ROBOTANK  CopyPaste Pro used to be great, but lately it's been very unstable for me. It's prone to frequent crashes that seem to occur most often when I'm accessing the clip browser. The real problem is that after the crash, all clipboard history since the last time the app was quit is lost. I'd love to wait around for this to be fixed, but the constant risk of losing all of my clips at any moment is more than I can live with. I'm currently looking at alternatives to CopyPaste. PTHPasteboard Pro seems to be the only one with comparably advanced functionality.  
(Version 2.1.2)

ROBOTANK  Also now successfully connecting to Facebook after upgrade to beta 14.  
(Version 1.3.8)

ROBOTANK  That's a rather silly post. Fees for PayPal are to cover the fees the developer has to pay to PayPal to use it as a payment method, while sales taxes are determined by location and so have nothing whatsoever to do with the developer.

The other nonsensical thing you complain about is the requirement of LB 5 for Snow Leopard compatibility. LaunchBar 5 was in public beta, and therefore under development, long before Snow Leopard came out. You're not paying an upgrade cost just for Snow Leopard compatibility--you're paying it for a new major version upgrade to LaunchBar that includes Snow Leopard compatibility among its numerous other improvements. Do you really expect the developers to make LB 4 Snow Leopard compatible when it's not the current version of the app? If, like me, you find LB to be one of the most useful apps in existence, you won't grudge the upgrade fee (which, by the way, is not excessive). If you don't think LB is that great, then go check out the latest QuickSilver beta or Google QuickSearchBox, both of which are free, and stop whining about non-existent injustices.  
(Version 5.0.2)

ROBOTANK  I have the same issue. I've tried both 1.3.8 and 1.4b13 with the same result. I wonder if Facebook is deliberately blocking external programs from logging into its chat, or if it's just a matter of some change in Facebook's code making Adium's current method of logging in no longer valid?  
(Version 1.3.8)

ROBOTANK  I quite like MPlayer OS X Extended, and I use it as my default video player. For some reason, though, I've never been able to get its DVD playing feature to work properly. After opening a VIDEO_TS folder, MPlayer invariably hangs or just doesn't do anything. I'm wondering if it's because it's not capable of reading encrypted DVDs, but I can't find any documentation on this either way. If this is the case, it might be nice to be able to direct MPlayer to an existing copy of libdvdcss so it could decode encrypted VIDEO_TS. I would appreciate any feedback on this matter.  
(Version rev12)

ROBOTANK  Sorry to post again--MU won't let me edit that post even though it's been less than five minutes. I just wanted to assure you that I'm not making anything up here to slander Transmission. I think Transmission is the best Mac torrent client, and I've used it almost exclusively for several years. I'm simply giving fellow users the heads-up on an important issue by posting a comment (not a review!) containing information I've confirmed to be true.  
(Version 1.76)

ROBOTANK  I can definitely file a bug report if the devs are unaware of this problem. My own experience with 1.76 in the short time I used it confirms the issue--multiple private trackers were reporting substantially different data amounts (that is, in the hundreds of megabytes) for me than Transmission was showing, an issue i didn't have with 1.75, where data amounts were spot on. I'll pop over to the Transmission website today and report this if it hasn't already been done.  
(Version 1.76)

ROBOTANK  Transmission 1.76 does not correctly report uploaded and downloaded data amounts to the tracker. It's already been banned by at least one private tracker that I'm aware of. I strongly suggest that anyone using private trackers, where accurate data measuring is important, stick with 1.75 or revert to it if you've already upgraded.  
(Version 1.76)

ROBOTANK  Do you have a filter subscription? If you subscribe to an AdBlock Plus filter like EasyList, you shouldn't really have to add much of anything yourself.  
(Version 1.0)

ROBOTANK  I admit I was very annoyed when the ads first appeared in NNW, but I do agree with the above response. It's perfectly reasonable for NNW's developers to ask for money for their work. Moreover, they're only asking for $10, a very reasonable fee for a quality application. I absolutely refuse to use any kind of adware, but now that I have the choice in NNW to immediately purge the ads by buying the app, I have no further reason to complain about their presence. If you don't want to pay, then by all means explore other options, but to suggest that there's absolutely no reason to pay for something when a free alternative exists is a little silly. Sometimes the paid alternative is the better one. Up to this point, I've yet to encounter a news reader, free or otherwise, that lives up to NNW's standard.  
(Version 3.2.2)

ROBOTANK  When I first bought this app, I was pleased for the most part with its functionality. It offered several tangible advantages over Spaces. However, I reported an issue that the support team said they aware of and working on, but it never got fixed. In fact, the only update that came out at all for this app in, I think, the last two years, was this beta release. Now, the developer's website basically states that Desktops will never be compatible with Snow Leopard. What did I pay for exactly? I think You Software treats their customers very badly, and I would never send them another penny.  
(Version 1.3.1b1)

ROBOTANK  The other apps mentioned in the last couple posts do basically the same thing as WhatSize. I used WhatSize for a while, and it always worked fine. I'm currently using OmniDiskSweeper, which works just as well and is free. You should just try out the various apps and see which one works best for you.  
(Version 4.8.2)

ROBOTANK  Yeah I was getting some weird behaviour out of the latest version under SL too, after always having CandyBar work well for me under Leopard. After I applied icon changes, it would tell me to log out. When I clicked Log Out, CandyBar would then tell me that I had changes I hadn't applied. I should have made a bug report I guess, but I never got around to it. I'll have to test 3.2.2 and hope for the best.  
(Version 3.2.2)

ROBOTANK  It sounds like your problem is due to the Saft licensing scheme which requires a different licence for every different version of OS X. So, if you bought a a Leopard licence, it won't let you have the Tiger version. Yep, it's pretty ridiculous. Do yourself a favour and switch to Glims.  
(Version 12.0b4)

ROBOTANK  I'm aware of a couple possible solutions. There's an app called ReduxEncoder that's being developed based on VisualHub's code, and it also offers the ability to convert a video file into a burnable ISO image in one step. However, ReduxEncoder currently doesn't work very well. It's really buggy, and I haven't yet gotten it to properly complete a conversion to an ISO image (I've gotten it to create the MPG file, but it just stops before it creates the DVD structure and the disk image). It is a work in progress (and it's free), so it may be worth keeping an eye on. There are also two little shareware apps I know of, MovieConverterStudio and MovieGate, that convert video files then create menus and burn to disk. Though neither app creates ISO images directly, I imagine it would be simple enough to make a disk image with the VIDEO_TS folders they create using something like DMGConverter. I'm currently using MovieConverterStudio, and it generally works very well for me.  
(Version 2.0.7)

