Showing posts with label apps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apps. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Reviews > Apps > PortableApps
This review is none other than: PortableApps. PortabbleApps is essentially a free, open-source version of U3- 'smart usb drives.' It's very handy because it allows you to put a small program on your flash drive (usb stick) so that you can download the portable versions of apps and run them form any windows computer. it's nice because it leaves no files on the host system, just on your flash drive. You can also use it to try programs you don't necessarily want to have on your home pc, but be aware, you have to have the prtable version of the program, available at PortableApps via sourceforge.
Reviews > Apps > Firefox
So, for today's app review, I choose Firefox... even though I pretty much said everything in Firefox vs. IE, I want to revisit it. I know I've ranted and raved about it before, but I really want everyone to get it, so, here it is. It has extensions, add-ons, plug-ins, themes (skins), and so many more features. With nearly infinite possibilities, it's the best browser all-around. Firefox 2.0.0.13 is the current version, or you can get the Firefox 3 betas, the most recent of which (beta 5) is almost totally stable, but does not have support for all add-ons that Firefox 2 does (make sure you get the correct language version though- it comes in over 40 languages!) And did I mention the download manager? It's a built-in accelerator and with my crappy slow internet, I was getting 60 kbps on average. The look has been revised for Firefox 3, too, which is scheduled to launch sometime in June or July, I think. If you don't believe me, try it out for yourself, and you'll love it from the first.
Top 4 Media Players
I love listening to my music, and I need a good program to use, so here are some of my ratings and favorites.
RealPlayer
RealPlayer is an ok player; some people like it, some don't. Not one of my preferences, it can download YouTube videos to your hard drive for later watching (this is the main reason I use it), but it saves them in .flv format, so you need to play them in either RealPlayer or a separate flv player.
iTunes
iTunes is an all-around great media player, with its own format (AAC) for high quality audio, but it doesn't support wma, wmv, or any other Windows Media formats. It has the iTunes Store, with one dollar songs and 10 dollar albums, which are DRM protected but not uncrackable
. Another catch is that all files must be imported manually (no auto-detection) and that it only syncs with iPods (no Zunes, Sansas, or Zens).
EDIT: apparently iTunes can support unprotected wma's (and maybe folder watching.) My bad. Thanks mintz66 for pointing that out.
Windows Media Player 11
Personally, the main thing I like about WMP is that it auto-updates folders you watch for media, so you rarely have to search for files after the initial run. The GUI isn't bad, but not great. The upshot is that it syncs with nearly all portable music players available, including my Sansa e250.
WinAmp 5.53
WinAmp is one of the best options available, with playback support for both Windows and iTunes DRM formats, and scanning/auto importing music and videos, with iTunes-style Genre/Artist/Album sidebars for quick and easy searching. It, too, like WMP, will sync files to my Sansa and other portable media (flash drives, SD cards, etc.). It has a highly customizable GUI as well, making for an all around good choice.
(J. River) Media Jukebox
The Media Jukebox is a very good choice, with a very similar interface to WinAmp, and similar functionality. It will also sync to my Portable Media Drives, and has Last.fm and Amazon MP3's support built-in. Less squarish than WinAmp, though, it has soft lines and a nice look.
FoxyTunes
FoxyTunes isn't actually a media player, more of a remote for whatever player you use. It is an extension available for Internet Explorer and Firefox, and can control around 25 different Media Players, Including the ones mentioned above and more, like foobar2000, Rhapsody, Pandora, Last.fm, and XBMC. It. sits on the side of your browser and lets you control your music without having to minimize the browser.
These are my top Media Players, if you have any suggestions or other Favorites, let me know!
RealPlayer
RealPlayer is an ok player; some people like it, some don't. Not one of my preferences, it can download YouTube videos to your hard drive for later watching (this is the main reason I use it), but it saves them in .flv format, so you need to play them in either RealPlayer or a separate flv player.
iTunes
iTunes is an all-around great media player, with its own format (AAC) for high quality audio, but it doesn't support wma, wmv, or any other Windows Media formats. It has the iTunes Store, with one dollar songs and 10 dollar albums, which are DRM protected but not uncrackable
. Another catch is that all files must be imported manually (no auto-detection) and that it only syncs with iPods (no Zunes, Sansas, or Zens). EDIT: apparently iTunes can support unprotected wma's (and maybe folder watching.) My bad. Thanks mintz66 for pointing that out.
Windows Media Player 11
Personally, the main thing I like about WMP is that it auto-updates folders you watch for media, so you rarely have to search for files after the initial run. The GUI isn't bad, but not great. The upshot is that it syncs with nearly all portable music players available, including my Sansa e250.
WinAmp 5.53
WinAmp is one of the best options available, with playback support for both Windows and iTunes DRM formats, and scanning/auto importing music and videos, with iTunes-style Genre/Artist/Album sidebars for quick and easy searching. It, too, like WMP, will sync files to my Sansa and other portable media (flash drives, SD cards, etc.). It has a highly customizable GUI as well, making for an all around good choice.
(J. River) Media Jukebox
The Media Jukebox is a very good choice, with a very similar interface to WinAmp, and similar functionality. It will also sync to my Portable Media Drives, and has Last.fm and Amazon MP3's support built-in. Less squarish than WinAmp, though, it has soft lines and a nice look.
FoxyTunes
FoxyTunes isn't actually a media player, more of a remote for whatever player you use. It is an extension available for Internet Explorer and Firefox, and can control around 25 different Media Players, Including the ones mentioned above and more, like foobar2000, Rhapsody, Pandora, Last.fm, and XBMC. It. sits on the side of your browser and lets you control your music without having to minimize the browser.
These are my top Media Players, if you have any suggestions or other Favorites, let me know!
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