 | Nov 19 2009 |
BLUESTAR This is getting to be a joke. A new version released evry day practically. The developers either want to keep the software name in front of people ( a form of advertising) or they are a bunch of incompetent idiots who can't test their software properly before a release.
(Version 8.41) | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Nov 24 2009 |
SHRALLDAM The developer reacts quickly when he finds an issue. If he considers the issue was important enough to need a patch, what's wrong with that? Besides, Sparkle is included in ABFR, so the update is a really smooth process. Blaming developers for updating their software, that's the joke!
(Version 8.42) | |
| Nov 24 2009 |
DASH77 Its a benefit for both users and developers to have regular update-cycles. If a version isnt released to fix a *critical* bug i'd say a period of a month for updates is reasonable. *EVERY* *TIME* I launch ABFR it wants to update. Thats annoying and certainly not time efficient (neither for users nor for the developer). For the love of God: try to bundle your fixes. Let there be a new version every month or so (again: if not a critical bug needs to be fixed)!
(Version 8.42) | |
 | Oct 21 2009 |
WERTY I really love this application, the only think that i don't like is the way it manage the files that you want to rename. You can order them just for current name, you can't move a file that starts with "n" before a file that starts with "a". Since i'm not good with english, i will try to make an example hoping that the developer will read it and understand :S I have 5 files: "Random01","Random02","Random03","Random04" and "Random05". I can order them in two ways: current name from "a" to "z" or current name from "z" to "a". But if i want to order them manually and put "Random01", "Random04", "Random02", "Random05" and in the end "Random03" i can't. This is really annoying, i wish the developer could fix it.
(Version 8.33) | |
| [ 4 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Oct 22 2009 |
SHRALLDAM I have the same exact problem. Being able to reorganize the list before applying the changes would be a terrific feature. This "issue" put aside, ABFR is a wonderful product and very valuable.
(Version 8.33) | |
| Oct 28 2009 |
LOUNGE DELUXE I'm just being curious here, but why would you want to reorganize the list of files before applying a rename command? I fully agree with you, ABFR is a wonderful and very feature rich app and product support is excellent. For future releases I'd like to see more possibilities for editing tags of music files.
(Version 8.36) | |
| Oct 28 2009 |
SHRALLDAM Sometimes, when you need to rename files that have already a number sequence in their names, that order doesn't necessarily reflect what the right order should be (for example, a "file006" that should be "file004" instead). Because ABFR uses the default alphabetical and incremental order to display files in the list before they are renamed, there's actually no way to decide that number 6 should become number 4, and vice versa. Should you decide that this picture comes before this other picture, for example, you won't be able to do it. Or maybe am I unaware of the process to do it?
(Version 8.36) | |
| Oct 28 2009 |
WERTY I sent a mail to their support, this is what they answered: "We do occasionally get requests for such a "manual sorting" feature and it could be quite useful as long as you don't have very many files (manually sorting 1000 files would become tiresome very quickly). Unfortunately such a sort does not integrate well within the framework of the product which is designed along a more batch criteria based philosophy. We do have a design that would graceful combine both worlds, but it would require a LOT of work both on the backend and the UI side. As such it will not be introduced in a minor update, but will have to wait for at least version 9 (a year or two away at least), but the feature scope for that is far from being finalised.." They were really fast and kind, it should be ok to post their message right?
(Version 8.36) | |
 | Oct 5 2009 |
KGLUNT I accidently put a photo on the program and now it shows up on all my temps on changing one set to change name, can you email my fix, love to use this program
(Version 8.32) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
Replies:
 | Sep 9 2009 |
FRANK REIFF Yes, the system service is available in the context menu as soon as you activate it. The new version 8.28 has detailed instructions which are also available on my blog: http://www.publicspace.net/blog/macbreakz/2009/08/28/snow-leopard-update/ | |
| Aug 29 2009 |
ROD76 I find A Better Finder Rename indispensable and its ability to produce complex renames unmatched. That said, I have one and only one complaint. I dislike how its name is truncated when used from a contextual menu. It would be great if the dev would just call it A Better Finder Rename (leaving off the version number) or abbreviating it some other way. Seeing "A Better Finder Rename 8..." just doesn't look good A small annoyance easily overlooked when compared to the overall function of this excellent renaming application.
(Version 8.27) | |
| [ 4 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Sep 5 2009 |
DRDUL I agree. I use ABFR and ABFA, and how I deal with the clunky names is that when installing or upgrading, I drag the app out of the DMG onto my desktop, rename it to "ABFR" or "ABFA," and then drag it into the Applications folder. I'm not big on the contextual menu items, so I skip that part, as well as the pref pane. I may yet add a Service to the contextual menu in 10.6, but only if I can rename it to "ABFR" or create one by that name with Automator. Other than the name issue, both ABFR and ABFA are great apps. I switched to ABFR from Name Mangler, which is also a great app and is free, but which currently doesn't work properly on 10.6.
