NoteTab Pro vs. metapad

A long time ago, in the days when the basic Windows Notepad application was very limited, I looked for a replacement, and found a free app called metapad.

I liked it for several reasons, including the fact that it could handle files of any size, it has more functionality than Notepad while still retaining a very simple interface, and, most importantly, it could actually replace the system Notepad.exe program.

What that meant was that all files that used to be opened by Notepad would now be opened with metapad instead – i.e. no having to reassign default applications to a bunch of file types.

However, with the introduction of Windows XP (I think I first found metapad when I was running Windows 98), the increased system security (?) meant that getting metapad to replace the Notepad app was very difficult, and the last time I had to install metapad, after upgrading to a new XP laptop, I couldn’t get that part to work at all.

Which meant that one of my favourite metapad features was no longer a benefit.

And that, in turn, meant I was back on the hunt for a Notepad replacement that at least offered the ability to take the place of Notepad – and any other additional features would be just a benefit.

Following a recommendation from Derek Franklin, (creator of, for example, The Copywriter’s Brain), I took NoteTab Pro for a test drive, as they offer a free trial.

I liked what I saw – it has the ability to replace Notepad (it’s actually a menu option within the application), it has all of the main features of metapad, and it also supports the creation of what they call “outline” documents.

These are a special type of file that allows you to create structured notes within a single file, useful, for example, if you’re writing a book, where you can create one section per chapter, or if you’re maintaining an ideas file, where you can quickly create a new section (for the idea), and then add a few notes to remind you what that idea was all about.

There are many other features too, including the ability to have more than one file open at once, via its tabbed interface, a multi-line search and replace function, support for RegEx, a built-in calculator, and much, much more.

So far, I’ve been really happy with my decision to change to NoteTab Pro (they also do a free Light version and a Standard version, although their features are more limited) – it’s not free, but it is very reasonably-priced, and it offers more features than most people probably need.

Anyway, check it out – the free version is, well, free, while the Standard and Pro versions both offer 30-day free trials, which is more than long enough to decide it’s worth upgrading to the full product.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:


Powered By Odd Facts

The Vegetarian Ark

This is the first post in a category entitled Religious Questions, in which I ponder issues relating to religion that have bugged me for years.

To get started, we’ll go all the way back to the book of Genesis.

So, here’s my first question: if Noah (and family) took two of every animal with them on board the Ark, what (or who) did the carnivores eat?

There are, I guess, a few possibilities.

Firstly, maybe there were no carnivores in those days, but if that’s the case, where did they come from, and/or what made some of the surviving herbivores turn into meat-eaters (i.e. vegetarianism in reverse)?

Secondly, maybe Noah took extra animals on board just to feed those carnivores, and if so, how could he possibly gauge how much food would be needed to last until the Flood was over?

(In fact, he apparently didn’t know how long the Flood would last, anyway, so how did he know how much of any type of food to take on board to make sure nobody would starve to death during the voyage? He may have been told that the rain would last for 40 days and nights, but how could he have known it would take 150 days for the waters to subside again? And what type of food, in those days, would last for 150 days without spoiling?)

Thirdly, maybe this is why some species became extinct right from the get-go – because the carnivores on board ate them?

I’m sure there are other possibilities, so if you have any thoughts on the matter, please feel free to post a comment below.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:


Powered By Odd Facts

Song Of The Day – Spirit In The Sky (Thursday, 22 April 2010)

(See my previous post, My Internal Jukebox for what this category is all about.)

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:


Powered By Odd Facts

Song Of The Day – School Days (Wednesday, 21 April 2010)

(See my previous post, My Internal Jukebox for what this category is all about.)

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:


Powered By Odd Facts

Earth Day 2010

The older I get, the greener I get, as I try to use more natural products and stop wasting the planet’s resources, where possible. I’m far from living a 100% organic lifestyle, but I always try to do what I can.

22 April is Earth Day 2010, and I’m delighted is that Amazon.com is launching their Earth Day 2010 store, where you can learn about green solutions to help make every day Earth Day.

You can also save on green cleaning products, personal care, lighting, baby products, toys and more.

In addition, you can also benefit from Amazon.com’s large selection of green and sustainable goods year-round at the Amazon Green store.

So, if you want to do your bit for the planet and still get all the benefits of shopping at Amazon.com, then check out these two new sites of theirs.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:


Powered By Odd Facts

Chinese Naps

Chinese Naps are those naps where, shortly after you’ve taken one, you need another.

Those of you who’ve eaten Chinese food will understand this immediately!

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:


Powered By Odd Facts

Song Of The Day – Bad Day (Monday, 12 April 2010)

(See my previous post, My Internal Jukebox for what this category is all about.)

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:


Powered By Odd Facts

It’s April

It’s time for flowers to come into bloom
The start of sunshine and the end of gloom
Songs of birds completely filling the air
And optimism blossoms everywhere
People starting to get plans in their head
Ready to move house or even get wed
It’s a time to rejoice, a time of hope
Laugh and be happy and please do not mope

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:


Powered By Odd Facts