POIKKEUS  v. 1.0b21 now works perfectly where b20 had difficulties in loading the prefs menu. All relevant features - new windows to tabs, thumbshots, search suggestions, etc. work perfectly in a pre-Snow Leopard environment, which I'm using now. Extremely stable and easy to use, and you can't beat the price - and sharp work of the Glims software team.  
(Version 1.0b20)

POIKKEUS  Glims 1.b20 was written specifically to negotiate problems with the latest Safari update. However, it seems that the latest Glims will not allow me to recover any of my old features, like Thumbnails and Search. When I search under Safari/Preferences, Glims is no longer listed. Uninstalling and reinstalling seems to have no effect. Perhaps a future update will solve this problem.  
(Version 1.0b20)

POIKKEUS  As any work with the working demo indicates, SuperDuper! is extremely intuitive and easy to use - much more so than other products I've worked with, freeware and paid.

The speed depends on the type of backup and specific needs. Working from scratch, or using the software as freeware, you can expect a full backup in a little over two hours. Once you've paid for the application, however, you have access to incremental backup and a core of complementary options. Instead of two hours, incremental backup does the job in just under 15 minutes.

This time is competitive, and SuperDuper! times the transaction for you - nice touch.

SuperDuper! slowed for a few minutes when it had a conflict with scrapbook working at the same time - the only stability issue I noticed. Otherwise, the software works unobtrusively. I don't plan to use the scheduling option, but that feature looks like it would take the guesswork out of doing regular backups.   
(Version 2.5)

POIKKEUS  In the newest version, there's been an unfortunate downgrade.

Previously, one could save subtitled movies. Once saved, you could drop it onto your iTunes playlist for instant use on your iPod.

Now, all subbed movies must be imported and converted - which takes more than two hours per movie to encode. For those of us who want to avoid the buggy Eigato hardware, this constitutes a downgrade.  
(Version 1.7)

POIKKEUS  This pull-down contains a full range of typical diagnostics, including cleaning and rebuilding files - as well as a utility guaranteed to gut any trash. Perform Disk Utility from the desktop, working invisibly in the background, or trash your caches; when it's on, all you see is a glowing MainMenu icon.

MainMenu is an all-purpose diagnostic - not quite as heavy-duty as Onyx - but it's also faster and less obtrusive.   
(Version 1.7.4)

POIKKEUS  There are many MP4 converters out there, some costing $30-40 - and most not worth the investment. iSquint is an exception - easy to use, clean interface, works fast. This is especially useful reducing the size of media for the iPod Touch, and you have a choice of video and audio quality to choose from. And it's free, the best price. (I had purchased my copy long ago.)

iSquint's one flaw may lie with its handling of MP4 files. Typically, a one-hour avi file can be compressed in a little over twenty minutes. However, compressing an equivalent MP4 file may take over a day. To be fair, it may be hard to find a converter anywhere to do the job quickly.

One feature I would have liked is the ability to halt and restart jobs, but that's only critical when MP4s are involved.  
(Version 1.5.2)

POIKKEUS  You can pay for HotApp, or use Butler for free, but hot-keys are a useful time-saver to make it easier to get your work done more quickly. For me, Spork has several advantages:

1. It's free

2. It's intuitive, and can be used almost instantly

It takes about five minutes to configure. Instead of using the dock, a single keystroke will bring you Mail, Safari, or whatever application or action you have in mind. I've found it very stable for OS 10.5.  
(Version 3.0b9)

POIKKEUS  "No iPods Found" message on desktop. Apparently, expod was unable to locate the files on my Touch - though the app is pleasingly simple and easy to use. The expod blurb suggests that it will work with all ipods, even Touches.  
(Version 0.4)

POIKKEUS  The big problem with VisualHub is, course, that it's no longer with us. For those who only want to compress files for their iPod/Touch, iSquint (by the same maker, and also pulled from the market) is a strong option. If you want a broad set of tools in an easy-to-use format, VisualHub is a snap to learn. The speed of conversion is mostly dependent on the power of your machine.

This isn't as colorful as some other tools, but for tightness of design and stability, this is a winner.   
(Version 1.34a)

POIKKEUS  If your movie has a video and an .srt file, Submerge makes it easy to merge them so that the result can be seen on your iPod Touch. From start to finish, processing should take no more than three or four minutes. The result: a movie with nicely contrasted subtitles that you can watch "on the road." The software is intuitive and easy to use.

If you're starting with a 800mb file, expect the subbed movie to be around 1.4 gigs. For that reason, you might want to reduce the size of the movie to 320 x 176; this effectively halves its size on your portable device. iSquint or VisualHub are excellent solutions (if you can get a copy), and they're what I use.

An excellent piece if software, and economical.  
(Version 1.5.6)

POIKKEUS  I've used this for almost a year now; 1Password is one of those programs you just can't do without. Instead of entering a password for every forum and company, now you can enter the most elaborate, secure password with a single keystroke. I realize how much I depend on the software any time I'm forced to use someone else's computer.

These guys are clearly on the ball. When I query their website, I get concise answers within the day - though most of the time, I'll find my answers on their website. More recently, they've made it possible to use iPassword while syncing with your wireless device.   
(Version 2.9.5b2)

POIKKEUS  This novel Safari add-on allows you to see small images of the websites you're going to visit in the margin of the frame, and also alters the behavior of Safari in certain ways. It's the kind of application that takes getting used to, but after a while you can come to depend on its time-saving features - particularly if you're using your machine on and off throughout the day.  
(Version 1.0b8)

POIKKEUS  LazyMouse is a reincarnation of the great (and free) CursorZoom, which was discontinued after Tiger took over a major feature. It's the kind of feature that should be in the Mac OS to start off with: when use the command box, the mouse quickly appears so you don't have to look for it. Ideally, we should be using key shortcuts for this kind of thing, but having the cursor handy is surprisingly useful.

Alas, CursorZoom was impressive in that the cursor "zoomed" all the way across the screen to the command box; LazyMouse is somewhat less dramatic or eye-catching. Perhaps some future version will remedy this. That said, the price is low, and for some, the convenience is well worth it.   
(Version 2.0.3)

POIKKEUS  No one player takes top honors. It's hard to ignore the advantages of VLC: flexible, free, easy to use. It accepts a wider spectrum of media (including a number that Quicktime outright rejects), and easily plays subtitles. Most of the time, I find myself using VLC, if only because you can play just about anything.

In its Pro version, Quicktime has its own special advantages. It's much more capable at audio/video editing, and significantly more stable with large files. There's a slight bump in speed, as well.

I find myself using both, but can't imagine doing my computing with only one. VLC fulfills 70% of my needs, but Quicktime (Pro) fills in the gaps . One only wishes that the latter, an essential app, could view a wider variety of content.   
(Version 7.2)

POIKKEUS  After the retirement CursorZoom, another program that performed this same task, Lazy Mouse is the only game in town when it comes this extremely useful function. Although one should normally use keyboard shortcuts, this quite addictive. As long as you stay in Safari, it's probably money spent well.

But the point is well taken - Firefox isn't covered (yet, at least), and for such a small app, it's little to ask.  
(Version 1.1.3)

POIKKEUS  From its novel registration system to the app itself, 1Password aims to write and save secure passwords as you type. It's a wonderful concept, but maybe a little less so in execution. Its success with forums varies, and negotiatng the 40+ page manual (nicely illlustrated, though) can be a chore.  
(Version 2.4.2)