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Isolator
Isolator
4.9
0.0

Menubar app hides cluttered desktop, helps you concentrate.

4.9
Based on 29 user ratesRead reviews & comments
Free
This app is no longer supported by it's developer. You can find similar apps here.

Isolator overview

Isolator is a small menubar application that helps you concentrate. When you're working on a document, and don't want to be distracted, turn on Isolator. It will cover up your desktop and all the icons on it, as well as the windows of all your other applications, so you can concentrate on the task in hand.

Isolator is similar to, but not the same as Think and Backdrop. The difference is that it works exactly how I want it to. Maybe you'll like it too.

What’s new in version 4.76beta

Updated on Feb 11 2011

Version 4.76beta:
  • Fixed code signing
View older Isolator updates

Information

License

Free

Size

1.4 MB

Downloads

28324

App requirements

  • Intel 32
  • Mac OS X 10.7 or later
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0.0

(0 Reviews of )

There are no reviews yet
  • Comments

  • User Ratings

GeoffB4577
GeoffB4577
May 21 2017
4.76beta
0.0
May 21 2017
0.0
Version: 4.76beta
Ben I LOVE Isolator. However, I use Dark menu and the icon being as it is is driving me nuts. any way that we can get a white Dark Menu icon?
Jim-Leff
Jim-Leff
May 9 2017
4.76beta
0.0
May 9 2017
0.0
Version: 4.76beta
Note that developer website link is wrong. Should be https://www.willmore.eu/software/isolator/
anonymous-tapir-4715
anonymous-tapir-4715
Mar 15 2016
4.76beta
0.0
Mar 15 2016
0.0
Version: 4.76beta
Is it somehow just me, or when you enlarge MacUpdate’s “View Larger” window, does it pop up just fine … but no larger that I can see.
anonymous-heron-1309
anonymous-heron-1309
Feb 10 2015
4.76beta
5.0
Feb 10 2015
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
This app works well on OS X Yosemite (10.10.2) despite not having been updated in years and offers useful options. Big thanks to the developer for making it free.
braunnizo
braunnizo
Nov 26 2014
4.76beta
5.0
Nov 26 2014
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
It works.
momijigari
momijigari
Oct 13 2014
4.76beta
5.0
Oct 13 2014
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
Stable and useful.
DovTodd
DovTodd
Apr 7 2014
4.76beta
5.0
Apr 7 2014
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
Just installed this, I'm on Mavericks (Mac OS 10.9.2), works just great! Entire screen (except for menubar) turns totally black, including even the desktop wallpaper. Very easy and simple to use. You can change the color from black to another solid color of your choice, if you want. The color can be total, or it can let the actual background leak through, and you can decide the strength of that leakage, that's your choice too. You can also decide the fade speed. I left that at the original setting, at nearly immediate. Whatever you want to focus on has to be selected first before you turn on Isolator. Isolator's icon appears only in the menubar. To turn on Isolator, you click its icon, then within its drop-down menu you click "on." When you're done, again click Isolator's icon, click "off" in its drop-down menu, then regular screen returns. That's it. If you want to use the keyboard instead of the mouse, you can use the hotkey of your choice to turn Isolator on and off from the keyboard. The icon showing in the menubar is optional, you can still access it through the hotkey. I see no bugs; it seems totally stable. This doesn't feel like it's a beta at all. I did have two questions I couldn't resolve. In Preferences, under the tab titled "Background windows," there's something called "Filter type" where you have the choice of: None, Blur, Bloom, Crystals, Desaturate. I tried them all but couldn't determine what these options actually did. So I left this at the original setting, None. There's also something called "Filter radius," which you can change along a continuum from small to large. Tried this out as well, didn't seem to do anything either. I left this alone at the original setting as well. There's nothing on the developer's website that explains these two options either.
Leftblank
Leftblank
Nov 8 2013
4.76beta
5.0
Nov 8 2013
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
Phew!! Still seems to work fine with Mavericks OS 10.9 ... clearing the visual clutter of other applications. Although the downloaded disk image claims to be a 4.9 beta, it contains the 4.76 beta ....
PeterWood3054
PeterWood3054
Jun 18 2013
4.76beta
5.0
Jun 18 2013
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
I have only recently started using this app, so ratings for stability should be taken with a grain of salt. But it does what it is supposed to very effectively. It stops me from being distracted by the web and allows me to get along with my work. It is very simple to use, and flexible - it is simple to add new web pages to block. I think this may be the most useful 'productivity improver' that I have installed! I am very excited by this!
Leftblank
Leftblank
Mar 30 2012
4.76beta
5.0
Mar 30 2012
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