ROBOTANK  While I certainly respect your opinion, I think your suggestion that Ulysses is aimed at "would-be writers, not real ones" is rather silly. You make broad generalizations about "experienced writers" based solely on your own experience, then conflate your opinion about text editing with the intentions of Ulysses' developers. Now, I'm not at all sure whether I'm a "real" writer, but I feel that I'm at least an "aspiring" writer (a designation that to me implies progress as opposed to delusion, which is what I get from "would-be" writer): I'm an undergrad doing the final year of my BA Honours in English literature. If I find that "semantic text editing" appeals to me, am I then doomed to be no more than a hack for the rest of my academic career? I also own Scrivener, and I can go back to using it exclusively if it will help become a "real" writer like you.  
(Version 2.0.3)

ROBOTANK  I keep coming back to OmniWeb, especially when I get sick of dealing with unsupported Safari plugins. I think there are a couple areas OW could really improve in to bring it into line with the latest iterations of Safari and Firefox. If it addressed some of these things, it would blow Safari out of the water. Here are what I see as its pros:

1. Advanced features with minimal need for plugins: OmniWeb has several essential features lacking in Safari. In particular I like: workspaces (session saving basically, though it allows you to save multiple sessions); single-window mode; fine control over cookies, pop-up windows, etc.; site preferences; ad blocking (I'm currently using GlimmerBlocker instead of OmniWeb's built-in blocking; it's an all-in-one solution, and I don't have to make my own filters.); customizable search engines and search keyword shortcuts; form editor window for text fields. Some of these features can be added to Safari, but then you get all the attendant annoyances of unsupported plugins. The only hack-ish plugin I need in OmniWeb is 1Password, which is absolutely essential, not to mention well-supported, stable, and always up to date. I also use ClickToFlash, but this is a WebKit plugin, not an unsupported hack. Also, compare the implementation of some of these advanced features to their implementation in Opera or iCab. OmniWeb's settings are comparatively very easy to navigate.

2. Side tabs: I find the vertical thumbnails on the side make it easier to quickly switch tabs, because I can see what's on the page. They also preserve vertical window space, which in more important than horizontal space in a web browser.

Areas where I think OmniWeb needs to improve:

1. Interface: The interface is alright, but it seems clunky and old compared to Safari's slick UI. This is just an aesthetic point, not really a big deal.

2. URL bar auto-completion and search box suggestions: OmniWeb could really benefit from some of the strides made recently in these areas by Safari and Firefox. I'd love to see Glims-esque drop-down search results, but I'd settle for Safari's suggestions. Also something like Firefox's Awesome Bar that has better URL completion as well as access to history and bookmarks would be fantastic.

3. Find feature: OmniWeb's find feature is like that in a word processor or text editor. I'd love to see something like Safari's find feature where you get a little drop-down text box at the top of the page and it instantly highlights results as you type. An option for type-ahead support (find as you type) would be great too.

4. Miscellaneous: Something like Opera's Speed Dial or Safari's Top Sites would be cool. I'd also love to see something like the visual Cover-Flow history search from Safari 4 (IMO the best new feature in Safari 4).

In conclusion, though OmniWeb has been in maintenance mode for several years, it still has many useful features that set it apart from the more popular browsers. It wouldn't take much to make OW the hands-down best browser on the Mac. The Omni folks have hinted at a 64-bit version as well as a version 6, but there's no clear indication of when we may see either of these improvements materialize. Here's to hoping.  
(Version 5.10.1)

ROBOTANK  You must have done something wrong or be having an issue specific to your system. I've been using Perian for years, and it has always worked precisely as advertised. Don't post a one-star review because you're having an issue. Try to get it solved first.  
(Version 1.1.4)

ROBOTANK  Well it turns out this issue has nothing to do with SteerMouse. After extensive troubleshooting, I realized the problem occurred even when SteerMouse wasn't installed, and it happened with the trackpad as well as the mouse. Something is wreaking havoc with my system, and I can't figure out what it is. Too many strange things are happening these days. I think it's about time for a wipe and clean install, which I should have done with Snow Leopard the first time. I'm sorry to initially pin this problem on SteerMouse, but it did start immediately after I installed 4.0.1. Some coincidence.  
(Version 4.0.1)

ROBOTANK  This latest beta is having a curious side effect for me. When MondoMouse is active, TextEdit repeatedly opens, over and over again. I can quit it or force quit it or whatever, and it will relaunch again within a few seconds. Deactivating MondoMouse causes the problem to cease. Snow Leopard 10.6.1, Intel Core 2 Duo.  
(Version 1.4.4b1)

ROBOTANK  I would hardly say it's better than Firefox, though I think that some users prefer it simply because of its better integration with OS X and status as a full-fledged Mac browser rather than a cross-platform port like Firefox. Also, Camino does have some features that require an add-on in Firefox, such as ad blocking and Flash blocking, and it is lightweight and quick. However, as you point out, Camino is lagging behind in terms of its rendering engine. The current stable release of Camino uses the 1.8 branch of Gecko (roughly equivalent to Firefox 2.0.x). Even the upcoming Camino 2 will use the 1.9.0 branch of Gecko (equivalent to Firefox 3.0.x), putting it many months behind most other browsers in terms of standards compliance and support for emerging standards like HTML 5 and CSS 3.  
(Version 1.6.10)

ROBOTANK  I suggest emailing your problem to the folks at Plentycom. I did with mine, and I got a response back very quickly asking for more information so they could track down the problem.  
(Version 4.0.1)

ROBOTANK  I'm having a major issue with version 4.01. After upgrading, my mouse doesn't respond to left clicks about half of the time. This gets annoying really quick. I've emailed a bug report to the developer. SteerMouse is great, and I hope they're able to help me resolve this. I'm using a Logitech MX Revolution on Snow Leopard 10.6.1. Anyone else experience a similar issue?  
(Version 4.0.1)

ROBOTANK  Sounds good. Thanks for the information.  
(Version 1.3rc1)

