Friday, September 09, 2005
Resco Explorer 2005 5.21 mini review
As a user, I think that Windows Mobile offers some great functionality however the majority of users would agree that certain included applications are a little on the anaemic side of things. File Explorer is one such application that does the very basics however could use a good boost of functionality. There are a few third party alternatives to the MS delivered explorer and my favourite has to be from Resco.
As soon as you delve into the various options of Resco Explorer you realise just how powerful and close to a desktop equivalent this is. The main components comprise of a file manager, file encryption, ZIP compression, network browser, registry editor and a file viewer. The latest releases of this application also throw in an optional Today screen plug in for good measure giving you the vital statistics of your device including battery and memory status as well as a program launcher.
Getting into the application proper, the file explorer allows you to set up the view as a split between the folder tree and contents viewer making navigation a breeze and as familiar as Explorer on the desktop. Options allow you to change the appearance of fonts, show or hide certain types of files and extensions, alter how files are copied, moved or executed and the types of confirmation messages you will get amongst others. Built in zip compression and encryption are also present and correct which facilitates space saving and security at the file level. Further functionality allows you to tailor how files are selected, how files are arranged and if they are displayed in iconic or textual format and at which level of detail.
The Networking component allows you to connect and browse other computers on your network and carry out the normal file manipulation. Where this component excels is in allowing you to stream files from other computers and servers on your Pocket PC – something the basic explorer never could.
My Registry is the next optional component which gives you full access to your device’s registry with the ability to create, change or remove entries as well as searching for a particular key or string.
The final optional add in is the FTP client which is simple yet fully featured. This includes a site manager that allows you to set up and manage ftp connections and allows such options as changing default local and remote directories, transfer types, managing duplicate and incomplete transfers and prompting for adverse scenarios.
The various options are easily found in the menu system but the toolbar provides quick access for popular activities such as properties, searching, compressing files and edit functions like copy and paste.
There are many more features available in this application and I have never known anyone to try it out and not be very impressed with the truly vast improvement over the inbuilt explorer. This is one of the first tools I install on my device and I urge anyone familiar with file manipulation on the desktop to check it out. I genuinely would be lost without it. More details and screens can be found at the Resco website.
As soon as you delve into the various options of Resco Explorer you realise just how powerful and close to a desktop equivalent this is. The main components comprise of a file manager, file encryption, ZIP compression, network browser, registry editor and a file viewer. The latest releases of this application also throw in an optional Today screen plug in for good measure giving you the vital statistics of your device including battery and memory status as well as a program launcher.
Getting into the application proper, the file explorer allows you to set up the view as a split between the folder tree and contents viewer making navigation a breeze and as familiar as Explorer on the desktop. Options allow you to change the appearance of fonts, show or hide certain types of files and extensions, alter how files are copied, moved or executed and the types of confirmation messages you will get amongst others. Built in zip compression and encryption are also present and correct which facilitates space saving and security at the file level. Further functionality allows you to tailor how files are selected, how files are arranged and if they are displayed in iconic or textual format and at which level of detail.
The Networking component allows you to connect and browse other computers on your network and carry out the normal file manipulation. Where this component excels is in allowing you to stream files from other computers and servers on your Pocket PC – something the basic explorer never could.
My Registry is the next optional component which gives you full access to your device’s registry with the ability to create, change or remove entries as well as searching for a particular key or string.
The final optional add in is the FTP client which is simple yet fully featured. This includes a site manager that allows you to set up and manage ftp connections and allows such options as changing default local and remote directories, transfer types, managing duplicate and incomplete transfers and prompting for adverse scenarios.
The various options are easily found in the menu system but the toolbar provides quick access for popular activities such as properties, searching, compressing files and edit functions like copy and paste.
There are many more features available in this application and I have never known anyone to try it out and not be very impressed with the truly vast improvement over the inbuilt explorer. This is one of the first tools I install on my device and I urge anyone familiar with file manipulation on the desktop to check it out. I genuinely would be lost without it. More details and screens can be found at the Resco website.
