Brilliantly Simple Programs, that's what I'm looking for

[zridling]

No matter your OS, there are programs out there -- past and present -- that were so simple, so effective, that they are brilliant. An old one no longer developed is VuePrint (for me). Few apps are simple anymore; most have grown to complexity by successively expanding their features. But if you know of such a program, please share it with us.

[Renegade]

Hahaha~!

That's my current project~!

Super Simple!

I'm currently working on making uploading photos to Twitter and Facebook 1-click easy. Ok, well, 2-clicks. But faster and easier than a web browser anyways.

I've finished adding cropping to Photo Resizer, and it's a single click.

Some testing with cute pics:

http://twitpic.com/photos/RenegadeMinds

[Renegade]

Now, trying to think of simple programs that I use that I really like for that reason...

ALSong, ALPlayer and ALZip. (Disclaimer - I used to work for the company.) They're simply excellent.

Skype. Very simple & easy to use.

But I don't really have many programs that are simple... Most are pretty complex.

Once I sort of start looking at other programs that I really like and use a lot, probably Screenshot Captor is next. It's fairly simple, but not all that simple. It's got a lot in it though, so I don't know if it really counts as simple. But for other software, I've tended in the past towards things not complex.

There are some developer tools that I'd consider simple, but really, nah. They're not simple in the normal sense of the word.

[40hz]

Three of the best IMO:

Steve Miller's PureText

Have you ever copied some text from a web page or a document and then wanted to paste it as simple text into another application without getting all the formatting from the original source? PureText makes this simple by adding a new Windows hot-key (default is WINDOWS+V) that allows you to paste text to any application without formatting.

After running PureText.exe, you will see a "PT" tray icon appear near the clock on your task bar.  You can click on this icon to remove formatting from the text that is currently on the clipboard. 

    PureText only removes rich formatting from text.  This includes the font face, font style (bold, italics, etc.), font color, paragraph styles (left/right/center aligned), margins, character spacing, bullets, subscript, superscript, tables, charts, pictures, embedded objects, etc.  However, it does not modify the actual text.  It will not remove or fix new-lines, carriage returns, tabs, or other white-space.  It will not fix word-wrap or clean up your paragraphs.  If you copy the source code of a web page to the clipboard, it is not going to remove all the HTML tags.  If you copy text from an actual web page (not the source of the page), it will remove the formatting.

    PureText is basically equivalent to opening Notepad, doing a PASTE, followed by a SELECT-ALL, and then a COPY.  The benefit of PureText is performing all these actions with a single Hot-Key and having the result pasted into the current window automatically.

Karen's Directory Printer

No more fumbling with My Computer or Windows Explorer, wishing you could print information about all your files. Karen's Directory Printer can print the name of every file on a drive, along with the file's size, date and time of last modification, and attributes (Read-Only, Hidden, System and Archive)! And now, the list of files can be sorted by name, size, date created, date last modified, or date of last access.

And last, but not least: fSekrit by fellow DC member f0dder.

fSekrit is a small application for keeping securely encrypted notes. These notes are truly stand-alone; the editor program and your note are merged together into a tiny self-contained program file, bypassing the need to install a special application to view your data. This makes fSekrit ideal for keeping encrypted notes on, for example, USB flash drives.

 

[Renegade]

+1 for PureText - It's an excellent program. Forgot about that as I don't use it all that much anymore. (Only when I need it a lot -- I should put it in startup though...)

[40hz]

I'd also toss in WriteMonkey  , or other (i.e. DarkRoom, Q10, etc.) "blank screen" text editors.

Just you, your text, and a blinking cursor. So pristine it almost conjures up images of what the universe may have looked like a half picosecond after the singularity event.



When you need to concentrate on nothing but what you're writing, and don't want the distractions of a regular text editor, let alone a full wordprocessor, a blank screen writing environment can't be beat.

[Curt]

I guess I could list most of the programs that I have placed in Start... my little square brains are only capable of so much ;-) As an example, I have several screen capture programs, including Snagit 10, but I always end up using FastStone Capture, because it is so easy and simple to use.

http://www.faststone.../FSCaptureDetail.htm edited: $20 with lifetime license!

ByTheWay, it was just updated:

FastStone Capture Version 6.8 (April 26, 2011)

    Improved the "Capture Scrolling Window" tool. Now it is compatible with the latest version of popular web browsers: Internet Explorer 9, FireFox 4, Chrome 10, Opera 11 and Safari 5.

Another example would be Flashnote (that I have pleaded for several times here at DC's forum). After several years I am still on my FIRST note!! because I want Flashnote to stay absolutely basic and simple. Hit the hotkey, Type/paste your text, and it is already saved!, and hit the hotkey (or Esc) again. End of story! ;-)

http://softvoile.com/flashnote/ freeware

[mrainey]

One of my favorites is the Yadabyte Dictionary.

http://www.yadabyte....dabyte_Portables.php

[phitsc]

ClipX - A Clipboard History Manager.

[40hz]

One of my favorites is the Yadabyte Dictionary.

http://www.yadabyte....dabyte_Portables.php

-mrainey (May 04, 2011, 10:06 AM)

 Yes indeed ... +1 w/mrainey. Great app! As are all of Yadabyte's other apps come to think of it.

[wraith808]

Fineprint and PdfFactory are two for me.

I'd also add to the characteristics bulletproof.  There are a couple of other apps that I use that are simple in their implementation, but I don't list them because they have issues.

[rjbull]

Horst Schaeffer's Windows Software.  I routinely use MemPad, PopSel and Reminder, and most of the others from time to time.

[AndyM]

Fineprint and PdfFactory are two for me.

-wraith808 (May 04, 2011, 12:51 PM)

me too

[Shades]

PathSync. Simple, small and solid.

[Jibz]

I am beginning to think CintaNotes falls into this category as well.

[40hz]

I am beginning to think CintaNotes falls into this category as well.

-Jibz (May 05, 2011, 01:24 AM)

+1! One of my absolute all time favorite apps. Evernote without the bells and whistles.  Does one thing. But does it very well. And it's portable too!

Anything that does all that is an automatic win in my book.  

[rjbull]

I am beginning to think CintaNotes falls into this category as well.

-Jibz (May 05, 2011, 01:24 AM)

+1! One of my absolute all time favorite apps. Evernote without the bells and whistles. 

-40hz (May 05, 2011, 04:13 PM)

Depends how many bells and whistles you want.  Evernote understands URLs within a page as well as the URL of the page itself, and makes them clickable links.  CintaNotes and other simple notetakers I've tried only treat them as text.

[Curt]

-eh... actually this kind of programs also gets updated. CintaNotes even gives you the choice between single-click or double-click, to open links.