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Recent Posts

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76
tobu is all about tagging, TreeSheets doesn't do tags. Can't comment on incollector, which I no longer have any recollection.

InfoQube is a totally different beast, which is much more powerful, but also more complicated. TreeSheets draws tables alright, but that's not what makes it unique.

Edited by mwang: to clarify the subject of the last sentence.
77
Caught this one on the mind-mapping blog: TreeSheets - fast, visual organisation for notes.

Its homepage is here: http://treesheets.com/.

It has a very unusual approach, and its interface might take some getting used to (its unorthodox use of mouse wheel, e.g.), but having tried it for the last two days, I have to admit it's very addictive. The first time you launch it after installation, a short tutorial (sample) document is open. Follow along and you'll be amazed at what it can do. (And if you're not impressed, or don't like its approach, it's pretty safe to uninstall it right away, for you've seen all it can do.)

Warning: it's a very young product, so don't expect it to do everything your favorite note taker can do.

[edited to add screenshot - mouser]
screenshot_todo.png
78
General Software Discussion / Re: Which free burning software can you recommend?
« Last post by mwang on March 24, 2009, 08:06 PM »
CDBurnerXP is reliant on .net and creates coasters at the drop of a hat. ImgBurn is incredibly good, but cannot create compilation discs. My vote goes to InfraRecorder, an open source GUI for an open source cross-platform commandline toolset, cdrtools.

Ehtyar.

ImgBurn can do compilation discs, just not multi-session ones. InfraRecorder didn't play nice on my system, but it's quite a while back. Will have to try it again someday.
79
Evernote`s html capture is not as good as Scrapbook`s html capture.

I agree with you, assuming you mean that in terms of faithfulness to the original page display (instead of functionality, ease of use, etc.). That's not really a fair game, though. Scrapbook is a Firefox extension; it uses Firefox to render captured pages. Evernote and other browser-independent tools have to render their own pages. Unless one uses Gecko (which Evernote doesn't), it can't compete with Scrapbook in display fidelity (using the original display in Firefox as the yardstick).

Moreover, I sometimes feel Scrapbook gives me "too much". Some of the excessive parts can be easily removed with its tools, but some can't. E.g., when I save only part of a page, I usually don't care about the background, but it's hard to get rid of it with Scrapbook. With Evernote or others, the background is usually ignored when saving part of a page.

One more thing: with Evernote and the like, you can easily edit the captured stuff. Scrapbook allows you to remove elements/selections, annotate, and add highlights, but you can't otherwise edit the page (add words, correct typos, etc.) directly.

Hmm...so if I'm not mistaken, Surfulator would have the best html capture and editing options still correct? Or is it Scrapbook? or Scrapbook+? (I actually haven't heard of Scrapbook+ until you posted it mwang but unfortunately it seems like it could be buggy from the notes)

- preview of highlighter in the drop-down choice list does not work in Firefox 3
- shortcut of highlighter and annotation does not wirk in Firefox 3

I can't comment on whether Surfulator has the best html capture. It can't search CJK text, so its stay on my system was brief.

As to Scrapbook+, I don't think it's buggy. It's as stable as Scrapbook was on my system. I'm not sure about the two "known issues" listed. With the current build, the highlighters are listed as individual tool buttons, so I just click on whichever I want to use. There's nothing to "preview" this way. You click, and it highlights. If you don't like it, just undo it. (That's the main reason I prefer it over the original Scrapbook.)

There's an option to display the highlighters as a drop-down list, as in Scrapbook, and indeed you can't preview the result when going through the list of highlighters. But you can't do that either in Scrapbook, so it's moot. Same with the highlighter shortcuts. I didn't know they have shortcuts, but Scrapbook doesn't have highlighter shortcuts, either. It would be nice to have them, but not very useful, since you can't "edit" the page as in a editor. There's no cursor point in Scrapbook(+), so you can't mark a selection with the keyboard. Using highlighter shortcuts thus entails going back and forth between the mouse and the keyboard.

Scrapbook+ is based on Scrapbook 1.3.3.7, which was the latest build for a long time, and it appeared to be abandonware. Scrapbook+ came in and claim some performance improvements (with large collections), so I tried it. There's no discernible performance difference on my system, to be honest. I keep it only because I like those highlighter buttons.

Now Scrapbook has a newer build (1.3.3.9), which fixes some bugs. They might eventually diverge and have different capabilities (and bugs). I don't know. As said, I keep Scrapbook+ for now only because I like the highlighter buttons.