ROBOTANK  I don't think that's a fair conclusion. While some users are having issues, I'm sure I'm not the only one who had a painless upgrade to 2.0.x. I'm just saying, don't give up until you try it. Follow the developer's instructions on removing the old version and installing the new one, and you'll probably be fine.  
(Version 1.0.3)

ROBOTANK  Very nice. Provides extensive customization options for the dock. I haven't tried the kiosk features, so I can't comment on those, but all the changes I made to my dock under 10.6.1 went without a hitch.  
(Version 1.6.4)

ROBOTANK  Did you install SIMBL first? That may seem like an obvious question, but my installation was problem-free, so I'm just wondering what might have caused yours to fail completely.  
(Version 1.0)

ROBOTANK  There's no need to revert just because you can't automatically import favourites. In my case, the favourites were carried over. However, even if they weren't (that is, if the uninstaller removed them), all you need is a very simple manual process. Before uninstalling the old version, move or copy the file ~/Library/Application Support/Safari Cookies/Favorites.plist to your desktop or wherever, so it doesn't get uninstalled. After installing the new version, simply move the file back to its original location, replacing any newly created favourites file.  
(Version 1.0)

ROBOTANK  Fantastic. I installed version 1.0 and it's working perfectly. Thanks so much for getting this updated for Snow Leopard.  
(Version 1.0)

ROBOTANK  I used to love this little utility, but I eventually stopped using it, because it would just suddenly stop working on a regular basis, then I'd have to go into the preference pane and turn the effects off then back on. Honestly, it's been so long since an update that I'd pretty much given up on Keyclick. I'm glad to see this new Snow Leopard compatible version. I think I'll give it a try and hope that my old issue doesn't pop up again.  
(Version 1.3rc1)

ROBOTANK  I've been having quite a bit of trouble with ReduxEncoder. At first I was experiencing the error noted below on Leopard ("illegal comparison or logical"). Now on Snow Leopard (10.6.1), the old problem is gone away, but new issues have popped up. First I tried converting an XviD AVI file to DVD. The conversion to the MPG file went fine, but it would not proceed past that point to authoring the DVD structure. Whether I selected burnable image, VIDEO_TS folder, or burned DVD, after the conversion was done, "Authoring DVD" (or something like that) would pop up for a about a second above the progress bar, then it would claim the process was finished, leaving only the MPG file. Next I tried converting an H.264 MP4 file. With MEncoder decoding, it ran for about 5 minutes, then claimed it was finished. The result was a 400 MB partial MPG file. Trying the same conversion with VLC decoding never got past the "Starting conversion" phase. I know that ReduxEncoder is a work in progress, but I do hope that it reaches a fairly stable and usable state in the near future. It looks promising in many respects and is free, so I'm optimistic that it will turn out to be a worthy successor to the venerable VisualHub.  
(Version 1.2.5)

ROBOTANK  I really miss Safari Cookies. I hope we see a 64-bit update soon. As far as I know, there are now two possible methods for loading plugins into 64-bit Safari. One involves the method that 1Password, Glims, and Speed Download (and probably others) are using, which is to use a scripting addition coupled with a background process. The second option is to use either SIMBL 0.9.x or Pumba (similar to SIMBL, developed by CocoaMug Software for their TabExposé plugin) to load bundles. I'm guessing the second method would be easier, since it would only require the plugin to be recoded in 64-bit and not require an entirely new method of loading it. In any case, thanks to the developer for your excellent work on Safari Cookies. I hope you're able to work out a solution for Snow Leopard soon.  
(Version 0.8)

ROBOTANK  Well, it looks like Saft has beaten Glims in publicly releasing a version that supports 64-bit Safari (though Glims has had pre-release builds, accessible through their Facebook fan page, with 64-bit support available for a couple weeks). However, I think that Saft's developer needs to add new features or otherwise provide a substantial reason to choose (and pay for) Saft over Glims. Otherwise, people will continue to drop Saft for Glims--since their functionality is very similar and Glims is free--especially when a paid Saft upgrade comes out that doesn't offer new features. I simply can't see any motivation to pay for the Snow Leopard Saft update when a Glims update is right around the corner.  
(Version 12.0b2)

ROBOTANK  I've always been happy with SteerMouse. I haven't tried USB Overdrive, so I can't make any comparison, but I would recommend SteerMouse to anyone without hesitation. Version 4.0 doesn't make huge changes, but it does add a couple of nice tweaks and fix a couple bugs. I wasn't having any issues with 3.9 on Snow Leopard, but people who are running the 64-bit kernel should now be able to use SteerMouse with it.  
(Version 4.0)

ROBOTANK  Just in case the first reply didn't get it right, I'll point out one other possibility. Do you have other Mail bundles installed? If not, it's possible that Mail isn't configured to enable bundles. In order to enable them you need to do the following (this is straight out of the readme file included with Letterbox 0.24b4): 1) Create the folder ~/Library/Mail/Bundles if it doesn't exist. 2) Enter this command in terminal: defaults write com.apple.mail EnableBundles 1

Now as long as Letterbox.mailbundle is in the Bundles folder it should work. I don't know if this is your problem. You said you installed per instructions, so you've probably already done this, but I think it's worth mentioning just in case.  
(Version 0.24b4)

ROBOTANK  As far as I know, the developer of Letterbox is planning to implement a two-line display in an upcoming release. I was using WideMail before Snow Leopard, but I'd rather have Letterbox for now than have to use the default Mail layout.  
(Version 0.5.1)

ROBOTANK  I'm assuming the developer's statement that SteerMouse works under Snow Leopard only in 32-bit mode refers to the 32- or 64-bit kernel, since it uses a kernel extension. For me, SteerMouse is working normally in all my applications, 32- or 64-bit, with the default 32-bit kernel. This isn't entirely clear from their post, but as long as you're not booting into a 64-bit kernel, SteerMouse should work fine.  
(Version 3.9)

ROBOTANK  If anyone running Snow Leopard is sorely missing the function of WideMail, the plugin Letterbox (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/21899/letterbox), which is nearly identical to WideMail, now has a public beta available that works in 64-bit Mail on Snow Leopard. Check the developer's site for details. (I'm not suggesting that Letterbox is any better than WideMail, I'm just pointing out that it's an alternative to it, or at least something that can fill the gap until WideMail is Snow Leopard ready.)  
(Version 0.5.1)

ROBOTANK  Nice. Thanks for the quick fix!  
(Version 2.1.3)

