
MPEG2 Works 4 Advanced | Nov 26 2007 |
FONIX UPDATE: I have now tested the same files with Visualhub and MPEG Streamclip, and they can do everything I'd want them to do (including converting MPEG-2 to DVD), and they seem to match what this app can do step for step. Visualhub is cheap and MPEG Streamclip is free, and you can actually USE both to see their functionality. To the developer--I got so tired of seeing "This is disabled in DEMO mode" that I eventually used AppZapper--quite successfully, I might add--and blew your app off my hard drive. Make a functional demo and I'll try it, but this time, I will pass. (Version 4.2) | |
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MPEG2 Works 4 Advanced | Nov 26 2007 |
FONIX I got an EyeTV recently, and this will let me convert recordings to DVD in a single go. Nice! I already own Visualhub, so I will have to pit these two workhorses against each other to see which fares better. (Version 4.2) | |
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Shredder Classic | Nov 24 2007 |
FONIX I am very pleased that this is being offered, as the AI is superior to that of the Kasparov Chessmate engine, in my opinion, and this also helps to diagnose and improve upon mistakes. This is a good investment! (Version 3.0) | |
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DMG Packager | Nov 22 2007 |
FONIX I own DropDMG and really like it, but it looks like DMG Packager has a few additional features that I'd like for making software distributions. First, you can set the background picture within the app. Second, you can preserve the Finder layout and styling. Third, you can add a software license to any type of image. The rest seems similar enough, but with the discount and those added features, this product is worth having. (Version 1.5) | |
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starQuiz X | Nov 21 2007 |
FONIX StarQuiz and Quiz Press are both pretty cool for what they do. The Cosmicsoft website has some more in-depth information on what their software can do, but to find it, I had to click the "Purchase Instantly Online" button after the developer link above. The one drawback that I can see is that there is a 5 MB resource limit if you buy a single license and want to use their free hosting service for your quizzes. I'm guessing that a few movie clips or large photos would hit that limit, and the next pricepoint is $750 for a site license. (Version 3.6.1) | |
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yFlicks | Nov 20 2007 |
FONIX UPDATE: This still DOES NOT work with anything you purchase from the iTunes Music Store. All my movies and TV shows are listed in the library, but the previews have the word "Error" on them, and clicking to launch them yields a beep and nothing more. Their web page boasts "yFlicks can play any movie format the QuickTime Player can play," but the QuickTime Player easily plays my movies and TV shows from the iTMS. No Sale! (Version 3.0) | |
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yFlicks | Nov 20 2007 |
FONIX This app seems stable on Leopard, and I like being able to make smart folders to help organize my instructional videos from my music videos from my movies. The mini video preview is like having Quick Look for movies, and I like that feature. I'll have to test it with Front Row and the Apple Remote, but this could become the new player for my multimedia iMac. (Version 3.0) | |
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iStabilize | Nov 19 2007 |
FONIX UPDATE, part 2: I have been in contact with the developer (who apparently doesn't sleep much, as he has responded VERY quickly throughout the night and this morning), and it would appear that I had a movie issue, and it was not his app that was the problem. I have since tested several more movies with amazing results. This is a great product, and the developer is GREAT. I suggest buying the app just to support great Mac shareware developers. (Version 2.2.2) | |
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iStabilize | Nov 19 2007 |
FONIX Wow! The example videos on their website are really impressive, given the pretty-low pricetag of this piece of software. I have tons of footage that was either shot without a tripod or shot on old media and transferred to digital, and this application can fix both. UPDATE: It did a great job on a few test movies I stabilized. However, so far, it has crashed every time I try to export. I really want to get this software, but crashing while demoing is a Bad Thingâ„¢. (Version 2.2.2) | |
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GL Golf | Nov 17 2007 |
FONIX I own the game and several expansion packs. I like the game, the physics model, etc., and the developer is a nice guy. I play a few rounds each week, and it's fun. No, it's not like a photo-realistic game in terms of graphics. But I like how the game has evolved, and I like that it works on Leopard. If you like golf, then this is worth trying out. To me, it was worth full price, so it's worth half-price for sure. Enjoy! :-) (Version 2.07) | |
