What free software are you still missing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guyon Morée
  • Start date Start date
G

Guyon Morée

I am a developer waiting to get my hands on a nice project to do and
preferably release it as free. (given it is useful ofcourse)

So I was wondering, what freeware are you missing. Where are you still using
'commercial'-software because there is no decent freeware alternative?

kind regards,

Guyon Morée
 
Hello, Guyon!
You wrote on Wed, 17 Mar 2004 10:17:27 +0100:
So I was wondering, what freeware are you missing. Where are you still
using 'commercial'-software because there is no decent freeware
alternative?
Click to expand...

A valid freeware alternative for this:
http://www.cdrlabel.com/
(never found nothing similar... excellent and easy to use)

for this:
http://www.genie-soft.com/products/oeb/default.html
(there's Outlook Express Freebie Backup, but its interface is terrible!!!)

and something similar to GoBack by Symantec, that allows me to revert my
drives (in case of viruses, crashes, software conflicts, ecc.) and also
recover accidentally lost files... really useful!

Kindly regards.
 
Guyon said:
I am a developer waiting to get my hands on a nice project to do and
preferably release it as free. (given it is useful ofcourse)

So I was wondering, what freeware are you missing. Where are you still using
'commercial'-software because there is no decent freeware alternative?
Click to expand...

How about a freeware truetype font editor? 80)>
 
when i want to burn a cd i sometimes get an error that the names are not
right to iso or juliet
the stupid nero than refuses to burn the cd
would be handy to have a tool to test name convention, and manual or auto
correct the names
 
Guyon Morée wrote in said:
I am a developer waiting to get my hands on a nice project to do and
preferably release it as free. (given it is useful ofcourse)

So I was wondering, what freeware are you missing. Where are you still using
'commercial'-software because there is no decent freeware alternative?
Click to expand...

Nice request. You should have a look at:
<http://www.pricelessware.org/2004/freewarewishlist.htm>

Personally I can think of a few DOS commandline utilities I'd like to
see "cloned" with full LFN support, but I guess that was not what you
had in mind? :)

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen
 
kritikul wrote in said:
when i want to burn a cd i sometimes get an error that the names are not
right to iso or juliet
the stupid nero than refuses to burn the cd
would be handy to have a tool to test name convention, and manual or auto
correct the names
Click to expand...

<http://www.dcsoft.com/products/longff/longff.htm>
<quote
Long Filename Finder is the easiest way to find and shorten
filenames that are too long to be backed up to CD-R (or CD-RW).

Many CD-R mastering programs limit the length of the filenames
that can be stored on the CD-R. In some cases, this length is as
short as 62 characters. Your files can easily have names that
exceed the limit, especially for multimedia files such as MP3
that contain artist, album, title, track number information.
Before backing up to CD-R, you must rename all your files so that
none of the filenames exceed the limit.
Never before has this been so easy.
</quote>

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen
 
I am a developer waiting to get my hands on a nice project to do and
preferably release it as free. (given it is useful ofcourse)

So I was wondering, what freeware are you missing. Where are you still using
'commercial'-software because there is no decent freeware alternative?

kind regards,
Click to expand...
This should be an easy one.
I use a shareware program called Advanced Call Centre - and the ONLY
feature I need from it is that it will monitor the modem for incoming
calls and display the caller ID, and will then pass the number as a
variable to a command line option...which I use to trigger ( through a
tortuous combination of batch files and small .com apps ) a database.

That's what I need - a simple app that does nothing but pass the
caller ID to the command line, preferably with a degree of optional
formatting built in.

No phonebook, no diary, no notepads, no addressbook, no
sounds...nothing but the raw meat.

