MATHIAS RHEIN  I am wondering what the advantage of all these concentration and focussign apps is to single application mode?

Honestly, this never got me into even spaces, since single app mode and an intelligent app switcher like with do the job for me...

Can someone convince me of the opposite?  
(Version 4.5b)

ALEXIUSCA  4.0: Added blur and other effects to background windows; suspend Isolator when Finder is frontmost; multiple bug fixes.

4.02beta: Update for Snow Leopard; add desaturate effect

4.03beta: Fix glitch with selection of desaturate filter

4.04beta: unreleased

4.1beta: Snow Leopard support, desaturate filter

4.2: Snow Leopard support, desaturate filter

4.3: Fix Sparkle problems. NB This version is not compatible with OS X 10.4 -- I hope the next version will be.

4.4: Fix auto-update problems. NB This version is not compatible with 10.4 -- hopefully the next version will be.  
(Version 4.4)

LEMERLOT  Wow, after years of using Think I discovered Isolator now - and it does nearly all I liked to have with Think. It even hides the dock! If it could hide the menu bar too it would be perfect for me.

Nevertheless I'm very impressed.  
(Version 4.03b)

PJOT  Indeed, a wonderful app, thanks Ben!  
(Version 4.0)

BUMBLEB  Thank you, dear developer

Just what I need. Such niceness;-)  
(Version 4.0)

HARRISTYPE  This has already become an indispensable item in my menu bar. The app works flawlessly and, unlike other utilities that try to do similar tasks, handles multiple apps and Apple's Spaces intelligently. The only feature that I can see that I'd like to have added is an applications exception area in the prefs. That way when I bring up calculator while looking at an Excel spreadsheet, I can have it so that calculator doesn't trigger Isolator, and I can still see the spreadsheet info in the background.

Other than that small feature request, this utility rocks!  
(Version 4.0)

MR AMNESIA  It is a remarkably simple app, that instantly shows its use and benefits. It is perfect if you want a screen shot of a broken app but have something that you do not want seen. You can use it to block out everything else so can concentrate.

Features 5 simple does what it says and well.

Ease of use 5 on or off simple as that.

Value 5 free enough said.

Stability 5 never crashed in all the time I have used it.  
(Version 4.0)

GCOGHILL  Excellent utility! great for not only concentration, but also screenshots and screencasts to keep the background private and/or non-distracting.  
(Version 3.40b)

DNEM41  i already posted comments on this, but forgot to rate it.

its not exaggeration that i gave this all 5's. this is a simple little app that lets you focus on the front window. i have used DooDim, Backdrop, and Think 1.2.

DooDim was my first love, but dumped it when i accidentally crossed paths with Isolator's arsenal of features. Isolator did everything DooDim did, but was sold on the one-button dim.

Didn't like backdrop because the icon shows up in my command+tab window. plus i feel like my machine ran a little slower.

Think 1.2, was going the wrong direction because i dont want another window when im trying to focus on the task at hand.

One last thing about this app (and other like these) is that i love using it in conjunction with Menu Eclipse. menueclipse is a small app that dims out your menu bar (the last frontier of Mac screen real estate). menu eclipse is good enough for now, but i would like something with a few more options and MenuShade doesnt work yet for Intel iMacs.

furthermore, (and maybe this is a little too much to ask, but) i would like the ability to have windows occupy the top where the menu bar would be. it would be neat if i could have something that would auto-hide the menu bar (just like I can autohide the dock). i have a lot of things going on (like iStat) so the menu bar's distracting, and its good that i got a little app that covers it up. but i would like to be able to have windows where the menu bar would be. does anyone have any suggestions?

Isolator developers - you rock!  
(Version 3.39b)

CHARLESBKK  Isolator 3.38b doesn't run on my PPC 10.5.3, tired to restart,but no luck. It seems a good stuffs. Any idea for this issue?  
(Version 3.38b)

FRANKFX  Version 3.3 is running fine again on Tiger 10.4 Thanks for the quick update, Isolator is back on my menubar.  
(Version 3.3)

BENW  3.2 was incompatible with 10.4 (Tiger), hence the freezing problem. Hopefully this is fixed in 3.3. If not, please let me know (email on website).  
(Version 3.3)

PROGRAMHAPPY  The "Check for updates" feature does not work.