ROBOTANK  Nice quick update. I also received a very quick and polite response about to an email about this issue. Great customer service so far from this developer.  
(Version 2.1.4)

ROBOTANK  Just a heads-up: The 10.6.1 Snow Leopard update, which updates Mail to 4.1, breaks Dockstar along with several other bundles that worked under 10.6. Hopefully it's a minor fix and won't take too long to show up.  
(Version 2.1.3)

ROBOTANK  Yeah 10.6.1 definitely breaks Mail Act-On (and every other plugin I had working in Mail). Hopefully a fix won't be too long coming.  
(Version 2.1.2)

ROBOTANK  Anyone with a Facebook account can simply become a fan of Glims for Safari to get information and access to pre-release builds. Support for 64-bit Safari on Snow Leopard is coming soon...  
(Version 1.0b20)

ROBOTANK  The transition to Snow Leopard highlighted for me the substantial advantage Glimmer Blocker has over other Safari ad blockers. While all Input Manager based plugins stopped working with 64-bit Safari, Glimmer Blocker continued to function without a hiccup. While I unfortunately had/have to wait for a couple other plugins to be updated, at least I didn't have to deal with ads. As for Glimmer Blocker having a less thorough filter set than Safari AdBlock, I've found that with some of the additional filters linked to on the GB web page installed, I've managed to get nearly complete ad blocking, so far only needing three domains on my own filter. Also, I've found that Safari's page loading speed with GB is far superior than with AdBlock. I suspect this has to do with the way ads are blocked, though I could be wrong. It looks to me like AdBlock loads the data from the ad server then prevents it from being displayed, while GB prevents the data from being loaded at all. In any case, I'm very pleased with GB, and I strongly recommend it over the existing alternatives.  
(Version 1.4)

ROBOTANK  I agree with a couple of previous posters. After witnessing Unsanity take an absurd amount of time to get Leopard-compatible betas out, I'm not going to waste my time hoping for Snow Leopard updates. I got rid of all my Unsanity haxies a few weeks ago in preparation for Snow Leopard, and I'm adjusting to life without them just fine. It's been fun, Unsanity, but I think it's time to move on.  
(Version 2.5.2)

ROBOTANK  My attempts to use Spell Catcher on Snow Leopard have not turned out well. Although, as the developer claims, it does work in 32-bit applications, it suffers from a major bug. Any time I input text in one of these applications, it would cause the process called SpellCatcherUIServer to spike its CPU use and severely lag the app in use. I had to quit Spell Catcher and terminate the above process to restore normality. I know the developers are working on a 64-bit compatible update, and I hope they manage it soon. School just started this week, and I'm already missing Spell Catcher.  
(Version 10.3.2)

ROBOTANK  I've heard so many negative things about this developer over the last couple of years that I'm not even willing to try this. However, it's fairly obvious that this app is aimed at noob torrent users who are willing to pay $24 for an integrated search feature. Smart torrent users are using private trackers anyway, where such a feature is useless. Also, in my experience most private trackers have banned this client. Such bans are generally given because a client either doesn't work properly, contains spyware, or is a blatant ripoff of something else (it's been suggested that xTorrent is largely a ripoff of Transmission). It looks to me like anyone who's paid for this app has been taken.  
(Version 2.0v82)

ROBOTANK  Like many others, I have a Saft licence from Leopard and won't be paying to a Snow Leopard one. I switched to Glims months ago anyway, both because I prefer it and because I was sick of Saft's ridiculous and convoluted update process. In any case, charging for a plugin that only works in 32-bit Safari is ridiculous. The current Glims build will work in 32-bit mode without the need to pay anything, and the developers say they're close to getting it working for 64-bit. I'm no expert on what's happened with InputManagers in Snow Leopard, but apps that used to rely on InputManagers, like 1Password and Speed Download, have found a way to get their plugins into 64-bit Safari, so we know it can be done. Until Saft's developer figures out the same, he has no business charing for an upgrade.  
(Version 12.0b)

ROBOTANK  At the risk of being hated on, I feel the need to say something here. I really think people should be skeptical of this developer and his app. He releases software in October of 2008 that's sold on MU Promo. It's sketchy, unstable, and unusable. After this there is barely a peep out of the developer until August 2009, at which point he releases a new major version of this same software. What will happen now? Will he vanish again in a couple of weeks? Will this version really be any better than the previous one? I don't know, but I'm hesitant even to try it, given my experience with version 3. My point is that this developer has shown evidence in the past year of being both incompetent and negligent. Obviously I'll reserve judgement on Conjure 4 until I try it, but I strongly caution people to demo this software thoroughly before considering a purchase. (I got it on the MU Promo, so I only had one day to demo it, and I didn't see how much was wrong with it in that time period.)  
(Version 4.0.7)

ROBOTANK  All of a sudden after updating to Safari 4.0.3, there are certain pages where the loading indicator never stops spinning, even after the page has loaded. Macworld.com is one example. Anyone else?  
(Version 4.0.3)

ROBOTANK  I'm sad to see this happen. I absolutely will not use software with advertising. If a paid, ad-free version comes out, I'd be happy to buy it, but for now I'll have to find a new RSS reader, or stick with the old version of NNW.  
(Version 3.2b6)

ROBOTANK  I love Smart Scroll and have been using it for a long time. However, I've had to disable it recently because it seems to be causing Safari to crash (4.0.2). I'll sometimes get random crashes, which Safari informs me may be due to Smart Scroll, and attempting to type text in the status box on Facebook crashes Safari every time. Turning off Smart Scroll eliminated all of these crashes. In any case, Marc provides excellent support in my experience, so I'll certainly email him, but I'm also curious whether other people are experiencing this issue.  
(Version 3.1.1)

ROBOTANK  My initial impressions of this app are very good. It's far lighter than iTunes, making it way more pleasant to use if I just want to listen to an album. It also has global hotkeys and a menu bar item for easy control. A couple things I'd like to see: 1) The ability to display lyrics. 2) The listing of artists orders artists whose names begin with "The" under T. I'd much prefer the iTunes method where it ignores "The" and orders by the first letter of the next word.  
(Version 1.0)

ROBOTANK  SImple, small, and works just as it should. It saves the trouble of using Terminal commands to calculate checksums. Thanks to the dev.  
(Version 1.4)

