The Good
* Straightforward and easy to use.
* Users can display as many desktop clocks as they want.
o Each desktop clock can be customized individually, such as set to different timezones.
* Clocks can be customized in looks, size, location, timezone, label, etc.
* Clocks can be temporarily hidden if user does not want to view specific ones.
* Has over 90 stunning clock skins.
* Has the ability to set alarms.
* Doubles as a system tray clock replacement program: Clocks can be used to replace Windows system tray clock.
* Extremely low on computer resources (RAM/CPU).

The Bad
* Some digital clock skins have poor support for AM/PM signs.
* No way to "snooze" alarms.
* Alarms can only be based off the user's timezone - not each clock's individual timezone.

Free Alternatives
Qlock

For final verdict, recommendations, and full review please click here.

Ashraf  –  16 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+110)

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I have and use PerfectClock Professional Edition, purchased previously via Bits du Jour for $10. Obviously, I think it's good enough to use, but there are issues.

On the plus side, PerfectClock doesn't lag. Many other clocks will lag, some by up to a second. Many people wouldn't care, but I don't find that acceptable. It's also distracting when you have multiple clocks (analog and digital, multiple displays, etc.)

100+ clock skins are available, and 260+ wallpaper/screensaver clock skins are available if you have PerfectClock Professional Edition.

The version number handling is horrible. The only way to tell what version you have is to install it and check the About box. The program name, properties, registry entries, etc., all have wrong or missing version information.

PerfectClock is somewhat high-CPU for a clock. It should run with a fraction of a percent CPU on a moderately fast PC. I use it for three clocks, and it's taking about a percent. If I enable some options, CPU can double. The calendars, which should consume the least CPU, consume the most, so I don't use them. Why does a percent or two of CPU matter? Because I run tons of background apps. Most consume only a fraction of a percent of CPU, but they add up. It doesn't take much to interfere with Windows power management (automatic sleep). The fact is, moderately fast CPU's have tremendous amounts of compute. Consuming a percent for a few clocks is unnecessary and indicates inefficient coding.

The clock lighting doesn't match Vista and higher standards. Apparently, Europeans use digital clocks which always display a one or a zero as the leading digit. No clocks in the US have ever done that. I hate seeing a useless and distracting leading zero three-quarters of the time.

When clocks are locked and the screen resolution changes, PerfectClock should remember the original selected position(s), and use that when the screen resolution changes back to its original value, but it doesn't. While a common screw-up, that's actually a somewhat big deal.

I've brought these issues up with the developer, and none of them have been addressed.

Compared to other multi-clock apps, PerfectClock is pretty good, but obviously it could be improved.

Regarding SNTP time-setting: most users running XP or higher should probably let Windows handle it. Accuracy claims for SNTP are meaningless. I need sub-second accuracy, so I run a true NTP client. A true NTP client will connect to multiple time servers, won't bang on stratum-1 timeservers, and will adjust the clock frequency rather than the time, if at all possible. However, a true NTP client isn't for most people and isn't for people who don't know what they're doing, as NTP clients have to be configured correctly to avoid burdening the NTP network. Running a public NTP server is useful for contributing to the network, but Windows doesn't have adequate real-time response for that, and most people don't have a good enough Internet connection.

#4, John, right-click the tray icon, select Clock List. Click on the clock image or name which you want to change (stay away from the checkbox area, those get selected even in the white space). Click Properties at the bottom of the dialog box. Select the General tab, set the Time Zone, click OK.

Fubar  –  16 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+65)

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I forgot to mention some FYI items:

The promised 4.5.1 version of Smart Diary Suite Medical Edition for GOTD is available. In case you missed the note, if you installed SDS 4 during the giveaway period, you're entitled to the upgrade.

During the Wondershare TimeFreeze 2 giveaway, people were confused about the differences between that type of disk access virtualization, vs. virtual machines, vs. sandboxes, vs. application virtualizers. They're all different, although sandboxes and application virtualizers are pretty close. Personally, I prefer System Restore and one of the many near-continuous backup utilities, such as ShadowProtect Desktop, over disk virtualizers like TimeFreeze.

I thought that mike would mention just how bad the install of PDFZilla was, but he missed half of it. In addition to the noted installation problems, it installs to the root of the drive, partly so that it can "hide" registration information in .DLL's (dumb idea). I give it a zero for Windows compatibility.

Fubar  –  16 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+27)

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20MB for a clock..... a bit excessive,is it not!

Bettersafethansorry  –  16 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+17)

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FWIW, if you have Firefox and don't mind restricting the time indication to open browser windows then look at the (free) FoxClocks add-on. Small and neat. Time can be by country or City. I have 7 across the bottom.

Just go to the Firefox add-on manager. Easy to remove if unwanted.

Dori  –  16 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+9)

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