Contrary to what's said on the Scrapbook+ page, you don't really have to uninstall Scrapbook to install Scrapbook+. Just remember not to have them both enabled at the same time. So you can switch back and forth to compare if you like. They use the same data folder and preference settings. Before that changes, it's safe to use either one.
80
How does NetNotes compare to Evernote or Scrapbook?
I tried the newest version 5.1 a few days ago. Here's what I noted.

NetNotes stores the captures locally, like Scrapbook, but it also works with IE. The captures are stored as individual pages (with associated elements in a subfoder) in file system directories, and they're named after the title of the page (unlike Scrapbook, with which they are all named index.html). So it's easy to retrieve the captures, even without NetNotes. And you can assign keywords (tags) and ratings to a note, if that's important to you.

It's a bit klunky for my taste, though. Starting up takes longer than most applications on my system. And when you save a page, it pops up. You have to click "Save" to make it go away. Using page titles as file names is good, but it doesn't convert "illegal" characters transparently (as the "File Title" extension does). If the page title contains a colon, e.g., it beeps you when you try to save the page; you have to make the necessary change yourself. I also ran into a minor bug: non-English page titles weren't captured correctly (though the content was).

As to Evernote, well, I don't like to save my notes online. While it can save locally, I hate the new ad "feature" of the newest Windows client. (I don't mind paying for the software, but I don't want to pay monthly fees, especially since I'm not storing any note online.) If that doesn't bother you, Evernote's web capturing facility is more mature and easier to use, IMO. NetNotes is freeware, though, and as said, it keeps web pages as individual html files, which I prefer to Evernote's big database files.
81
I've reinstalled Windows 7 beta and Linux several times lately, trying to find the best dual boot mix on my notebook (in terms of partition management). It's a good time to reflect on what I really use. I've found that with a fresh, empty Firefox, without peeking into the lengthy addon list on my desktop machine, I go and grab the following right away:

Autocopy
Lastpass
Foxmarks
Scrapbook+
Wired-Marker

The first four need no introduction here, but Wired-Marker seems rarely mentioned. It's a highlighter that stores the highlights locally. It doesn't capture the whole page (unlike scrapbook), but the highlights are there when you revisit the page. I use it when I want to highlight parts of a page that changes.

The obvious question is, if the page changes, how does Wired-Marker keep track of the exact locations of my highlights? I don't know the specifics. According to my experience, however, Wired-Marker does a pretty good job keeping tab. The only exception I know is, if a change is made in the same paragraph of a highlighted part, and is ahead of or overlaps with the highlighted part, then Wired-Marker loses track of that specific highlight. But other highlighted parts in the same page--either in other paragraphs or in the same paragraph but are before the change--won't be affected.

This isn't too bad for my purpose. Take Postfix Configuration Parameters page for example. It's a very long page since it documents every tweak you can make with Postfix. It changes quite often because the author keeps the references well updated (among the best in the industry); capturing it locally doesn't make sense. Most of the changes are nonetheless new parameters or new options for existing parameters. IOW, they usually come as new paragraphs. Wired-Marker highlights, as long as they don't span many pagagraphs, are thus quite safe.
82
Many thanks to kartal for bringing Rightnote to my attention. I've been trying to find a Evernote replacement for the last few days, and now this one is one of my top candidates, though more testing is needed. (Its unicode support isn't complete yet, so I'm weary.)

What can you do with above mentioned products that you cannot do in EverNote?.

With Rightnote I can do tables and spreadsheets, for example. Don't get me wrong, there are many things Evernote can do that others don't. This is a category that really no one does them all. 2+ years after SuperboyAC did the wonderful note-taker review (which I revisited many times lately ... ah, must make a donation), I found myself still wondering from one to another, liking a bit of each. It's not just the features they have are different. The ways they implement those features also matter.
83
General Software Discussion / Re: Directory Opus 9 Questions
« Last post by mwang on March 16, 2009, 03:18 AM »
Using saved searches is the only way I know, too. Then of course you could assign saved searches to toolbar buttons. DO9 allows you to filter file lists by name in place, but not by dates. The main difference would be the result of a saved search is presented as a "collection", with the display "style" associated with the collection, not your regular folder display style (such as columns shown and their order, column widths, etc.).

I usually just let it sort by date in descending order (when checking my linux server /var/log directory, e.g.). It would be great if DO chould take a page from Explorer and implement the grouping feature.
84
General Software Discussion / Re: Directory Opus 9 Questions
« Last post by mwang on March 14, 2009, 12:03 PM »
I want to have DO9 open, double click on a folder and have it open in a new tab in the current window.
Go to [Settings] [File Type ... ], double click [All Folders] on the pop-up window, which should bring up another pop-up to customize "All folders" settings. On the [File Type] tab, click the [Events] tab (2nd from left) in the middle of the page (the lower half of the tab), and you'll see the settings associated with various mouse events. Copy the one for "Left double-click + Alt" to "Left double-click" (i.e. "go newtab"). That's it.
85
mwang:
no it doesn't. It scales down the fonts (!). It's stupid, it goes from unreadable because of long lines to unreadable because of small fonts.

