(5)
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BackTrack brings Mac users a new level of safety by logging all text (except passwords) that is typed onto all windows in all applications as well as a screenshot of the topmost window or desktop. The main advantage BackTrack has over other logging applications is BackTracks ability to log the window name that is in front while you are typing. BackTrack saves all its data to a fast-access SQLite database file. This file contains the application name, the window name, the date & time, and what you typed as well as past screenshot images.
What's New
Version 5.4:
- Fixed some UI issues, especially for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.
- Fixed some memory leaks.
- Additional toolbar items added, making it easier to export the data.
- Added ability to view database file remotely using Dropbox.
Requirements
Intel, Mac OS X 10.6 or later
Intel, Mac OS X 10.6 or later
BackTrack User Discussion (Write a Review)
Overall:
(9)
(9)
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BackTrack brings Mac users a new level of safety by logging all text (except passwords) that is typed onto all windows in all applications as well as a screenshot of the topmost window or desktop. The main advantage BackTrack has over other logging applications is BackTracks ability to log the window name that is in front while you are typing. BackTrack saves all its data to a fast-access SQLite database file. This file contains the application name, the window name, the date & time, and what you typed as well as past screenshot images.
Copyright © 2012 MacUpdate LLC
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Habermana reviewed on 27 Oct 2011
+3
+224
Leoofborg reviewed on 06 Sep 2011
I haven't run into any memory problems or slowdowns yet. EXCEPT for.. read on.
BacktrackBA takes about 40 megs of Ram, and runs in 64-bit. It HAS to run in the background.. else how would it capture your keystrokes? Even in typed comments in twitter or some web form? That's not the beef I have with the dev. This is-
Backtrack's demo mode it is REALLY obnoxious, and in some cases may even wedge your machine as it did with me on Lion.
Let me explain: Every 15 minutes the dev will throw a nuisance dialog to try and get you to register your machine. Fine. Throw the dialog. But then the author overrides your 'Text to Speech' settings and your machine will try to use the default system voice & announce 'Excuse me, Backtrack needs your attention'. BIG NO-NO. Every 15 minutes.
The first time this happened, while I had a number of things open, and I had my system voice set to japanese but OFF. Guess what? My machine froze while Backtrack tried to do the English dialog in Japanese. I have since switched back to English, so now every 15 minutes when the menu item is on it blares in English. Even tho' I have TTS set to OFF.
In another case, by the 3rd or so nuisance dialog the demo can't invoke the system voice, so your Lion machine may freeze. I had this happen WHILE I was writing this review! Fans on, total freeze. I had to ssh into my own MacBook Pro and kill things from the Terminal. This is TOTALLY unforgivable.
So while I find Backtrack very useful, the Dev's obnoxious 'per machine' licensing plus this obnoxious Demo 'feature' left a bad taste in my mouth.
The Dev should DEFINITELY not be using TTS against the users' wishes, and I told him this in email.
I'll leave it to everyone else as to whether it's worth the grief. The features are great. The Dev's licensing terms and demo? He almost lost a sale (while I typed this up, 15 minutes went by: *BEEP* 'Excuse me, Backtrack needs your attention').. if I hadn't already got it via MacZot, I'd probably be trashing it right now. It's THAT obnoxious.
3-4 stars for the features (I'm sure this rating will go up after I lose some typing)
1-2 stars for probably the most obnoxious demo I've ever had to endure. I say this as someone who works in software.
+3
+224
Again, caveat emptor. And Dev.. seriously, cut this out!
+88
+1
+12
Uncoy reviewed on 17 Jan 2010
But what I really object to and why I won't install or use BackTrack is that there is a daemon running constantly stealing processor cycles and pinging your whole network looking for other copies of BackTrack. Bill is effectively stealing your processor time in perpetuity. Not acceptable.
What Bill is really after apparently is stopping people from running BackTrack on their own laptop and desktop at the same time. As many people, including me, have up to 3 Macs which are their own (although only two in the same place at any given time), per computer licensing is a bit annoying. I could live with a family pack but without the background checker. The pricing is right at $10.
A real pity as I would buy BackTrack in a minute for my own computer and for the 5 Macs in my company if Bill would remove the processor and network stealing background processes.
Bill, the pirates will always win (they beat Adobe everyday and Adobe is a lot better prepared for this war than you are). You should be worrying about the paying customers and not the pirates. Please let me know if and when you remove the spyware. My money is ready.
+5
+6
+3
+45
When I started up the BackTrack application, it was the only process listed in Activity Monitor. After I select the checkbox to start logging text the application reminds me to quit to start logging.
After I quit the BackTrack application, Activity Monitor shows that a new process called BackTrackBA is running.
On my Intel Mac that background application has a very low CPU profile at around 0.1 - 1 % but on my PowerPC it was jumping around and eating CPU cycles between 0.3 - 50+ %
I'll leave it for others to decide who is being honest here and the means to test this for themselves!
+3
+6
Furthermore, you didn't say how old your PowerPC is (old probably), the speed of the processor, how much RAM it has, and how many other apps are running. If you have an older PowerPC without much RAM and a lot of other apps running, BackTrackBA could use a lot of cycles trying to compete with the other apps. There are a lot of variables involved.
+1
cruzdrew reviewed on 24 Mar 2008
+6
seika7 reviewed on 28 Dec 2007
Anonymous reviewed on 18 Oct 2005
Anonymous reviewed on 01 Mar 2005
Anonymous reviewed on 29 Aug 2004
this really is a great little app, does exactly what I need it to do, and the price is spot on.
Super easy to configure, and once you've done that, just leave it alone. Saved three hours of work this week alone - one of the very very rare times an os x app went south on me (appleworks, no less) and this came along and saved - okay, not my bacon, but my evening. Well worth the money.
I want to comment on the support as well. After using the first version for an hour or two, I wrote to the author to suggest making the destination user-configurable. I got a reply in something insane like 20 mins, and there was a new version the next day.
can't praise it enough. Just written to him again with a couple more suggestions, and it seems they'll be in an imminent release too. Wish all developers were like this, especially those that charge a lot more.
+24
+6
+29
Mtin79 rated on 10 Feb 2011
yoyo2011 rated on 17 Dec 2010