET recently, and found that it wanted to use a CNET installer and was going to install other stuff. I left it and found the software available on Softpedia with no extra stuff. I can't remember what the program was, but I've avoided CNET since.

Google do seem to be offering incentives to developers for recommending Chrome or getting it installed - but then they have been large funders of FF and Opera as well as developing Chrome themselves. I think that is at least as much about opposing MS & IE, as it is about being the preferred Search Engine.

1040

General Software Discussion / Re: Software that sounded useful, so you bought it, but then...

« Last post by Dormouse on January 10, 2013, 05:56 PM »

Replacing Snagit (after many happy years of use) with Screenshot Capture is a perfect example.

-app103 (January 10, 2013, 08:38 AM)

+1  I did the same about two years ago and have never looked back.   

Jim

-J-Mac (January 10, 2013, 09:51 AM)

+.1  - I've not updated Snagit for a while and recently downloaded Screenshot Captor again. I might get there in another decade or so.

1041

General Software Discussion / Clipping from documents with source

« Last post by Dormouse on January 01, 2013, 06:54 AM »

As I'm looking through the programs I have, I find few that will take clips from documents and record the source document with the clip. The three I have found are CH+S, Cinta Notes and Zoot.
I was wondering whether there are any others that people use regularly that can do that?

1042

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Dormouse on January 01, 2013, 06:11 AM »

@Dormouse: Scrivener does web clippings just fine.
It even has the floating clipboard window that onenote has.
Doesn't work well on linux, though.

-urlwolf (December 31, 2012, 01:52 PM)

I've not managed a successful web clipping yet, 1st stalled near the end, 2nd produced a can't do it message, 3rd froze the program, 4th time failed. I'll maybe try it again, but I don't think it likely that I will use if often since I've not found a convenient way of doing it - only entering URL.

Screenshots I can do, though have to make sure Scrivener itself is out of the way.

I can drag images & text onto the scratch pad; no source but otherwise works OK & I can see how to manage the sources. Still not as convenient as monitoring the clipboard, but would be workable.

I don't really see myself using Scrivener to collect or store primary information. Or writing short documents  (too many niggles (eg still haven't got a good way of managing tables) & doesn't have the buttons or window organisation that I prefer). For longer documents it is good. And will hopefully improve further. Pricing, I think, is also fair and definitely non-gouging. Seems strange to be saying that about an Apple originated program.

1043

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Dormouse on December 31, 2012, 06:44 AM »

Neither Black Hole Organizer nor Aml Pages are in anything like the same class as UR, but they share a feature obligate mouse jockeys might like.  Both have a floating drag-and-drop target.  You mark a block with your mouse and drag it onto the target, when the program automatically creates a new note.  Aml Pages includes the URL, BHO doesn't, but BHO stagnated a long time before the new developer took it over.

-rjbull (December 30, 2012, 02:51 PM)

Thanks. I have Aml Pages, purely because the basket seemed like a good idea, but never found it useful enough as a whole to keep on using it.
I vaguely recognise the name BHO from the (very) dim and distant past, but I'm note sure if I have ever used it. I might have another look.
While I have been messing about looking at these programs again, I decided to install the latest version of Zoot (which I don't think I have ever tried before). Seems seriously weird/different and its not obvious exactly how to manage it, but it did save the source of the clip from a file and seems to have a lot of features, and, more importantly, that I can get to grips with using it, even if it will take a lot of effort. I can understand why the trial period lasts 90 days, and I'm not sure that will be quite enough. No idea if there is any sense in the perception, but it felt as if it might be more like IQ than the other progs I have used - I've never been able to get into IQ, but always had a lot of respect for what it seems capable of doing.

1044

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Dormouse on December 30, 2012, 07:42 AM »

It is not. C'mon, you make this into a Hobson's choice when it is no such thing! So there are only two alternatives? What makes that "realistic"?

