Every once in a while, you find a program which affects virtually every component of your device, elevating your whole device to a new level of effectiveness.  These are the absolutely essential applications, which you load first when you buy a new device, before the detritus takes over your storage.  Chief among this category of applications is the unassumingly named Resco Explorer 2007.  Resco Explorer 2007 is a millionaire living in the smallest house in the neighborhood.  Based upon the name and description, you would never guess the power which lies within.  Sure, you can explore your files with this program, but that is just one small feature among many.  Instead, Resco Explorer is really a total device manager. 

Installation and Registration: Installation is pretty standard.  You can download the desktop installer and load the program via Activesync (or Windows Mobile Device Center).  There is also a cab file if you would rather download it directly to your device.  Once installed, you can test out all of the features of Resco Explorer for seven days.  I suggest you purchase and register the program well in advance of that seven day timeframe.  Once yo have loaded Resco Explorer,your device will simply feel inadequate without it.

Registered users are also entitled to free upgrades for a year.  You can launch the Resco Update at anytime directly from your device to check for new versions of Explorer.

File Management: I know I said that file management would be one small part of this review, and I figured we might as well go ahead and talk about it so we could move on to all of the other fantastic features Resco has included here. 

Let’s start by looking at the File Explorer which is included with Windows Mobile.  For purposes of this review, I am looking at the version included with Windows Mobile 6 Professional.  A quick comparison, however, reveals that there has been little more than cosmetic changes to this program since Windows Mobile 2003SE.  The included File Explorer allows you to do exactly what its name implies.  From here you can browse files.  That is about it.  You can move between the various folders and have a very limited ability to manipulate the files and folders stored on your device.  Aside from utilizing it to locate and open a file, the included File Explorer offers little help with respect to controlling and organizing the information stored on your device.  In other words, it is badly in need of an upgrade.

In addition to mirroring the functions of the included file explorer, Resco Explorer allows you to manage your files in virtually any manner which you could on your desktop.  From here you can:

• cut and past files from one location to another
• open files
• drag and drop a file from one folder to another
• create new folders and shortcuts
• select multiple files to manipulate as one. 
• send a file via email, sms, mms, Bluetooth, or just to another location on your device (including the Today Screen Plugin)

In short, this is the best file management tool available for your mobile device.  And yet, we are not even close to done discussing it.  One of the newer features in the Resco Explorer is the recycle bin.  This is a fantastic addition because everyone who uses a Windows PC should be familiar with this feature.  Essentially, when you delete a file from your device, rather than removing it entirely, it will be moved to the recycling bin.  This ensures that inadvertently deleted files can be easily restored.  To permanently remove a file, just empty the recycling bin.

Resco Explorer also enables full file compression and encryption directly from your mobile device.  From here, you can password protect any file, hiding your important data.  Additionally, you can utilize file compression in order to facilitate sharing and archiving of larger files.  This works exactly like it would on your desktop computer.  Simply select the files to compressed and they will be saved into a zip archive which can be decompressed from your device, or any other computer.  And like your desktop computer you can even use the powerful search engine to locate files on your device, wherever they may hide.

Users of Internet Explorer will also recognize the Favorites feature, as shortcuts to your commonly used websites.  Resco brings the convenience of Favorites to the palm of your hand, allowing you to designate any file, folder, or location on your device as a favorite.  Open the Favorites menu to quickly jump to any of your saved favorite locations.

Comparing Resco Explorer to the included Windows Mobile File Explorer is much like comparing a Ford Mustang to a Mustang.  Sure, they can both be ridden from point A to point B, and they share a name in common.  One, however, is obviously significantly more convenient, easier to use, and filled with advanced features.  The other is just a horse.

Registry Editor: If Resco had stopped with the File Explorer, I suspect most users would have been happy.  Instead, however, they have included several additional modules, completely unrelated to the file explorer, which ensure that Resco Explorer 2007 integrates and allows you to control every aspect of your device, not just the files and folders saved in storage.

The first of these "extras" is the registry editor.  Now, it would have been easy to include a mediocre registry editor, allowing the program to rest on its file exploring laurels.  After using Resco’s registry editor, however, I am convinced that they do not know the meaning of the word "mediocrity".  To say that this registry editor is good, however, would vastly understate its capabilities.  This is simply the best registry editor available today.  This program could easily have been spun off as a separate commercially available product.  It is simply stunning to me that Resco has included it as a free component of Resco Explorer 2007.

FTP Client: I have to admit here that really do not use FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, on my mobile device.  I really just find that I rarely have an opportunity or need to do so.  That being said, the FTP interface within Resco Explorer is extremely easy to use.  Just enter the session information, login and you are ready to go.

Today Plug In: OK, confession number two.  When I started using Resco Explorer about two years ago, the first thing I did was turn off the included Today Screen Plug-in.  It was large, ugly, and took up way too much space on my screen for what it delivered.  Since that time, however, the plug-in has been completely reconfigured.  I loaded it to test for this review, and never looked back.

The first part of the plug-in are the meters.  These will show you your available battery, program memory, storage memory,and storage card.  This display is completely customizable.  Use the options to configure which information will be shown.  Tap any of these three meters to toggle between showing the free space, used space, total available, and percent used.  One of the real attractions for me, however, was that the meters are now fully skinnable, meaning I could finally ditch the large and largely unattractive meters and replace them with the slimmer and more visually pleasing alternatives.  From here, you can also jump straight to the Resco Settings Information Screen.  This provides you with all of the necessary information about the performance of your device in one (actually two tabs) quick view screen.

More importantly, however, the Today Screen Plug-in now includes a task manager.  With this feature enabled, you can attach any applications or documents to the plug-in.  Simply select change items from the options menu and an icon will appear on your today screen.  Even though I use Pocket Plus 4,I love being able to have the few programs I access the most residing front and center on my today screen.

Conclusion: The first time I encountered Resco Explorer, I had heard its reputation as a good file explorer.  And it lived up to that reputation from the first time I loaded it.  In fact, if this had been all I found, I probably would have been completely satisfied.  But Resco felt the need to also add the FTP Client, Registry Editor, Today Plug-in, and more.  And these are not just throw-ins to make the package appear more robust.  In addition to the File Explorer, the FTP Client and Registry Editor are widely considered to be the best available.  Resco just does not seem to know the meaning of the word mediocre…much to our benefit.  The Today Screen Plug-in, which had been the weakest part of the package, has been significantly enhanced, and has become one of the most critical tools on my device.  By now, it should be obvious why Resco did not name this program File Explorer.  It does not explore your files.  It is a complete device explorer.  The tools included in this package will impact every aspect of your device, including: your files and storage, memory, registry, networking, deleted files, today screen, …and much more, that you will just have to discover for yourself. 

Vital Stats:

Name: Resco Explorer 2007

Version: 6.17

Tested On: Windows Mobile 6 Professional

Also Available For: Windows Mobile 5, Palm OS, Windows Mobile Smartphone

Price: $29.95

Available From: Resco

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Related posts:

1. Resco Explorer 2007 Released!
2. Resco Announces Explorer 2007
3. Resco releases Explorer 6.15
4. Resco Explorer 2007 Becomes Certified
5. Resco Explorer 2007 v3.10 for Palm Released