ROBOTANK  Is this developer serious? He releases version 1 of this app, which never worked properly, then less than a year later he brings out version 2 and wants an upgrade fee? Is this supposed to be a bad joke? Version 2 should be a free upgrade--maybe if it actually worked properly it would begin to make up for the fiasco that was version 1. Further evidence that this dev is clueless: for a while he was distributing a cracked version of Mac The Ripper 3 on his web site, seemingly totally unaware that it wasn't free, which is strange because the version he had must have come from a torrent site. Stay miles away from this guy. I don't know if he's actually dishonest or just grossly incompetent, but I would certainly never send him another penny for his badly written software.  
(Version 2.0)

ROBOTANK  I can't get this app working at all--it cannot recognize the PS3 on my network. All network settings appear to be in order, and other similar apps (MediaLink, PS3 Media Server) work just fine. I emailed Yazsoft support but received no response I'm hoping they will see this post. I'm using an Intel Mac with OS X 10.5.7.  
(Version 1.0)

ROBOTANK  I can't get this to work properly with Safari 4.0.1. It installs fine, but when I activate it, the tabs pop up for a brief moment, then disappear. Their shapes can still be highlighted on the screen, but clicking on them does nothing. I like this feature, and I might be willing to pay for it if it worked. I guess it's possible that it's conflicting with Glims or one of the other add-ons I have installed. What experiences have others had with version 2.0?  
(Version 2.0)

ROBOTANK  MPlayer OSX Extended seems very good overall, but I've never managed to get it to properly open a VIDEO_TS folder. With encrypted disks it fails to load at all, and with unencrypted disks, it displays the picture with errors (i.e. weird colours, broken picutre, etc.). All discs that have failed in MPlayer work in VLC and Apple DVD Player. Anyone else have more luck with this aspect of the app?  
(Version rev11)

ROBOTANK  I'd never even heard of this player before today, and I must say I'm quite impressed. It's got a sleek interface, lots of options, handles a wide range of file formats, and feels more responsive than any other player I have. It also handles MKV files better. I'm definitely going to give this a try as my default player for a while.  
(Version 0.6.4)

ROBOTANK  The Intel 64-bit version of RC4 crashes on quit every time. I've tried deleting old preferences to no avail. I guess I'll have to try the regular 32-bit version, though other 64-bit apps work no problem for me. Anyone else have this issue?  
(Version 1.0rc4)

ROBOTANK  Nice little utility. Takes pictures on lock and unlock of the screen, and allows you to set a time for it to refuse further input after failed password attempts. It can be activated by a global keyboard short cut, allowing for very quick locking. One thing worth noting is that it doesn't use the OS X screen lock (what you'd get if you set your computer to require a password to wake from screen saver), so it requires its own password to be set. Anyway, I prefer it to locking my screen the old fashioned way, and I didn't much mind paying the $2.40 (Canadian) for it.  
(Version 1.1)

ROBOTANK  For some reason, my Safari preferences reset every so often with this new version. It seems to happen after a restart but doesn't happen every time. I guess it could be one of the add-ons I have installed (Glims, Safari Cookies). Anyone else have this issue?  
(Version 4.0)

ROBOTANK  Very nice. It's not nearly as versatile and QuickSilver and Launchbar for local operations, but it excels with its web page and search suggestions. It also has some other nice little touches, like displaying dictionary definitions in the search box or in large type. For me, QSB won't replace LaunchBar (especially since I already paid for the version 5 upgrade), but I will use it for certain functions it performs better.  
(Version 2.0.0.1447)

ROBOTANK  Great little add-on. Safari's lack of site-specific preferences is one of the main reasons I generally prefer OmniWeb. With the release of Safari 4, however, I wanted to give it a spin for a while, because I find it generally outperforms OmniWeb. Safari Cookies gives me improved control over cookies, something I consider essential. This along with Glims and GlimmerBlocker make Safari useable, something I find it isn't out of the box.  
(Version 0.6.3)

ROBOTANK  Is this add-on compatible with the latest Camino 2.0 beta and/or 2.0 nightly builds?  
(Version 1.2)

ROBOTANK  I had some problems with the archive I downloaded for this app. First of all, BetterZip encountered an error and couldn't extract it. Second, ArchiveUtility was able to extract the archive, but the version of the app and folder extracted showed as 1.3.1. Strangely, the contents of the archive when displayed in BetterZip before extraction showed a folder numbered 1.4. I tried redownloading in case the file had become corrupt, but I had the same issue. Anyone have any suggestions?  
(Version 1.4)

ROBOTANK  I just got this app with the MUPromo bundle, and my first impressions are very positive. However, I can't say I'm a fan of the way the app handles licenses. It requires you to have Bonjour enabled so that it call home and confirm that no other copies of the application are running _anywhere_ with the same serial number. I'm fine with initial online verification of a serial number, but this level of monitoring is excessive. Despite the app's quality, this monitoring scheme probably would have been enough to stop me from purchasing the app if it wasn't in the bundle. Software developers need to have a little faith in their users. Restrictive licensing schemes and Microsoft-style verification don't reduce piracy, they just alienate paying customers.  
(Version 3.0v351)

ROBOTANK  I tried this out for a bit, and I found it to be fairly useful. I had some minor issues with preferences not sticking, but it's still in beta, so that's excusable. I eventually decided to uninstall it simply because it just wasn't quite useful enough for me to justify the purchase price. With the uninstaller (included in the installer application), I ran into problems. First of all, it couldn't find one of the application bundles contained within the iClock preference pane (!) and popped up a menu asking me to locate it. Second, it didn't delete anywhere near all the files installed by iClock--about the only thing it did manage to trash was the preference pane. Third, when I checked the trash, I saw that it had trashed my entire ~/Library/Preference Panes folder along with its own preference pane. I think it's important to make the uninstaller work properly if it's going to be included and recommended for use. A careless user who didn't check his/her trash before emptying it could have done quite a bit of damage. So, if you try this app and decide to uninstall it, just do it manually or with a utility like Amnesia or AppDelete, then run a search of your hard drive to find the library it installs in /usr/bin or wherever.  
(Version 1.0b14)

ROBOTANK  There's no need for another 5-star review for this app. Suffice it to say, I am, of course, extremely pleased with it. What I'd like to point out most here is the top-notch support that Agile provides. A quick look at their forums will reveal that the developers respond quickly, politely, and helpfully to every question and request. (They respond in the same fashion to email.) They are quick to address bugs and user requests in their regular updates, which keep on top of issues and introduce improvements. In my experience, Agile is one of the very best Mac shareware companies in terms of product dedication and customer support.  
(Version 2.9.16)