Also, does 3.3 fix the system freeze?  
(Version 3.3)

GUNTIS  Oh, I still prefer much cheaper Command+Option+H …  
(Version 3.3)

FRANKFX  Oops, previous versions worked fine but now after turning on Isolator the whole computer becomes useless and only holding down the powerbutton can get me out of it. Could be I'm doing something wrong but for now Appzapper made Isolator move to the trash.  
(Version 3.2)

VERYVITO  Just what I needed. Works as advertised, and feels less clunky than Backdrop or other solutions I've tried.  
(Version 3.2)

DNEM41  Yea, I used this for about 4 minutes and decided this was a keeper.

Prior to Isolator I was using DooDim. I needed something to block everything out and DooDim was just the first one I stumbled across. It was good enough until I saw this on the front page of MacUpdate. Tried it out and really liked the one-click dim feature. Also, I really like the blur. Very simple, but I never thought of it myself, and therefore didn't know I wanted it.

Also tried out Backdrop (which is shareware), but didn't like that the Backdrop icon showed up in the command+tab window.   
(Version 3.2)

BABYFETT  I would imagine a lot of people would want to use this with word processors, so they can concentrate, but while using Word I needed to access another window within Word and when I did, it automatically hid the first document and the only way I could get back to it was to turn off Isolator. Also, it gives you the option to Hide Dock, I assumed it meant that it would disable it while you were working so when you got to the bottom of the page it wouldn't pop back up, but there it was. If it just hides the Dock, you can set that up in your regular OS X preferences. I was really hoping this product would be for me. If I'm doing something wrong in Word, I'd love to give this bad boy another shot. Thanks!  
(Version 3.0)

MACSTERDAM  Being a big fan of Isolator, I was wondering if you might consider the following: currently the new betas allow you to either hide all but the forefront window or dim all but the forefront window. As I love both options, I'd really love to see you ad a shortcut for both, so I can choose either depending on what I need.  
(Version 1.5b3)

EASER  Woops, let me take that back. I hadn't tinkered with the preferences settings properly. Indeed, this works as well as Focus Layer, if not better. (I couldn't get Focus Layer to work with the "Applications" setting under 10.5.2; it would only work with the "Windows" setting.) Indeed, let us give this 10 stars. Nice program. The developer obviously read our minds in terms of what we needed. My apologies for the previously hasty words.  
(Version 1.4b8)

MACSTERDAM  Oh Yes!!!!! 1.4b8 is the new FocusLayer!!!!!! I seriously can't thank you enough. Absolutely wonderful and as of now my number one essential utility on my Mac.

As far as I'm concerned, this deserves 10 stars!!!  
(Version 1.4b8)

EASER  I prefer FocusLayer. It gives me several additional customization features. But I do appreciate what the developer of Isolator is trying to do.  
(Version 1.4b5)

STONEVIL  prefer using spaces (i'am old unix man :) )

or virtue in 10.4  
(Version 1.3b)

RWATTS  Seems to be broken under Leopard. Any one else having problems?

BTW This is a fantastic app... and I am very surprised that it is not better known (a great replacement MenuStrip which offered a simliar functionality but which was never updated for Intel Macs).  
(Version 1.0)

WWATER  First of all, I love this little app. It has helped me focus on tasks at hand and unclutter my palettes.

I am a great fan of monitors that can be turned to vertical mode and 90 degrees display in OS X. It seems that there is a limit in Isolator on height, as in vertical mode, it only blends half the screen.  
(Version 1.0)

MSADESIGN  I'm surprised how much I like this little critter. The only thing I wish it would have? A single click to toggle the on/off condition rather than selecting a menu in the manner of Show desktop, another incredibly handy little app. I'll donate anyway, though.  
(Version 1.0)

ALLANLIBUNAO  However, this messes with the "view all windows" exposé functionality, whereby background apps need to be brought to the front before their windows show up when hitting F7.

This occurs with Isolator turned off in the menubar after using it, and this behavior sticks around after quiting Isolator altogether.  
(Version 1.0)

EELKE  Very nice little app! I've been working with macs for quite some years, but just a week ago I did the 'real big switch' by finally buying one myself.

And now this little program makes my one problem with osx (incidentally clicking next to the program I'm using, because of no fullscreen options like windows has) completely disappear! Thanks!!  
(Version 1.0)