-J-Mac (December 30, 2012, 05:56 AM)

I think it is. He suspended development in Oct 2008 because of weak sales.
v4 upgrade was released 2009 bringing W7 compatibility & a small number of other enhancements (none of which have made much difference to me). v5 this year, W8 compatibility and very few other improvements.
Really active development is clearly contingent upon sales and sales forecasts, and hasn't happened since 2008. I am really glad he is doing enough to keep the product viable, but equally won't spend anything on an upgrade unless it is going to benefit me to the extent of the cost.

If there were something better out there, then I would think everyone would move to it. As it is, I think a number of people have convinced themselves that other products are better purely because they are pissed off with Kinook or worry about the lack of development rather than its actual functionality. For me, the big limit on its value has always been the way it ties in to MS progs, which I prefer not to do - but I still don't see a clearly better alternative.

1045

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Dormouse on December 30, 2012, 05:45 AM »

I agree with applauding a developer for supporting a new OS, but not quite to the tune of $50 for a no-new-features upgrade! Just can't do it!

-J-Mac (December 29, 2012, 09:39 PM)

You would prefer the alternative that he didn't offer the update at all - realistically that is the alternative?

I often prefer programs and upgrades & updates to be cheaper than they are. If they are not cheap enough I don't buy them.

I can understand that you may think the upgrade is poor value. Not many 'improvements' for the number of dollars. But I've quite often bought an apparently better value upgrade, but then found I have never ever used one of the new features. If you need the ability to work with W8, I think you would probably find it was worth $50. New buyers still get the prog for the basic price. I don't think there will be a huge number of takers for the upgrade, so I don't think it will prove a super-profitable exercise for him.

I would really prefer that the program were popular and still actively developed, but I don't think that programs like these are the way that the market is moving. Developers everywhere are aping Apple or apping iOS, because that is where they think the money is. Programs are dumber but prettier and it is simpler to see what to do. The antithesis of UR really.

1046

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Dormouse on December 29, 2012, 08:34 PM »

I was using UR-Pro for a few years but I was getting really aggravated about a couple things. For one, capturing web pages - it works great, and then it doesn’t. And when it doesn’t it really doesn’t, in a big way! And requests for help, while not going unanswered, don’t get me anywhere. Also, MS Office docs will open internally just fine... and then they stop and insist on opening externally in the relevant Office programs. Then I must go through re-doing the registry changes recommended by Kinook and revamping all my UR settings - usually ending up where I started - and the last time it happened it never did get back to opening documents internally. Kyle just doesn’t seem as committed to customer support as he once was.

Oh, yes - and then there was the upgrade to version 5, which turned out to be not a major upgrade after all. No new features, no bug fixes. Just wants folks to pay to continue using UR as it is.

-J-Mac (December 29, 2012, 11:00 AM)

I've not been able to get UR to work with MS Office docs running internally on my current computer (W7 64 bit; UR4). I agree about the aggravation that the previously excellent support appears to have gone. Doesn't bother me directly, as I never get in touch with support on any software  - either I can see how to make it work, or I don't use that function - but indirectly it does because I make substantial use of any tips etc available on the forums.

I've not had a problem with clipping - but for the times I did, I would just use another way of getting it. My life's too short to try to track down something that seems to vary so much from page to page and over time as web technologies change. For me the big issue was always that it didn't clip pages from Opera, but the ability to store all entries on the clipboard wasn't too bad an alternative (as it is with TreeDBNotes).

I don't have a problem with the upgrade price for UR5. He specifically said the was discontinuing development a few years ago, changed his mind, to an extent, and has since just provided a path for people who upgrade their OS. I applaud that; takes away the feeling that it is an urgent matter to find an alternative. I don't expect to upgrade myself, as I never expect to install W8 on anything (I didn't get ME or Vista either) and I made sure I had enough full retail versions of W7 when it came out so that I could put it on any new hardware and not get stuck with its replacement. I suspect the much reduced development and support is because UR no longer really pays enough to warrant more (even with his upgrade pricing); presumably also the reason for so many of the similar programs also hibernating.

