Timing is everything. You might think a company that releases a replacement for Windows' File Manager - only months before the long-awaited debut of Chicago/Windows 4.0 - has its calendar crossed. But if you're talking about the new XTree Gold for Windows, you'd be wrong.

After examining a pre-release version of the program, it's clear that XTree Gold not only brings intuition and sense to the ugly job of managing files, but is far superior to Chicago's own File Manager replacement. When Chicago users discover what they've been stuck with, they'll gallop to the computer store for XTree Gold for Windows.

You don't have to be a computer geek to get excited about a product like this. In the last few years, hard disks have gotten bigger and bigger, with a corresponding increase in the number of files and directories to manage and prune. DOS isn't up to the task, nor is File Manager. XTree fills a very real need -- to adequately catalogue and comprehend the thousands of files on today's hard disk.

LOOKING AHEAD

In these months before the arrival of Chicago, any software purchase should be approached with caution. You don't want to waste time or money on a program that will be incompatible with the industry standard operating system. However, XTree Gold for Windows is probably a safe purchase. For starters, Central Point swears the program is "Chicago ready" and will work with the next Windows version when it arrives. Given their reputation for quality (and their recent acquisition by Symantec/Norton), I'm inclined to believe them.

Second, XTree Gold for Windows is already miles beyond the capabilities of Chicago's resident file manager (dubbed Explorer). Unless Microsoft dramatically revamps Explorer soon, it will undoubtedly become known as the worst file manager on the planet. Aside from some nifty network features, Explorer lacks the file management moxie and flexibility of your run-of-the-mill file utility. That makes XTree's arrival especially prescient.

OUT WINDOWING WINDOWS

The key to XTree Gold for Windows's power is its ability to display several different views of the disk and its contents, and save those custom views for repeated use. This shell is also easy on the mouse -- you can run the entire show using one-key mnemonic commands, such as C for Copy, M for Move, and so on.

The smartest addition to XTree's interface is "tabbed" windows. Often used in spreadsheets and personal information managers, it's a great way to have multiple windows (devoted to different views) available without cluttering up the desktop. When XTree first loads up, you get a default view of your hard disk, another view showing deleted files, and a folder view. With a little effort, you can create custom views of just about anything. For example, one view could be devoted just to Excel worksheets; another window could scan your drive for temporary files and display them for your inspection before you delete them. With XTree, you only input the necessary commands once, and install the preference as a tab.

One downside: XTree doesn't become an intimate part of the Program Manager desktop a la Norton Desktop for Windows's file manager. The one compensation: you can tap XTree's file management functions -- delete, copy, compress, expand, view, and so on -- from within any application via its File/Open dialog box. And there are still more goodies: A live DOS command line built into the XTree shell. And a configurable toolbar that lets you attach almost any command or macro to a button. The entire XTree interface is also configurable -- you can boil down file management to its essentials, or craft an interface that resembles the cockpit of a 747. You can view files in their native format, fonts, graphics, and all. There's an outline mode where you can group files into types. In short, XTree is the kitchen sink of file management in one neat package.

MANAGING IN STYLE

XTree Gold for Windows is the most capable Windows file manager in existence -- it's a worthwhile upgrade for just about any Windows user. However, if you're happy with Windows's File Mangler -- and you don't do much more than copy and move files -- XTree could be a waste of time and money. Wait for the inevitable release of Chicago and learn the ins and outs (and limits) of Explorer. But if you want a real explorer, get thee XTree Gold for Windows. It's the best deal in town. H

© 1995 Charles Bermant. All rights reserved.

Charles Bermant lives in Scotts Mills, Oregon, with his wife, daughter, a German exchange student, and too many animals. Please address all queries to cbermant@mcimail.com or cbermant@aol.com.