These are a few of my favorite things

No, I won't be talking about "raindrops on roses" or "brown paper packages", but rather a set of software tools I have found I cannot live without. Well, ok: I won't die or something, but if I have to use a computer without the following installed, I get very frustrated:

1. Servant Salamander
   
   
   
   • The next step after the good old Norton Commander, this Orthodox File Manager (OFM) allows me to perform file operations faster than Windows Explorer or any command-line I have ever used.
   
   
   • This is the software that keeps me on Windows and the best $30 I ever spent. I have yet to find anything that equals it for other platforms, although Krusader comes close and Midnight Commander still feels as akward to use as Norton Commander does after trying Servant Salamander.
   
   
   
   


2. SciTE
   
   • SCIntilla-based Text Editor. Syntax-highlighting, auto-completing and folding compact editor. I use it to edit every text file when I'm not using Visual Studio. Look for the occasional patch from yours truly on their mailing list.
   
   


3. Maxthon
   
   • Internet Explorer with tabs and stuff! The single best feature is the download control, which allows me to turn off, by default, JavaScript, ActiveX, Java, sounds and videos. This makes it really easy to surf safely and only turn those features you need when you trust the site, although a persistent "safe list" would be really nice for those sites I visit often.
   
   
   • Some of you may point out that Firefox also has tabs and a similar script disabling facility (which does support a safe list), so, err..., until I can configure it to have an experience like I have in Maxthon (which is a similar problem I have with most OFMs), I'll stick with Maxthon a little longer.
   
   


4. Net Transport (NetXfer)
   
   • Fantastic software for downloading files. I use it primarily to queue up and throttle downloads, but it's also super at preparing batches of downloads through its browser integration that scans the current HTML for links and allows you to pick which ones to queue up. It also supports tricky protocols and scheduled downloads. It looks like my wish for BitTorrent support has recently come true, so I'll be trying that new version out very shortly. :)
   
   

Next time, I'll post about other cool software you've never heard of, but this time I can sort of tolerate using a computer without.