Author Topic: There aren't many great choices for weather software (Read 22696 times)

superboyac · « **on:** December 23, 2009, 12:38 PM »

I'm trying to find a good weather software, and I've gone over the ones in our DC review here. Maybe it's because it's a few years old, but none of those are all that great.

Weatherbug is no good. It's too busy, and is ad-infested.

Weather Watcher is not freeware anymore.

Weather Pulse was ok, but I had stability issues with it. And it's ridiculous how the temperature numbers don't fit in the box int he system tray. I had a real problem closing the winow. I would keep pressing the close button and it would never close. So, it's a little buggy in my opinion.

I've tried a few others I've searched the web for:

Accuweather. It has a very nice, clean interface. but it's ad-infested (video ads at that!).

Tray Weather Forecast. This is my favorite of the bunch so far. It's small, lightweight, simple. Shows me the temp in the tray, and has a very simple forecast popup window. All the other programs are very busy. All I want to know is the temperature, if it's going to rain, and the forecast for the next day or two. I don't really need anything else. I'm not trying to analyze wind patterns and all that. I mean, really. It's fun, but I don't need it. So this program was the best for that it seems. Unfortunately, it's $30 which is ridiculous. And I don't think it's been updated for a while, although it works fine on my XP system.

So, I just wanted to express my disappointment with this entire genre of software. This happens occasionally. Sometimes, one company does their software a certain way, and other companies keep following suit, even though they have no reason to. They figure the other companies are getting away with it so they do the same. For example, why does every single DSL company offer annual contracts, and cable companies don't? There's no reason. Why do all websites that do hardware reviews have multi-page reviews? No reason. Well, there is a reason, they get you to click "next" more and it's better for ads. But you see how one company does it one way, and then everyone follows suit? And the part they are copying is inevitably the bad stuff. Nobody ever copies something that's good about a product. Only the bad things. Things that allow more ads, etc. Nobody ever looks at a program like FARR (eg) and says, "well, this is small, lightweight, free and highly customizable, yet simple. I will try to do the same!" No, that doesn't happen. However, if FARR had a big bar on top with ads on it, you'd see a few copycats also make a launcher with ads on top of it also. Eventually, people will know that most of the launcher software come with ads on top of it.

joiwind · « **Reply #1 on:** December 23, 2009, 04:34 PM »

Same for me, I have tested many of these apps and been disappointed by pretty well all of them for one reason or another.

But, do you know Meteo Fusion ? I am using it all the time now and I'm really pleased with it - give it a try out...

superboyac · « **Reply #2 on:** December 23, 2009, 05:15 PM »

Same for me, I have tested many of these apps and been disappointed by pretty well all of them for one reason or another.

But, do you know Meteo Fusion ? I am using it all the time now and I'm really pleased with it - give it a try out...
-joiwind (December 23, 2009, 04:34 PM)

Nice suggestion! I like the screenshots a lot. However, I installed it and it keeps crashing all the time. As soon as I open the options screen, it's crashing continuously. I'm mad because it looks like just the program I'm looking for. This is on Windows XP.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #3 on:** December 23, 2009, 05:36 PM »

Same for me, I have tested many of these apps and been disappointed by pretty well all of them for one reason or another.

But, do you know Meteo Fusion ? I am using it all the time now and I'm really pleased with it - give it a try out...
-joiwind (December 23, 2009, 04:34 PM)
Nice suggestion! I like the screenshots a lot. However, I installed it and it keeps crashing all the time. As soon as I open the options screen, it's crashing continuously. I'm mad because it looks like just the program I'm looking for. This is on Windows XP.
-superboyac (December 23, 2009, 05:15 PM)

It's VB .NET 2.0 ...Make sure your .NET is up to date, if the program is using a control whos discription is corrupt it can cause issues (I ran into that last week). Program comes with Source Code ... Interesting.

superboyac · « **Reply #4 on:** December 23, 2009, 05:42 PM »

I'm positive I already have .NET 2.0. Unless they've updated it in the last year. I'll reinstall and see if that fixes it.

superboyac · « **Reply #5 on:** December 23, 2009, 05:45 PM »

Geez! What's going on? I tried reinstalling .net 2.0 and before it even starts the install process it crashes with a dialog titled "external installer". What the hell?! My computer is ruined!

