Magnifier

Some computer tasks might require a bit more than just the regular editor. For instance, you might want to carefully zoom in on particular regions of the screen for close inspection, and there are various tools in this regard. In case the default one doesn’t quite tickle your fancy, you can try out alternatives like Magnifier.

First of all, the application is good to go from the moment download is done, because it doesn’t take you through a setup process to deploy its set of features. This makes it just right to carry around on a thumb drive along with other tools, leaving no traces on the target computer, mostly because registry entries are not modified.

When launched, a borderless window appears, showing the magnified region around your mouse with real-time feedback. You instantly notice that all buttons and functions become visible when hovering the cursor over the window, making it a pretty clever concept, and adding a lot of comfort to the whole operation.

Magnification can be done in two modes. Choosing to follow the mouse only enlarges the vicinities of the cursor. Disabling this method magnifies the region behind the window, letting you position it over any particular area of interest. Sadly, feedback is not in real-time while moving the window, thus cutting some accuracy in the process.

Additional tools make it possible to smooth the image even if zoomed in to pixel level. The magnification factor can be set between 2 and 36. There’s a built-in capture function which saves a BMP picture, but this is only practical when in fixed mode, because it can’t be triggered through hotkeys to accurately set the region by following the mouse.

Bottom line is that Magnifier is a cool alternative to the Windows corresponding tool. The window can be resized and cleverly hides all functions when not under the cursor. Magnification factor is impressive, and you can even save pictures at the press of a button.