SOFTWARE: Powerdesk Poops Out

I've been recently searching for a new file manager. I had given up on the PowerDesk/ExplorerPlus twins that I have used for ... about all of my niece Paige's life, and she's pushing 19 these days. The programs seemed to have stalled in 2004, and despite check-ups and queries about new version 7's of the product, I had finally decided to search elsewhere.

My search led to UltraExplorer, which has taken on some of the duties I know PD/EP have difficulty doing. Moving large numbers of files between folders to backup locations being a prime example of what I don't use the old familiars with. UE has the charm of being written in Delphi and it's free. You can check it out at mustangpeak.net.

I'm looking forward to working with Jim on the upcoming upgrades to the program. He seems quite receptive to change suggestions.

On the other hand, I'd throw him over for an updated version of PowerDesk in a minute, if it cured the old bugaboos. And guess what I received in the email this week? Yep, there's a new version 7 from the latest owner of the software, Avanquest (through their acquisition of v-com). Imagine my joy. Also, my caution.

I called down to order by phone, IF the update addressed my issue with Undo Buffer Overflow, lack of handling of RAR files, failure to remember my preferred sort orders and those idiotic defaults that it has. After waiting 40 minutes on the speaker phone while I worked away on a problem I've been having with one of my OWN programs, the sales person informed me she'd have to transfer me to tech support. Another 30 minutes went by and I finally got a chance to talk to George. He was a nice guy from somewhere in the deep South, and I don't mean the southern states of India. A good ol' boy from the USA. And no more helpful that a script kiddie from Bangalore.

Turns out, the support department is still using version 6 of the software and nobody there knows anything about the new version 7. AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

The sales literature promotes Vista support (of little worth to those of us smart enough to avoid Vista, meaning we already know Windows Explorer is inadequate), a hex editor (I'm sure there are at least five users who need that feature. No, now that I think about it, I might be overstating the need by 20 percent) and better toolbars. Oh, and some undocumented bug fixes.

I had a sick feeling. But one Vista-running client decided that any PowerDesk was better than Windows Explorer. So, I got the chance to play with it for a bit. And the decision is ...

PASS!

Oh, that hurts me to say it. Or type it. Or whatever! It looks and feels (mostly) like the program I need it to be. There are more toolbars available. I immediately got rid of the extra one, which is just a big button version of the standard toolbar. No gain there. The look for PD7 is changeable with skins. They are all uniformly UGLEEEEEE! Turned off skin support. There's a new options screen that gives you more choices, but generally nothing that I couldn't do already in PD6. It DOES run in Vista, so I'm hoping it will run on Windows Server 2000, but I won't PUSH for it to be bought for that purpose. For the limited amount of file management I do on WS2K, Windows Explorer and 7-Zip seem to work out ok. But it IS possible it will run on WS2K, so give it a point of pro-ness.

It does handle RAR as directories and will open them. Don't know if they will save them, too. But if not, 7-Zip does that. So another point. And when opening a zip file, and clicking on a file inside of it, the dang warning message came up. I clicked the don't annoy me again box before clicking OK. And you know something? The warning didn't come back, even after closing and restarting PD7! Count that as triple pro points. Sadly, the default behaviour for the program to use full-row selection, preventing you from lassoing files in details view is still the default. MORON, MORON, MORON. The MORON who decided that that should be the default, is probably related to the idiot who decided to redesign the IBM computer keyboard (TWICE) rather than use the IBM Selectric layout.

And then all the pro points disappeared into a flash of uselessness. Accessing a folder with 603 files and about 53 Megs of content slowed the display to a crawl. Shockingly slow. As if it was accessing the folder over the internet using a dial-up connection. I stopped the test. Apologized for whatever part I had in paying the $20 bucks upgrade fee. And slunk out, tail between my legs.

You can still get PowerDesk 6 (it's like 10 bucks), which remains a very good replacement for Windows Explorer (assuming you aren't running Vista, in which case, you're on your own). I wish it were perfect. It's not, but right now, it's better than PowerDesk 7. A lot of you won't even run into the undo buffer overflow issues that I have addressed the program's owners (I think the number of companies that have sold either PD or EP has reached nine) with over the years. Who knows, you might prefer Icon view and not have my murderous rage at the idiocy of the full row selection default in details view.

But wait for at least the first update to PD 7. It's not ready for Prime Time, even though it's three years late in appearing. Wonder if any of those ex-Microsofties are involved in this ...