(Version 8.27) | |
| Sep 9 2009 |
FRANK REIFF The long name is a left over from its early days in 1994.. but has stuck. Services and contextual menu items are mandated to be explicit and unique by the Apple Human Interface Guidelines and it's usually a good idea to follow those to preserve that "Mac feel".. so it needs to be at least "A Better Finder Rename". The ellipsis is indicated when the selection does not result in immediate action but brings up a further dialog, so we get to "A Better Finder Rename ...". Leaving the version number out isn't a good idea because you can have (and many people do have) both version 7 and version 8 installed at the same time.. It would have been better to call the product "Renamer" or something shorter when it came out :-)
(Version 8.27) | |
| Sep 9 2009 |
DRDUL Hi Frank! You know, there's no rule that says you can't change the name of an app, even after 15 years! :-)
(Version 8.28) | |
| Sep 10 2009 |
FRANK REIFF There pretty much is.. I floated the idea with my alpha tester group and well.. it didn't fly. What's more there's of course the links to the decade of web page links, google ranking, reviews, name recognition, etc to take into account.. besides to my great surprise the majority of the people I asked actually liked the current name :-)
(Version 8.28) | |
| Aug 13 2009 |
ICONZ113 http://rapidshare.com/files/266836372/Batch_Rename.zip.html place that file inside Home>library>Workflows>Applications>Finder
(Version 8.27) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Aug 13 2009 |
MISHA If you want a REALLY basic rename tool, this can help you out. If you want any options (add text X places in, replace only the third occurrence, etc.) or way more flexibility (rename based on ID3 tags, and a ton more) ABFR is the only way to go..
(Version 8.27) | |
| Aug 12 2009 |
DOKTER_MAC Thanks for solving the 64 bit issue for G5 Macs! The speedbump is realy big!!! This is a 5 star program!!! Thanks for the great support and the regular updates/improvements! With regards.
(Version 8.27) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jul 12 2009 |
ICONZ113 guys , you know there are workflow actions that can appear in the contextual menu when you right click. In ~/library make a folder called Workflows then another folder inside of that called Applications then another folder inside of that called Finder. Inside the finder folder place the batch workflow file inside. After restarting the finder you will be able to highlight whatever you want then right click. When the menu appears choose workflows then the batch workflow file. Then you will be presented with the options for renaming the files that are selected. If you currently have app zapper installed (i know a lot of people do) you can right now, right click in the finder and see the workflows option already there because app zapper also creates a zap workflow. In that case all the folders are already created for you. I mean creating 3 folders and placing a file and having it always available for u right thee in the menu is an easy alternative to having to pay money for an app. There are a whole bunch of different workflows you can download and use at http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/automator/ that work the same way and their free.
(Version 8.24) | |
| [ 5 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Jul 13 2009 |
LOUNGE DELUXE Judging from your comment I'd say you never even used ABFR once, otherwise you would have known that ABFR is an extremely feature rich app that does so much more than a simple file rename. Good luck creating Automator Workflows of all ABFR features, mate.
(Version 8.24) | |
| Jul 29 2009 |
NIGEL2112 For the life of me I cannot understand what you are talking about, I mean no offense dude but I've been using ABFR for a good while now and it's been totally rock solid and has just about every possible combination of ways to rename files that I can think of and quite frankly I doubt that I would have the bravery to go into Automator and attempt to recreate the same functionality and in any case I've tried the free rename apps and they're good but ABFR has it all so I bought it and have not regretted it once as I consider it a must have app until Apple comes up with an alternative and even then I don't think it would be as good and that's all I have to say about (ok, mock) the comments by 'Iconz113' except to say that I hope you have enjoyed reading this run-on sentence.
(Version 8.26) | |
| Jul 30 2009 |
ICONZ113 NIGEL2112, if you cant understand simple instructions to create 3 folders and place a file inside of one of them you have problems my friend. Im just trying to help someone that may not want to buy the application. I see from your comments the only time you say something is when your complaining. Hope that being a prick thing works out for you.
(Version 8.26) | |
| Aug 6 2009 |
NIGEL2112 A 'prick' is someone who can't take light-hearted ribbing and responds with mindless insults. I prefer real insults: "Ha ha 'icons13' you don't know how to spell." "You write comments on software you've never used." "Your mother dropped you one too many times." Those are proper insults. Come on. Lighten up. Life's too short. Have you never seen Top Gear? (Or maybe you drive a BMW??) I use it daily and can heartily recommend it. Well worth 20 smackeroos. | |
| Aug 13 2009 |
CORPSECORPS ICONZ113; to be fair, you say "Inside the finder folder place the batch workflow file inside." Besides being redundant, that sentence doesn't specify where that file comes from. Personally i wouldn't give up ABFRX but i did some searches and i didn't find anything on my HD that seemed appropriate, even among things related to Automator. I do have AppZapper and yep, to my surprise there IS a ZAP! workflow in my contextual menu. I would never have known, because since Apple relegated contextual menu items to the "More" sub-menu instead of allowing the contextual menu to be organized according to what the user needs most, i don't even like to use it unless i must. I use the ABFRX hotkey so i don't have to use its CM item.