ROBOTANK  Very good overall. I think DockGone may be a little expensive for a simple app, but I've been wanting something that will get the Apple dock out of my face for a long time. There are far better alternatives to the dock out there (DragThing, A-Dock, Application Wizard, etc.), and being able to make the dock actually disappear is very handy.  
(Version 1.0b6)

ROBOTANK  I'm very impressed with this so far. There are so many application switcher and launcher utilities out there, but this is by far the most configurable and feature-rich contextual menu-based one that I've seen. I love the ability to map the menus to global hot keys. I use Steer Mouse to map these keys to extra buttons on my Logitech MX Revolution, so Application Wizard's menus can be brought up with a single click anywhere on the screen. Also, I really appreciate the way the developer has set up the trial version of this app. You can use it for 15 days with no restrictions and no nag screens. This is how shareware should be demoed--it allows you to really evaluate all the features of the app for a reasonable time period with the added bonus of not being harassed for money until you've had a chance to decide if you want to spend it. I'll probably buy this before the trial period is over.  
(Version 2.3.3)

ROBOTANK  This app looks like it could be very useful, but the demo is so limited that it's impossible to evaluate it properly--most document conversion types are disabled, including all the ones I'm interested in. I hope the developer will consider changing the parameters of the demo version--perhaps allowing all features of the program to be used a limited number of times, or something similar that actually allows evaluation of the app's features.  
(Version 3.3.3)

ROBOTANK  Having trouble with Software Update. It can't download the update itself (that is, it's downloading at an insanely slow speed; other downloading and network activity is all functioning normally). I guess I'll try the standalone updater. Maybe Apple's servers are overloaded or something. Anyone else have this issue?  
(Version 10.5.7)

ROBOTANK  Overall, I think this is an excellent application. It works as advertised, making the conversion and authoring process (with menus and chapters) quick and mostly automated. For those who want a little more control, you can tweak encoding quality and some advanced options, as well as add custom pictures and audio to menus. The default settings for encoding produce good results, and PAL to NTSC conversions look great. It does have a non-standard interface, which I realize is an issue for some people, but it's very intuitive and fairly uncluttered. The only quibble I have is a minor one: the appearance of the default DVD menus could be better (I don't like the way they always display 6 little thumbnail boxes even if there's only one title). Give this app a try; and don't worry: it's not one of the numerous scamware converters that have popped up over the last few months (Aimersoft, iSkySoft, Wondershare, etc.).  
(Version 1.501)

ROBOTANK  Avoid this app at all costs. The two-star review I gave it was far too generous. It does almost nothing right. I tried to convert a 45-minute TV show from MP4 to AVI. With the quality slider on best (which is the default setting), it produced a 5 GB (yes, that's 5 gigabytes for a 45-minutes show) file and changed the aspect ratio (from anamorphic 16:9 to 4:3). I ran the conversion again, this time limiting the file size to 500 MB in the advanced settings, and it produced a useless 96 KB file. This crap, on top of the numerous problems I had with its to-DVD conversion tool, has absolutely convinced me that the developer of this application doesn't have a clue what he's doing. I've never seen an application that appears this badly written. The dev releases updates all the time that add new features and allegedly fix bugs, yet the most basic features still don't work. I really don't know how he could be unaware of all the numerous problems with the app. This program is absolute rubbish--avoid it!  
(Version 1.4.5b3)

ROBOTANK  While testing this app, I looked into (on MacUpdate) another product by this developer called K-Kitchen. I was disappointed to find that one of the app's developers had unethically posted a review of his own product that was at some point deleted by MU Admin. There was also an accusation that the app violated the ffmpeg license agreement (I don't know if this is true or not). While neither of these things say anything about the quality of software this company produces, I suggest proceeding cautiously with a developer that has generated complaints of unethical practices.  
(Version 0272)

ROBOTANK  For whatever reason, CleanApp tries to delete a bunch of Apple preference files every time I delete an app. I've tried clearing its database, but it still does this every time. Currently unusable.  
(Version 3.0.6)

ROBOTANK  8.1.1 seems to have resolved the calendar sync issue. Yay!  
(Version 8.1.1)

ROBOTANK  I'm having some trouble with this latest version. Burned DVD video discs won't play on my PS3 (that's currently the only stand-alone player I have, but I'm assuming the issue isn't exclusive to the PS3). Also, the menus that Brun creates when authoring discs support chapter selection, but there doesn't seem to be a way to get it to create chapters. It also doesn't carry over the chapters from files it converts. Am I missing something here? I'd appreciate any advice or info anyone could offer on these topics.  
(Version 2.2u)

ROBOTANK  Looks good so far. I gave this a shot, and it seems to be more thorough than most other uninstaller apps I've tried (except for CleanApp, which logs installed files so it catches everything, but has been more trouble to me than it's worth). I also like the ability to directly delete files rather than moving them to the trash. The backup and restore options look nice too, though I haven't tested them yet.  
(Version 1.0)

ROBOTANK  This application looked hopeful, but things have not turned out well. I ended up buying it despite almost universally negative reviews for one reason and one reason only: it decodes MP4 (with H.264 video and AAC audio) files for conversion to DVD using ffmpeg instead of movtoy (like VH) and so does it in a tiny fraction of the time. Since it does manage to fulfill this one requirement, I'm not entirely displeased. Overall, however, I can't recommend this app. Its feature set is nice (or would be if it worked properly) and its price is reasonable, but its general level of buginess suggests an application that is either badly written or should still be in the alpha stage. For example, through the process of converting an MP4 to DVD I encountered the following issues: 1) The size estimator of the resulting DVD image doesn't work at all so there's no way of knowing whether the image will fit on a DVD-5. 2) Even though I had selected no change to the aspect ratio, it automatically converted the movie from 16:9 to 4:3. I had to select the 16:9 option just to prevent it from doing this. This function should work like VisualHub's option to force an aspect ratio, so selecting nothing should conserve the existing one. 3) The option to burn after DVD authoring didn't work because the image ended up being too big for a DVD-5. That would be fine except that the app never tells you there's a problem at any stage (neither before the conversion when you select a DVD size and the burn option nor after the conversion when it realizes it can't burn the image); it just does nothing. I think, for his own sake, the developer should pull this product from sale until he can work out the kinks. As it is now, the bad reviews are going to keep piling up and hurting his chances of future sales even if he does manage to improve the app. Check out HandBrake and/or MPEG2 Works 4 instead of this.  
(Version 1.4)

