Last week, my colleague Jason Parker brought you a roundup of excellent Notepad replacements. There are more of them out there than I'd like to contemplate, but Tiny Pad is one that offers some features I haven't seen from others.
Tiny Pad supports a good list of hot keys.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)This freeware boasts a hot corners feature that's turned on by default, so if the program's running but is not the top window, moving your mouse to either the top-left or top-right corner will bring Tiny Pad to the front. This is a little thing, but extremely useful given the nature of what the Notepad is supposed to be: namely, a quick-access dumping ground for thoughts and, well, notes.
Also impressively, Tiny Pad will autosave your notes, and comes with an archiving feature. You can still save notes separately to your hard drive, but the archive lets you keep them all in Tiny Pad--just out of sight. I like the concept behind this, making the notes attached to the program, although I couldn't find a way to access an archived note outside of Tiny Pad.
Other features in Tiny Pad that many Notepad replacements have include tabs for writing multiple notes simultaneously, dedicated writing tools such as underline, strikethrough, and an Insert Date feature, and a good list of 10 hot keys to keep your hands on the keyboard--where they belong, right?
Tiny Pad lacks hooks into Windows's default Notepad, and isn't as robust as some of the Notepad replacements designed for programmers. This is more of a Notepad replacement for writers or casual users; if you want coding tricks, NoteTab Light or Notepad ++ are good places to start. The toolbar can be hidden, a nice plus that somewhat makes up for the Mac theme on this Windows program.
Annoyingly, the installer comes as a ZIP, which adds an extraction step that this program shouldn't have. The installer package itself clocks in at around 4MB, but used a surprisingly large amount of RAM--nearly 30MB when running with two tabs. This didn't affect the program's performance, but was larger than expected given the program's name. Size isn't everything, though, and Tiny Pad's features make it an appealing alternative worth checking out.
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CNET)
Every computer user needs a basic text editor for Readme files and simple note taking capabilities--that's why Windows comes with Notepad. But if you want added features like a tabbed interface, search and replace functionality, or extras that help you with coding projects, you need to look for the more full-featured alternatives. The best editors come with numerous features and work great for editing code for Web sites, but also for simply writing quick notes, and pasting excerpts from the Web when aggregating research for a project.
Fortunately, some of the best software in this category is free, but you can also use "Light" versions of paid software and still get most of the useful features.
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CNET)
NoteTab Light offers a tabbed interface and adds several libraries of premade code bits called "clips" you can access through a pull-down menu on the left side of the interface. These clips can be anything from commonly used code to quick formatting tools available at a click of your mouse. You can also quickly preview your work in your default Web browser from within the interface. NoteTab Light offers a lightweight footprint and is a huge upgrade from the Notepad included with Windows.
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CNET)
TextPad is another excellent text editor with a "light" version that most users will find offers plenty of features. Like NoteTab, TextPad offers a host of features like a tabbed-interface, and helpful formatting tools for indenting, line numbering, character transposing, and condition-based word wrapping. TextPad will bug you with a nag screen periodically, but most features are available even in this time-unlimited "light" version.
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CNET)
EditPlus is a text editing tool that's popular with a lot of people because of its ability to use simple FTP commands to get your files online from within the program. Powerful features for Web authors like a built-in Web browser for previews and syntax highlighting for HTML, CSS, PHP, ASP, Perl, C/C++, and many more make this program an excellent alternative. Added handy features like a Windows Explorer-like file directory built-in to the interface and a wealth of commonly used code clips (like NoteTab Light) make this software particularly appealing. EditPlus is a 30-day trial, but with all of its useful features, the $35 price tag is more than worth it.
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CNET)
Notepad++ is a popular choice among serious code crunchers because it's loaded with useful features and it's completely free. It supports several programming languages, offers syntax highlighting, drag-and-drop functionality, and you can easily launch a preview in IE or Firefox from within the software. As a free option, anybody wanting to see what it's like using a text editor even if it is for making lists or doing Web research has nothing to lose with this excellent text editor. But the popularity of this software among serious coders is definitely warranted, with more than enough features for most projects.
