Mike KingPowerdesk 4, available free from Ontrack Data International, is
a Windows Explorer replacement that significantly improves on the
functionality and user-friendliness of the Microsoft product. A
clean, intuitive, Explorer-like interface makes switching to
Powerdesk 4 easy, and the program is stable and bug-free.
One of Powerdesk 4's most useful features is the option to open
dual panes, either horizontally or vertically, simplifying drag and
drop between folders. Multiple windows can also be opened, with a
tile/cascade option. The magnifying glass icon activates the file
viewer pane, which can optionally be positioned on the right,
bottom, or as a free-floating window.
Powerdesk 4 also has a built-in Zip utility, allowing the simple
creation/extraction of Zip archives, together with archive
integrity checking. Files can be added to archives using drag and
drop, and the viewer and Zip features work well together. A
highlighted document within a Zip archive can be viewed in the
viewer pane without having to extract it, whether it is a picture
or a document. Other useful features include file encrypt/decrypt,
file destroy, a sophisticated file finder, automatic refresh when
files have been moved or changed and mapping of network drives.
Support is only available if you pay for Powerdesk 4 Pro, but a
menu option lets you check for the latest version when connected to
the Internet. The least useful facility provided is Uninstall, as
once you've used Powerdesk 4 you are unlikely to return to the
limitations of Windows Explorer.
Powerdesk 4 product information
Company: Ontrack Data International
Home page:www.ontrack.co.uk
Download page:www.ontrack.com/freesoftware
Download size: 1.1Mbytes
Hardware: Any personal computer capable of running
Microsoft Windows. 8Mbytes of Ram (Windows 95/98), 16Mbytes of Ram
(Windows NT 4.0/2000), 5Mbytes of free disc space
Software: Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT or 2000
Powerdesk was tested on the following system: Intel PII
233MHz, 192Mbyte Ram, 34Gbyte hard disc, 56Kbyte modem, Windows
98