The other general comment I'd make about it is that it is getting to be quite an old fashioned interface, and was already very techie; I'm not a coder but I would think it would take quite a lot of work to rewrite that for such a complex program with so many functions. And the previous binding with MS progs, looks increasingly hard to maintain (and with less reward) as they keep changing their progs and their usage is less prevalent except in the office (& education).

1047

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Dormouse on December 29, 2012, 08:11 PM »

I feel that UR is still better than MyInfo, even if MyInfo has improved (and it does have its note pane for clips from other applications).

Where is the Notes pane for other applications in MyInfo?       I can't find it and I have really, really looked for it!

-J-Mac (December 29, 2012, 11:00 AM)

Sorry, I'd meant that UR has the note pane, when MyInfo doesn't.

1048

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Dormouse on December 29, 2012, 08:08 PM »

Just a quick note to say that I'm very happy with Scrivener as a notetaker.
In linux

-urlwolf (December 29, 2012, 01:25 PM)

I've been looking at Scrivener, but it doesn't do clipping does it? Even on the Mac, it seems quite long-winded from what I have read. And it isn't good to store lots of info long term - reports suggest it getting bogged down before 1GB (not sure how others would stack up on that though).

I do like the corkboard view though. Though much better on the Mac where the notes can be placed anywhere, including overlapping each other. Slightly tempted with the apparent demise of Liquid Story Binder development (such a familiar story with so many of these programs).

1049

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Dormouse on December 29, 2012, 06:14 AM »

BTW, where is the Note pane for RN? I don’t see one at all. There is a "Scratch" pane but whatever you enter there shows for all captures. Not sure what use that has.

-J-Mac (December 28, 2012, 10:09 PM)

dk about a note pane, but you can add notes to a webclip by toggling edit mode.

I am running RightNote Pro and MyInfo concurrently. ... RN still misses on more than a few pages, either claims that it cannot capture that page or it just muddles it up when it tries. Also takes significantly longer than MyInfo. MyInfo has captured just about everything I have thrown at it.

-J-Mac (December 28, 2012, 10:09 PM)

I tried MyInfo after seeing a number of people say it had overtaken Ultra Recall, but haven't seen anything in it to confirm that view. MyInfo does not have an addon to clip from Opera, and the other methods are rather tedious. The thing I will say about RN is that it does clip from Opera, not always reliably I agree. I feel that UR is still better than MyInfo, even if MyInfo has improved (and it does have its note pane for clips from other applications).

I'm still not sure what I will do about whole page webclips. RN works okay for when I am casually browsing using Opera - but so does Evernote - and for highly targetted browsing I could easily enough use FF or ie and then use UR. Evernote looks increasingly ubiquitous; lots of ways of putting stuff in, such as the little click.to app. For clips from webpages, there are lots of ways of doing it and I'm likely to just use a program I already use. Haven't really decided about CintaNotes or whether I will use a clipboard manager (ClipMate, Ditto, CH+S etc) more systematically for longer term, info storing clips.

1050

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Dormouse on December 27, 2012, 07:24 PM »

I've been continuing my examination of RightNote & TreeDBNotes clipping abilities.

RightNote is clearly better at clipping webpages. Keeps a record of the source, can clip (I think it actually downloads) whole webpages, and the formatting is pretty good. But it does not keep a record of the source files when clipping sections from files and having to use the hotkeys to do any clipping, is pretty tiresome, when I'm just browsing or reading by using the mouse. So far I have failed to get the screen capture to work; I can identify the area to clip but nothing saves.

TreeDBNotes has a button which will turn on the ability to save each item going into the clipboard into a new note as well as a screen capture that does work for me. Doesn't save the sources at all. Easy enough to get around - just give a note to each file that is being clipped from, and the clips will be saved as subnotes under it.

They'd both be more useful if they would record the source of all clips. CintaNotes is an example to both of them for that.

In terms of practical use for me, I can't say that one is better than the other for clipping. It depends on what I am doing. These abilities seem to play into the strengths of both, RightNote for storing info & TreeDBNotes for using info. Overall, TreeDBNotes has far more features than RightNote.