This alternative browser looks to be built on Internet Explorer, combining a robust notepad with diminished Web browsing. Freeware Student Pad splits the browser and notepad horizontally, so that the top half of window is for taking notes and the bottom half is for surfing the web. It sounds like an interesting project, but the execution of it as it is now shows that there's room for improvement. There's also no documentation on the browser's source, although it uses Favorites so I'm assuming it's based on IE.
It's a good idea, with an execution that is clearly still in development and more novelty than anything else. There are some nifty student-based needs addressed here. There's a built-in calculator with square-root functionality, calendar, bibliography template, e-mail client with Gmail and Hotmail hooks, MDI editor, and a basic spate of browsing features. The notepad lives on top of the browser, emphasizing both workflow and feature set.
The browser is really what stops Student Pad from joining the workforce as a tolerable alternative browser. You can change your font, adjust the text and background colors, mark favorites, and view the source code. A helpful icon--the sheets of paper--copies and pastes the URL you're looking at directly into the notepad.
However, the browser itself doesn't work as smoothly as it should. It's slow to load pages, sluggish when scrolling, and reluctantly lets you jump into other programs. A lack of tooltips makes getting acclimated a struggle. Modern browsing features such as tabs and a download manager are not supported, and advanced security enhancements are present only in a "web security indicator" that doesn't seem to work.
There are some interesting tweaks here, including rolling most features under the Tools menu. Perhaps the program will become significantly better in the next major update, planned for April 10. For right now, Student Pad remains an interesting curiosity--but nothing more.
Notepad++ is a Notepad replacement with an eye toward programmers, although it should also appeal to the casual user who wants a cross between Notepad and WordPad. Notepad++ has some noticeable differences from WordPad. Support for tabs is key, letting users manage different documents simultaneously. Line numbering is important, too, a feature that nobody mucking about in C should be without.
The interface is much simpler compared with some of its competitors. A familiar row of icons with their mouse-over labels sits at the top, and one row of tabs is just below that. The rest of the screen is made of nothing but pure white space. All the coding tools live in the menu bar, with some represented on the toolbar. Users can compile and run macros, convert text to Hex, submit directly to W3C for validation, launch in Firefox and Internet Explorer, and more. There's also a built-in spell-checker.
Notably, Notepad++ can not auto-replace Notepad, but it's still an excellent Notepad replacement.
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. It can automatically replace Notepad so that Notepad's icons open NoteTab Light instead--although this helpful shortcut trick doesn't work 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 publisher's site offers many user-created libraries, or you can make your own. You can create your own clips, too. Designed for programmers, NoteTab Light's tabs and other higher functions should appeal to both coders and the rest of us who just want more out of a notepad.
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CNET Networks)
I download and review a lot of great software, but obviously I don't keep everything. Some programs don't make the cut simply because I have a better option on my computer already or I have no use for them at work. But other applications I've downloaded have withstood the test of time and remain useful on a day-to-day basis. I'm talking about my must-have applications.
I've already given you my Big Three free security applications which should be the first programs you download when setting up a computer. Clearly if you haven't downloaded software to cover each of those security areas, you should do so right away. But today's post is about the applications I can't live without--the ones I download after I feel like my computer is reasonably secure.
Today's programs are the workhorses behind the scenes in my everyday work life. One is a text editor that's perfect for quick word processing and looking through HTML code. Another is a multipurpose screenshot and image editor that's great for most basic graphics needs. The last is a Firefox extension which is great for a pro downloader like me, but I think it will be useful for you as well. The best thing about all three of these applications is that they're completely free.
Syntax coloring makes working with confusing code much easier.
(Credit: CNET Networks)NotePad++ is a HTML and text editor with several excellent features for writing HTML code, but is also perfect for jotting down or pasting text you're going to use later. I really like the tabbed interface because NotePad++ automatically saves every tab until you close it--even when you quit the program. This makes getting back to a project the following work day extremely easy. When dealing with HTML code for Web pages or newsletters for Download.com, NotePad++ offers syntax coloring so sifting through code (something I would rather not do) becomes a lot easier.
