DRADRIENYOUELL  Thank God for John Clayton (dev) for 2.2.8 update to Snow Leopard. I was bereft, frustrated, lost my soul ... by missing Zoom2's window moving ability in 10.6.

In Snow Leopard I had to go back to hitting the hatched bottom right corner precisely on target to move the window size and equally hunting for the top bar to move the window.

I have been spoiled by earlier Zoom2 which made window moves so easily by Shift-Option and Shift-Command; when moving windows in background without them coming to front.

Thank you (in as many languages as I cannot speak;-) for restoring the ease of Zoom2's simplicity and efficiency in Snow Leopard. No other app is so intuitive (with a quick installation tutorial).

Adrien UK  
(Version 2.2.8)

DRADRIENYOUELL  I have not yet used iRecordMusic, I must have bought it in a MU Promo. AmbrioiaSW's WireTap Studio is the soul of simplicity for sounds I want to record; not concerned about channels, waveforms etc...

I am mentioning an alternative, that's all. Adrien.  
(Version 1.6 build 464)

DRADRIENYOUELL  TapDex is pure magic. It is my most useful utility to find urls, emails, names, email addresses, phone numbers...

Hit F1 and a floating interface appears, type some characters of your contact, hit go. Return/Enter and a number of similar names appears. You scroll down arrow to see the Contact you want. It shows TEL numbers and some truncated information.

Dismiss by returning to your 'document'. If required you than launch Address Book.

BUT you don\t have to load Address Book for a simple query. I use TapDex daily, it is one of my most useful, nay essential 'add-ons'

3-cheers to Yellow Mug, thanks guys. A winner and it's FREE - press F1 and save yourself a lot of time.

Adrien X, UK  
(Version 3.3.2)

DRADRIENYOUELL  I love Trampoline, it's not just another launcher, it has a wonderful user interface. Just as the developer says, you get used to where your applications are, left, right, top, wherever in the circle. [I should be talking of compass points ;-)

Initially you can load Trampoline from your Dock apps. Thereafter I pulled off Dock items I rarely used and ADDed them to Trampoline. I also pulled from Dock apps I rarely open first such as TextEdit, I will be double clicking on a txt document.

Trampoline is the BEST launcher with a fascinating opening using Option-Space. My `dock has shrunk leaving only most used apps for opening of for dragging files onto Dock icon.

Though valid 'Jefflass' misses the point about limitations to Apple's Dock... [and I dislike multiple Dock apps]. I have up to 64 icons in Trampoline's circle, some are apps to test or learn. That's a Dock of 64 items, so far only apps, not documents, including a slimmed down Dock.

'Easer' makes a great point of using Mouse centre button to launch Trampoline.

In my assessment I give high marks also for innovation and usefulness.

Yours

Adrien UK  
(Version 2.3.3)

DRADRIENYOUELL  I have Uninstalled 1Password.

It got in the way of Safari Keychain with continuous requests for passwords, thankfully which I keep in a Pages file; I can revert to WP passwords.

i don't understand 1Password not providing what it advertises. NB I am a single user in a secure office.

1Password does not make password life simpler.

Adrien  
(Version 2.5.3)

DRADRIENYOUELL  Nifty little date utility and in current version 201 works on Intel Mac Pro in OSX 10.4.10

My head is a sieve for numbers but I need dates. The date 15 is shown in Dock. The floating month is not distracting and is easily customisable whether floating or not and full range of transparency. The month shows up when the mouse is nearby; I put in a part of the 23" screen I rarely visit for other reasons

I think this is 5/5 for a free and lovely spice in my day.

Adrien  
(Version 2.0.1)

DRADRIENYOUELL  v1.4.7 update has Meteo working again, I love the Menu Bar weather. Thanks Joe Crobak and I donated in monetary appreciation.

No problem with so-called memory leak on Intel Mac Pro in 10.4.10

Adrien

UK  
(Version 1.4.7)

DRADRIENYOUELL  Re-Simple; ‘Simply double-click’, ‘To perform a search, simply click...’

‘Simply do this’ puts me off apps and instructions when often the process is anything but ‘easy’ or simple. Robert Kuilman is either in the universal ‘simple’ word trap or it indicates he will never fully explain so-called simple facts? His Read-Me augurs well for an interesting individual.

BUT... 1. Running the app gets aggressive: ‘You have to create a new or open an existing catalog before you can start Media Catalog. Please choose what you want to do: Open Existing, Quit, Create New.’

At this point I had not inserted my backup DVD. I Click ‘Create New”.

