The upgrade price isn't $29, but rather €29 (which is something in the neighborhood of $40-45 bucks). So I'll assume the purchase price probably isn't $79 either....
I did check the website, and it says, "Purchase a license for only EUR 79 incl. VAT!" and, "you can now upgrade to version 3.0 for only EUR 29 incl. VAT!" (I'm quoting from their website, by the way.) Now it's possible they're only going to charge my credit card $29, but I'm not going to purchase it until they make that more clear.
Thanks, DB, for confirming Linotype converts it to the prices listed here on MacUpdate. I purchased the upgrade this morning and can confirm I was only charged $29 (not €29).
My low rating is for the new app version of SmartSleep. I bought the app and used it for a couple of weeks, but recently uninstalled it and switched back to the free prefpane version. I really liked the new menubar item, but the actual "smart" sleep feature only works if the app is running all the time, which is an annoyance. I don't have a problem with the developer going commercial -- the price is very reasonable -- I just wish he'd kept it a prefpane instead of an app. I'm guessing he only made it an app so he could sell it via the AppStore.....
HoudahSpot is everything Spotlight is and isn't. It's the interface to Spotlight I've always wanted, and it's worth every penny (by the way, the upgrade to 3.0 is only $5 bucks).
This is an astonishingly useful app for anyone who regularly works with fonts and typography in design, documentation, multi-lingual publishing, etc. The glyph and character info it provides is exceptionally helpful and well-thought out. I especially like the ability to copy a glyph's outline data to the clipboard and paste it into Illustrator, Photoshop, etc. (and of course, it's great for inserting characters into text as well). Viewing copied text on the clipboard in various fonts is another cool feature.
I'm not sure yet about how much I like automatically loading the app into the menu bar (when you quit, it's unloaded), but other than that, this is a perfect utility for me.
I love its speed, uncluttered interface, and bookmark syncing, but without the ability to view PDFs directly (it currently downloads them rather than viewing them), I won't be switching to it as my default browser.
I've disliked Spotlight's front-end since its inception. In fact, I found myself relying on EasyFind to perform searches even though it's much slower. Oh happy day when I first found HoudahSpot... It's exactly what Spotlight's interface should be.
I especially like the ability to create custom search templates as well as customize the default search template.
I'm hoping a future version will allow me to replace the Spotlight interface entirely (e.g., in the menubar, Cmd-F in the Finder, etc.) rather than existing alongside it as it currently does.
This product does provide some of the most useful and attractive font specimens I've encountered, but I'd like to see more customization options (even though they've added "several new" options, it's still very minimal in this regard). Performance is quite good.
Is it worth upgrading to v3 if you're not on a 64-bit Mac and not using Windows 7? In other words, can anyone comment about performance improvements or other enhancements for 32-bit users with XP installed? Gracias.
Just to be clear, my MacBook Pro 17" has an Intel Core Duo 2.16 GHz chip (not a Core 2 Duo), which I don't believe is 64-bit. I am running Snow Leopard, but I don't know if it's worth it to upgrade from Fusion 2.0.6 to 3.0 if all the 3.0 enhancements and performance improvements are for 64-bit machines and Windows 7.
+7
VMware Fusion
FontExplorer X Pro
+1
+17
+17
+2
SmartSleep
Seanc reviewed on 24 Feb 2011
HoudahSpot
Seanc reviewed on 30 Jun 2010
+1
Font Examiner
Seanc reviewed on 31 Mar 2010
I'm not sure yet about how much I like automatically loading the app into the menu bar (when you quit, it's unloaded), but other than that, this is a perfect utility for me.
Google Chrome
Seanc reviewed on 10 Feb 2010
+3
HoudahSpot
Seanc reviewed on 12 Nov 2009
I especially like the ability to create custom search templates as well as customize the default search template.
I'm hoping a future version will allow me to replace the Spotlight interface entirely (e.g., in the menubar, Cmd-F in the Finder, etc.) rather than existing alongside it as it currently does.
TypeBook Creator
The price, by the way, is $39.99 not $29.95.
VMware Fusion
+17
SmartSleep