ROBOTANK  LaunchBar is probably the most useful application I've ever purchased. It makes routine tasks like opening applications and documents, moving, deleting, and copying files, creating folders, getting information on files/folders, etc. incredibly quick and convenient, eliminating the need to switch to the Finder and navigate a hierarchical folder structure. It also allows you to quickly send emails, go to URLs, access browser history and bookmarks, perform web searches, control iTunes, perform Dictionary searches, and access numerous other functions system wide. Although I don't use it because I slightly prefer CopyPaste Pro (and owned it before LB 5 came out), the clipboard history feature added in the v.5 betas is solid and probably good enough to eliminate the need for most users to purchase a separate multiple clipboard app. For me, LB is absolutely essential.  
(Version 5.0b7)

ROBOTANK  Strangely, this release doesn't seem to include the Safari 4 WebKit that has been in each of the 5.9.2 Sneaky Peeks, though it includes support for something I've never heard of called the Gopher Protocol. I think I'll stick with the latest Sneaky Peek for now.  
(Version 5.9.2)

ROBOTANK  I picked this up on the MU Promo and I'm very impressed. It works precisely as advertised and has a very easy to use interface. In addition, the developer was very helpful and quick to respond to my support request. Highly recommended.  
(Version 4.2.1)

ROBOTANK  @ Shotgunweddings:

Let's see. Static image burning into your screen? How long is your menu bar displayed on the top of your monitor? Or your desktop icons or dock? I don't see any evidence of my menu bar being burnt into the top of my screen even though I work on my computer for several consecutive hours each day. Besides, I'm sure most people have their display set to sleep after a certain period of inactivity anyway (you should) and so aren't likely to have a screensaver running for hours at a time. Like the original reply to your comment said, screensavers aren't really necessary these days and are mostly used only for aesthetic purposes. I'm shocked that you would post a one-star review on account of a non-issue.

IMO, this screensaver looks awesome, and it has a funky twisted face clock to boot. That's about all I could ask for.  
(Version 2.6)

ROBOTANK  Very nice. Today I suddenly ended up with a rar that Path Finder's built in Stuffit engine wouldn't handle properly (the first time that's ever happened). unRarX expanded it no problem.  
(Version 2.2)

ROBOTANK  I really like Postbox. For me, mail folders are out and tagging and archiving à la Gmail are in. I love the ability to have message filters automatically assign topics after which I can archive with a single keystroke. Messages are then automatically sorted and easily accessible by topic via the Favourite Topics part of the sidebar. Also, the way Postbox separates links and attachments (and now even allows QuickLook previews of attachments) is just awesome. The only thing that would prevent me from using Postbox permanently is a high price once it comes out of beta. I've got my fingers crossed that it doesn't exceed the reach of my measly student budget.  
(Version 1.0b10)

ROBOTANK  Handy little app. Does precisely what it says, which is provide an instant field to enter a search or URL. It's even slightly faster than using LaunchBar or Quicksilver to do the same thing because you don't have to enter any letters for the search template. What would make this app really cool is drop down search results à la Glims or Inquisitor.

By the way, the default shortcut for this app is set to Option-Esc, which, if I'm not mistaken, is the shortcut for text completion in Cocoa apps. I recommend changing it to avoid conflict.  
(Version 1.0.3)

ROBOTANK  Leech is nice and lightweight and has a lovely, minimal interface. Though it's not as versatile as SpeedDownload, I tend to prefer it for the simple reason that it works properly with OmniWeb. SpeedDownload integration with OmniWeb has caused problems as far back as I can remember, while Leech is fully compatible. Also, Leech properly handles certain files from authenticated web sites (namely, my university's Blackboard site) that SD had problems with. On the other hand, SD does seem to generally achieve better speeds than Leech, so I still use it manually to download large files. IMO, both apps offer substantial advantages over any browser's built-in download window.  
(Version 1.1.4)

ROBOTANK  This looks like a fine little app, though it certainly doesn't hold a candle to Scrivener. On the other hand, it's also less than 1/3 the price. This may be worth looking at for someone who wants an app oriented to writing longer works but doesn't need anything as extensive as Scrivener. Anyone using Scrivener, however, will find little reason to switch here.

Also, I'm wondering about the full-screen mode in this. It's not so much full screen as just a zoomed window. It doesn't hide everything but the text like full screen modes in Write Room and Scrivener. I think the appeal of full-screen writing is its ability to minimize distractions, which include not only other apps on the screen but even the buttons and toolbars of the writing program itself. I think this app would be more appealing if it had a true full-screen mode with typewriter scrolling.  
(Version 1.1)

ROBOTANK  After installing this and the Java update, I experienced some very strange behaviour when the computer restarted. A couple of my log-in items crashed repeatedly and one was using a huge amount of CPU for no apparent reason. I also noticed that the mdworker process was using about 50-80% CPU. Another restart seems to have fixed the problem. Anyone else experience a similar issue? (2.2GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro, OS X 10.5.6)  
(Version 2009-001)

ROBOTANK  Read all the replies on the MacUpdate page for Aimersoft Video Converter: http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/30023/aimersoft-video-converter. These guys have some explaining to do.  
(Version 2.0.0.13)

ROBOTANK  RipIt hasn't failed to rip a single disc I've thrown at it. The changes in version 1.2 sound very promising--it will be nice to have more options with the finished product as far as burning and encoding go. IMO, this is the best ripper currently in existence for the Mac.  
(Version 1.2)

ROBOTANK  Just tried this out and found it to be ridiculously buggy. Every time I opened the application, it would ask to install the CM plugin and widget even though they were already installed. It also did some other weird stuff with my notes, such as showing them all in the trash and not properly saving new notes until I'd opened the app 4 or 5 times. Also, the process that runs the menu bar and drawer items froze up. I don't know if there was something else on my machine that had an influence on this, but for me this app was too buggy even to try for more than a few minutes.  
(Version 7.0.4)

ROBOTANK  This looks pretty decent. It's comparable to VisualHub in terms of features and the extent of possible customization. My only issue with the demo is that it's really hard to gauge the speed with the two-minute encoding limitation. This app may help fill the gap left by VH, but it will have to compete with the free alternatives: HandBrake (which now accepts many different input sources, though doesn't convert to DVD), and whatever the app is called that's being built on the open-source release of the VH code.  
(Version 1.2)

