ES File Explorer: Alternatives ?

[Thom]

Thank you for the correction. I just updated it.

My problem is that I really like ES and see it as having some correctable problems. It "feels" like they are going to add advertising to the free version and the "nicer" environment will be the Pro version. I suspected this before trying out the Pro version. I am even more convinced now.

To reiterate ... I don't trust the cloud and don't use it for my data ... I backup my phones on my desktop computer using a USB cable. I don't store anything on them that I am not willing to have in the hands of my worst enemy. As a result, the one known issue with ES is not an issue for me personally.

... Thom

 

[Crashdamage]

@Thom...but by getting the paid Pro version aren't you rewarding their bad behavior? Or is this a refusal to give up what you're used to? Can't throw away those comfortable, but stinky old shoes?

 

[Thom]

I view my use of ES Pro as an experiment. I am not falling on my sword for it. I used ES for years and augmented it with X-plore over a year ago.

The title of the thread is ES Explorer: Alternatives and ES Pro is in my opinion a possible alternative.

ES is in my opinion a correctable situation and I hope they correct the cloud issues for those who use the cloud. (Cheetah Mobile Tools on the other hand is in my opinion uncorrectable. They would have to re-work every product they own.)

ES had a real problem and a new annoying user interface. With ES Pro the first one is still there and the second is corrected along with some touchy-feely enhancements.

If cloud access is your requirement I strongly recommend that you don't use either one.

I develop software. Every app that I that has a paid version ... is the version I use. This is the best way I know of to encourage the developer to grow in the right direction. It is easier to motivate some developers to take corrective action in a paid app vs. a free app.

I reported a 115GB copy job I had where I used Explorer, X-plore, and ES for local copying. X-plore and Explorer failed. The job was finished with ES.

... Thom

 

[AZgl1500]

I'm going to stick strictly with ASUS File Manager and only use WiFi to transfer stuff.

I just do NOT trust any of my stuff in the "cloud out there'.

 

[Crashdamage]

I must respectfully disagree. I would not reward their bad behavior until after they had demonstrated both problems were fixed. Screenshots could demonstrate UI improvements. Screenshots and a definitive privacy statement could prove privacy fixes. Only after that would I give them any money to further evaluate the app. It would not merit further consideration until then.

 

[Thom]

The only argument for using ES in place of X-plore was the copy task I had. Fill 115GB on a SD card as a test. Others had reported problems and assumed it was a problem with the SD card.

When allocated space was the same size (54GB?) as available space - Explorer died
When allocated space was around 100GB - X-plore died
ES completed the job.

If you don;t have a 128GB SD card then it is probably irrelevant to you.

And regarding privacy. If you are using it to access the cloud I strongly recommend that you don't use either ES or ES Pro.

... Thom

 

[Crashdamage]

Hey, no need to justify yourself to me at all. I just disagree and gave my reasons.

IOW, to me you're saying to ES "It appears you're moving to fix some problems with the UI. Privacy doesn't concern me. I like using your app and I'm buying the Pro version. Now that you have my money will you please follow up on the UI improvements?"

I'm saying "You have behaved like dirtbags. Until you clean up the friggin' UI and prove your app no longer violates user's privacy and trust, I will not buy it or use it and will advise others to do the same."

In cases like this ES thing I believe a stick is more effective than a carrot.

 

[Thom]

Hey, no need to justify yourself to me at all

I wasn't. This is an international forum. Everyone can do whatever they want. The reality as I know it is ...

• Local Access - ES, ES Pro, X-plore, Explorer no data exposure
• Cloud Access - X-plore, Explorer no data exposure, do not use ES or ES Pro
• User Interface - ES is bad, X-plore takes some learning, Explorer is fine, ES Pro is fine with some bells-and-whistles
• 128GB SD card - Explorer fails at 58GB, X-plore fails at 100GB in one test and no problem in two other tests , ES, ES Pro no problem

So ... you pick what constraints apply to you and choose accordingly.

I'm leaning towards X-plore and probably ES Pro (clean user interface).

Everyone can do whatever they want.

... Thom

 

[AZgl1500]

I wasn't. This is an international forum. Everyone can do whatever they want. The reality as I know it is ...

• Local Access - ES, ES Pro, X-plore, Explorer no data exposure
• Cloud Access - X-plore, Explorer no data exposure, do not use ES or ES Pro
• User Interface - ES is bad, X-plore takes some learning, Explorer is fine, ES Pro is fine with some bells-and-whistles
• 128GB SD card - Explorer fails at 54GB, X-plore fails at 100GB, ES no problem, ES Pro not yet tested

So ... you pick what constraints apply to you and choose accordingly.

I'm leaning towards X-plore and probably ES Pro (128GB support and clean user interface).

Everyone can do whatever they want.

... Thom

Thom,

Thank you for going to the trouble to scoop this out...
I am bookmarking that post for future readers...

 

[Thom]

The ES Pro test was completed and like ES it has no problem copying to the 128GB SD card. 117GB is the maximum used.

Post #58 was edited to include these results.

... Thom

 

[Crashdamage]

My son in law was just here this morning with his Sony Z3 which just happens to have a brand-new 128GB card and X-plore installed. He only had a few GB of stuff on it and I said ' Ya wanna do a little test?' and he was up for it since he was here for at least 2-3 hours and kinda curious after I told hm about this discussion.

