3ABNPUB  I have the same problem with settings not holding/sticking with version 1.6.8. It seems every time I log in I have to manually activate my settings (even though I have set it to supposedly do that when I log in automatically). Other than that, it works fine.  
(Version 1.6.8)

3ABNPUB  My experience has been the opposite: Very responsive support from Panic (the developers). Are you sure your complaints are written in a polite and courteous tone that would incline the developers to respond?  
(Version 3.5.5)

3ABNPUB  Well said. At $10-20 it might be reasonable. But the current retail price is a joke. The sitx format isn't THAT good. The application interface is actually quite clunky for such a premium priced product.  
(Version 11.0)

3ABNPUB  Firefox may not be the best, most exciting browser by itself, but the really awesome thing about it is all the extensions available. I use it for many special purposes, although my main browser is Safari which usually works great for me.  
(Version 1.5.0.7)

3ABNPUB  MacUpdate doesn't yet list the changes that come with version 5, so here they are (gleaned from MacMinute):

a new and streamlined interface, support for Intel-based Macs, an auto file renaming feature, and a new bootable DVD.

I own the previous version of this software. Unfortunately it has not helped me recover a single file successfully; it could just be my bad luck. All I've ever gotten is gibberish, even when possibly hundreds of files were mistakenly deleted all at once. (They couldn't have all been overwritten, could they?)  
(Version 5)

3ABNPUB  You CAN save to a file name of your choosing. But you may need to switched to Advanced mode to do it. Unfortunately the tiny, unlabeled Advanced mode button is a little hard to figure out. It's in the upper right corner of the ScanWizard interface I believe (I don't have the app on this computer to verify). From there you should be able to figure out how to do this. (The button to scan to a file is in the main button bar.)  
(Version 7.52)

3ABNPUB  Gretag's EyeOne system is the only one I have used, so I can't compare it with others. But it works well, has a very sensible walk-through calibration for your monitor, scanner, printer, and more. (I suppose this could vary depending on which package you buy.) The hardware seems solid and reliable.

Because of rising competition in this area, EyeOne seems to be one of the expensive options out there. But it is also well-known and highly regarded.  
(Version 3.6)

3ABNPUB  There are some good things about the program to like. It has about all the asset management functionality you could want, as far as cataloging and indexing files. It's reasonably easy to use, and rather flexible.

My main gripes are that the Mac version is crippled in its support on graphics to whatever the current version of QuickTIme supports. At the cost of this app, you'd think it could stand on its own and not be limited in this way.

Second, I had a huge iView catalog, which became corrupted. I work with lots of large files, and corruption is a very rare (perhaps unprecedented) occurrence on my system. The catalog was completely unrecoverable. I would expect the catalog integrity to be a little more robust than it is.

Due to its limited import functionality and questionable stability, I consider it overpriced. For pro prices, one expects pro performance.  
(Version 3.1)

3ABNPUB  I've never had any problems either, so can't image what anyone is complaining about. The program seems to work great. I use it in combination with DiskWarrior, and together they are a great set of tools.  
(Version 4.1.2)

3ABNPUB  Photoshop is the best for pro users, probably overkill (or even intimidating/unfriendly) for casual users. If you don't need its pro features, get Photoshop Elements instead.

I find that Photoshop does exactly what I want, most of the time. All the tools work great, and offer a high degree of precision to accomplish what the user needs to do.

It has gotten a bit bloated over the years, and it seems like Adobe's innovation and striving for perfection has slowed a bit. For example, the filter set has been virtually unchanged for the last 3 or 4 versions ... which is unfortunate because filters are a significant part of Photoshop's functionality.  
(Version 9.0.1 (9.0.1x294))

3ABNPUB  I was surprised that no one had commented on GB since last summer, 2005. Was the current version even out then?

GB is a great app, although to use it productively you really out to have a MIDI device (like a keyboard) connected, and having a little musical ability doesn't hurt either.

I think the iLife 06 version is a major improvement over the previous one.  
(Version 3.0.2)

3ABNPUB  This is an awesome app that just keeps getting better and better. Keep up the good work, Panic!  
(Version 3.5.2)

3ABNPUB  This is one cool li'l app. It doesn't do a whole lot, but what it does, it does well. It's easy and fun to play with.  
(Version 1.4.2)