Update:
Lifehacker have chosen the top five file managers and now you can vote for which one is the best of those five:
lifehacker.com/399155/five-best- ... e-managers
Anyone can vote this time, not just members of LH.
Old message:
haha i went to that thread to vote for a different file manager, and that's where i learned about Opus, i saw lots of votes for it.
unfortunately now i'm completely torn between the two 
Out of interest which other file manager are you considering? I would be very surprised if there is anything out there that comes close to the power of opus.
i am also looking at zakbat's xplorer2 pro. it seems to the the only rival Opus has in that Lifehacker poll. but the more i use Opus the more i like it. it's so very customizable!
there are a few bits about xplorer2 pro that i prefer:
- it uses about 1/4 the RAM of Opus
- its 'scrap containers' are like 'File Collections' but i find them easier to use.
- 'sticky selection' mode, which is like holding CTRL to select several items, but it can be toggled on/off. i know you can use the checkbox mode in Opus but for some reason it's only available in details mode, and i usually use list mode.
- finally, and this is a big one, 'multi paste' lets you paste files into several folders at once. especially useful when you drop several folders into a 'scrap container' then multi-paste into them. i love that feature.
but Opus might just win out in the end, i love the flexibility of the toolbars and xplorer2 pro simply doesn't offer that... it would take me a month to set it up though. thankfully you can export the settings!
Check you're not using lots background images, icons (especially external ones) on your toolbars, icon sets you don't need, etc. Those things can increase the memory usage quite a lot. My dopus.exe is using just under 10meg at the moment and usually seems to use between 10 and 30meg which seems pretty normal for programs these days and nothing to worry about with RAM so cheap.
It's also worth noting that Opus will (by default) hook into things like shell extensions, (right-click context menu items and extra columns in file displays), video codecs (for information about video files if you have columns like the Description, Width, Height, Duration, etc. on; also to play video files in the viewer) and some other stuff. If those things have memory leaks they'll leak inside of dopus.exe, since they're all in-process DLLs.
What makes them easier? Maybe Opus's Collections can be improved for this type of thing, or a scrap panel or area on the toolbar can be added. If we collect some ideas here I will put them together and send a request to GPSoftware so it's in their suggestion database.
Try clicking files with the middle mouse button in Opus. That will always toggle select them (unless you're in Power mode and have changed the meaning of the MMB). I like it as it means both styles of selection are always available (provided the computer has a three button mouse) and I don't have to switch modes or think about which mode I'm in.
If it doesn't work your mouse drivers probably have the middle button configured set to do a special function instead of the middle button. See here for how to configure it as the button.
FWIW, if you've Ctrl-C'd some files into the clipboard you can then Ctrl-V them into several folders. (i.e. Ctrl-V several times in different places.)
If you're using the Copy button on the toolbar, instead of Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V, then you can add the line @nodeselect to its command to stop it deselecting the files it copies, which lets you copy to one place, then change destinations and copy to another.
That's the best thing about Opus, really. You can configure it to do just about anything you want.
If you're on Vista then Opus is also the only file manager I know of (other than Explorer) which supports UAC properly.
Check out these introductions if you haven't seen them already:
pretentiousname.com/opus/index.html
pretentiousname.com/opus9/index.html
They give you a good overview of the main features and should help you decide.
Check you're not using lots background images, icons (especially external ones) on your toolbars, icon sets you don't need, etc. Those things can increase the memory usage quite a lot. My dopus.exe is using just under 10meg at the moment and usually seems to use between 10 and 30meg which seems pretty normal for programs these days and nothing to worry about with RAM so cheap.[/quote]
no background images, and three external icons - and it's running at 40mb. i'm on an old laptop with 512mb and won't be upgrading any time soon 
good to know. but i'm careful with shell extensions, and i never let apps mess with my context menus. also i've turned off video thumbs and don't grab info for tooltips from video files...
What makes them easier? Maybe Opus's Collections can be improved for this type of thing, or a scrap panel or area on the toolbar can be added. If we collect some ideas here I will put them together and send a request to GPSoftware so it's in their suggestion database.[/quote]
i think perhaps they seem easier because when you add selected files to a scrap container they pop up in a nice, clean window, and you can save the container from there. or, you can have a 'mini' version that is integrated into a pane in the main window that can be toggled on/off like any other. very handy. they're just simpler to work with - i'm still wrestling with file collections, trying to grasp them more fully.
Try clicking files with the middle mouse button in Opus. That will always toggle select them (unless you're in Power mode and have changed the meaning of the MMB). I like it as it means both styles of selection are always available (provided the computer has a three button mouse) and I don't have to switch modes or think about which mode I'm in.[/quote]
that would be ideal, but unfortunately my middle mouse button is assigned to 'enter', it lets me fly though dialog boxes quicker. i don't think i could ever get used to being without it after so many years.
FWIW, if you've Ctrl-C'd some files into the clipboard you can then Ctrl-V them into several folders. (i.e. Ctrl-V several times in different places.)
[/quote]
yes that works, but it's not so elegant. it's nice pasting the same desktop.ini into 100 folders with just a few clicks, much easier than than any method i've found in Opus for batch-setting folder views.
no Vista for me, thanks 
i really do appreciate the information and the time you put into your replies. it's good to know there is a strong support community behind this project!
Tip of the day that one... now I can drink a beer and select multiple files at the same time... brilliant!!!
Lifehacker have chosen the top five file managers and now you can vote for which one is the best of those five:
lifehacker.com/399155/five-best- ... e-managers
Anyone can vote this time, not just members of LH.
Just cast my vote, its looking quite close at the moment. There's not much between Opus, TC and Xplorer2.
Voted 
Just voted 
Dopus 4 Ever 
Voted !
At the end of the day though... we all know which is the best 
I voted for DOpus there, of course. But to be honest, I am surprised that DOpus did so well there.
LifeHacker members are notoriously deferential to FREE programs and usually outvote any programs which cost anything. Unless I am mistaken, xplorer2 has a free version which helps to explain its vote total there. (Plus the fact that it is a very good Explorer replacement, too).
But I would definitely consider this a win for DOpus, especially considering the relatively high price in a sea of FOSS members!
Jim