Michael Henze
Downloads: 788
Posts: 18
Smile Score: +22 
About Me
I am a MacUpdate Desktop user
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Member Since: 13 Jun 2009
Profile Views: 649
I am a MacUpdate Desktop user Visit Stats
Last Visit: 2 days ago
Member Since: 13 Jun 2009
Profile Views: 649
Michael Henze's Posts
Average Rating from Michael:
(9)
(9) 
Displaying 1-10 of 13
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Broom
Plus, another menu item being added to my already crowded menu bar isn't a big seller. My preference would either be a widget, and/or a keyboard shortcut to get to something that "operates in the background."
xScan
Tayker reviewed on 01 Jul 2011
First off, one big plus that needs to be addressed at the start:
"Free upgrades for a lifetime"
People might scoff at the dollar-euro conversion, but over the years it will pay for itself. I originally bought CheckUp 2 in 2009 and my app ID worked like a charm today for v.3. Cost comparison, I would say that it would eventually work out to only a few dollars over the forthcoming years.
That being said, I think this is the perfect app to compliment Drive Genius or TechTool Pro like apps.
I would say this is like Apple's crappy System Profiler, but on steroids and way better; finding specific information isn't in a convoluted list, and you can export it in PDF format. I can keep those PDFs on my iPad for reference for future use should I have any issues with my Macs. The export format looks like it would fit cleanly on Apple's website. The only export issue I'm having is the 32-bit and 64-bit icons are "?'s" on the PDF.
The Network window is great because it includes apps and the IP/resolved names they're connected to, which beats using Terminal for that info.
The expanded Processes window is great because of the info icon next to each process. Clicking it will give users info about the what the process does.
What IT professional wouldn't love the expanded Data window? All important data from drivers to preference panes, and more, all in one clean window. If I need to secure a Mac for secure government use then this made my life a lot easier.
I will admit that I was initially reluctant to upgrade to v.3 because v.2 reminded me of those faux Windows malware utilities that are supposed to fix issues instead of plague your system more - which it wasn't, I just hated having to go into Launch folders to stop one of its associated files from loading and slow my Mac down.
Final thoughts: Can't beat the free updates for life, the clean UI, the ease of use, and export options. If Apple didn't neglect a lot of their utilities then this is one I could see them creating. Unfortunately for them adnX did it.
UGH! I sound like an annoying fawning ad.
+5
1Password
Tayker reviewed on 28 Jun 2011
I love 1Password for many reasons, but mainly for the convenience it offers me. My only gripe is the $40 price tag, but that can be mitigated by watching for Mac app bundle offers which they seem to regularly contribute to - which, to me, shows that they are serious about supporting the Mac community, and charities that some bundles are for.
Pros:
-Being a regular Firefox and Chrome user I like the options 1Password affords me, from a great password generator to quick access to logins.
-Dropbox syncing which helps alleviate login headaches while working between my iMac and MacBook.
-Encrypted database.
-Encrypted notes. Encrypted notes allow me to store important information from account questions to other sensitive data.
-Portability, in a sense; I can take my date with me via the iPhone/iPad/Android app. In a sense because I need those platforms if I don't want to haul my laptop around - which would suck at an ATM, or in a store.
-Clipboard wiping; your data isn't kept in memory for very long.
-Support for many browsers.
-Support for many identities. Sometimes I just don't want to give my personal information to some sites.
Cons:
-Price, which can be mitigated.
-There are free alternatives, from the defunct KeePassX to the Mac Keychain Access app. However, those aren't convenient - I know I hate half my time cut-n-pasting information.
+7
Alfred
Tayker reviewed on 27 Jun 2011
Before I go any further I want to make it known that most launchers can work the way you want them to, it just takes time to go through the preferences and tweak settings.
I'm not a fan of QuickSilver. I can see the appeal to some, but for me it was clunky and just didn't feel right. What I did like was the user interface (UI).
Butler and LaunchBar are awesome, and I do use them intermittently. What I like about them are the options under the hood, and the integration Butler has with the Menu bar - which is also a minus for me because my Menu Bar is filling up.
Alfred, to me, is like Butler/LaunchBar meets QuickSilver - it has a nice "front and center" UI that doesn't add to the plethora of Menu Bar icons that every app seem to have, it has a lot of options under the hood, and now has a QuickSilver-ish workflow.
Free-wise it can't compare to the features of QuickSilver. However, with the exception of QuickSilver, most popular launchers aren't free.
My favorite features are Global Hotkeys, Sync, and Clipboard.
+2
Sapiens
AppZapper
Tayker reviewed on 24 Jun 2011
I used to love AppZapper, and 2.0, when first released, was great. I don't know what happened but here's the process that I have to go through to remove an app:
1. Drag-n-drop app icon on AppZapper
2. Finder locks up for a minute with beach ball
3. Click zap
4. System locks up
5. AppZapper closes and a report to Apple appears
6. Click send
7. Rinse and repeat.
I've done everything from deleting the app and its associated files to reapplying Mac OS X combo updates and the issue never gets resolved. Now I use the free TrashMe.
Fresh
Tayker reviewed on 16 May 2011
Pros:
- Does what it says
- The Cooler for quick file and folder access
Cons:
- Fresh Files don't have a filtering mechanism similar to Blasts'
- I don't like the 2 giant green bars going across my screen. I can impede drag-and-drop on a 13" MacBook/MacBook Pro
My Suggestions:
- Make dock icon invisible without third-party apps
- Double-click to open file/folder and single-click (not right/control/command click) pop-up menu for file/folder options
- Redesign the UI for smaller screens, and make it more app-like
+3
Blast
Tayker reviewed on 16 May 2011
Pros:
- Good goal for the app
- Quick access to recent folders and files
Cons:
- Drag-and-drop doesn't work like it should because the Blast window disappears as soon as I click-and-hold an item to drag from within the menu app
- Another menu icon to clutter up the menu bar
- No Little Snitch-like "Stay Visible" check box to keep window open to drag-and-drop items into the sidebar
My Suggestions:
- Fix drag-and-drop so I can add from anywhere, not just within the app
- Add option to not display menu icon because I prefer shortcuts for apps that run in the background, like Alfred, Clips, Tags, etc.
- Make it more app-like and not a drop-down UI so I can interact with it more.
- Allow app to stay visible until I click outside the app or hit esc - which could make it hard to drag-and-drop folders and files from finder into Blast.
I think Blast still has a lot of room to grow, so I'll stick with Fresh. If it incorporates my suggestions then I can't see another app topping it, even Fresh.
+1
+22
1. Is there a way to set Blast menu to remain open when I drag-n-drop from Finder without having to uncheck the "Automatically hide the main window" option? Like when it detects the release from a mouse click?
2. Will there be an option to hide the Menu icon?
3. In an upcoming update or v.2 will the UI be different? Like Fresh meets Default Folder X?
+1
+22
+1
QuickPick
Tayker reviewed on 24 Mar 2011
+1
PrimeFiles
Tayker reviewed on 21 Dec 2010
The down-side for me is double-clicking an app to run it. I can understand the logic which, I assume, is so people can tag and add Spotlight comments. However, I run apps more than I tag, so it would make more sense to Cmd+click an app to add tags and comments.
Even though it's a tie between Overflow and PrimeFiles for me, Tags+Overflow gets me to where I need quicker.