Packed into WinNc.net's quirky UI there are several functions you won't find in Windows Explorer (though you will find some of them in one form or another elsewhere in Windows). These include a built-in FTP client, as well as the abilities to rip MP3s off a CD, compare binary or text files (but not .doc files), and synchronize the contents of two folders.
Like Windows Explorer, WinNc.net can burn files to a CD/DVD, as well as compress files via ZIP. Other compression formats (like RAR) can also be used with WinNc.net, but only if you have a corresponding external utility installed on your system.
WinNc.net includes a split file function whose ostensible purpose is to help send oversized files as e-mail attachments (since they tend to get rejected by mail servers), but it's designed in such a way that severely limits its usefulness.
For starters, you can't specify the size of the split chunks — rather, you must choose from a half-dozen pre-defined sizes tied to different types of physical media, such as a floppy drives, ZIP disks, or CD-R. Since there is no size option offered between a 2.88 MB floppy and a 100 MB ZIP disk, this all but ensures that you'll likely wind up with chunks that are either far too big or too small (and thus have more than you want).
After WinNc.net divides a file into the requisite number of pieces (it actually uses the command-line copy /b function for the task), it generates a 1KB batch file that you can use to reassemble them on any other system. Although we were able to use it to reconstitute a 24 MB TIFF file on another machine, the resulting single file lacked its original extension and thus wouldn't open until we replaced it. Frankly, file compression utilities like WinZIP make file splitting far easier and more convenient than WinNc.net, even if the file is of a type that can't be compressed.
Those who want to keep their data from prying eyes will appreciate WinNc.net's ability to encrypt files and folders. You can choose from a variety of different hash and cypher algorithms (encrypted files are given a .Encrypted extension.)
A few of WinNc.net's menu options seem superfluous or don't make a lot of sense. For instance, there's a System Info and Benchmark option that seems anachronistic in this day and age. You can also shut down Windows from directly within the WinNc.net, though with the Start menu easily accessible, we're not sure why you'd want or need this capability.
One of the things we noticed repeatedly while using WinNc.net is that when specifying a destination for a file operation (like copying, compression, encryption, etc.), the default path was almost always the root folder of the C drive — hardly the location most users would choose.
To make matters far worse, there's no browse function provided, so to specify a new location you must type a complete path manually.
The Bottom Line
WinNc.net runs on every version of Windows from 95 through XP, and you can download a fully-functional 45-day trial version of the software at, you guessed it, www.WinNc.net. Purchasing the software after the trial period will set you back 29.95 euros, but since the Euro price is fixed, the price in dollars will vary based on the current exchange rate.
As of this writing, the price worked out to $38.03, though clicking the WinNc.net's buy link actually quoted us a higher price of $40.78. (And dare we say it — whether in dollars or euros, WinNc.net's price tag strikes us as at least $10 too high.)
While there is some valuable wheat to be found amongst WinNc.net's chaff, we think this utility will likely appeal mainly to hard-core file jockeys for whom ease-of-use is not a priority (or perhaps even worthy of scorn). Ultimately, we don't think the average user (or even power user) will appreciate wading through WinNc.net's quirky UI and half-baked features.
Pros: Built-in FTP client, file encryption, and MP3 ripper
Cons: Irksome user interface, many features poorly implemented