Windows Explorer navigation on the left and thumbs on the right help you find the right image.
(Credit: CNET Networks)FastStone Image Viewer is a solid free image-editing application that's great for resizing, cropping, and converting images to different formats. An intuitive interface makes it easy to browse through folders of images using thumbnails, so getting the image you want is a snap. If your chosen image needs some editing, simply double-click the image to go full-screen and move your mouse to the sides of the screen to bring up pop-up toolbars for quick editing, cropping, resizing, and image conversion tools. I use this one often for editing and resizing screenshots for software (including the shots you see in this post). This one is so useful, you won't believe it's free.
Downloads show up as blue boxes across the bottom of your Firefox browser.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Download StatusBar is a Mozilla Firefox extension (apologies to non-Firefox users) which adds a bar to the bottom of your browser to let you know the progress of downloads. Mousing over a download pops up a window showing the download link, where on your hard drive the file is going, the file size, how much time is left, and the speed of the download. Once the download is finished, you can double-click the box to begin installing the file without leaving Firefox. A right-click lets you choose options like getting the source URL and the containing folder. Frankly, if you're a downloader (and I hope you are) this Firefox extension is a must-have.
Not everyone uses the same kind of software in their profession so my workhorses might be different from yours. If you have use for any of these types of programs, I suggest you give my favorites a try. If you have other free applications that are worthy of everyday downloaders, let us know in the comments! What are your must-have applications?
Upgrading Notepad on your PC isn't hard, and the added oomph you get for your efforts definitely makes them worthwhile. CNET Executive Editor Tom Merritt shows you how to switch to Notepad 2, and keep the old Windows Notepad from reversing the coup.
There are plenty more terrific Notepad alternatives out there, like these heavyweight hitters, and the lightweight Quicknote that's best suited for jotting--or doodling--fleeting thoughts.
While most Notepad replacements expand on features, very few rebuild the concept of a lightweight text editor. Quicknote introduces an entirely unusual interface and features that don't exist in its cousins, importing the traditional concept of notes--as a mix of text and doodles--but in a decidedly unpolished package.
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Power Downloader knows one of the most difficult things about studying and writing papers is staying focused. When he received a stressed out e-mail from Kitty Kilobyte recently saying she was trying to write a paper for school, but kept getting distracted, Power knew all too well what she was talking about. Even when Power Downloader needs to get to work, he will sometimes find himself surfing the Web or checking e-mail, so he knows how easy it is to get distracted. Over time, Power is sure Kitty will develop the skills necessary to focus on her work, but for now he decided would try to find her the perfect tool to stay focused.
Dark Room only gives users the essentials so they can focus on writing
(Credit: CNET Networks)After some searching at Download.com, Power Downloader came upon a little textpad application called Dark Room. While the program is not particularly strong on features, it does one thing very well: it eliminates distraction. With Dark Room on her computer, Kitty would be able to write her paper without the usual distractions of her computer's desktop. Dark Room would let Kitty write in full screen with a black background so all the chat notifications, e-mail alerts, and other distractions are conveniently hidden out of view. If she didn't like the default black background, she could switch the background color, the text color, and the font, all in the Dark Room options. Playing with some of the options, Power couldn't help but think this application would be extremely useful for writers as well if they knew all the hot keys. A helpful readme file comes with the download and Power Downloader made sure to point out in his e-mail to Kitty she should read it for all of Dark Room's features and hot keys before she gets started.
After sending the e-mail with a link to Dark Room to Kitty, Power Downloader decides some of his old criminal case summaries could use a little work. With Dark Room, Power Downloader won't have to worry about being distracted while he remembers past pursuits of Internet bad guys.
Loved for its simplicity, Notepad has long been a staple for serious coders. Fast to load and possessing a tiny footprint, it's a great way to handle chunks of text large or small. Beyond word wrapping, though, it's bereft of many basic and useful features. There are easily a dozen decent freeware applications vying to replace it. Here are three of them: NoteTab Light, Notepad ++, AkelPad.
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