SNV Timer for Windows

The publishers describe SNV Timer as a reminder program, but it actually includes three separate applications designed to manage shutdown operations, user-set alerts, and more. While many will see this diversity as a benefit, others will find that the lack of integration between programs and the redundancy of some functions negatively affect SNV Timer's usefulness.

When you install SNV Timer, you'll actually get SNV Timer, SNV Notepad, and SNV Calendar, each with its own desktop icon. SNV Timer does just what its name implies: it allows you to choose a specific time or number of hours for whatever task you need to get done. SNV Notepad icon is very similar to Windows Notepad, and it offers the same features and functionality. The SNV Calendar icon brings up a basic calendar that shows a single month at a time. The main app, SNV Timer, offers the most features, and this is reflected in the packed interface to set up a timer or alarm, or schedule specific actions like shutting down your computer or opening a Web site. Pull-down menus are used for many of the nearly 20 user-set options, but in many cases it seemed as if setting up the alert or alarm took more time than the end result merited. Each timer or alert can appear in a separate window, which can clutter up your desktop pretty quickly. You can customize the background and even attach music to your alerts or timers, but depending on how many you have set up, you can be inundated with tiny windows that you'll need to take time to manually close if you want to get rid of them.

SNV Timer installed quickly and it does have a lot of options, but it seemed like the useful features were buried among a multitude of other features and functionality that are already covered elsewhere with basic Windows utilities and programs. For shutting down your computer or opening a Web page, users might be better off downloading a simplified program designed to accomplish just those tasks.

Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of SNV Timer 3.0.6.