I was recently sent a copy of Partition Manager Server 3.0 from EASEUS so I decided to check it out and see if it was any good.
Firstly, the software itself is simple to install and get up and running. Although aimed really at the techie, the software does have a comprehensive help system, which as well as explaining the operating of the program, it also gives a good introduction into some partitioning terms. Although you could argue that the user would know perfectly well what partitioning was and how it worked, and if they didn’t they shouldn’t be touching this piece of software anyway.
The documentation and help dialogues are good throughout the partitioning process, although you can tell the programmer(s) at Easeus do not use English as their first language. In places you almost have to read paragraphs twice to get the gist of what’s going on – but otherwise I think the information is consistent and logical.
The partitioning process itself is very straightforward and works well. Simply right click a current drive and you can resize it, essentially leaving you with empty space to reallocate when the program is finished. A couple of reboots later (once for the partitioning, and another for windows to reconfigure the system for the new logical drive) you’re ready to allocate the space to another drive in windows easily.
Also to reallocate a previous partition back to the same drive is just as simple, although in reverse of course.
If I did have a gripe about the logic of the program, it would be that major changes to the disk structure don’t kick into action straight away. Instead, on the left in the program an option to Apply or Undo appears. I found this confusing when trying to format my new partition during the review. Only after clicking the button to format 3 times and nothing happening, did I notice the section on the left waiting for me to click "Apply". Perhaps a dialogue to inform the user that here were unconfirmed actions still waiting would remove this confusion? Or maybe just having the program execute right away.
Other than that, the program performed well and did the actual job of partitioning as expected. The home version is free for download by anyone, but only supports 32-bit OS’s. If you need 64-bit support, the Professional version is available at this time for $31.96. And for corporate users, the server version that was reviewed is $149, for a single license. The Unlimited version for $399.20 is the same as the server version, but without any licensing restrictions.
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