CNET Editors' review
Once you explore the power of NoteTab Light, you may find this text editor beautiful despite its hectic interface. At its core, NoteTab Light is to Windows' Notepad as an iPhone is to a rotary phone. NoteTab Light incorporates top-level tabs similar to most Web browsers, so that you can manage several different projects at once, and it can automatically replace Notepad so that Notepad's icons open NoteTab instead--although not in Windows Vista.
However, it's more than a mere replacement. The left column displays a list of commands, called Clips, that do anything from inserting bits of text to generating code. Each library, the roster of which appears as tabs at the bottom of the screen, contains its own set of clips. The FTP library, for example, lets you create server profiles, connect, upload and download files, and issue various commands. The HTML library auto-completes HTML tags. The publisher's site offers many user-created libraries, or you can make your own. You can create your own clips by pressing Ctrl-Alt-F2.
Several of the clips, including the Tidy HTML clip and the TopStyle library, require secondary freeware apps to support them, but NoteTab will direct you to their Web pages if it finds them missing. NoteTab Light isn't a tool for casual users, but power users and programmers should find plenty to love.
Publisher's Description
From Fookes Software:
NoteTab Light is a versatile free Notepad replacement and a handy HTML editor. Move quickly around stacks of large files with a simple tabbed interface and format your text to your heart's content. Perform system-wide search and replacements. Strip HTML tags. Build libraries of text macros to speed up your work. Avoid tedious cut-and-paste operations - save text clips automatically in Paste Board files. Make the most of NoteTab's options to suit your workstyle.
Version 6.2 adds optional code page token support in template headers. Also adds new templates.
What's new in this version: Version 6.2 adds optional code page token support in template headers. Also adds new templates.
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All versions:
4.7 starsout of 363 votes
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Current version:
4.7 starsout of 58 votes
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My rating:
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"Better than buggy MS Notepad and more features."
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
Many features, you can customize it to look more simple (like MS Notepad). Great for finding and replacing text. It can open binary files way faster than MS Notepad (you may need to configure the binary character options)
Cons
No column mode.
Backup option is kind of annoying (reload open documents also) but both can be disabled.Summary
To edit by columns I always have to download other programs, like UltraEdit, unfortunately NoteTab has never included this feature. But I don't have to do it very often. I preffer the simple interface of NoteTab Light. You can hide the libraries bar and the other bars if you want a cleaner look. To remove the thing on the left with the options simply click twice on an element of the library bar.
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"Great product, a model of simplicity"
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
Fast, light, clean UI, stable, lots of features, portable
Cons
No multiple undo for the free version, but somehow it rarely matters
Summary
Been using it for 10+ years and it's still a model of simplicity and power in a clean design. Better than most distraction free word processors. Well supported with tons of clips (add-ons)
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"Best simple, multi-feature text editor"
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
I've done whole websites in NoteTab Light, using the HTML-ar library to autocomplete.
Also love the PalmToWay library which creates Palm-format ebooks.
Word count more accurate than many WP packages!Cons
have had no problems whatsoever!
Summary
This beats everything else I've used for basic HTML editing, any plain-text work, text analysis, programmability.
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"Easy and quick to use"
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
Lots and lots!
Cons
None worth mentioning!
Summary
Just get it!
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"Best. Text editor. Ever."
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
Lots of great features. Free version has the vast majority of features I need or envision needing. Can replace Notepad. Interface is straightforward and intuitive, with lots of options for customizing. Scripting language with tons of free libraries.
Cons
I wish it was open source. Native Linux support would be good, too. Since I'm running it in a Windows virtual machine on Linux now, it's not a big deal.
Summary
Outstanding product that has aged well in the decade+ I've used it :)
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"excellent, free, and fast"
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
With auto-correct for spelling, tabs, ability to customize about everything, there is much to like about this app.
Cons
Have used this at different times of the years, and so far never a problem with any version -- So for Cons: Really, there are none.
Summary
The FREE version is excellent -- assume the paid version to be awesome!
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"it's great ...and more!!!"
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
extensive editing...great lexicon!
Cons
nothing i can think of
Summary
must have...absolute must have!
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"Excellent Notepad replacement - many great features..."
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
Easy to use, fast loading, great control of environmental options (look and feel of the text, etc), FREE!
Cons
Could be a little confusing to a "non-techy" person - but most "geeks" will find it quite easy to use.
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"A "must have" text editor"
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
Fast. Intuitive. Flexible.
Cons
I miss the bookmarks I had with the Pro version.
Summary
You either have NoteTab or you need to get it!
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"One of the best freeware applications ever."
Version: NoteTab Light 6.2
Pros
Easy to use. Many great features.
Cons
None that I have found... yet.
Summary
This is a great and versatile application. It can be uses as a simple replacement for MS Notepad (you can open up multiple documents!) or as a web development environment. If I could give it 10 stars, I would.
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