Even though Windows offers a clock, it does not offer a timer utility. For people that want a simple, small but efficient timer, stopwatch or even another clock XNote Timer has them covered.
Installation & Requirements
There is no installation for XNote Timer. You simply download and run the executable file. The supported operating systems are Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7 and 8.
Interface
The whole program runs in a single window, precisely like a desktop gadget in both functionality and appearance. Despite its simple appearance, the program is quite comprehensive, especially for such a small standalone application. Double clicking on the interface changes the style. You can either set it to the normal mode which will have various buttons on it or set it to compact which will only display the timer. You can also set it to appear on top of every window.
The utility options are to set it as a stopwatch, an alarm or a simple clock. The alarm mode offers the most advanced options. You cannot set it to start at a certain point during the day but you can figure that out yourself as you can set it to operate after an X amount of time. When the timer ends you can set the application to play an audio file or even open any kind of file like an executable one, a browser link or whatever else you want. You can then set it to an infinite loop, set the application to close itself, restart the timer and set it to count up from point zero.
Because of those options, the application can be used in a variety of options. You can use it to test how much time a task takes, you can use it to wake you up if you do not shut your computer down and you can even use it to automate some processes so that you can work on other things. Since you can resize it to whatever you want, you can simply leave it running on the background and forget about it till the alarm or the timer goes off. You can also set hotkeys specific to the application so that you can control it without ever having to click on it ever again.
Pros
-No installation and a very small file size
-Extremely easy to use interface for anyone
-Loads of options for the timers that provide multiple options for automated processes
Cons
-The application could use some skins and some more timer options
Conclusion
For such a simple looking application, XNote Timer truly offers a lot of options for everyone. If you are looking for a simple timer or if you are looking for an extremely simple way to automate some processes, you will find what you want in this application without having the need to install anything.