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Jaikoz Audio Tagger | Nov 16 2007 |
FONIX You can do most editing that people want from within iTunes itself. For extra tweaking, I prefer MP3 ID3X, which I got at a discount a while back, and have never regretted it. Between that for ID3 tag editing and Renamer4Mac for filename management, I've been a happy camper. That this is Java-based is a turn-off for me. I have yet to see a Java app on Mac that I'd call beautiful. (Version 2.0.1) | |
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QuickVoice X | Nov 15 2007 |
FONIX UPDATE: I meant to say sound file, not text file. Oops! (Version 2.2.1) | |
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QuickVoice X | Nov 15 2007 |
FONIX I second what others have said: if you already own Wiretap, Amadeus, Audacity, or Audio Hijack Pro, you can capture audio, edit it, etc. Once you've done that and saved the text file, you can drag-and-drop it into a Stickies note or a Mail message, and you're all set. The only thing you can't quite do is play an mp3 from within iCal (you can attach it, and double-clicking launches it in iTunes). But frankly, I don't use audio notes, audio calendar items, or audio emails. That being said, the interface is clean and straightforward, and aside from the occasional pop/click sound or inexplicable sound skips (approximately .5 sec, but noticeable), this seems like a simple, clean app for those who would use the extra features, or who don't already have software for voice recording. (Version 2.2.1) | |
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Trans Lucy | Nov 14 2007 |
FONIX This is one of those apps that sounds really cool, but when you actually try it, it's more of a distraction than anything. As for the "boss is coming" hide command, I find that alt-tab works just fine for swapping apps faster than my boss can walk in my office. I think I'll have to pass. (Version 2.1) | |
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Dietician X | Nov 13 2007 |
FONIX I much prefer Calorieking.com's Nutrition and Exercise Manager, which has over 50,000 food items, automatic updates, goal-setting, etc. You can also plug into an online component (for an extra fee), but the interface is so much cleaner. (Version 2.3.3) | |
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IPNetMonitorX | Nov 12 2007 |
FONIX UPDATE: Kudos to the developer for posting an update which seems to have fixed my MBP/Leopard crashing issues. Now it only seems reasonable for me to hold up my end of the bargain and support his efforts. :-) (Version 2.1.4) | |
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IPNetMonitorX | Nov 12 2007 |
FONIX I have some other utilities that can do some of this (some are built-into the Mac OS network utilities, and then apps like Path Analyzer Pro and VisualRoute, and *nix command-line stuff), but this does seem to have some extras which are nice, and to have this info all in one place is handy. However, the app does not seem to run correctly on Leopard, and crashed within a few minutes of launch on my MBP. I hope the author released an update before midnight tomorrow, or I'll likely pass. (Version 2.1.3) | |
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Feeding Frenzy | Nov 10 2007 |
FONIX I must say, this is a cute game. I imagine it would get repetitive pretty quickly, but the few minutes I just tooled around with it were pretty fun. Gluttony has never been so amusing. :-) (Version 1.0.1) | |
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Feeding Frenzy | Nov 10 2007 |
FONIX I must say, this is a cute game. I imagine it would get repetitive pretty quickly, but the few minutes I just tooled around with it were pretty fun. Gluttony has never been so amusing. :-) (Version 1.0.1) | |
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BitClamp | Nov 9 2007 |
FONIX The main benefit seems to be what they call "covert files," which means you can take a folder and encrypt it with a name like "familyphotos.jpg," and to the casual observer it wouldn't look like your pr0n folder or your ranting manifesto if the Feds pay you a visit. However, I personally don't like that it's not smart enough to just name the file whatever my original file/folder is named, if I don't specify a name for it. Also, the license binds it to your machine, so if you get a new machine, you have to buy another license. So with all this info, I think I'll pass as well. (Version 1.0.4) | |
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Swift Publisher | Nov 8 2007 |
FONIX I use Art Text often for quick, flashy graphics for presentations, and it is a joy to use. I look forward to giving Swift Publisher a try as well. The company is innovative and stays current, so I have no worries about support. (Version 2.2) | |
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Awaken | Nov 7 2007 |
FONIX Sweet! I was going to buy this today. What perfect timing, and it now works with Leopard. Huzzah! (Version 3.1.6) | |
