BEDOUIN  Just downloaded this. Hopefully it works with Leopard now. The iMic will have to get me by until I get a Yamaha GO46.  (Version 2.5)

BUFFY THE COMPUTER SLAYER  I have just started using this product. 'Pathetic' would be too kind a word for the supplied documentation, so having read the previous 79 reviews, I can offer my hints how to get the best out of this (actually not too bad) program.

1. Don't even think about connecting the iMic to a USB2 connector - mine only began to work when I linked to the keyboard's USB 1.1.

2. The preview button needs to be clicked to hear anything - that includes playback too. (They might as well delete the Play button altogether and replace it with the Preview button instead).

3. Don't bother with the main EQ (the button on main window) for adjusting the input when recording, it doesn't make much difference at all - use the one that slides out from the Edit drawer AFTER you have recorded a track. It's a much better EQ, though don't forget to 'Select' the entire track before you begin.

4. Uncheck 'Quick Save' in Preferences. You will then get a dialogue box when you save, you will have some control, and you will know where the hell your tracks are being saved.

5. When you have saved a track and you've located it in the Finder and played it back and it sounds ok, go back to FV and do a 'Flush' (File Menu). This clears out the FV cache / buffer ('scratch' data?), which may have been the problem for users who managed one side of an album then found the software wouldn't record anything else.

6. Don't bother trying to Edit (or anything) while the track is playing. They may say you can, but forget it. 'Stop' the track and then apply the edits (EQ, or whatever).

7. Thanks to the pathetic documentation, you may wonder when you come to record a new track and press the Record button "why isn't anything happening?". Select 'New' from the File menu, it's as simple as that. (So if it's that simple, Griffin, why was it so difficult to tell us, hey?)

Thanks to the previous reviews I haven't bothered trying to use the Cue+ Cue- buttons - if I want different tracks I record each one separately. Otherwise I just record an entire album side, name it and leave it whole. There are probably audio editors that will split it better (anyone tried GarageBand with it?).

I then convert the AIFF tracks from FV to AAC in iTunes (using Custom.. 256 as my ears are fussy), and I have to say, even after all that manipulation the results are WAAAY better than the muffled rubbish that is what you get from AllOfMP3.

All in all I would say that Final Vinyl is quite a good product (especially as it's free), but I wish Griffin would do something about the sub-pathetic documentation, and give users a chance to get the best out of this product.  (Version 2.1 (FV245))

FAT TONY  Final Vinyl is free software and Griffin is not going to put large amounts of money and time behind it. Griffins problem is that the poor quality of Final Vinyl is reflecting on the iMic itself, many people are unhappy that the software provided with their hardware just doesn't work. My copy worked for about 6 tapes then started with the odd behavior. Griffin Tech Support is decidedly unhelpful and that's not unexpected with freeware. I've experienced the problems with white noise, unexpected quits, and now Final Vinyl not booting at all through 3 versions. We're currently trying iMic with Garageband but if it works that's one more piece of software for the customer to buy if it didn't come with the computer.  (Version 2.1 (FV245))

ANTHONY LARKIN  I am using Final Vinyl Ver. 2.0 (FV227) on a new MacBook Pro 2GHz Intel Core Duo with 2Gig Ram - Mac OSX 10.4.6.

I am delighted with it!! I had several 20 year old Audio tapes which I wished to store on my HD and burn to CD - very pleased overall. I thought it might not work on the MacBook Pro - incompatability issues?

But there you are!  (Version 2.0)