Regards,
 
Guyon Morée scribebat:
I am a developer waiting to get my hands on a nice project to do and
preferably release it as free. (given it is useful ofcourse)
So I was wondering, what freeware are you missing.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of programs I would like to have...
Here are some of them:

1) A combination of WordPad and TreePad. While having basic text editing
skills (and can use free available spell checker), it also has
additional windows to store information. Great for scientific work to
save notes that are used in the text and need to be checked occasionally
- but also for authors who can check their narrators background (or
other things) I would wish for a main window to write in, and some
additional Windows that do not need to be connected (like in WinAMP or
GIMP); while the main text is in the main window, I could open
additional windows for the other infos I need at that moment. These
other windows can be set as "always on top" if necessary.
The program cannot do any layout - so, not positioning pictures exactly
or something like that.

2) A program to convert any text format into any other text format.

3) A program that let me include/exclude plugins from the Acrobat Reader,
so that I can choose for specific functions that are necessary for a PDF
without having to load the whole bloated stuff.

bye,

Onno
 
I am a developer waiting to get my hands on a nice project to do and
preferably release it as free. (given it is useful ofcourse)

So I was wondering, what freeware are you missing. Where are you still using
'commercial'-software because there is no decent freeware alternative?
Click to expand...

A program like XaraX, with at least all the photo printing features. Drag
and drop pictures WYSIWYG in any order and simply drag to any size. It
automatically optimizes and smooths stretched pictures.

A fast picture viewer like ACDSee Classic, except without all the browser
and thumbnail features. Windows Explorer makes these redundant. Just fast
viewing is all that's needed.

A lightning-fast freeform database program like Mondo Organizer at
http://www.geocities.com/jacinablackbox/SwNewO.html
But with a little more functionality and without the MS Agent cartoons.

A competent freeware anti-trojan program. There are none right now.

A freeware backup program equivalent to Second Copy 2000. Nothing is even
close.

Go to my site at http://webpages.charter.net/bobad/best.htm and take a look
a the program ratings. Any program with a 7 or lower rating needs to be
replaced with something better.

Thanks, and good luck.

Bob

Remove "kins" from address to reply.
 
Bjorn Simonsen said:
<http://www.dcsoft.com/products/longff/longff.htm>
Click to expand...
Long Filename Finder is the easiest way to find and shorten
filenames that are too long to be backed up to CD-R (or CD-RW).
Click to expand...
Before backing up to CD-R, you must rename all your files so that
none of the filenames exceed the limit.
Never before has this been so easy.
Click to expand...

Reading the web page about this program it sounds like you have to manually
rename every one of the files it finds.
That could take a long time if there are many such files.
What is needed is a program which renames such files automatically.


--
Roger J. (No Emails)

God has ruled the world for thousands of years.
Can he be proud of the history of mankind and the present situation in the
world?
I wouldn't. You need to have a lot of "energy" in your mind to feel good
about that.
 
Software without current replacement:

1) MS Access! (I'currently trying Alpha Five as a possible cheaper
alternative)
Waiting for Kexi to finnish and to port to win32
2) Dreamweaver
(NVu and others are nice, but still have a long way to go)
I mostly need it for a WYSIWYG CSS Font apply thigny (Dreamweaver reads
the
internalor external css file, and but s it in a box. then you can
selected a
piece of text and apply a font syle by selecting it from the list. That
is what I
realy need, infact it is about the only thing I realy want in a WYSIWYG
HTML Editor
3) I support John Corliss cry for a TTF editor
(The link given by onno Tasler gave me a corrupt exe file)

Software with (IMHO) a poor replacement

1) A real Small, quick and easy to use PDF Reader
2) PC Anywhere Alternative
I alway have lots of arguments with VNC and it's offspring
I never realy got it to work the way it should
3) A real win32 based solution for photoshop (not The gimp) would be nice,
though If
I use all freeware freeware editors around, I do get to 99%
functionality, but I
would apriciate to have it all in 1 package. I don;t like the gimp for
personal
reasons and I will never ever use it for myself.

Freeware that would be the least likely to happen:
1) An userfriendly OS that could replace Windows and still can use the apps
;-)
Ik know about lindows, but I'm sad to have to admit it is the closest
thing to it.
A linux live cd might also be an answer for a compleet destop enviroment,
but adding and modifieing applications will be very difficult. I'm thinking
of people are the king of the neigborhood because they can actualy read ther
email without calling their kids/nephew to the resque.