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Dejal Simon | Nov 6 2007 |
FONIX My sense is that this will run best on a machine that is always on to monitor and store results of the tests. I was really hoping for an on-the-go analysis app, but clearly this will produce much better results over the time that it is consistently running. (Version 2.3.4) | |
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Dejal Simon | Nov 6 2007 |
FONIX If you're in a *nix environment (or your servers are), you can use freeware like Big Brother to monitor services and send notifications, which is what we do at my workplace. However, it would be nice to have that capability from my own machine, rather than relying on the servers self-checking, which has some inherent problems. I'll try this out, and then see if maybe my work will pay for it. :-) (Version 2.3.4) | |
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SRS iWOW | Nov 5 2007 |
FONIX I don't know if this happened to anyone else, but the latest upgrade to 2.0.2.255 (which brings Leopard compatibility) causes my iTunes to crash consistently in Tiger. Disabling iWoW fixes the problem. I've contacted the developers and hopefully they'll either have a solution or a copy of the version just prior to 2.0.2.255, which seemed pretty stable in Tiger. (Version 2.0.2.225) | |
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Replies:

SRS iWOW | Nov 5 2007 |
NIKWAX latest version of iWow is completely incompatible with iTunes 7.5 and Leopard (Version 2.0.2.225) | |

SRS iWOW | Nov 5 2007 |
MACUPDATE ADMIN Latest version iWOW works with iTunes 7.5 and OS X 10.4.10 on a MBP here. I won't go for Leopard until 10.5.2 or so... (Version 2.0.2.225) | |

A Better Finder Attributes | Nov 5 2007 |
FONIX I like the developer's A Better Finder Rename app, so I am willing to give this one a shot as well. Being able to quickly adjust creation/modification dates is really helpful, and removing invisible files. (Version 4.6.6) | |
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Plant Tycoon | Nov 3 2007 |
FONIX I guess I'll try it. At least these plants can't die in real life... :-) (Version 1.0) | |
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FileGuard X5 | Nov 2 2007 |
FONIX I am not a fan of the way Intego charges you a subscription fee for updates, and my guess is that this makes something like a sparseimage, similarly to Exces. If I get this one free, I'll try it, but otherwise, I'll pass. (Version 10.4) | |
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TaskPaper | Nov 1 2007 |
FONIX I like Hog Bay Software and I was just reading about this app, so I'm looking forward to getting it. (Version 1.0.1) | |
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Postino | Oct 31 2007 |
FONIX I'm a Newsfire fan, and I like Vienna, but I'll give this a try. (Version 1.6.4) | |
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GhostReader | Oct 29 2007 |
FONIX I look forward to testing this. I have a few text-to-speech applications already, and they work fairly well, but they still sound like robots more than people. I am downloading the voice additions now, and if they are good, then I'll pick up this piece of software. So far, though, it just works right out of the box. (Version 1.1.1) | |
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| Oct 27 2007 |
FONIX I just tried both games out, and while they seem identical in terms of rules and play mechanics, they are fun games, much like Bejeweled if you've ever played that. And for $12, it's a very reasonable price. (Version ) | |
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Yojimbo | Oct 26 2007 |
FONIX I have been using Yojimbo since it first came out, and it has become a very useful part of my daily work process, as I collect web pages, receipts for online purchases, code snippets, phone messages, and other stuff into my handy sidekick. I have 900 items, including pictures and many pdf's, and after an initial delay of maybe 5-10 seconds on the first search after launch, Yojimbo is super-fast for searching within the application. Plus, you can add tags to your entries, to make searching more efficient. More often, however, I just search in Spotlight, since Yojimbo is completely Spotlight-compatible, unlike other tools such as DevonThink Pro. Try the demo, and you may find this grows into an itegral part of your daily process as well! (Version 1.4.2) | |
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Mouseposé | Oct 26 2007 |
FONIX I got this on Maczot in September, and for presentations and how-to guides, it is really helpful. The addition of the keystroke pop-up display is really helpful when you want to show keystroke sequences to users, such as select all->copy->cmd-tab->paste. If you are making presentations or training guides with screenshots or video, give Mouseposé a try. (Version 2.5.1) | |
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Personal Antispam X5 | Oct 24 2007 |
