PCHARLES67  Not sure I am using the full potential of this application since it is just there to clean up when I delete all the shareware I try out, but it seems to catch most of my deletions and that is good enough for me.   
(Version 2.2.4)

M A V I C  I've wanted something like this for years. When I heard Apple was implementing Folder Actions I hoped it would do something like this but it didn't. I was hoping Automator would, but it's difficult to use for something like this.

I've never liked the concept of stacks. Sure it's like my desk, but that's not a good thing. I'd much rather a computer be automated. When I set something on my desk, I'd like it automatically dealt with and filed appropriately. Hazel does this based on criteria I setup using the GUI.

Files downloaded from the internet are automatically sorted based on predefined criteria. Photos from an asset management tool are sorted and labeled - all automatically. Those disk images for software updates are disposed of after time.

Hazel is like a personal assistant for your computer. You tell it once what you want it to do, and it does it from then on.

I'm writing t his review after having used it for seven months on my PM G5 with 10.5 and 4.5GB of RAM. I've never had an issue with it. My machine has been up for nearly a month without a restart, and I leave PS, INDD, AI, Acrobat, Mail, a few browsers, BBEdit, Adium... open 24x7. I probably have 150 browser windows open right now. So it's not like I don't push this system, and Hazel performs fine.

Hazel is a great utility. I noticed an old Hazel log showed up in my trash, so that's what reminded me I had it. My desktop and download folders were all neatly sorted, and it's been so perfect and unintrusive I forgot I had it until I saw the log file. That's what prompted me to come write this review.

Sometimes it does take a few seconds for a script to run, but it's still makes the 12hrs+/day I spend on a computer so much easier.  
(Version 2.2.4)

DRDUL  I tried Hazel for a couple of days. I didn't encounter any significant memory usage or system slowdowns as others have reported. I did find that Hazel didn't work 100% of the time, occasionally missing files that were added to watched folders. I also found that in some cases, it took Hazel a over a minute to notice a change in a watched folder, and for one task I wanted to automate, that was far too long.

In the end, though, I simply didn't have enough need for what Hazel does. I also found that most of the things I wanted to do with Hazel required Applescript, as there aren't many built-in actions and rules other than moving files around and changing some of their attributes. The time I would spend learning and coding Applescript would be far more than the time Hazel would save me automating a few simple tasks, so I uninstalled it.  
(Version 2.2.4)

APPLEIIC  I've used Hazel for about 6 months now and while it's a nice idea, I didn't find it super useful. It does carry a slight memory load in the background, and being I have an Air with a 2GB cap, I just couldn't justify it. If you know your system well enough, you can do what Hazel does without too much effort.  
(Version 2.2.4)

CASTLE  I got Hazel in the recent MacUpdate bundle. I'd not have bought it normally, but thought I'd give it a go since it was essentially free. I rarely used it and quickly forgot about it. However, over the past month or two I'd been finding that my computer would become very unresponsive when it was under heavy strain - far more so than it used to when under the same conditions. I finally found time to troubleshoot the issue, and after a lot of trial and error I discovered that uninstalling Hazel significantly improved performance on my MacBook Pro. I'd forgotten it was there and it didn't cause any noticeable spikes in Activity Monitor, but uninstalling it made a HUGE difference to the speed of my machine.  
(Version 2.2)

MDOGNRDOG  If you have the chance, install Hazel very early in the process of setting up a new computer. If you put twenty minutes into thinking about where (and when) you want certain types of items to go in your workflow, and another fifteen minutes setting up Hazel to manage that workflow, you can really resist the natural tendencies of the Finder to have you build up undifferentiated piles of crap.

I've got it sorting and prioritizing different document types upon download, color-coding items that are starting to get stale (that need my intervention), dispatching .torrent files to the appropriate directory where they will be processed by the BT client automatically, etc.

A very useful program.  
(Version 2.1.6)

RBTKID  I've been running Hazel for months now and it's made so well that I totally forgot I had it installed. I have it set up to manage my downloads and temporary files, and also to manage my Trash.

Support from the developer is outstanding. I've contacted him twice now and each time he has been patient and helpful. The first time he helped me to debug an applescript of mine, and the second time the problem was tracked down to a bug in another program - he said he would contact that program's authors to file a bug.

Outstanding service and great program!  
(Version 2.1.3)

GLOBETROTTERDK  Very responsive, helpfull and understanding developer. It would be nice to see more documentation and examples as to how Hazel can be used. If those two conditions were met, Hazel would be five stars in every category.  
(Version 2.1.3)

TOMECK  I agree with the previous reviews -- an absolute perfect and useful app!   
(Version 2.1.3)

FARIBORZ  This wonderful utility changes the concept of how you organize your files on a Mac. Since I bought it two weeks ago my Mac has changed into a very orderly Mac. Hazel takes care of all my files which are automatically moved into their designated locations withour further intervention. Words simply cease to express its usefulness! If you are looking for total order and peace of mind then you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Fariborz AMIRSHAHI - Verona (Italy)  
(Version 2.1.1)