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Browsing Your Files Made EasierBreak the waves with Frigate Pro! |
By Codrut Nistor, Editor, Software Reviews
26th of May 2006, 15:24 GMT
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 Version reviewed: Frigate 3.33
Frigate file manager is here to help us not just manage our files effectively, but rather do it with comfort and a touch of style.
Besides basic file operations such as moving, copying and deleting files, Frigate can also handle compressed files (e.g. zip, rar, ace, arj, jar, ha, lha, zoo, limit and hyper).
 Features:
Highly configurable and convenient file management environment.
Additional utilities included (TreeNotes, StartUp Manager, Calculator, SmartPad and Directory Size Manager).
Quick folders (bookmarks).
Favorites (similar to IE’s Favorites);
Built-in file viewers supporting image viewing (.jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, .gif, .ico, .tif, .tiff, .png, .wmf, .emf, .pcx, .tga), Abdobe Photoshop(.psd), text editing, web contents (HTML) browsing, hex viewing, and much more.
Multi rename tool
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The DOS era is gone. Somehow I miss it, but I can live without it. If I need to bring some good old memories back I can always access the DOS screen in Windows XP or log into a Unix server. After all this time, there's still a DOS heritage present in everything I do. I am not talking about the command line, I am talking about a sibling of the command line. What could this be?
No, it's not about scripting languages or the DOS themes available for some skinnable programs like Opera. I am talking about the file managers, one of the greatest time savers in the history. Just think about having to type countless CD, DIR, COPY or DEL commands, each one with its parameters! When Windows raised to power, the file managers evolved, becoming more and more powerful as well. Just think about the difference between the MS-DOS Shell and Norton Commander, then of that between NC and the Windows file managers to be found today.
We're not going to travel into the future, but bring the future today. The ship that's going to allow us this travel was built by Helmsman and was baptized as "Frigate". The version that I have in front of my eyes is the professional one. These being said, let's sail away!
After installing the program, it started without asking me anything. Its interface is a really nice surprise and I am sure that it has a lot of customization options, but those have to be discovered yet... two special things that come as default are the volume control and the clock. Of course they are nothing new, but it's the first time that I found them inside a file manager's default configuration. Also, the free space on the partitions from each file panel is displayed at the bottom of the interface.
When looking at the interface you start to notice an army of useful features... need an image viewer? A FTP client... or maybe an integrated web browser? Frigate has them all, and much more!
File management is done extremely easy using the two panel interface, the keyboard shortcuts and the feature-rich tool bar. I think the best way to follow now is to explore what we can do using the toolbar.
New items that can be created using the toolbar button are five: file manager and explorer tree windows, internal Internet browsers, text files and folders. The Viewer and the Editor can be started using the
F3 and F4 shortcuts and support a wide range of file extensions.
The file operations can be performed using the toolbar buttons or the well-known shortcuts: F5, F6, Shift F6 and F8 (copy, move, rename and delete). Next, after the Select button we find a great time saver, the Favorites. Here you can take advantage of the Quick Folders and the history for the internal Viewer and Editor. Next we have the FTP client and the Packer, both great helpers to a busy user.
Next we have the Purchase button, the volume control and the drives buttons. For the CD/DVD writer you have the option to burn discs from Frigate. Here you can also uninstall programs or change the registry without having to open any external windows.
Leaving the toolbar behind, I have to say a few words about the internal image viewer. I find it to be extremely handy, since you can switch from file browser to full screen image viewer without starting any other application. It can display your images as a slideshow, adjust brightness, contrast and gamma values. Needless to say that it can set an image as desktop wallpaper or rotate it the way you like.
The Utilities menu enables any Frigate sailor to make quick and short notes using the Smart Pad, browse the Internet, do some math using the Calculator or keep a journal using TreeNotes. It doesn't stop here, don't worry. You can also use the Image Converter Wizard to convert your images into different formats.
The Help system seems a bit thin next to the program's complexity, but all the main features are mentioned in it, accompanied by at least one meaningful screenshot. If you start exploring the program's features by yourself you won't need Help too often, but it's good to know it's there and can do its job.
This is such a great program that I could keep reviewing for ages, I am sure that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow I'll keep discovering new ways to save my time and customize it. Maybe I missed to point out some great features for some of you, and you have all my apologies for it. There is only one way to fix it: explore the vessel by yourselves and draw your own conclusions!
The Good
Frigate is fast, powerful and easy to use. Absolute beginners will have to spend some time in order to learn the keyboard shortcuts or use the visual interface elements, but if you have ever used a file manager, shifting towards Frigate will be a pleasure.
The Bad
During testing, the program worked great until it crashed a few times without any obvious reason. I advice testing it carefully.
The Truth
The truth stops being "out there" and gets within reachable range with Frigate. I highly recommend it as a buy if you are still using the Windows Explorer, and also it's worth trying if you already have a file manager... but it's never too late to change things!
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
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NOT RATED |
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