While looking for Windows 2 applications, I stumbled upon several revisions
of the METZ Desktop Navigator. This is a Windows 2 compatible application,
even though the later versions were intended for use under Windows 3.0.
[画像:METZ About Screen]
METZ Desktop Navigator is a shareware product, and displays a nag screen
every time you start it up.
[画像:METZ Desktop Navigator]
It is somewhat similar to the Windows 3 File Manager. It displays a
tree of ALL directories on one side, and a file list on the other.
You know how DOSBox tells you not to mount your root directory as the C drive? This is why. Programs like this attempt to recurs and load ALL of the directories. Which was fine back on a 20 or 40 megabyte hard drive, but not on a 500GB drive with thousands upon thousands of directories.
[画像:METZ File Copy]
You can copy files between directories using a menu option and the
above selection dialog, but it does not support drag-and-drop.
[画像:METZ File Find]
Among various other functions, you can search for files by filename.
The results of the find operation appear in right pane where you can perform
file operations on them.
[画像:METZ Tools Menu]
Desktop Navigator has a "Tools" menu that you can use like a "Start"
menu.
You can customize it via the "Customize..." menu option. You select the files you want with point-and-click using a graphical dialog and file selector.
[画像:METZ Tiled Windows]
METZ Desktop Navigator provides options to re-arrange open windows
as a cascade or as tiles.
[画像:METZ Screen Saver]
The METZ Desktop Navigator also includes a screen blanker, that will
blank the screen after so many minutes of inactivity while the program
is running.
[画像:METZ Desktop Manager]
An earlier version of Desktop Navigator also includes Desktop Manager.
Desktop Manager offers a list of available programs, similar in function to the Windows 3.x Program Manager.
There are no graphical icons, and it does not use a Multiple Document Interface window.
Since Desktop Manager was not a "standard" shell, SETUP programs will not add themselves to this shell.
[画像:METZ Applications]
This earlier version also includes a number of other applications,
including a floating clock, and several dialers.
In conclusion, the METZ Desktop Navigator and Desktop Manager make Windows 2.x feel a bit more like Windows 3. Although it is not a Macintosh-like desktop, it provides a number of advantages over the normal MS-DOS Executive.