So we dumped the card's files temporarily onto my Linux box and started filing the card with files on my box using X-plore. It maxed out the card without a hitch. I wish I had timed how long it took but we got busy with other things and didn't pay atttention. Anyway, it seems there are some unknown factors at work. Maybe ES is less fussy about the SD card used 0r...who knows. But this time at least, X-plore was up to the task.

 

[Thom]

Thanks for the test. The large SD card support seems a little erratic. I only tried it once with X-plore. It runs for a very long time.

I included your results in #58.

... Thom

 

[Crashdamage]

Yeah, no telling what is causing this behavior. Like I said, some unknown factors are at work. I don't have any phone any more that has a SD slot to try and chase it down further. I was just lucky my son in law the electrician was around all Sunday morning to help with some work on the house. I knew it would take hours to fill a 128GB card. I think it took 4 or 5 hrs.

We tested loading the card by USB connection from the Z3 to my Linux box which is hard-wired to the router. Then we let X-plore find the Google Fiber network box/router/Wifi/DVR/storage box (an all-purpose unit if there ever was one, but very good) on the network and loaded files from that rather than straight from the Linux box.. I wanted to also test X-plore transferring files over the network, but via ethernet not WiFi. Our WiFi is excellent, very fast and stable, but I wanted to take that variable out of the equation entirely and go with the speed and stabiity of a wired connection.

Did you test using WiFi or wired? If WiFi, do you think it could have influenced the result?

 

[Thom]

I had a folder on card0 that I renamed and copied to card1. I repeated the process until card1 was filled or there was a permanent failure.

I am running the test again (now) with X-plore to see if the results are the same.

... Thom

 

[Crashdamage]

So you did a test via internal process only. I'm thinking if you can reproduce your results, it could be a memory leak in X-plore which, once it becomes bad enough, eventually causes it to crash. Just taking a guess. Now, why would that not happen in my ethernet network test? Or, is it something else...such as your test method (a possibility I think - we didn't copy a single large file, but unlike your test it ran uninterrupted. ES may tolerate all the stop/start better than X-plore) the particular SD card used (doubtful, we used a Sandisk Class 10) or the Z3 vs your unspecified test unit? Many factors to consider.

Unknown factors at work that we may never know...or be upset enough to bother sorting out. I don't have a SD-equipped phone. Rather than get one, I'll leave this to X-plore's (pretty sharp) developer.

 

[Thom]

I just finished running X-plore the second time. It wrote the full 119GB available space. There was no permanent error this time There were four occurrences of it telling me it could no access a file on sdcard0 and when I reran it it did not have a problem.

So it looks like X-plore is the leader since there is the cloud problem with ES and ES Pro. ES Pro is second best.

... Thom

 

[PeteCress]

Currently I have Root Explorer and X-plore installed. If I had to recommend one of them it would be x-plore - less intuitive than Root Explorer, but a very powerful...

I have both installed now.

Only thing between me and uninstalling ES File Explorer is "Favorites".

I am pretty sure that Root Explorer lacks that facility, although it's list of recent paths at the top of the screen is pretty close.

But how about X-Plore? Nothing is jumping out at me. Might I be missing something ?

Although I have to observe that both apps are just s00000 fast/responsive that Favorites becomes significantly less important.... ... I would still like to be able to get directly to the dir that the Camera app saves to just for speed/convenience in copying pix up to the network.

 

[zuben el genub]

When did ES change? I've got it but I haven't updated in a couple of years. If it isn't security and it doesn't look like anything I want or need, I don't bother.

 

[zuben el genub]

I downloaded X-Plore. If it behaves, will delete ES. Looks interesting.

 

[Thom]

Reference manual at ...
http://www.lonelycatgames.com/?app=xplore

Long press on a folder an there is an option to add favorite.
Go to the top most menu and it is listed at the bottom.

Long press on a favorite listed at the bottom of the top most menu.
It is removed from the list.

Tap an entry in the favorites list and you can access its contents.

... Thom

 

[PeteCress]

Reference manual at ...
http://www.lonelycatgames.com/?app=xplore

Long press on a folder an there is an option to add favorite.
Go to the top most menu and it is listed at the bottom.

Too sweet !....

Thanks.

Also, it finally dawned on me that I can define my Picasa web repository as a destination - so going from Phone | Camera to Picasa | (album name) gets even easier.

 

[Crashdamage]

Is there anything X-Plore doesn't do and do well? A terrific piece of software.

 

[PeteCress]

Is there anything X-Plore doesn't do and do well? A terrific piece of software.

I have not found any fault with it so far - and I can be a real jerk in that respect.... -)

One place I worked we used to test each others' applications before they went to QA and I earned the nickname "The Kiss of Death"....

 

[Thom]

I think the user interface could be improved.

I don't like the flip-flop list of icons.
The icons take up too much space.
It seems to have been developed for a tablet with side-by-side displays separated by icons.
​

... Thom

 

[AZgl1500]

When did ES change? I've got it but I haven't updated in a couple of years. If it isn't security and it doesn't look like anything I want or need, I don't bother.

IMO,

updates, just for the sake of incorporating a different twist, or look, are dangerous, and I just simply won't do them.

I have had perfectly good running apps just destroyed by an update coming along that was not suitable for my device.
The biggest one in memory totally wrecked the video graphics card on a PC once.... it had been running fine for 5 years, and then in a "stupid moment" I read something that said "your graphics card is..........." and clicked 'yes', and that was the last time that Graphics card worked in that PC for several days....

I had to use an external monitor, boot the PC into Linux, and reload the OEM original video driver for that PC.
Bingo! it works again....

Updates are a no no for me, why keep fixing something until it breaks?