(Version 8.27) | |
| Apr 24 2009 |
LEPPE Is it possible to get version 8.15 back? The 64 bit mode worked great on my PM G5! Version 8.16 crashed and only runs in 32 bit modus. Now I've updated to version 8.17 and it seems the program has lost it's 64 bit support :(... Which is to bad because it was fast! The What's New is a bit confusing, but true: "Version 8.17: fixes a launch problem on PowerPC G5 Macs." Yes it did, since version 8.16, but we lost 64 bit support :(. This update (8.17) is like a huge step back... Please give us back 64 bit support... I've tasted the speedbump in 8.15 and I was very impressed. | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| May 18 2009 |
FRANK REIFF The trouble is the Sparkle auto-update framework crashes in 64-bit mode on the PowerPC G5.. If you've got a moment, get in touch with me at reiff@publicspace.net; I don't have a G5 testing machine at the moment (both PowerMacs blew their cpus), but there's a new version of Sparkle so it's possible they've fixed the bug..
(Version 8.18) | |
| Apr 23 2009 |
LEPPE Works great in 64 bit mode on my PM G5! Thank you for moving to 64 bit architecture. The speedbump is great if you dealing with a lot of files. One of the few, but better, 64 bit apps I ever used on a G5 PowerMac! Greetz & thanks again for the effort!
(Version 8.16) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Mar 28 2009 |
ZORRRO A good program but the interface is over loaded. You need a long time to figure out how it realy works. it has many features.
(Version 8.1.3) | |
| [ 4 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Apr 2 2009 |
LOUNGE DELUXE I find the UI very intuitive, and I've never needed the manual at all. If you have trouble apprehending all possibilities of ABFR then I suggest you simply drag a file to the left column and start to play around with the different menus and fields. The right column will show the change to the file immediately, so it should become clear what all the menus and fields can do for you and your files.
(Version 8.1.4) | |
| Apr 22 2009 |
HMURCHISON Would you expect any less for $30? The best thing for noobs (and I'm one of them) is to create droplets for often used renaming jobs. Thus you are spared the plethora of choices and can utilize your droplets or contextual menu. No one said there would not be a learning curve but this app really isn't that difficult. You just need to take it step by step and identify what naming structure you want for a given data-type.
(Version 8.15) | |
| Apr 23 2009 |
ST00P!D M0NK3Y And because you're lazy, you gave it two stars? Nice.
(Version 8.16) | |
| Aug 10 2009 |
RUBAIYAT I agree that you have to think too often about what option is going to happen where and why. Even after using it for years I would always find I had "forgotten" to click on one necessary button. A necessary button I always thought unnecessary. I have switched to Renamer4Mac and find, even though it has a few quirks, it is very transparent about the choices and consequent results.
(Version 8.26) | |
| Mar 27 2009 |
IAMDORIAN This is a great utility. When you need to rename batches of images (I do this very often) then there's no better solution, and the developer is constantly tweaking this to make it better. It's true that by making continual updates developers can give their applications maximum user exposure, and thereby increase sales, but this is one of the real benefits of such sites. Let's face it, it's great when everybody wins! Keep up the good work!
(Version 8.1.3) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Feb 19 2009 |
ST00P!D M0NK3Y Great program. :) Helped me finally organize thousands of files. Now I don't have to worry about it anymore. Saved me hours, days... weeks? Thanks. :)
(Version 8.1.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Feb 9 2009 |
MAGOSILVAN I agree with CORPSECORPS. It already was the complete renamer and the developer continues to improve it: this time in speed.
(Version 8.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jan 27 2009 |
CORPSECORPS What i said about version 7 still stands. I wouldn't have paid the price if i didn't do a LOT of renaming, but if i didn't, any simple tool would do. If one is a heavy batch-renamer, this is THE tool to have. I haven't found any changes in version 8 that weren't a step UP!
(Version 8.0.9) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jan 15 2009 |
LEO SPILL What's with the new icon ? What's that got to do with renaming files ? Is it supposed to be the developers blood ?
(Version 8.0.8) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Jan 17 2009 |
CORPSECORPS Unknown. But it looks better than the old one.
(Version 8.0.8) | |
| Jan 15 2009 |
MAGOSILVAN OK, it's not the cheapest one and surely a rebate will be welcome, but neither Ferrari is...
(Version 8.0.8) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Dec 24 2008 |
POWDERED BEAN 2 Hi PUBLICSPACE (developer), Related to your comment "a market in full recession" on Sep 18 2008: I'll take you up on that. Now that we have "a market in full recession" worldwide, even in the Euro-zone, should'nt the price beeing lowered to something reasonable now? You know, at least fuel is much cheaper now... Merry christmas to you ;-)
(Version 8.0.7) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Dec 22 2008 |
SPARTAN If you need a GUI to do that, NameChanger does it for free and it works like a charm.
(Version 8.0.7) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Dec 18 2008 |
ROBERTCOOGAN2 A great little app! Works like a charm.