FONIX In reading through the Getting Started manual for this, it shows a screenshot on page 29 which says "Personal Antispam filters: This subscription will expire in 30 days--Protect your Mac from the latest spam and phishing techniques." So they make you PAY for updated filters? SpamSieve doesn't do that. I don't care how pretty it is, that doesn't justify the ongoing expense. No thanks. (Version 10.4.3) | |
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Exces | Oct 23 2007 |
FONIX I have used this since I got it with the MacHeist/MacUpdate bundle, and while what other reviewers have said (about this being a wrapper for sparseimages) is true, there are two bits of functionality which, to my knowledge, cannot be done with DiskUtility, or not in one step: resizing the sparseimage to be larger or smaller. Exces now can do that, and there is no longer a 10 GB limit on the vault size. Another minor benefit to using Exces is one of obfuscation. I keep my vaults on an external hard drive, and if that hard drive was stolen and someone tried to double-click the vault, it would say that it could not open the file. A minor thing, yes, but it would repel the average thief, and the AES-128 encryption should keep the more savvy hackers away (the ones who might try to use Disk Utility to open the .exc file). Also, a previous release was supposed to fix a minor curosr focus problem, but when I launched the app it wasn't fixed. I emailed the developer and within minutes he had responded and fixed the problem. This also has potential to incorporate even more features that are not currently in Disk Utility. I look forward to seeing what the developer comes up with. (Version 1.2) | |
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RAGE Domainer | Oct 23 2007 |
FONIX I look forward to testing this out, especially the added ranking features, which set it apart from whois lookups. It would be really nice if this included functionality to help up your Pagerank, Alexarank, and delicious tags--if that were built-in, it would make thie a very attractive product. (Version 1.0) | |
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Temporis | Oct 22 2007 |
FONIX This deal is a few bucks better than the deal on MacZot a few weeks ago. The one thing stopping me is the lack of support for inserting photos into the timeline. For that, products like TimeFlyer from A Single Pixel seem to really excel. (Version 1.1) | |
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Pangea Arcade | Oct 20 2007 |
FONIX These games are all very polished, and really capture what was fun about the arcade games we used to pump SO MANY quarters into. I am happy to give Pangea my money for some great gameplay, nice-looking graphics, and a nice update to a slice of my childhood. :-) (Version 1.0.6) | |
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The Big Mean Folder Machine | Oct 19 2007 |
FONIX After playing with the software for a little while, it is limited in how it resolves name conflicts (duplicate names, etc). I would have to use a renamer app to change the filenames after I merged all the files. I may see whether one of the renamer apps I own would handle this a bit more elegantly, and more flexibility in the naming of files. (Version 1.0) | |
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The Big Mean Folder Machine | Oct 19 2007 |
FONIX I have a lot of old pictures, movies, and email backups, many of which have the same sequential names. If this can rename them to prevent overwriting when I try to merg them, then I'm sold. (Version 1.0) | |
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FileXaminer | Oct 17 2007 |
FONIX It is not clear whether this is Leopard-ready, but frankly, I think I'd take my $6 and apply it toward a license for Path Finder 4.8, which is Leopard-ready, and seems to do everything this can do and more. (Version 2.6.2) | |
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XMIND | Oct 16 2007 |
FONIX I have several programs that seem to do what this does, but not in one central place, so this could be a really good way to streamline my apps. I'm not a great fan of Java-based apps, but maybe this one will dazzle me. (Version 2.0.2) | |
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Acquisition | Oct 15 2007 |
FONIX I waited a long time to buy Acquisition, based largely on the negative reviews, but during that time I continued to use Acquisition with the shareware pop-up. Finally I decided to make a donation to Dave, figuring that if the product didn't work, or if I didn't get my license code, or if anything went wrong, well then that was my gift to him. However, I have had nothing but good experiences with the developer. There was a time a few years back when Acquisition stopped working correctly, dropped connections, etc., but it has worked beautifully for the past year at least. I have just started using version 2 and while many of the visual changes are subtle, there are a lot of them, and they really do help the interface and functionality. A lot of thought went into the design of this program. It even seems to do a much better job of cleaning up after itself (with regard to search logs, download logs, etc.), which is great. So look, TRY the software and see if you like it. If you like it, consider BUYING it--and I highly recommend you get the lifetime upgrades, because the versions seem to increase in cost every time, making the $9 initial tack-on a no-brainer. And no, I'm not a personal friend of Dave's--I've never met the guy. I'm not a hater either. I'm more like a skeptic-turned-believer. Try the software. (Version 2.0v200) | |
