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DESCRIPTION

Make-A-Pass generates secure, random passwords with the click of a button! This widget is highly configurable, similar to the online utility at WinGuides.

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REQUIREMENTS
Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

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SCREENSHOT

Developer:Andrew Hedges
Downloads:4,837
  - Version d/l:1,293
Dashboard:Miscellaneous
License:Free
Date:26 Feb 2008
Platform:PPC/Intel
RATING
****½

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    Make-A-Pass User Reviews (10 posts)Write A Review
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    Feb 27 2008

    ROY VAN DER WONING  The widget's buttons don't look right on my MacBook (Leopard).

    http://img.skitch.com/20080227-gjht1mkisb8ysmgaecfyduhgbe.jpg  
    (Version 2.4.1)

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    Feb 27 2008

    MARKOH  not a widget but much better imho:

    http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/10285/rpg  
    (Version 2.4.1)

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    Feb 27 2008

    ROY VAN DER WONING  Except that it doesn't do FIPS-181 like Make-A-Pass.  
    (Version 2.4.1)

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    Sep 4 2006
    *****

    MACD  The most professionally made password generation widget for Mac. Excellent idea and realization. Keep up the great work!  
    (Version 2.4)

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    Jun 18 2006

    ASMEURER  "Changed password algorithm to randomly choose between upper- and lower-case for the first letter"

    How does this make a password better?  
    (Version 2.4)

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    Nov 16 2005
    *****

    ANONYMOUS  I am posting this because the 3-star reviewer is a dork (doesn't seem to understand the concept). This is a great app and deserves 5 stars. It is convenient and effective!  
    (Version 2.3.1)

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    Mar 26 2006

    JEFF H.  LOL!  
    (Version 2.4)

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    Sep 20 2005
    ***..

    ANONYMOUS  I'll give this a 3 beacause what if someone else had this and found out you had it, your computer would not be safe....But I like it anyway keep up the good work.  
    (Version 2.3)

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    Sep 23 2005

    ANDREW HEDGES  Hmm. Not sure what you mean by this. Make-A-Pass is meant to create passwords for use in other applications. It does so by using a highly random algorithm that will not replicate on another machine. You're implying there's some security risk to using Make-A-Pass, but there's simply not. Can you explain what you meant? Thanks!

    -Andrew  
    (Version 2.3)

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    Jul 17 2005
    *****

    JOHAN ALLARD  It would be really great to be able to have 2 create buttons - create random and create pronounceable.

    Great tool!  
    (Version 2.2)

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    Sep 23 2005

    ANDREW HEDGES  Good idea. I may incorporate that into the next version!

    -Andrew  
    (Version 2.3)

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    Jun 30 2005
    ****½

    ANONYMOUS  Hi, I'm the reviewer who made the initial comments about the widget width below. :)

    This is more like it! Three last comments though: -

    Is there any chance you could reduce the width a little more? Perhaps you could do this by shortening the 'copy to clipboard' string on the button to just 'copy'? Something around 300-320px wide would do the trick I think.

    Secondly, there definitely seems to be an issue with grabbing either the length slider or the resize corner. If the mouse moves too fast, the element slips off the mouse and is left behind - if you see what I mean? The only way to guarantee the slide or resize is to do the movement slowly. Now I'm not sure how this could be, as a 'grab' element should be just that, with no room for error with the system, but I do not get this behavior with any other screen element on any other app?

    One last comment would be to reduce the brightness on the upper side of the preferences flip side in order to increase text legibility for low vision users.

    HTH :)  
    (Version 2.1)

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    Jul 1 2005

    ANDREW HEDGES  In version 2.2, I have just made Make-A-Pass even narrower (320px) by changing "Copy to Clipboard" to "Copy" as you suggested.

    I also made the top half of the backside a little darker. Good suggestions!

    I am aware of the issues ith the slider and resizer controls. They are like that to prevent some erratic behaviors that were happening, but I will look into whether there is a way to implement these controls that is more consistent with how desktop apps behave.

    Thanks, again! Very helpful comments, Anonymous!

    -Andrew  
    (Version 2.2)

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    Oct 21 2005

    ANDREW HEDGES  The issue with not being able to move the slider or resize the widget very fast have been fixed, as of version 2.3. Thanks for your patience!  
    (Version 2.3.1)

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    Jun 29 2005
    *****

    ANONYMOUS  Great new interface! Not as tall, a nice feature. The slider was a great idea for the password length.

    A nice "feature" is the fact that the length slider is a mask, hiding the extra characters so if you want a longer password there is no need to increase the length and then generate again. Just move the slider!   
    (Version 2.0)

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    Jun 29 2005

    ANONYMOUS  Features wise, this has now become the best widget of it's type - the only problem now, is that the space it takes up is too wide and therefore takes up too much valuable screen estate on my PBook. The other issue of note is that the pass length slider seems a little unresponsive when dragging sometimes. But for complex 64 char password generation with a whole host of options, this is hard to beat - Just make it narrower, please? :)  
    (Version 2.0)

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    Jun 29 2005

    ANDREW HEDGES  Thanks for your review of Make-A-Pass. Yes, it's wide. This was so you could preview the entire 64 character password before using it. As I see it, the options to make the widget narrower are as follows:

    1. Use a reduced font size for the password field

    2. Use a password field that is shorter than 64 characters

    3. Make the widget width user-configurable, either with a resize handle, or by varying the length of the field as the user changes the password length

    I think each of these has some drawback or other, as follows:

    1. Smaller fonts are harder to read, especially for older eyes

    2. A password field shorter than 64 characters means you won't see the whole thing before you use it

    3. Variable width widgets are more of a pain to program!

    Well, even just writing this out, I realize #3 is probably the way to go. The user should be in control of how wide the widget is. If you're only ever going to use 16 character passwords, why have it 64 wide?

    Thanks again for the feedback!

    -Andrew  
    (Version 2.0)

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