(Version 8.0.6) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Oct 11 2008 |
MACSOLU If you select "Use Leopard mode" under the General section in the ABFR Preferences, be prepared for abysmally SLOW renaming. Leopard mode is necessary if you wish to definitely retain file comments metadata in the Get Info window. It took FOUR HOURS for me to rename 47,500 files, all on the desktop in various folders and subfolders. This was on a G5 2.3GHz with 8MB RAM and OS 10.5.5. And the final step of "Cleaning up" did not bother to display a progress bar, so I had no idea how long that particular step would take.
(Version 8.0) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Oct 14 2008 |
If you're experiencing problems of any kind please contact me directly at reiff@publicspace.net, so that I can help you properly. What you are reporting very much sounds like a bug. The cleaning up stage that you mention doesn't have a progress report because it usually only takes 1-2 seconds. Anyway get in touch and we'll have a look.
(Version 8.0.1) | |
| Sep 18 2008 |
CEILING CAT My only issue with this app is the way the name appears in system menus - couldn't we just have "Better File Renamer" without the superfluous start and end characters?
(Version 8.0) | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Sep 18 2008 |
PUBLICSPACE Your not wrong.. it's a fairly lengthy name. There is a good reason for using the full name however.. originally (this is in the 90s on Mac OS 9) I tried a couple of shorter names.. with the result that I got lots of emails about "I can't find the program!". "A Better Finder Rename 8..." isn't short, but it's clear what is meant. Ultimately it's more important to be able to find the right item than it being short and sweet. Now if I could go back in the time machine (not that one!) and call the program some shorter (Better Rename) I certainly would :-)
(Version 8.0) | |
| Dec 19 2008 |
CORPSECORPS Too much trouble i suppose, to have a second version/listing with a new name? Or have some kind of splashy new name change promotion? Excellent piece of software, btw. I don't really care much what it's called.
(Version 8.0.6) | |
| Sep 17 2008 |
LEO SPILL For European users the price is 24.95 Euros - which equals = $35.75 US Dollars It's outrageous to charge so much more - Please reconsider your pricing. One price for all Mac users no matter where they plonk their hat. This is shareware after all - Shouldn't all software developers keep that in the forefront of their minds. When conjuring up these fiscal oddities in the darkened recesses of their tortured heads.
(Version 8.0) | |
| [ 3 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Sep 18 2008 |
PUBLICSPACE Fair enough. Only I'm a European developer and the steep decline in the dollar doesn't mean that bread (or fuel) get any cheaper over here in euros.. for me like for most European developers it has meant that a good 40% of our revenues have gone straight into the exchange rate black hole. I tried for a disastrous week to charge in EUR everywhere in the world. It's just not practical in the US; a lot of credit cards can't be charged in "foreign" currencies and of course just because the exchange rate goes down doesn't mean that US Americans have suddenly become any richer.. quite on the contrary. Besides it's only the dollar that has collapsed; almost all other currencies are roughly where they have been for ages compared to the euro. That means the software even though now charged for in euros has in fact not become any more expensive outside of the US than it was a few years ago, when the dollar was higher the euro. Back then everybody was quite happy to pay in euros ;-) The US is a special case at the moment, because of the weak dollar. I could charge $35 but nobody would be able to afford it. Exchange rates suck and I would gladly charge in euros (my local currency) everywhere; only I also need to make a living and it just isn't realistic to raise prices in a market in full recession. It's just the way the world works. Let's hope that the dollar and the euro again reach some kind of equilibrium soon.. that would make us both much happier..
(Version 8.0) | |
| Oct 14 2008 |
KILLER KLOWN KAR I am in the same situation. The only option for European developers is if they accept direct debit from a bank in Euro's they can lower the price there. Credit card companies simply won't allow you to do this with different currencies.
(Version 8.0.1) | |
| Dec 24 2008 |
POWDERED BEAN 2 Hi PUBLICSPACE (developer) Related to your comment "a market in full recession" on Sep 18 2008: I'll take you up on that. Now that we have "a market in full recession" worldwide, even in the Euro-zone, should'nt the price beeing lowered to something reasonable now? You know, at least fuel is much cheaper now... Merry christmas to you ;-)
(Version 8.0.7) | |
| Sep 17 2008 |
TOGGLEMEDIA A great update to a invaluable utility.
(Version 8.0) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Sep 17 2008 |
MISHA Still the best renaming utility by a mile... I've been using this since the days of OS 9 (and maybe even OS 8, it's been so long now!) and ABFR has only been getting better and better. Version 8's unified window and improved performance are the biggest perks of this new version for me. Frank's a terrific developer who fires back quick replies to your queries and is always pumping out new versions of his software to fix bugs and meet user requests.
(Version 8.0) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Aug 6 2008 |
CHRISB1 Very sophisticated piece of useful software and a very responsive developer.
(Version 8.0b2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Aug 4 2008 |
HANDYCAM Version 8 is looking very nice. I use my version 7 literally every day. An excellent application looks to get even better. Hopefully the 7 to 8 upgrade fee will be small.