Save As is a small dialog. ‘Foul Drain’, ‘Euro Notes’ from original launch of The Euro currency on The Continent - we are British Isles, not The Continent. Defining a name to Save As goes back via Register Reminder to a blank Save As. Okay, I press aqua New button. I have to remember what I first named as above, Foul Drain repair, Euro Notes: just as well I recorded them for this MacUpdate Review.

Now we get a blank dialog, ‘CATALOG BROWSER’. There is no prompt to insert a DVD. There is a “Browse Catalog” Hmmm, I see, we are getting to the, “Tell me what is so simple about this please”

In fact, we are at a stand-still; neither Browse nor Manage Catalog or All Files... is getting me any nearer a prompt to say, ‘Insert data DVD’. Anyway, I insert my DVD. The dialog which for a moment asked for Drag Data is no longer willing to accept dragging the DVD and there is no browsing to navigate to the DVD on the DeskTop - and I had to clear a 23” Cinema display to find the DVD with no joy even then. I cannot work out how disc media are to be indexed by Media Catalog.

Sadly, I hit on the preliminary ‘Simple’ as at top. No, this is complex and is not for me. It’s ways are difficult and I have still not achieved an indexing of that data DVD.

Adrien. UK, Ex-VP Washington Apple Pi, DC.

MacPro, 10.4.10  
(Version 3.7.1)

DRADRIENYOUELL  One good aspect, there is only one Preferance to answer.

I do not like the limited Tool Bar annd theere is no customisation that I can see. I did not find how to start a lesson/project. It is not Mac intuitive.

OK, so to online help. I want to create a tutorial on alocation of .Mac memory on iDisk.  
(Version 1.1r4)

DRADRIENYOUELL  Contrary to your experience, iView Media pro became my 'small-graphic user' de facto 'wunder' program.

BUT

I do not pay $600-700 for PhotoShop cornucopia nor will I pay Real Money for my wonderful iView Media Pro translated to Bill Gates' prices.

iView Media offered a full transition to 'Expressions' but now I wonder if the 'demo' means just that. I will not be paying Real money to Steve Balmer for 'Expressions' +

In sadness,

Adrien, London UK  
(Version 1.0.8076)

DRADRIENYOUELL  Poor old DataViz, Apple Pages does it all now. And then there is NeoOffice.

My apologies to your accountant, no $79.99 from me anymore. And refer also to commentator below me; not even U Binary. [Funny Hah Hah, I still occ. use AppleWorks in Rosetta - say, for old files.]

Adrien UK  
(Version 16)

DRADRIENYOUELL  To TRIGGERFISH,

Apple Safari supports RSS.  
(Version 2.0rc1)

DRADRIENYOUELL  TapDex Pro, that's the $4.95 supplement on free, is in Irish a 'darlin little ting'. Unobtrusively it flashes a momentary reminder 'Activate F1' on Mac startup.

And true, F1 brings up a single line entry for name and it rushes off and finds matches. The closer you get to search the name the fewer the number of matches. Hit Enter and a list appears on right panel. A click reveals each match for your choice from your AddressBook. Click on a name and the person's details appear, usually the telephone number you want... but a reminder of all the AddressBook entry... without opening AddressBook.

And the window fades on returning to your real work. 'macup' produces Joel Mueller and 'reminds me to erase Bixler McClure' ;-)

Adrien, UK  
(Version 3.1)

DRADRIENYOUELL  Dear Zumuya,

Gosh, 8.7.1 version of iTunes Volume is stellar, wonderful ... words fail me. You have made a Desktop controller of what iTunes lacks from Apple.

I agree, this amazing app. is not just 'volume control'. At first I thought the mini app. might be useful or at least worth a try as you are not charging a fee. I just found myself using it to control subtlety of volume and the star rating system.

In this incarnation you have graced us with an ingenious full app. with excellent contextual features in a tiny packet. Well done, congratulations and thank you.

Adrien UK  
(Version 8.7.1)

DRADRIENYOUELL  The firmware update saga continues - it did recommend an update for me. I had forgotten about it for a few days and forgot instructions BUT here's a handy tip.

I ran the app without any preparation. The program said it identified one FW drive for updating and said which Firewire devices should be unmounted and unplugged including my scanner. When I duly did as instructed leaving the d2 300GB inline the firmware Updater asked," Update LaCie FW Bridge v1.02 November, 2005 to v1.02b January 20, 2006. OK?

Yes 'OK' and everything went fine. As far as I can tell the drive is working as required; I wondered if it is faster. Wishful thinking? Funny peculiar referring to 2006 and v1.02b... not v1.4.1.

