As you may be aware, Directory Opus 6 is now available. Version 6 is a Windows based version of the best file manager ever to appear on the Amiga.

So how does the Windows version stand up to comparison?

The first thing to do , obviously, is download Opus. A free evaluation copy can be downloaded from� http://www.gpsoft.com.au/

 

 

This is a fairly hefty download for those similarly handicapped� by a 56k modem 10.3mb apprx. However, if you have been following the articles in previous issues, you'll know that Opera supports resuming as well as GoZilla. I use BT and it isn't the most stable of connections here, so I used Opera for the task.

Dopus installs easily with the minimum of questions and a code is required to complete the installation which means you have to be online to get it! I didn't honestly expect any trouble installing Opus, so no surprises there. Dopus claims that Windows users who have never used it will be able to use it straight away and I found this to be the case.

For Amiga users of Magellen, there shouldn't be any major surprises and for current Windows users, the same can be said. Dopus comes up in default mode similar to Windows Explorer and I had no trouble getting it to display listers.

This version of Dopus has Zip file manipulation built in and FTP connect. For a Windows package, this is great, simply click New Zip Folder and away you go.

Unzipping is the same, Dopus presents an archive as a folder and you can browse, extract whatever you will with it. It also supports password protection of archives as well as variable compression.

Out of the box, Dopus uses the Windows default viewers and sound players, but these can be configured, Windows users are going to be pleased by the level of customisation. Amiga users on the other hand might expect more v6 has been set up for Windows beginners and as such some of the more esoteric settings aren't available. There's no file sniffer for instance, which is a great pity.��

 

Aha, its similar to Explorer, that's handy

 

 

That said, the price of Opus is about what you would expect from a Windows package. This version will set you back �55 , so its not all that cheap, however to put it in perspective, the likes of a CD burning package such as Disk Creator will set you back just as much ..

I have only had Dopus on the drive for a couple of days , so I'm feeling my way about it yet.

 

 

Yup. its really Dopus!!

 

My God, what's all this?

Much of the pleasure of Dopus was in getting to act the way that you wanted, and this version will take just as long to get it so. I'm having great fun just playing about with how to display listers, toolbars, etc. How current Windows users will find this, I've no idea, but it makes Windows somehow feel more at home to me.

 

And theres more.

 

Altering file types is easy and is a simple case of clicking edit (or new if the filetype you want isn't there.) Dopus, as I said before, adopts your current windows settings and you can alter or twaeak every action that you wish to from the the filetypes� menu.

 

I see I'm going to be busy..

 

 

There are a plethora of menus concerning manipulation of display etc and it will take a lot of time to get Opus exactly the way you want it. But then again, will any Amiga users want it any other way? I sincerely doubt it. Windows users are used to plenty of menus so this could be a point to please them as well. On the Windows side, a lot of programs won't give as much control over every action and even if they don't want to delve into the settings too deeply, it will still work for them.

 

 

Floating Toolbar,Eh..

 

Dopus has been written from the ground up for Windows and this is the first version, so expect major rewrites when users take up this program. I expect new versions to come out for quite a while when people start using it although this first attempt is spectacular to say the least.

Even the speed of displaying a lister is much faster than under Explorer and file copy , move etc is the same. Another good point is the multi threading, no more waiting for Windows to finish one task till it can do another.

I am pleased with this version and intend to buy it once the evaluation period is up (apprx. 60 days).

I could go on and on about the plus points I have discovered using this for a couple of days, but why should I? I'm sure anyone using it will have their own views and ways of displaying and using Dopus.. similar to the Amiga version. As a file manager, it works superbly, for Zip archives, it's a boon, and for FTP work, you can now ditch whatever you were using before. Get it while its hot!!