(Version 8.0b1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Aug 4 2008 |
ETNIER AFAIK I have a 'lifetime' subscription to this software and DO NOT and will not use Leopard: it offers me nothing over Tiger. Developer: will the release version support the immense base of Tiger users???
(Version 8.0b1) | |
| [ 3 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Aug 4 2008 |
CHADCN Leopard offers EVERYONE something over Tiger. The changes made to the core OS put Leopard very much ahead of Tiger. Not to mention all the features that Apple pushes on their website.
(Version 8.0b1) | |
| Aug 4 2008 |
PUBLICSPACE Version 8 requires Leopard because it uses its new capabilities extensively. I do sympathize with users who do not to upgrade to Leopard. I don't really think there's that much in it for end users. I too failed to see the attraction of Leopard until I realized that it's not about the stuff that comes with the operating system (Mail.app. the Finder, TimeMachine, etc.), but it's all about the programs that developers can build on top of it. Leopard enables developers to write better programs; the primary benefit to customers is that they get better applications from third parties and of course from Apple as well. That's not an easy sell, but that doesn't make it any less true. They are going to try doing it again with Snow Leopard and we'll see how that will work out for them. I've pushed version 7 pretty much as far is it will go; version 7 is IMHO a great file renamer (actually I think it's the best file renamer out there, but I'm biased). Being "stuck" with it, isn't such a bad thing ;-) Version 8, I believe is however a whole lot better still (I'm still biased) and using Leopard's new features really helped a lot in getting the renaming engine and the new user interface done. Usually I would have supported Tiger for longer, but it would have meant cutting features that require Leopard.. thus penalizing the people who have already upgraded (around half of the user base) and not really delivering that much improvement to Tiger users either. If you do not want to upgrade to Leopard yet, there's no rush to do so. A Better Finder Rename 8 will wait for you; it will keep getting better and by the time you buy your new xMac with Snow Leopard pre-installed you will reap the benefits of continuous evolution and all those early adopters will have ironed out all the teething problems :-) In the meantime version 7 will take care of your file renaming needs.
(Version 8.0b1) | |
| Aug 4 2008 |
ETNIER Thanks for this considered and informative response!
(Version 8.0b1) | |
| Jul 19 2008 |
CORPSECORPS I've been using this for ages, and it only gets better. It's the ultimate Mac renaming tool and blazing fast. | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Apr 10 2008 |
CORPSECORPS I couldn't get the contextual menu to send files to ABFRX so i checked here and found out there was a newer version. | |
| [ 3 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Jun 25 2008 |
LEE123 Why don't you just report this to the developer? This is not the place for bug reports or technical help. Looking at your history of comments it appears you never actually give a review but rather an implied negative comment or technical request.
(Version 7.9.9) | |
| Jun 25 2008 |
CORPSECORPS Untrue. I wrote 4 reviews with mostly high ratings, though they were brief. Thrice i commented on problems, and those weren't intended as reviews, that's why i labelled them "Troubleshooting". I have/will contact the dev when i have time.
(Version 7.9.9) | |
| Jun 25 2008 |
LEE123 Fair enough.
(Version 7.9.9) | |
| Dec 19 2007 |
FLINX Very nice app, very stable and usefull. I have been using it since v5.9. never crashed on my computers and very active development with lots of updates. Unlike some others dev, tha ABFR dev does not uses incremental update as a way to get more cash from its user base.
(Version 7.9.5.5) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Nov 28 2007 |
SXTYNNMACH1 Just use Renamer4Mac. It's free and works excellently with native Cocoa UI and works in Leopard.
(Version 7.9.5) | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Jan 2 2008 |
JAN_RYBAR Renamer4Mac: Can do less, it's buggy. It's free, but not better.
(Version 7.9.5.6) | |
| Apr 29 2008 |
VERYCARLA Buggy? Hardly. Sadly it's no longer free. It's actually MORE expensive than ABFR. What was the author thinking? Search me!
(Version 7.9.7.1) | |
| Nov 5 2007 |
PAT320 I use Automator to rename my files . Why should I use this App ? Why should I pay 20$
(Version 7.9.4) | |
| [ 5 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Nov 11 2007 |
HANDYCAM Then don't buy it. I think it's a plus since you can create a renaming scheme on the fly for one or hundreds of files, including multi-step naming -- all in a few seconds. Using automator or a shell script, you would need to stop what you're doing and start crafting the renaming sequence. This is a lot faster and easier, and for this I find it worth my $20.
(Version 7.9.4.5) | |
| Nov 15 2007 |
CORPSECORPS Too many reasons to really list here. This thing's great.
(Version 7.9.4.5) | |
| Dec 12 2007 |
ANDREW SCOTT I've tried using Automator as well as many of the competing applications but A Better Finder Rename is so much more flexible, usable and powerful that it beats the test hands down.