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #6 on:** December 23, 2009, 06:54 PM »

Well, the weather app is off the hook... Your .Net is borked. I can't find the link at the moment, but MS has a tool out that's designed to fix (those types of) .NET issues (I'm assuming it errors out if you try uninstalling it also ...Yes?).

I'll try to find the direct link later, but I got to the MS download by googling the .NET 2.0 uninstall failure error message.

superboyac · « **Reply #7 on:** December 23, 2009, 08:34 PM »

I think I remember a tool used to uninstall .Net versions. I used it once at work I think. OK, I'll look for it.

superboyac · « **Reply #8 on:** December 23, 2009, 09:16 PM »

Thanks Stoic. It's fixed now.

Well! I like Meteo Fusion a lot! if anyone cares, meteo gets my nod of approval. It's simple and gives all the information I care for. Temperature, forecast, chance of rain, that's pretty much it. If you don't care about satellite images, realtime updates, etc. (i.e. you are a normal person who is not a career meteorologist) then this is the best program I've come across. It's free also.

It has a pretty nice system tray icon, and it has a great looking desktop gadget with all the pertinent information. And the desktop gadget has a great feature which allows you to lock it in place, so when you are clicking around and working, you won't accidentally select it or move it. Incidentally, this is the same feature I've requested in the past for mouser's launchbar commander (hint, hint!) [although that was before he added the fabulous under-mouse hotkey feature...but I digress].

So, joiwind, great suggestion! That was clutch! That's why I love this place.

tide · « **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2009, 10:23 PM »

I use Aeris Calendar (http://www.aeriscalendar.com/). I got it for the calendar features but it's nice to have its nice weather monitoring.

superboyac · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2009, 10:36 PM »

I use Aeris Calendar (http://www.aeriscalendar.com/). I got it for the calendar features but it's nice to have its nice weather monitoring.
-tide (December 23, 2009, 10:23 PM)

That's cool. I'm very choosy about calendar software also. Normally, I don't combine two different functions for software unless, in some very unique cases, the software does multiple things very well. But it's nice when that happens.

For calendars, I like Calendarscope (but hate their licensing policy). There's also Vueminder, which is very very good (although slower and more sluggish than Calendarscope, and has the same licensing policy). And Pierre has begun putting a calendar in InfoQube, which I am hoping will turn out to be excellent.

superboyac · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2009, 11:06 PM »

Aw, crap. Now Meteo Fusion is giving an error whenever it updates saying "Error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object."

joiwind · « **Reply #12 on:** December 24, 2009, 03:45 AM »

@ superboyac - yes, that error happens sometimes, particularly when a screensaver is running and Meteo Fusion tries to update. But it's nothing serious.

I have had no other problems with MF.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #13 on:** December 24, 2009, 08:06 AM »

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
-superboyac (December 23, 2009, 11:06 PM)

And, what, you object to that?

joiwind · « **Reply #14 on:** December 24, 2009, 10:42 AM »

No, I think it is more the subject that is objectionable.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #15 on:** December 24, 2009, 11:15 AM »

The program is simply being Objective.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #16 on:** December 24, 2009, 01:16 PM »

No, I think it is more the subject that is objectionable.
-joiwind (December 24, 2009, 10:42 AM)

Indeed, one might predicate that.

Paul Keith · « **Reply #17 on:** December 24, 2009, 03:57 PM »

Weird. I thought this topic was about this site that was recently posted in Download Squad.

sajman99 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 06, 2010, 12:36 PM »

You may want to check out Weather Center (freeware).

superboyac · « **Reply #19 on:** January 06, 2010, 01:11 PM »

You may want to check out Weather Center (freeware).
-sajman99 (January 06, 2010, 12:36 PM)

That's not bad! And it's free, cool. It's a little too busy for my taste, but overall pretty good. Meteo Fusion is still better overall in my opinion. I've been very impressed by Meteo so far. if they get rid of some of the bugs, it would be perfect.

CWuestefeld · « **Reply #20 on:** January 07, 2010, 11:09 AM »

I'm still sticking with the last free version of Weather Watcher.

Meteo looked nice. Weather Center was nice if rather busy. But neither of these support hourly forecasts, which is something I use all the time.