What opera does is to 'force wrap'. It's a really smart idea. Try it.
This is particularly important if you use portrait screens.

Got it. I mainly use Default FullZoom Level to enlarge pages with a default width too narrow for me, not the other way round. (I don't use portrait screen.) Thanks for clarifying it, though.
86
General Software Discussion / Re: Another 'Lifetime' license bites the dust
« Last post by mwang on December 29, 2008, 03:29 PM »
I'm with you on the issue, Zaine (except I don't hate lawyers). I was merely pointing out that if a lawyer would sue, s/he would have to do it for a cause, not for money.
87
General Software Discussion / Re: Another 'Lifetime' license bites the dust
« Last post by mwang on December 28, 2008, 07:51 AM »
I'm wondering if a good lawyer could not make money on these roaming definitions of the word lifetime. If a dev or company is unwilling to specify exactly what the term means for the consumer, then I think dropped 'lifetime licensed users' users have a class action suit.

One could, if and only if:

1. the company/developer to sue is making a lot of money or has a lot of assets to seize, and

2. there's a sizable class (for class action), weighed against the claimed damage per person.

So, if it's Microsoft or Apple pulling this trick, you bet lots of lawyers -- good and bad -- will jump right in.
88
Living Room / Re: Bad smells ... UPS recommendations ?
« Last post by mwang on December 28, 2008, 07:34 AM »
Also can anyone see why the second device is lower power rated and more expensive?

They use different technologies. The BACK-UPS line is for off-line models, while the SMART-UPS line is for line-interactive ones. Just FYI since you've made your decision.
89
Living Room / Re: Merry Xmas
« Last post by mwang on December 25, 2008, 10:54 AM »
It's no longer a national holiday here and we have to work as usual. Still, Merry Christmas to all!
90
General Software Discussion / Re: Is software 'regional'?
« Last post by mwang on December 23, 2008, 12:11 PM »
There are many factors that would affect software's regional appeal. Local support, e.g., is a major factor. Does the software maker provide support locally (especially for OS and high-end business/professional software)? How easy is it to find someone who also use the software (so can be counted on to ask questions)? Apple computer and software had a hard time getting any traction here (Taiwan) until lately for this very reason.

Easiness to get something for free (legal or not) is also a factor. So software from big companies that have the muscle to get the government and schools to sign up for massive site licensing is bound to be popular. (Bad news for Open Office, even though it's free.) Same for those easy to get pirated copies.

Then, for places where many people (especially students) can't afford their own computer and rely mostly on school or company computers, there's significantly less freedom in installing software. As a result, standard, pre-installed software is king. IE is an apparent example.

Software makers with local roots/ties might also get some boost. Trend Micro's antivirus suite is more popular here, e.g., than perhaps anywhere else in the world.

For East Asian countries, a major factor in software popularity is how well it supports local languages. This includes how well it handles files written in those languages, whether it can handle file/folder names in those languages, whether its user interface (help file, documentations) has been translated into their languages, and how well it works with various popular third-party tools used to type text in those languages.
91
Welcome all, of course, but a special welcome to akiecs. I'm not familiar with Taichung (the city in the picture), but live not too far from it. (Heck, any place isn't too far from each other here compared to the U.S., or Texas.)

I'm one of the few who don't work in the computer industry, :) but I DIY  my desktops as well, so what akiecs says is true.

--
Ming-Li, getting a little excited to see someone from Taiwan (well, not exactly, but close).

p.s. DC is one of the very few places online that make me feel a little chatty from time to time. Still not sure why.
92
General Software Discussion / Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Last post by mwang on December 23, 2008, 04:56 AM »
For me, Archivarius stands out for its ability to handle text encoding properly most of the time. This is especially true when it comes to email search. Many searchers, including the one by Google as well as email search specialists like MailStore miss a lot when I search for Chinese or Japanese terms in email. Even Archivarius isn't perfect, but it comes the closest at finding them all.
93
Default FullZoom Level does do "fit to width", doesn't it? Well, at least it does for me.
94
General Software Discussion / Re: Another 'Lifetime' license bites the dust
« Last post by mwang on December 12, 2008, 07:12 PM »
I like the way EmEditor does this. It promised only minor updates (until the next major version bump), but in fact has never charged me anything for major updates (from v5.x to now v8.01).
95
But then there are the applications that insist on saving all data generated by their program in the Program Files directory, not to mention the ones that keep user data files in what MS calls the user directory: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data.