(Version 7.9.5.1) | |
| Dec 19 2007 |
FLINX It does its jobs quickly, efficiently. Everyone who has ever tried to manually rename a lot of files would understand that the time and hassle saved by using this app is worth the 20$.
(Version 7.9.5.5) | |
| Jan 2 2008 |
JAN_RYBAR Too difficult with Automator. If you rename twice a year, you may be right. If you rename every day, a complex solution like A Better Finder Rename is better.
(Version 7.9.5.6) | |
| Oct 16 2007 |
CORPSECORPS Choosing files to be renamed with the contextual menu works only once. If ABFR is running, the contextual menu will bring it to the front but the files don't appear.
(Version 7.9.3) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jul 25 2007 |
GRFX GURU After trying this for a whole 5 minutes I purchased, I have tried many different batching renaming scripts and applications before but this is the only one that provided powerful ways to rename without having to jump through hoops to do it. Worth every penny, great application.
(Version 7.9) | |
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| Jul 19 2007 |
KUULANI Great app. Picks up where Finder left off. Many options to rename. I have thousands of files (sound bites and clip art) that are longer than need be and groups of files that can have serialized names. This app helps make this otherwise unmanagble organization do-able. It has the ability to use EXIF dates, AAC/MP3 tags as elements in the files name. I'd recommend those interested to download and tinker with it but practice on copies of files before you go to live data. I think that the Developers other product A Better Finder Select and A Better Finder Attributes should be integrated with this one (A Better Finder Rename). The functions of the three seem to compliment each other very well. I purchased them together but I can see the reason for separating the functions to keep cost down for the consumer and keeping the app interface easy. The price seems high for a simple function but when you look at the depth of this product it is worth it for those who may have the same organization problem. For the geekier it also uses regular expressions if you wanted to get old school with it. I later check out and also purchased his other product the Big Mean Folder Machine to subdivide my files into a series of folder hierarchies.
(Version 7.8.6) | |
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| Jun 15 2007 |
Since upgrading to 7.8.1, i'm getting THREE duplicate contextual menu items, though i made sure only 1 was present. | |
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Replies:
| Jun 16 2007 |
Went away for a while after a system restart, but it's obviously not playing nice with some other contextual menu. The triple entry returned. | |
| Aug 29 2007 |
Was APE's fault, not ABRFX.
(Version 7.9.2) | |
| May 2 2007 |
This has been a great renaming tool for a long time but has become even more refined lately. Versatility and speed have only increased. | |
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| Apr 4 2007 |
JVS I had to re-name over 3000 files and fast. Using the Replace using regular expression to rename my files saved me DAYS of work. This program is the best, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't use it.
(Version 7.7) | |
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| Mar 14 2007 |
FLOUNDER I am wondering I can set up an automator workflow (Even save it as a plugin for the finder so I have it as a contextual menu item) So what is the difference between using a automator workflow than using this app? They both are able to accomplish the same thing or am I off base here?
(Version 7.7) | |
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| Mar 14 2007 |
Please contact me directly so that we can sort out this problem together. It sounds like you might have several versions of the program spread through your hard disk and that you are not using the "default" Applications location for the program. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. | |
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| Feb 26 2007 |
Has usually worked fine, but lately the Contextual menu is sometimes bringing up the window, sometimes not. And when it does, the app seems to have forgotten how it was previously set, so it's in a different rename mode, or the multi-step interface is active though it wasn't before. (recently switched to Mac Pro - 10.4.8) | |
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| Jan 10 2007 |
GARY30 I just realized I have been using this program daily since version 1. It has always been convenient. This is the kind of product that could simply become more elaborate bloatware with each release. Like others, I was concerned about the developer's decison to charge for updates some time ago. However, the product has not become bloatware. The new naming options that have been added are really useful. The stability has been excellent, the interface changes thoughtful. Every third or fourth update the program decides not to make its window the focus window when invoked, adding a keystroke for me, but that behavior eventually seems to return.
(Version 7.6) | |
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| Dec 21 2006 |
DAVE BURBANK There are other products which rename files and cost less. I decided to try A Better Finder Rename. Its feature set is Incredibly rich. It is solid, stable, and well designed. Before paying, I "tested" the quality of support publicspace software has to offer and I am VERY pleased. They answer my questions quickly, accurately, and completely. It's clear they want to help and they want you to feel satisfied. I highly recommend A Better Finder Rename. I'm using it to rename all the files in my 38,000 digital image catalog. I'll use it in the future every time I transfer images from one of my digital cameras. Great software, great support.
(Version 7.5.6) | |
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| Dec 8 2006 |
FOTO555 Simply the best! Love its new feature allowing docking at bottom too.
(Version 7.5.6) | |
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| Oct 17 2006 |
CORTLAND I had a bunch of photos I needed to rename (so they'd be displayed in a slide show in the order they were taken). I wanted to try out this program, but it wouldn't let me rename more than ten files in trial mode. Fortunately, I found R-Name, which did what I wanted and is free.
