Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Do you leave notes to yourself on your computer ? I do. At times my desktop is filled with “important” text files, containing some information of sorts that I need to remember. It can be anything from the grocery-list, a new movie I’d like to check out… etc. etc.

I love a tidy desktop, and a problem with these note-files, is that they tend to pile up, overcrowding my desktop. After A while they either get deleted, or moved into a dark, gloomy folder somewhere, to never be seen again.

I have come a cross a great solution – Now I can Samurize …

Samurize is not actually designed to work on Vista or Windows 7,  I have tested it on my Windows 7 computer running it in “Windows XP compatibility mode”, without any problems what so ever. [update: It seems it’s only the installer that has compatibility issues. The program it self runs perfectly without any settings, once installed]

Samurize it

Samurize is a tool that let you embed information right onto your Windows desktop automatically.

Among other things, Samurize can display constantly updated text files right on your computer desktop, no text editor or command shell required, for quick and easy visual reference. Let’s say that you have a program that generates reports that you constantly check, now you can let Samurize, display it on your desktop, updated on your set intervals.

The program has full multi-monitor support which is what most of our readers have (Poll)

Much more than text files

Samurize  let you display almost anything semi-transparent on top of your wallpaper. Images, clocks, gadgets, reports, etc. You can trigger Commandline tools and services, and let Samurize update the information on any given interval you choose.

I have several computers in my household, and depending on which computer logs on first the IP adresses change from day to day (yes I know I can set it to be fixed). Instead I use Samurize to display the current IP-adress directly on my desktop (using ipconfig.exe)

Samurize also has full extensibility via scripts and plugins with a powerful plugin SDK/API. Their user forum is packed with “extras” that you can download and install. Your fantasy is the limit.

WYWiWYG (or, What You Want Is What You Get)

A thing that I really like about Samurize is the embedded WYSIWYG  layout editor. The editor let you not only choose location for information to display, but also the “look and feel”. You can format everything to your likings, using fonts, font-size, headings, size etc.

The editor takes a few minutes to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, it’s quite easy to use. Just don’t give up too easy. Study the interface a few minutes and I am sure you will be up and running in no time what so ever.

To get an idea of the endless possibilities, take a look at the Tutorials

Features

• an unrivalled set of built-in meters (Disk utilization, CPU usage, network traffic, system temperatures…)
• ultimate customizing and skinning possibilities with no programming knowledge required monitoring your own computer or others over a network
• tiny memory footprint and CPU usage
• the first system monitoring tool with a true WYSIWYG editor
• full extensibility via scripts and plugins with a powerful plugin SDK/API
• run command line tools
• minimal software requirements (no .NET or Service Packs necessary)
• multimonitor support
• many usage options (desktop, taskbar and clock clients, server outputting to XML or image formats, screen saver)

You control Samurize from the Taskbar Icon. Once you have edited your own config file, activate it by choosing it from the Right Click Menu.

Read More and Download from here

Scripts and Plugins

On a last note, the developers are in the process of moving their website to a new domain, but, it is not up and running as of yet, but the new URL will be: http://www.samurize.us/

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