I try to locate all those and sync a copy of them to another drive with SFFS.
I use a slightly different strategy. I move those files/folders to my data drive, and then put symlinks (or before Vista, NTFS junctions) in their original location. I do this only for applications whose data/configurations/etc. on C: that I intend to keep after I roll my system back to an earlier stage. I also keep these relocation tasks in batch files, so I can easily reapply the tricks whenever I set up a new system, and modify for new applications.

For well-behaving applications, by which I mean those that have all its binaries under its own folder, easy to reinstall, and easy to downgrade to an older version if a new beta fouls up (just by installing the old version over it), I install them away from the system partition too. It helps to keep the Rollback Rx overhead small, efficient, and I don't have to reinstall them when I does roll the system back.
96
General Software Discussion / Re: How do you manage your email?
« Last post by mwang on December 11, 2008, 10:48 PM »
The Bat! and ABC Amber are two of only three programs that I have gladly paid for. I believe they are worth a total of $30. Otherwise, I strongly advocate donating to and using open source software wherever possible.

<gripe>
As a long time user and an active member on both TBUDL/TBBETA before giving up, I have to say I liked The Bat! a lot, too. I would still be using it if RITLabs delivered on its promise to support Chinese/Japanese/Korean mail properly. It never did. Still doesn't with the latest v4. (Tried v.4.0.18 a while back.)
</gripe>
97
This is a real life saver to have on my wife's computer. She is not real computer smart and my 6 year old also uses that machine. I was always having to fix it after they messed something up. Now, I have it all set up in a good state and no matter what they do to it all I have to do is reboot and I'm back to a pristine state.

Exactly how I'm using Rollback Rx, except RR provides a series of states to go back to rather than just one, in case, e.g., when the latest one turns out to be less than pristine than I originally thought.

The real problem with Rollback Rx, other than not being able to degrag the protected partition (which isn't critical to me as I said), is their lousy support as J-Mac pointed out. Not really a company I want to do business again with.

Are there any similar product can also do multi-snapshots? I know FD-ISR can, but it's no longer being developed, and it takes huge space since each snapshot is a full snapshot. Various disk imaging programs can, too, as long as they do incremental/differential imaging, but the process takes longer and is more cumbersome. Rollback Rx does it smarter in this regard.
98
The trouble with registry hacks is that they don't allow you to reorder items, only to disable/enable them. Or at least I've not seen any articles which would explain how to reorder them.
They're alphabetical under the same branch (e.g., the [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers] branch). I'm not sure (haven't checked) about the order of the various branches, but wouldn't be surprised if it follows the order in the registry tree.
99
I forgot the delta-sync cost etra $1 per month with JD/S3. My fault. Sorry.

BTW Syncplicity's free account is 2 GBs now - guess the 4 was for early takers
It's 4GB if you use the "SYNCBLOG" code when signing up, according to their blog post. That's how I got mine set up two or three weeks ago, and it should still work. According to the same post, you could add 1GB per friend invited, up to 3.

Heh, pretty lame that block-level updates is an add-on cost... I mean, it saves both you and them bandwidth :-s
I don't think it saves them anything. You pay for the bandwidth yourself, don't you? Or am I missing something?
100
Thanks, tomos. A quick question: doesn't JungleDisk do delta-sync as well? Why do you need Dropbox for that?

Syncplicity is indeed too expensive at $99 a year, and there have been repeated calls for more pricing options (such as 10GB or 20GB plans). We'll see. Its free account is more generous with 4GB free, and you could easily earn 3GB more by recruiting 3 new users. That's enough for me.

Sugarsync defends its no-free-account policy by saying it's unfair for paid users to subsidize free accounts. I think it's a fair consideration. And they do have multi-tier pricing, with options I could afford. But free accounts make it much easier for me to invite others, and to setup group folders for my students.

I would like to hear your comments about JungoleDisk/S3. I'm quite ambivalent about S3's pricing scheme. While they bill it as an advantage (pay only what you use), it makes me feel like going back to dial-up internet connection which charged by the minutes. I remember being hyper-sensitive with my online time, disconnecting my line whenever I loaded a long page into the browser, or right after collecting mail from the server. With JungoleDisk/S3, chances are I would habitually use my old method (sync locally) as much as possible to reduce cost, and end up missing trains again.
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