(Version 7.4.7) | |
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| Oct 10 2006 |
IAMDORIAN This is a truly useful ultility. Stability, multiple serial renaming steps, Intel-Mac support and price make this one a no-brainer. Creating sequential images for time-lapse sequences, this sort of application is an absolute must. I love the felxibility of Apple's "Automater" (got to love that icon) but performing renaming functions like this reduces the scripting app to an abysmal crawl. Enter ABFRX. Thanks for a great tool. Your price is fair as well (as long as updates are forthcoming). There is - as yet - no competition. R-Namer was a great solution as well, but the developer had trouble keeping up (probably because it was a free app). | |
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| Dec 17 2005 |
CORPSECORPS This program's always been pretty good, but version 7's new features and changes are a significant upgrade. Much better. My one gripe is that i don't see a way to keep it running. On my older system i don't like havinig to wait for it come up every time i use it, but it auto-quits when it's done with a batch.
(Version 7.0.5) | |
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| Nov 17 2005 |
BOLI I've been using ABFR for a couple of years now. The recent update to version 7 - which finally allows multiple renaming steps to be executed in one go - is excellent and exactly what I've been hoping for. Another important feature is using regular expressions (which was there prior to v7 IIRC). Combined with the new multiple-renaming ability this gives one ultimate "power" and flexibility. Setting up renames is easy, the results previewed nicely, so this works for novices just as well as for powerusers. There are other (even free) rename apps out there, but you get what you pay for. =) I suggest you try out ABFR to see if you benefit from its additional features. I for one most certainly do. Note: I've been an alpha tester for the v7 release, but am not affiliated with the developer. Frank was responsive and listened to comments/wishes/... from users, so I can truthfully say that the 5-star rating I'm giving is earned.
(Version 7.0) | |
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| Nov 16 2005 |
ANONYMOUS Great Cocoa update! However, one feature that I miss is the alphabetical rename. If anyone else uses this, please drop Frank a line and ask him to put it back in!
(Version 7.0) | |
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Replies:
| Nov 17 2005 |
FRANK REIFF Ok, it's scheduled for 7.1.5.. :-)
(Version 7.0) | |
| Sep 2 2005 |
ANONYMOUS Can anyone tell me if this program is significantly better than R-Name (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/12259) which is both fantastic and FREE?
(Version 6.9.5) | |
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Replies:
| Nov 16 2005 |
ANONYMOUS This app is WAY better then R-Name, I have been using this one for a long time, it might seem a bit hard to find the right thing you want, but use it a couple of times and you'll love it, worth the money
(Version 7.0) | |
| May 4 2006 |
MAC ALLY No a better finder rename is heavy and crash all the times so a better attitude is to keep R-Name on your Mac Which is as you said "both fantastic and FREE"
(Version 7.2.5) | |
| Aug 17 2005 |
FRANK REIFF Two corrections: 1) the tool on its own costs 19.95 not 39.95 2) if you buy now (in fact if you have bought sometime in 2005) you will get a FREE upgrade to version 7 I wouldn't dream of making people pay an upgrade just after they bought the tool and never have done so in the past. People who don't want to pay for upgrades can purchase a forever upgrade together with the initial purchase for 34.95 or indeed purchase one later. The first public beta of version 7 will be out (if the Gods are willing of course) in the middle of September. If you have any comments or suggestions please feel free to contact me directly via email.
(Version 6.9.5) | |
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| Oct 19 2005 |
ANONYMOUS great product. while it's small, with a rewrite, i think it would be worth getting a totally new icon. the spilled whiteout is well, dull. maybe look to one of the icon design shops. it'll enhance the *newness* image.
(Version 7.0b1) | |
 | Jul 6 2005 |
ANONYMOUS I WANT THIS A LOT!!! but im not gonna buy it until they get to 7, i dont want to have to pay for the upgrade too.. so my tip/hint (to developer): make version 7
(Version 6.9.5) | |
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| Jul 6 2005 |
JACK FOSTER MANCILLA I have other tools for renaming large numbers of files. The CM of BFR is the one I always use. I think it is a little expensive, but I do not regret my purchase.
(Version 6.9.5) | |
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| May 25 2005 |
ANONYMOUS Is this CM ever going to reach version 7. You will have to pay an upgrade fee if you were to purchase it today. and it's been slowly edging it's way point by point for what seems an eternity. Release 7 and then some of us might consider purchasing - before that it is just a waste of cash.
(Version 6.9.4) | |
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| Aug 17 2005 |
Let me explain why it takes so long for the product to 'edge' toward version 7. It's because I don't want to make you pay for an upgrade every few weeks.. My policy is to make really major changes (such as the complete rewrite that I am currently busy with for version 7) for whole version numbers only. That's where you would have to pay for an upgrade, unless of course you own a forever upgrade. New features (some small, some large) are added with each point release, often as a reaction to user feedback, suggestions, etc. It would be a shame (I think) to keep all these changes back for a year or more, just so that I can then claim to have made all these super improvements over night.. Minor improvements and bug fixes simply get a x.x.x version number; nothing to get too excited about, but definitely worth fixing immediately. I think that this way you get 10 free semi-major updates per version, immediate bug fixes and something really major every 1 to 2 years.
