Tripower

Tripower Software throws out some impressive numbers to entice you to tap into Tripower’s power. Though the 90-day free trial is best for judging the file manager, the numbers are noteworthy, as Tripower Software claims the app can access, organize, and control up to 35 trillion files (including across networked drives) in only three clicks. That Tripower does this from one window may be better.

To organize files, the app uses three panes: Projects, Topics, and Files. Projects are analogous to filing cabinets that store manila folders (Topics), which store individual papers (Files). Click a Project and its related Topics display in the next pane. Click a Topic and related files appear in the Files pane with names you assign. Click a file, and its host app launches it from within Tripower. Nice. Tripower can store 33,000 Projects, 33,000 Topics for each Project, and 33,000 Files for each Topic.

An NFL Football Teams Project is bundled to illustrate the process. For example, click the Official Sites Topic and all NFL team names display in the Files pane, with each name doubling as a URL to the team’s site.

Renaming and editing files is easy, and you can use the same file for various Topics, clean up files no longer belonging to a Project, and include mixed file types within a Topic (email addresses, Web sites, etc.). A built-in search engine helps locate files, otherwise you’ll add them to Projects from the File menu, toolbar, or right-click menu. Unfortunately, inputting multiple files is time-consuming using the Add File To File List option. Although the ability exists, the company disabled it in favor of overall ease of use. For now, when you add a file, the app assigns it a default name, which the file displays as in the File pane. You can add multiple files at once using the Global File Search option, but you’ll still need to name and accept files individually. The
company plans to add automation options in future versions.

Tripower was quick and stable in my testing, and its ability to manage even a dozen or so Projects is stellar. The program supports WinMe and up, with Vista support expected soon.