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Author Topic: 2006 Great Software List Awards  (Read 9297 times)

zridling

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2006 Great Software List Awards
« on: December 06, 2006, 04:38 PM »
via The Great Software blog:
________________________________________________
MOST EXCITING SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR
— XYplorer
http://www.xyplorer.com/index.htm
XYplorer's combination of raw power and creative efficiency screams German; its developer, Donald Lessau, has built XYplorer into a power user's paradise.
________________________________________________
BEST CHALLENGER TO SHAREWARE
— Screenshot Captor
https://www.donation...hotcaptor/index.html
And incredible donationware screen capture utility that will instantly impress you, and make you want to think of new ways to use it.
________________________________________________
SOFTWARE YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
— AutoHotkey
http://www.autohotkey.com/
From scripts to spelling to starting programs to autocorrect to autocomplete to coding, AutoHotkey is an absolute must-have app for your desktop.
________________________________________________
MOST PROMISING ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR
— ODF, OASIS OpenDocument format becomes ISO certified
http://en.wikipedia....rg/wiki/OpenDocument
OpenOffice is the first office suite to use the new OASIS OpenDocument format, the future-proof international standard for office software (ISO/IEC 26300:2006). ODF is overseen by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) and is supported by Microsoft rivals IBM, Google, and Sun Microsystems, among other companies.
________________________________________________
BEST UTILITY
— Bulk Rename Utility
http://www.bulkrenam...co.uk/Main_Intro.php
A well-designed fast, easy renamer with all its functions on one screen. Every app should be this easy.
________________________________________________
BEST SOFTWARE UPGRADES OF 2006
— EmEditor Pro
         http://www.emeditor.com/
— TextMaker word processor
         http://www.softmaker.com/english/tmw_en.htm
________________________________________________
BEST ONLINE APP OF THE YEAR
— Google RSS Reader
http://www.google.com/reader/view/
Google gave readers what they wanted: an RSS reader that's fast, simple, and always on.
________________________________________________
BEST TECH BLOG
— Bob Sutor: Open Blog
http://www.sutor.com.../blog-open/index.php
________________________________________________
BIGGEST SOFTWARE UPGRADES OF 2007
— Microsoft Office 2007 — If you like the UI, you'll love Office 2007.
— OpenOffice 3.0 — Now set to be the future standard around the world.
________________________________________________
SOFTWARE ASSHOLE OF THE YEAR AWARD
— Microsoft Corporation
http://www.microsoft.com/
Microsoft beat out the RIAA with its Windows and Office "Geniune Advantage" and validation programs that phone home and offer a kill-switch for Office 2007 and Vista, despite company denials. Microsoft tried to mitigate the damage by tweaking both WGA and OGA, but the damage was done. And don't forget the whole silliness of tying Vista's EULA to the hardware contained in "one device." That, too, was changed, but by then customers were left wondering what hit them.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2006, 03:41 PM by zridling »

mwb1100

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2006, 05:52 PM »
Nice list.  I love the "XYplorer's combination of raw power and creative efficiency screams German" bit.

One thing you may want to correct is that Screenshot Captor,  while free and an excellent program, is not "open source".

zridling

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2006, 03:40 PM »
Ah, thanks mwb!

mouser

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2006, 03:45 PM »
very nice zaine - my only complaint: i think you should come up with some more categories and awards.
how about 3 more parts, once each week in december?

Redhat

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2006, 05:53 PM »
Nice list there mate, thank you for posting (and compiling)  :Thmbsup:

* Redhat wubs Screenshot Captor  :-* I actually neglected to mention, I've introduced SC into my new workplace as I use it in all the lengthy proposals I compile. TY mouser!!  :D


Whooooah funky colour for the / me comment  :tellme:

Renegade

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2006, 10:01 AM »
Maybe I'm just a grump about this, or perhaps I'm just a web bigot, but "best" and "online app" don't belong in the same sentence.

I still find that there is nothing like a client interface. A web browser is still a poor-man's client.

The reasons for that for me boil down to browsers still being inordinately heavy. While they are great as a 'swiss army knife', they just don't cut it when you want a razor for precision or an axe for brute force. You simply can't shave with a swiss army knife, and chopping down trees is possible, but takes forever.

Maybe in the future they may work, but right now, well, they're just not up to snuff.

More reliable bandwidth and faster browsers will make a big difference.

For RSS, email, and some other things there is no avoiding using a network. Office applications? Calendars? Remote file access? Ummm... Can we say "RealVNC"? Actually there are some companies making a killing off of remote access. But that will die like many other markets. Heck - I need to shut up now before I blather on forever... before you know it I'll be spouting off about technology life-cycles and other boring junk.

Peace, Love, and Eternal Groovieness!   8)

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Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Renegade

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2006, 10:04 AM »
Oh - I'm going to have to give that XYplorer a spin. I used to have PowerDesk years ago and liked it, but then... Well - it's just time to have a look again. Thanks for the recommendation.
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

mitzevo

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2006, 03:37 PM »
I need to shut up now before I blather on forever

Good idea..  ;D

zridling, that is a good list of excellent programs. thanks.
The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present.

Darwin

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2006, 04:25 PM »
Zaine, I can't find anything concrete about OpenOffice.org 3! Do you have a link that you could post?

Added in edit: Sorry, that should read: "...anything concrete about what's coming in OpenOffice.org 3...". While I'm editing, I can't find any info about a time frame for release, either!
« Last Edit: December 10, 2006, 01:17 AM by Darwin »

Renegade

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2006, 07:25 AM »
Tried out XYplorer, and while it might work ok, I found it a bit rough around the edges. I use FileBoss for when I need heavy duty work and the learning curve was smaller. XYplorer seems to take a bit more. Which seems wierd as FileBoss has a lot more heavy lifting functionality in it.

YMMV I suppose.
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

zridling

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2006, 09:29 PM »
— mouser, which additional parts do you suggest? I'm eager to know!

— Reading snippets on an OpenOffice dev blog about 3.0, mainly centered around changes after the ODF 1.2 spec is finished soon, and I swore I found a link a few days ago on Gesmer Updegrove's blog.

— Renegade, online (Web 2.0) apps are here to stay, and you just NAILED their achilles heel — being tied to a browser. But check out Gmail (which now will read your POP accounts like Outlook does) and all that comes with that account. If you (or anyone) doesn't have one, write me this week at [email protected] and I'll make sure you get hooked up with one. Two others are Zoho Writer and the Scrybe Organizer, which will make you think twice about what can be done with online apps. They won't replace desktop apps, but some might for a measurable number of people. For example, why bother with an email client when I can let Google handle all my spam? And if I don't have internet access, then I can't do much with an email client anyway.

And yes, XYplorer takes a week or three to get in your blood, then you're hooked like a monkey on crack.

mitzevo

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Re: 2006 Great Software List Awards
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2006, 03:26 PM »
Hooked like a monkey on crack sounds fun, I guess I should try harder at XYplorer ;P
The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present.