Adrien UK  
(Version 1.4.1)

DRADRIENYOUELL  To SYHARRIS,

Quit iTunes Volume from Activity Monitor in Application Utilities. Select iTunes volume in list of My Processes and press Red hexagon top left: Quit Process.

This is a handy tip for Quitting or force quitting any app that doesn't 'want' to close. I keep Activity Monitor in dock for just such occasions.

Adrien.  
(Version 8.7)

DRADRIENYOUELL  Country option in list to buy does not include the greatest country east of USA, the UK. (France, Germany, Ireland are nominated but not England, UK.

Adrien

adrienyouell1 at mac.com  
(Version 1.7)

DRADRIENYOUELL  Dear POPS, you must be using a Mac?

Mac has three ways of enlarging print and not dependent on particular Meal Planning.app

1. System Preferences -> Display, choose 800x600

2. Command + (might work without or with highlighting text)

3. System Preferences -> Universal Access -> Seeing tab -> Zoom

Good Luck  
(Version 2.1)

ADRIEN YOUELL  Laurent: When will Tiger-compatible Xupport be released? At present Xupport quits; "Not compatible with OS".  
(Version 2.3)

DRADRIENYOUELL  Opening dotDoc WORDs, Geoff,

Have you tried Nisus Writer Express, a Cocoa app ? Nisus open all those darned dotDoc attachments, I even forget I am in Word - I'm not, I'm in NWEx.

We cannot get the v.629 AppleWorks in England, not so sad - NWEx is streets ahead in Panther.

Pity about my old ApplewWorks files.

Adrien

ps Outside-USA suffers again. I did write to Apple Feedback. Why USA only?

pps I really must tell David Pogue ;-)

Adrien x  
(Version 6.2.9)

DRADRIENYOUELL  I have a problem with iViewMedia Pro, it does not work in Panther. I am not a little annoyed.

adrienyouell1@mac.com  
(Version 2.0.3)

DR ADRIEN YOUELL  I am NOT going to upgrade to iClean 6.

I used iClean as a repair tool in OS9 but in OSX with Memory Management I feel iClean has lost its usefulness. Unless you are in an office and want your nefarious activities on the Internet obliterated, as a personal user I want to keep certain cookies and cached files. In MacOSX with Keychain and Safari it is a pleasure to sail through oft used websites without manually entering User and Passphrase. I would NOT want iClean messing with this utility of fast logging on to my preferred sites.

I am not too concerned about orphaned aliases.

Best wishes, Adrien Youell   
(Version 6.0)

DR ADRIEN YOUELL  I am NOT going to upgrade to iClean 6.

I used iClean as a repair tool in OS9 but in OSX I feel iClean has lost its usefulness. Unless you are in an office and want your nefarious activities on the Internet obliterated, as a personal user I think I want to keep certain cookies and cached files. In MacOSX with Keychain and Safari it is a pleasure to sail through oft used websites without manually entering User and Passphrase. I would NOT want iClean messing with the utility of fast logging on to my preferred sites.

I am not too concerned about orphaned aliases.

Best wishes, Adrien Youell   
(Version 6.0)

DRADRIENYOUELL  $10 worth of Photoshop, as Big Green himself points out, but that belies its remarkable utility. All images dragged to the floating ?Drop Pictures Here? are converted to JPG. You can choose Save target under 100KB or other values when you are looking for that quick image reduction. It opens most image types but that is not its forte. JPG only. EasyPhoto imports from a digital camera - no experience of this.

I use EasyPhoto also for cropping desired areas of an image, and yes, you can crop your mother-in-law out of a picture and Save As new file to any folder. Under Picture menu, Crop to 640 x 480 pixels enables enlargement of a portion and sizing to monitor aspect ratio for making Desktop screens, and the same for making Screen-Saver images. For experimenting, Undo undoes multiple times.

Picture Effects menu is an amateur photographer?s/ artist?s magic toolbox of natty colorizing, solarize, sharpen, embossing, edge detection. This is the fun side. In summary, EasyPhoto?s mission is picture reduction to JPG and cropping to enlarge a portion yet still Save As email size.

Be aware that EasyPhoto crashes a lot after batch stuff, a known ?feature? but as you usually have the file in the finder under EasyPhoto it is appropriate to start again or drag the picture file to the dock icon. This program has been a life saver to me, easily justifying a much larger dollar value. But don?t tell Big Green I said so ;-) This five-star app deserves wider acclaim.

Adrien in Britain 16th May 2003

adrienyouell1@mac.com  
(Version 1.2.2)