Software Gadgets

I discovered a freeware program for Windows 3.1 called Stiletto in the early 1990s. On the surface, it was a bar you could launch programs from. But the author, Bruce Switzer, just kept adding features to it. It seemed like a new version with even more features came out every month. It quickly became the most important desktop enhancement/utility program on my computer. When Windows 95 arrived, the author rewrote the program for 9x based systems and made the new 9x version shareware. When I finally ordered a Windows 95 capable computer, I bought a license before my new computer arrived so I would be able to have my favorite program installed and fully functional immediately. It was the best money I’ve ever spent on computer software (and it was only $20 or $30).

The years rolled by with new versions every few months. Then Bruce rewrote the program from scratch and renamed it “Powerpro” and new versions with even more features continued to roll out every few months. A few years ago, Bruce got tired of the hassles of shareware support and made the program freeware again. New versions, generally with piles of new features, still come out two or three times a year, however.

It is impossible to describe everything Powerpro can do in this short article as it does a heck of a lot and does it all while being very resource friendly.

Here’s a partial description of what can be done with Powerpro taken from the Powerpro help file.

This is a general summary of PowerPro’s features:

· Powerpro provides many user actions for launching programs and commands, such as bar buttons, menu items, hotkeys, mouse actions, scheduled commands, or from a script.

· Whichever user action you choose to launch an application, you can also choose how it will be launched. For example PowerPro has a “Switch to if active” checkbox (which prevents accidentally starting a program twice); you can start an application maximised, minimised, hidden, etc; specify whether it should have OnTop status; define its exact window size and position. You can even automate sending commands to an application every time it starts, such as switching Explorer to Details view. There are other ways to start programs (such as ordinary toolbar programs, or Desktop shortcuts, or the Start Menu) but PowerPro can start programs with more customisable options.

· PowerPro offers several ways to control a running program, such as sending simulated keystrokes to a specified window, or simulating mouse clicks and movements anywhere on the screen.

· Powerpro provides many ways to switch between tasks. You can make an “active bar” as an improved substitute for the Windows TaskBar; or if you prefer, create your own Task Switching Menu, shown by a hotkey perhaps.

· Powerpro offers many ways to configure and control the Windows system and Windows features such as Explorer, the Clipboard, the Desktop, etc.

· Powerpro bars can be positioned, colored and sized in many ways. You can even apply skins to bars.

· The menus you create with Powerpro are also very customisable in appearance with submenus and conditional sections.

· The variety of results you can set for clicking a bar button or a menu item is limited only by your imagination of what you would like it to do. Read here about the demonstration bars.

· Powerpro can retrieve a wide range of information about the system and running programs, then display that information however you wish. Or use the retrieved information as parameters in your commands.

· It can be set to monitor the computer for various conditions then respond with a warning message or an action, such as automatically starting your email program and a timer whenever the modem connects.

· Powerpro can replace many small utilities such as a tray utility, a virtual desktops program, a sticky notes program and more. By using PowerPro’s tray features, vdesks, notes, etc, instead of dozens of small programs, you can integrate all of these into a single user interface of your own design. Also the parts can be made to interact with each other in more interesting ways.

· Not only is there unlimited variety to what different users create with PowerPro. There is also variety in how they create it. One user will develop a comprehensive setup without writing a single script, only using the GUI dialogs. Another will prefer to use their text editor to create file based scripts and .ini files to define their configuration.

This leaves out many features and doesn’t even begin to mention all the things that can be done with third party plugins. Powerpro is one of the most complex windows utility programs out there if you try to figure out and use every feature for all it is worth. But while a bit overwhelming, it is easy to get Powerpro to do very useful things without a lot of effort by going through the tutorials in the help file. There are also two helpful Powerpro mailing lists: one for beginners (where Powerpro experts try to help without overwhelming beginners) and one for everyone (Bruce is often active on this group and beta versions are made available for testing and debugging here).

I would not know what to do without Powerpro. I launch most of my program from a tiny transparent Powerpro bar at the right side of my screen. Powerpro manages my virtual desktops, tells me the day of the month, sizes and positions windows, and much more. Yet for all it does for me, I doubt I use a quarter of its features. Give Powerpro a try and I expect you will probably find it as invaluable as I do. Powerpro’s web site doesn’t do it justice, by the way — especially the awful (and ancient) screenshots.

Rating: 5.0
Operating System: Windows 95+
License: Freeware
Price: Freeware
Version: 4.5
Web Site: http://powerpro.webeddie.com/

[tags]Windows, Powerpro, windows utility, launch bar, windows scripting, windows macros, freeware[/tags]