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 Post subject: New to the Program
PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 1:51 am 
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Alright, so bare with me here. I have been fighting with the program ever since I installed it and am starting to become extremely frustrated. Unfortunately, I can't find just a basic tutorial on how to use this thing. The only tutorials I've found are only about how to change the dock's appearance, not how to use it or what it's capabilities are.

I downloaded it in hopes that it could be a replacement for the now defunct 'Dell Dock' if any of you are familiar with that.

The thing that I adored about Dell Dock was the ability to create categories in the dock itself so that I could put links to various programs, apps and folders into my personalized categories. I would create a category called 'Media', for instance. I could put all my music and movie related software. When I clicked on 'Media' a list of those programs and apps would drop down.

I'm assuming that this program can do something like this. I've found references on the site to tabs and sub-docks but I can't find any description of what those actually are or instructions on how to use them.


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 Post subject: Re: New to the Program
PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:06 am 
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You're not specifying if you are running Winstep Xtreme, Nexus Ultimate or the free version of the Nexus dock (I suspect the latter).

Have you read the PRODUCT COMPARISON already? That should give you a base for us to get started in this discussion.

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 Post subject: Re: New to the Program
PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:38 am 
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Nexus free version. I have looked through the comparison chart but since I have no idea what several of the Features discussed even are it didn't help a great deal. I can't seem to find anything that describes what the features are or what they do.


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 Post subject: Re: New to the Program
PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:58 am 
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Ok, if you read that product comparison page then you already know that the free version of Nexus cannot do the things you want: it only supports a single dock and does not support sub-docks (i.e.; the ability to categorize applications into sub-bars of the main bar, which is what you want and the Dell dock could do).

So, no matter how much you tried, you would never have been able to do these things with the free version of Nexus simply because it does not support them. It's a FREE dock, after all.

Now, Nexus Ultimate, on the other hand, already supports all that: it supports as many different docks as you want and inside each dock it also supports multi-level *nested* sub-docks (i.e.; you can put categories inside categories inside categories).

It also has something called the Shelf, which is a 'tabbed dock'. Here you can categorize things using different tabs on the Shelf. The Shelf is extremely powerful because it has 20 different tab *types*: you can even display the contents of folders in your hard drive (with full drag & drop support) inside a Shelf, or the contents of the Windows Desktop, or your most Recent Documents, and so on...

The upcoming version, which is currently in beta, goes even further than this by adding support for multiple Shelves, vertical Shelves, and something new called 'Drawers' (an hybrid of a Shelf and a dock) :)

So, the short answer is: yes, it does everything the Dell Dock did and MUCH, MUCH, more. Yes, you will have to pay for Nexus Ultimate, the more advanced version of the free version of Nexus you're currently using.

Word of warning though: do not go to Nexus Ultimate expecting it to work exactly like the Dell dock did. They are different applications and Nexus Ultimate is an order of magnitude more powerful and flexible - so different ways of doing the same thing, with the learning curve for Nexus Ultimate being accordingly a bit steeper.

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 Post subject: Re: New to the Program
PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:13 am 
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Also, I would like to take advantage of the fact that you are still a 'virgin' to Winstep applications (so to say), if that is ok with you.

Would you mind enumerating the features that you had trouble understanding what they did? That would help me clarify them to others in the future.

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 Post subject: Re: New to the Program
PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:16 am 
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So, that's what sub-docks are? Similar to categories? I saw something called sub-docks on the comparison chart but couldn't find anything anywhere that told me what that actually meant. And I still have no idea what the tabs you are talking about are or what they do.

I've realized that this program has a steep learning curve. Is there a tutorial somewhere that goes through what all the features actually do and how to use them?

I'm trying to figure out if buying the Ultimate version will be worth it. If I'm paying $25 just for sub-docks I'm not sure it will be. I feel like I'd be buying a race car when all I need is something that can take me to the corner store for milk if you understand me. I'm willing to find out if any of the other paid features would be things I'd have a use for but just from the comparison list I have no idea.


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 Post subject: Re: New to the Program
PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:37 am 
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Magpie wrote:
So, that's what sub-docks are? Similar to categories? I saw something called sub-docks on the comparison chart but couldn't find anything anywhere that told me what that actually meant. And I still have no idea what the tabs you are talking about are or what they do.

I've realized that this program has a steep learning curve. Is there a tutorial somewhere that goes through what all the features actually do and how to use them?

I'm trying to figure out if buying the Ultimate version will be worth it. If I'm paying $25 just for sub-docks I'm not sure it will be. I feel like I'd be buying a race car when all I need is something that can take me to the corner store for milk if you understand me. I'm willing to find out if any of the other paid features would be things I'd have a use for but just from the comparison list I have no idea.

A current manual as such is not available at present, but there is online help. Also, there is a free 30-day trial version available of both NeXus Ultimate and Winstep Xtreme.

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 Post subject: Re: New to the Program
PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:39 am 
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Magpie wrote:
So, that's what sub-docks are? Similar to categories? I saw something called sub-docks on the comparison chart but couldn't find anything anywhere that told me what that actually meant.


Well, here is the reasoning: you already know what a dock is, and you've probably heard of the term 'sub-menus' before in relation to menus, no? So, the idea is that if a user is familiar with both those terms, then he should be able to deduce that a sub-dock works just like a sub-menu, i.e.; it is a dock within a dock - you click an item in the main dock and another dock opens.

Exactly like it happens in the Dell Dock.

Image

Magpie wrote:
And I still have no idea what the tabs you are talking about are or what they do.


You know what tabs in an Internet Browser do, don't you? So, the Shelf (tabbed dock) works exactly in the same way: you click on another tab to change the page you are seeing. Except, instead of web content, you have icons.

Image

What you are seeing above is the Shelf. The text at the top are the tabs - click on a different tab, the 'body' of the Shelf changes to display all the icons in that different tab.

Magpie wrote:
I've realized that this program has a steep learning curve. Is there a tutorial somewhere that goes through what all the features actually do and how to use them?


No, there used to be but not anymore. The applications are actually fairly intuitive if you stick to the basics, provided, of course, you know what the terms mean.

Magpie wrote:
I'm trying to figure out if buying the Ultimate version will be worth it. If I'm paying $25 just for sub-docks I'm not sure it will be. I feel like I'd be buying a race car when all I need is something that can take me to the corner store for milk if you understand me.


Yes, Nexus Ultimate is indeed like buying a race car. It does everything a normal car does but also a lot of things a normal car wouldn't be able to do.

And since we are into analogies, a race car is better for you even if you only drive it like a normal car: it brakes faster, and it accelerates faster, allowing you to quickly get out of a jam when overtaking another car if you need to. ;)

Magpie wrote:
I'm willing to find out if any of the other paid features would be things I'd have a use for but just from the comparison list I have no idea.


Well, that is related to your previous comment, but it doesn't change the fact that you would still have to pay the $25 for Nexus Ultimate even if all you used was the sub-docks.

Here is my advice to you: first read the product description for Nexus/Nexus Ultimate, ALL of it. Follow the links to internal commands, what they are, etc...

Then go back to the main page in the Winstep web site. Follow the news relating to each release of Nexus Ultimate which you can find on the right side panel. You will need to delve deep into the 'Older News' section too.

The news about each release describes what is new for that particular version, and it has a nice highlight at the top with pictures.

I'm pretty sure doing the above will give you an idea of some of the things you can do with Nexus Ultimate.

Either that or it will scare you away. :)

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