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Watcher 1.0

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Limit the time a user can be on the Mac each day. Shareware ($19.99)

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2.1 MB
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Alorsoft

Watcher is a computer usage monitoring tool. With Watcher, a computer's owner can define how long a given user can use the computer on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Watcher has been designed to help parents who want to watch their childrens.
With Watcher 5, enjoy these unique features:

Network-wide configurations
Computer usage statistics
Ability to watch the whole computer or specific applications
Restricted accounts support
Compatibility with Intel-based Macs.
Disk usage monitoring
Week

What's New

Version 1.0: Release notes were unavailable when this listing was updated.

Requirements
PPC / Intel, Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later

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Watcher User Discussion (Write a Review)

ver. 1.x:

Your rating: Now say why...

Overall:

(2)

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+19

Wizzard1 commented on 07 Oct 2009

There used to be a product call MacMinder that was written and sold by a husband and wife educational company. I purchased and used it for a number of years and it always worked well keeping my daughter and her friends and guests in line while on the computer. You could restrict access by time of day, user, and particular application. It also tracked status of whole (and or a percentage) that each application was used. You could do reports and see which application was being used the most or was popular.

Unfortunately the company went under and disappeared with no notification or further updates to its registered users. I believe this code last ran on 10.2/10.3 I believe but I have not tried it on any later versions. If anyone on this list wants this code and my registration number and a form that I have transferred it to you then please send me an email.

The current application looks very much the same but not as much functionality from what I read and see. I have no use to download and try it. Maybe this new company has bought the code and is bring the application back under a different name but from the reader comments without alot of functionality as per what I described and charging beta users for upgrades. This is not good user/customer service. Do to these comments, you probably should stay away from this product as it may up costing you more money in the long run even if you try to help them out. They should be ashamed.

Macminder still may be posted on macupdate.

[Version 5.3.1]

2 Replies

+19

Wizzard1 replied on 07 Oct 2009

Please compare MacMinder against this application SO WAY MUCH SIMILAR with of course changes.

Worth it to check it out before buying.

Alorsoft replied on 08 Oct 2009

Hello,

A few facts:
- We never, ever charged for beta versions.
- There had been angry comments in the past, but you should know that most of them were posted before the user actually contacted us...
- We have been offering free support by mail, *for years* after the first release of Watcher. And even if you are using Watcher 3 running on Mac OS 10.3.4, we are happy to help you. We answer our mails as quickly as possible, sometimes on sunday evenings. So much for bad customer support!
- We are not ashamed of our work ;-) In fact, we love developing for the Mac community and helping parents, and we are just proud of our product when a new "THANK YOU" email comes in!

Hope this helps clearing the picture,

+351

Harristype reviewed on 03 Jul 2007

Used version 5 all through the beta process. Many parts didn't function as expected, or at all. Settings wouldn't stick. Now the author want to charge me for the "upgrade." I'm sticking with version 4.

[Version 5.0]

Eric Caldwell commented on 15 Feb 2007

I have this loaded on my daughter's eMac to demo it and it never seemed to cut her off. What are others experience with it?

[Version 5.0b1]

1 Reply

Alorsoft (developer) replied on 16 Feb 2007

If you have any problem with this beta, please get in touch with us (software - at- alorsoft . net) ! We will try to figure out your problem ASAP. Please don't forget to tell us your system configuration in your email.

Thanks in advance,
Alorsoft

random tipped on 28 Apr 2006

an idea would have a feature that lets anyone over lan add quota to someones user

eg children are in other room using the computer and they are running out of quota. parents reward them for something and put quota in their user from a computer connected to the lan.

instead of having to go to the other computer and do it... it also might come in handy if you have locked yourself out of your computer.

[Version 3.4]

Anonymous reviewed on 04 Mar 2005

Wacher is elegant simple application that allows you to control the amount of time users spent on computer. I very easily allowed my son 2hours per day, the program automatically reloads time every day or week. What it does it does very well. And no it is not a virus, when time ran out the system warns a user that she has 60 sec to save her work.
I wish more features: 1) simple way for a user to see how much is left, say using keyboard shortcut;
2) not counting time if user does not log out, but just locks out screen.

[Version 2.0]

2 Replies

Anonymous commented on 04 Mar 2005

I shoud correct myself. It turns out Watcher allows a user to check her time, just using ctr+option+c, it shows time used and left on top of the screen Cool!
So I should give 3.5 stars for features.
I only wish it wont count time if user does not log out, just switches or locks out screen. Here is example, my son plays online game and he wants to take break, but wants to leave the game on, jsut lock out the screen saver. The only way to stop time count is log out of user, hence log out og game.

Windows program Watchdog stopped couting time, when users switched but did not log out.
Other than that Wacther is superb and true to Mac's simple bugless interface.