14 DAY TRIAL // There are a lot of people around who need to be up to date with the latest events all the time, and most of those that happen in the real world are reflected by online news, sometimes even faster than the television has a broadcast related to them. There's only one problem that arises here - browsing lots of TV channels and websites takes a lot of time, and here's the need for another time saver...
I don't know how to speed up TV channels browsing and I don't really care, since I don't even own a TV and don't have plans in getting one (or a TV tuner), because the Internet is the only source of information I need and enjoy using. If it's about Internet and computers, then I have to get a program into the formula, right?
The time saver that I have here is called WebSite-Watcher and its purpose is to monitor your favorite websites for updates and changes. I have here the first Beta of the version 4.22 for testing as a 30 days trial version. The installation kit has 3MB in size and as soon as you're done with the download and setup parts, you're ready to start saving your precious minutes, hours, even days(saving time you also should save money for buying this program later...but only if you'll like it and find it useful, of course!).
The interface of this program looks simple and easy to use, and you don't see any visible signs of the features hordes waiting to be unleashed that hide behind it. The main window of the application is divided into three panels, apart from the menu bar. The folder tree, located to the left side, contains some predefined folders as well as user defined folders, the top panel lists all bookmarks located in the currently selected folder, and the last panel hosts the internal browser. These being said, let's go further and see how it feels to use this program and what can it do.
At the beginning, when you start the program for the first time, there are some basic settings that need to be taken care of, and here they are...
Before everything else, if you don't like English language, you don't have to use it! WebSite-Watcher has been translated into over twenty languages until now, and that should be good news for those who like to use computer programs translated into their native language. Of course that if yours is not here yet, you can translate it yourselves.
Once you click the Finish button and get out of the Configuration Assistant, you're free to start saving time. How? Well, the idea is to add your favorite sites into the WebSite-Watcher's folders and let it report changes to you.
Adding new bookmarks can be easily accomplished with the help of the Bookmark Wizard, accessible from the main toolbar. All you have to do is follow the required steps, and when you're done you won't have to worry about checking for updates on that website ever again. There are three different items that can be tracked, and I am talking about websites, forums and RSS/Atom feeds.
Of course that when you are using the wizard you only get the chance to see the top of the iceberg, and, as usual, there's much more to it. For example, the Autowatch feature enables you to schedule automatic scanning of each bookmark, and even more, there are features allowing you to search for certain keywords or alert you only when a string appears on the target site (for example, think about being notified when a certain product is released on the producer's website or when news about a certain topic are displayed on twenty different websites...much easier than reading hundreds of newsletters, isn't it?).
Adding websites manually or even using the wizard can be sometimes too much trouble and you may also be in a hurry, so what about adding the desired site to WebSite-Watcher's bookmarks straight from your favorite browser? After installing the program, when you start Internet Explorer, you should notice a small button that appeares to the right end of its title bar - use it to add the current site to WebSite-Watcher whenever you think it's the right time. If you're not one of those using IE, no problem! The WebSite-Watcher button will also appear in Firefox, Mozilla, Opera and most Internet Explorer based browsers.
Bookmark files can be synchronized, exported; you can even import your bookmarked sites from IE, Opera, Firefox, Netscape and other sources. This program also supports scripting, error checking for the websites, and the preferences available should please any user out there.
The path has been marked, now the task of following it is yours. You have a month ahead of you for testing this program, and I am sure you'll be at least pleased with it.
The Good
WebSite-Watcher is light on your system, easy to use, highly customizable and does its job the way it's supposed to, saving you as much time as possible. The offline and online documentation is excellent, so more advanced topics won't remain a mystery to those who will be interested in them, and, at least, the price is very good.
The Bad
I wasn't able to find any built in scripts, and after looking on the official site for a while, same result - no scripts available, so if you want to benefit from this feature, you have to dedicate some time to study the scripting language that is used here and write your own scripts.
The Truth
A great time saver, that's all. The truth and nothing but the truth. Check it for yourselves, you have 30 days to approve my conclusion or to deny it. Enjoy!
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