(Version 6.9.5) | |
| Mar 11 2005 |
FLARCH I love the capabilities but the interface is pretty gruesome.
(Version 6.8) | |
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| Nov 18 2004 |
PHOTO TIM Dear Anonymous, I guess that "create droplet" part you missed in your mad rush to pimp some other warez. A Better Finder Rename is unmatched in workflow optimization.
(Version 6.6.6) | |
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| Mar 23 2005 |
ANONYMOUS "...unmatched in workflow optimization." ??? You must be from dilbert-dom!
(Version 6.8.5) | |
| Oct 13 2004 |
ANONYMOUS The thing that irks me most about ABFR is that it is trying to do too much without any concern regarding workflow. I often have to go through all the menus which to me are pretty much randomly constructed, just to do a simple rename. Next, because of the complexity, the contextual menu takes more a few seconds to pop if you have selected many items, which is when I often need to do a batch rename. Also you cannot construct a series of rename actions without reinvoking the menu every time. I have recently found renamer4mac which is free and simple, does pretty much ABFR does and more... for example, it can insert/rewrite the "3rd character from the right" etc etc which if ABFR can also do, I haven't found out how to do it yet! renamer4mac is definitely a much better app, AFAIK.
(Version 6.6) | |
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| Nov 30 2004 |
I don't use the contextual menu much, it's so slow. Those menus don't make for a good UI either. There must be a more convenient way to implement the choices.
(Version 6.6.6) | |
| Apr 27 2004 |
ANONYMOUS path finder can use this. Just have PF set to "Append finder menu items" in the menu setup section
(Version 6.3.1) | |
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| Mar 21 2004 |
ANONYMOUS The program does what it's supposed to and has quite a few great options. The only thing which make it a real pain (and short of great app) are: - the UI is not so well thought-out. The top part of the box (where you select what to apply the changes to) should be a different color or distinct from the part of the box where you select your renaming scheme. Because both are based on pull-down menus, I always get them confused - loss of time. There are more UI quirks/inneficiencies. - This app only works with the Finder running (duh, check out the name). but WTF! WHat kind of moronic requirement is this for an OS X app? The finder is USELESS for renaming files (makes me think they just did a port of the old app and didn't rewrite the app at all). This is truly ANNOYING - I don't use the POS Finder - I use PathFinder and as a result I always have to start the Finder to launch the app.
(Version 6.2.5) | |
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| Mar 9 2004 |
JUST A NIP AND A TUCK This really is handly little program with a horrid name. Has a few annoying points to it's GUI, but mostly works slick.
(Version 6.2.1) | |
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| Jan 14 2004 |
MAX MACDONALD An essential utility in my line of work. Some have complained that all these little shareware prices add up, but if you don't think it's worth it, don't cough up. Me, I think this is one of the best, most reliable extensions to the Finder that I have going. I wish Apple gave us this level of functionality right within the Finder, but that said, I'm pleased with the fairly recent UI improvements to this utility and it generally just works, period. It makes renaming stuff a breeze, and since I'm often dealing with dozens of camera pix and scans at a time, it's a quick way to categorize and sort image files. Pretty decent and stable - the only thing awkward about it is that unwieldy name - ugh.
(Version 6.1b3) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Feb 12 2004 |
PAUL I have just started using "better finder rename" and i love the fact it works quickly and easily, however being a proffessional photographer i wil dump my photos in to a folder move them around a bit put them in a new order then when i rename them the program seems to place them in any random order it wants, I have tried different protocaols such as creation date or modification date yet it doesnt seem to make it better. Help this program has made it worse for me not better.
(Version 6.1.1) | |
| Nov 19 2003 |
PHOTO TIM ABFR has been a essential on the Mac for quite a while. I know I've used it almost more than any other utility. This continues the fine quality you've come to expect from this developer. Simplified layout, better previews, works great on Panther. What more do you want?
(Version 6.0) | |
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| Aug 5 2003 |
CHROMATOSE Like it. Works fine. But... There are so many little utilities for which people want to charge $10-$15. Can quickly add up to a lot of money for a little functionality.
(Version 5.8.2) | |
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| Jun 24 2003 |
DIRECTOR IT, A MARKETING COMPANY Purchased to correct file and folder names on a Windows 2000 Server file storage area used by Macintosh computers. Fileservices for Macintosh allows Macs to save filenames that are not allowed on a Windows operating system. As a result when you go to move the files in large quantities you run into these illegal names and you can't move the files. Better Finder Renamer helped me move our files from a Windows 2000 Server to our new XServe by renaming those illegal characters in mac file names to "_" where ever found and saved us many, many hours of work and even made it possible for us to move at all, I dare say.
(Version 5.7.5) | |
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| Jan 26 2003 |
JIM CHOI 5.2 version crashes during the application startup. updating to 5.2.1 solves the problem. Otherwise, this is a great application.
(Version 5.2) | |
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