Wow, even if this will not get any results, it atleast releaved some stress
;-)

MightyKitten (Who is of th Hammburg tomorrow, going Cebit 2004)
 
Bob Adkins wrote:
A fast picture viewer like ACDSee Classic, except without all the
browser and thumbnail features. Windows Explorer makes these
redundant. Just fast viewing is all that's needed.
Thanks, and good luck.
Click to expand...
<Snip>
<OT>
I've seen ACDSee 3.01 being offered on PC Magazine CD's hete in the
Netherlands.
You might check out your local book store if you are in the neigborhood, who
knows?
 
Roger Johansson wrote in said:
Reading the web page about this program it sounds like you have to manually
rename every one of the files it finds.
That could take a long time if there are many such files.
What is needed is a program which renames such files automatically
Click to expand...

You are right. Did not look close enough and had not tried it.
Tried it now. Bummer, have to manually edit each name.

Maybe one of the regular freeware renamers can do this? The renamer in
Total Commander (shareware file manager) can - of course ;) (via the
"range" feature). This can also be done via some batch file writing,
say with help of regular DIR command output and some third party
utilities like SED ( to output only lines longer than...) etc....

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen
 
Guyon Morée said:
I am a developer waiting to get my hands on a nice project to do and
preferably release it as free. (given it is useful ofcourse)

So I was wondering, what freeware are you missing. Where are you still using
'commercial'-software because there is no decent freeware alternative?

kind regards,

Guyon Morée
Click to expand...
You asked!! This is a request of mine from a few days ago.

This one should be easy.

I have been targeted lately for spam on "nail fungus". I added the 2 words
to my filter but they are smarter than that. The last ones were variations
of "na il fung us" and each with different "froms". The body is a picture
so a word in it can't be targeted.

What I want is a program that reads the subject and will remove all spaces,
dots etc. Then "nailfungus" or "Viagra" etc, could be targeted and would
bounce. That would be easy to write. What I need is a tie-in to OE.
Challenge?

Glenn
 
Bob Adkins wrote:

<Snip>
<OT>
I've seen ACDSee 3.01 being offered on PC Magazine CD's hete in the
Netherlands.
You might check out your local book store if you are in the neigborhood, who
knows?
Click to expand...

Thanks MK, but 3.xxx and above are bloated. I use Firegraphic for now, and
it's actually a pretty good graphics viewer.

Bob

Remove "kins" from address to reply.
 
You are right. Did not look close enough and had not tried it.
Tried it now. Bummer, have to manually edit each name.

Maybe one of the regular freeware renamers can do this? The renamer in
Total Commander (shareware file manager) can - of course ;) (via the
"range" feature). This can also be done via some batch file writing,
say with help of regular DIR command output and some third party
utilities like SED ( to output only lines longer than...) etc....
Click to expand...

Earlier today I tried a renamer program called Siren, which was announced
here a few days before. It didn't solve the problem either, it would need a
specially created filter, if at all possible.

I tried the renamer in TC, it needs a specially written filter.
I do not know enough to write such a filter expression, and I doubt that it
can recursively go through all subdirectories.

So the problems with automatically shortening of file names is still
unsolved. Still looking for an easy solution.
 
I am happy to suggest:

A small project Address Book which will permit the user to
enter about six lines of standard data about each entry. No more.
Name, Street, City, State, Zip, Telephone, Email, Remarks.
Then the program will permit printing out the results in book format
of several size choices: 8x11 sheets, 5x7 booklet, and MOST
IMPORTANT ... 2.5 x 3.5 inches for carrying in shirt pocket.

I realize that such booklets could be manufacturered with MSWord
with a lot of planning and manipulation. This project needs a
program dedicated ONLY for this purpose. I would buy it.
There exists one program called The Book for Windows, but
it is not very easy to learn; too many excessive variables.
=========================================
 
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