Simple. Very helpful. Wonderful. Thank you. Easiest way to shut out the necessary clutter of other apps in order to concentrate on a single task .... 8-)
cemil-alyanak
cemil-alyanak
Mar 15 2012
4.76beta
4.5
Mar 15 2012
4.5
Version: 4.76beta
I love Isolator for its simplicity. Thank you!! A wish list item for me would be application exclusions.
taja
taja
Jan 16 2012
4.76beta
4.0
Jan 16 2012
4.0
Version: 4.76beta
The cleanest, simplest and least memory-hungry of the 'concentration' apps. But for some reason, since I upgraded to Lion, when the app is set to load as a startup item, it doesn't activate with the hotkey; I have to go and open it again, which is mildly annoying. Still, that minor issue, aside, this is a fantastic app.
tfigs
tfigs
Sep 16 2011
4.76beta
5.0
Sep 16 2011
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
Really nice app. Does what it says and does it well. Lots of options to adjust to your liking.
Randy-Crawford
Randy-Crawford
Jun 4 2011
4.76beta
5.0
Jun 4 2011
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
I've been blessed to find a few really great pieces of software lately. Isolator is one of them. It is useful to me because I run many applications concurrently and it can be difficult to keep up with which is the front app. I run 4 monitors which compounds the problem. Frequently I run 3-4 copies of 4D and I have modified the wrong code many times because of losing track of which is which. Isolator solves that perfectly. You can dim out the background apps so that you can see them, but also know they are not the front app. One recommendation I would make is to turn of the "Filters" which control the look of the background apps. Filters cause a significant slow-down with no real benefit. To make things even better, Isolator is Free! Can you beat that?!
Eelco-Deuling
Eelco-Deuling
May 26 2011
4.76beta
4.0
May 26 2011
4.0
Version: 4.76beta
This is a great tool, but I did have some troubles with it. I do not like a lot of things in my menu bar, so I switched this option off. I use a (very huge amount) lot of software at the same time, so I erased the keyboard shortcut so it could not interfere with some other app. ...and now I could not control the app anymore and had to quit it in Activity Monitor (clicking the app icon did not do anything). But it did help me to focus, works very well and the 'filters' to hide the desktop are great!
JasonE
JasonE
May 21 2011
4.76beta
5.0
May 21 2011
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
Perfectly simple, exponentially beneficial.
gcoghill
gcoghill
Apr 25 2011
4.76beta
5.0
Apr 25 2011
5.0
Version: 4.76beta
Excellent little utility!
Cocoanut
Cocoanut
Feb 12 2011
4.76beta
0.0
Feb 12 2011
0.0
Version: 4.76beta
I've used Isolator in the past to fill the gap when Menustrip was unavailable but now that Menustrip has been resurrected from the dead it does this and much more and much better. Yes, it's 10 bucks and this is free but I think it's worth it.
Peterpan23
Peterpan23
Dec 3 2010
4.5beta
0.0
Dec 3 2010
0.0
Version: 4.5beta
Does not work properly with TotalFinder
Ecbrown
Ecbrown
Oct 10 2010
4.5beta
5.0
Oct 10 2010
5.0
Version: 4.5beta
Fantastic Program. It does exactly what the author says it should. I've had no problems with the software.
anonymous-heron-1309
anonymous-heron-1309
Feb 10 2015
5.0
Feb 10 2015
5.0
Version: null
braunnizo
braunnizo
Nov 26 2014
5.0
Nov 26 2014
5.0
Version: null
momijigari
momijigari
Oct 13 2014
5.0
Oct 13 2014
5.0
Version: null
DovTodd
DovTodd
Apr 7 2014
5.0
Apr 7 2014
5.0
Version: null
Leftblank
Leftblank
Nov 8 2013
5.0
Nov 8 2013
5.0
Version: null
PeterWood3054
PeterWood3054
Jun 18 2013
5.0
Jun 18 2013
5.0
Version: null
Dawda
Dawda
Dec 11 2012
5.0
Dec 11 2012
5.0
Version: null
cemil-alyanak
cemil-alyanak
Mar 15 2012
4.5
Mar 15 2012
4.5
Version: null
taja
taja
Jan 16 2012
4.0
Jan 16 2012
4.0
Version: null
tfigs
tfigs
Sep 16 2011
5.0
Sep 16 2011
5.0
Version: null
Randy-Crawford
Randy-Crawford
Jun 4 2011
5.0
Jun 4 2011
5.0
Version: null
Eelco-Deuling
Eelco-Deuling
May 26 2011
4.0
May 26 2011
4.0
Version: null
JasonE
JasonE
May 21 2011
5.0
May 21 2011
5.0
Version: null
anonymous-panther-5764
Apr 29 2011
5.0
Version: null
gcoghill
gcoghill
Apr 25 2011
5.0
Apr 25 2011
5.0
Version: null
Graphic-Mac
Graphic-Mac
Mar 25 2011
5.0
Mar 25 2011
5.0
Version: null
Losmuertos
Losmuertos
Dec 4 2010
4.5
Dec 4 2010
4.5
Version: null
Ecbrown
Ecbrown
Oct 10 2010
5.0
Oct 10 2010
5.0
Version: null
Emile100
Emile100
Sep 9 2010
5.0
Sep 9 2010
5.0
Version: null
LeMerlot
LeMerlot
Sep 12 2009
5.0
Sep 12 2009
5.0
Version: null
Pjot
Pjot
Jul 10 2009
5.0
Jul 10 2009
5.0
Version: null
Bumbleb
Bumbleb
May 14 2009
5.0
May 14 2009
5.0
Version: null
JamesHarrisPhoto
JamesHarrisPhoto
Apr 24 2009
5.0
Apr 24 2009
5.0
Version: null
Mr-amnesia
Mr-amnesia
Mar 25 2009
5.0
Mar 25 2009
5.0
Version: null
Dnem41
Dnem41
Jun 12 2008
5.0
Jun 12 2008
5.0
Version: null
Frankfx
Frankfx
Jun 5 2008
4.0
Jun 5 2008
4.0
Version: null
Veryvito
Veryvito
Jun 4 2008
5.0
Jun 4 2008
5.0
Version: null
Easer
Easer
Mar 11 2008
5.0
Mar 11 2008
5.0
Version: null
Macsterdam
Macsterdam
Mar 8 2008
5.0
Mar 8 2008
5.0
Version: null
Free
This app is no longer supported by it's developer. You can find similar apps here.

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