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| Oct 15 2007 |
FONIX I am a huge fan of all the Yellow Mug software. For those wanting an even better deal, check out the yellowmug.com site for the bundle, and get everything they make for about $40. It's a really good deal! (Version ) | |
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Monopoly Here & Now | Oct 13 2007 |
FONIX The game is pretty polished and the graphics are fluid. No crashes as of yet. While the gameplay is updated for a more "modern" feel, it's still pretty much the same game. I would have loved to have the "classic" version as an alternative play mode, for those of us who are nostalgic for playing this game as kids. Also, the music is extremely repetitive, and eventually I just had to turn the sound off for the music. All in all, a fun game of Monopoly on the Mac! (Version 1.0) | |
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Monopoly Here & Now | Oct 13 2007 |
FONIX I bought this game recently, and if you're into Monopoly, it's pretty fun. The numbers being adjusted for today's costs take a little getting used to, but all in all, it's well-done and has not crashed or anything since I've played it. Try the 1-hour demo of it, which is not enough for a full game, but enough to decide whether you'll have the patience to sit through a full game. :-) (Version 1.0) | |
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MacCaching | Oct 12 2007 |
FONIX If I win this, I will give geocaching a try. :-) (Version 1.1) | |
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1Password | Oct 11 2007 |
FONIX Based on the MASSIVE number of positive reviews, I think I'd be a bonehead not to get this. I'm installing it now, but I like the idea of having more secure (and varied) passwords. I can't wait! (Version 2.4.13) | |
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Opal | Oct 10 2007 |
FONIX I've been testing Opal and it is very fast and clean, and really feels more like an outliner than my old standby, OmniOutliner. Also, one small but incredibly annoying thing with Omni is that I couldn't find a way to edit the main topic without using the mouse and clicking to put the cursor on the topic (no keyboard navigation). This has bugged me for a long time. Well, the good news is that Opal starts you off in the main topic field, and you can navigate it like any other field. As simple as that is, it will lead me to buy Opal. (Version 1.0.9) | |
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Opal | Oct 10 2007 |
FONIX I will give this a try, but I am a huge fan of OmniGroup products, and OmniOutliner seems like it can do all this and more. My first impression of Opal is that it's small, sleek, and clean. There is very low overhead to use this app, and it handles images pasted into the outline. It feels nice and compact. (Version 1.0.9) | |
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Librarian Pro | Oct 9 2007 |
FONIX The one (perhaps only) thing this seems to be missing which Delicious Library has is the ability to scan barcodes with an iSight. Implement that, and I'd totally buy it. (Version 1.0.8) | |
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MacDust | Oct 8 2007 |
FONIX This application improves with each update, and it was great to begin with. The interface is clean, and the list of applications it cleans grows every few weeks. The developer actually listens to the users, and does what he can to accommodate our requests--including mine for a more thorough cleaning of some straggling Acquisition files. He is fast to respond, intelligent, and humorous. Frankly, we need more Mac developers like him. There is a trial of the software, so try it out and see if it meets your needs. And give the developer at least a few hours to reply to your email or purchase. This is not McDonald's, you know. ;-) P.S. Tim, thanks for the smart code for adding AIM online status to RapidWeaver. That was cool! (Version 2.31) | |
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RapidWeaver | Oct 8 2007 |
FONIX I have used this off and on for about a year, and it can do some really cool stuff. It is especially good for rapidly changing the look of your site without having to redesign it, as you can swap out themes very quickly. The coolest themes cost extra, though, but it still is much cheaper than hiring me (or some other consultant) to do it for you. :-) This is worth taking a look at, if you are in the market for rapid web development. (Version 3.6.3) | | |