ROBOTANK  Sorry if this is a stupid question, but where did you guys find upgrade pricing? I have a licence for version 2, but when I install version 3 and use the store link, it takes me to their store page where the only related thing I can see is something called iWOW Premium which goes for $40. I've reverted back to v2 for now, but I'd like to give 3 another shot if I know I can upgrade for $10.  
(Version 3.0.0.255)

ROBOTANK  I've only been using this app for a week or so, but so far I'm quite pleased with its functionality. It's extremely easy to use and far more convenient than using a USB stick to get data to my PS3. As far as streaming goes, it works perfectly with music and some video files. When I try to stream a larger and higher bit rate video file (most of my encodes are done using HandBrake's QuickTime or PS3 presets), the stream can't quite keep up with the picture. I'm not entirely sure whether MediaLink is to blame or whether my home WiFi network simply can't handle the bandwidth (wireless-G, 54mbps I think). In any event, it's not a big deal since MediaLink allows me to easily copy the files to the PS3 for viewing. While everything isn't quite perfect, overall MediaLink is very good software, and I would recommend it to any Mac/PS3 owner.  
(Version 1.7)

ROBOTANK  Being an extremely disorganized person by nature, Things has been of immense assistance in keeping on track this school year. I've tried several other GTD apps (though I'm no expert) but found Things to be by far the best for my purposes. It has a lovely interface, is very stable, and its features are intuitive. It makes it very simple to organize your responsibilities into several Areas, then break those down into Projects (for example, one area for school then each course has a separate project to which I can add to-dos). By adding tags, you can easily view upcoming tasks in the different time-oriented focuses (Today, Next, Scheduled, Some Day) by what area or project they belong to if you want to narrow the focus. I heartily recommend Things to students who, like myself, need a hand staying organized and don't have time to put much effort into the process. My only complaint about Things is that it is definitely a little pricey (especially here in the Frozen North). Even with the 20% coupon, it cost around $51 Canadian. I'm not terribly concerned about this--the last 5 months with the beta version convinced me I'll get my money's worth--but it would be nice to see the price come down $10 or so in the future.  
(Version 1.0)

ROBOTANK  I'm no expert on open-source licensing, but as far as I understand it, there's nothing wrong with using open-source libraries in paid-for software. Consider VisualHub (good quality and reputable software, though sadly discontinued now), which puts an excellent and easy-to-use GUI on top of several open-source codecs (though it doesn't include them in its disk image but downloads them during installation).

However, unless this application rips through advanced copy protection, like ARccOS and RipGuard (and I very much doubt that it does), there's nothing to justify paying for it, as HandBrake and FairMount will do everything it does for free. Interestingly, an app of a different name and by a different company, but with a remarkably similar description and nearly identical price, popped up on VersionTracker a couple days ago. I wouldn't be surprised if it also uses the same libraries this one does. This is all a little suspicious, and it looks like these companies may just be trying to make an easy buck by duplicating the functionality of freely available software. If anyone has tested this app on a disc with advanced copy protection, I'd be interested to know the result. Remember, DO NOT pay for any ripping app that doesn't cut through advanced protection. Basic ripping and conversion can be easily accomplished with free software.  
(Version 1.8.1.5)

ROBOTANK  I was way too nice about this app last time I posted here. It was sold as a MacUpdate promo in September. It's now December 14th and the app is still too unstable to use. It has been nearly 4 months since the sale, 2 months since I made my original post here about instability issues, and over 1 month since the dev responded to that; yet, there still hasn't been even a minor bug-fix release. In addition, I emailed the dev about a serious bug shortly after I bought this app and NEVER received a response. The developer talks like he cares but DOES NOTHING. As to the app itself, sure it has some nice features, but what good are they when half of them don't work? The dev has rightly stated that Conjure's demo gives plenty of time evaluate it before buying. The MacUpdate promo, however, does not, if you want to take advantage of its special pricing. MacUpdate should be responsible enough not to promote and sell apps that run like they're stuck in a permanent alpha stage. AVOID this application: so far, the dev has shown NO willingness to try to solve ANY of its numerous problems. Also, beware the MacUpdate promo: if they're willing to sell this crap, who knows what else may pop up (though MOST MacUpdate promos sell good quality software).  
(Version 3.0.2)

ROBOTANK  Would I pay $70 for this? Probably not, but that's not a reflection of its quality, only the necessity (or lack thereof) of Macintosh AV software in general. Since getting this app with the latest MacUpdate bundle I've been very impressed with it. The realtime scanner is completely unobtrusive: it uses no noticeable amount of CPU or RAM and doesn't slow down operation. I haven't picked up any viruses for it to detect, but the professional reviews all agree that its detection rules are thorough and up to date. As always in this tired debate, the question comes down to whether or not you need _any_ AV software on your Mac. You probably don't, but if you think you do, VB X5 is certainly worth a look.  
(Version 10.5.5)

ROBOTANK  This latest Opera preview release is impressive in its speed and advanced standards compliance. However, even with a new major version number, they've done nothing to fix the problem of Opera's revolting interface. It's ugly and hopelessly out of place on a Mac desktop. I know that appearance is hardly the most important element of a browser, but Opera looks so awkward, cluttered, and unattractive that I simply can't bring myself to use it for very long. (Maybe they could fake a native interface like Firefox does; that would at least make it useable.) Also, a couple recent posts have mentioned 1Password support. There is a posting somewhere on Agile's forums discussing this issue, and the conclusion is that due to Opera's architecture (I can't be more specific; I'm not a programmer), 1Password support isn't possible. That's an unfortunate blow for this browser, considering 1Password's popularity.  
(Version 10.0a1)

ROBOTANK  Another gem from the Iconfactory. Thanks for all the great freeware!  
(Version 1.0)

ROBOTANK  I liked some things about this app, but a couple things were aggravating enough that I won't use it at this point. Having said that, it's only fair to wait until this app is out of the beta phase before forming a final opinion. The main purpose of this post is to let people know how to properly uninstall this app, since I couldn't find this information anywhere on the developer's site or forums. This app installs a plugin called FolxNetscapePlugin.plugin (or something similar, I can't remember exactly) in both ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins and in Macintosh HD/Library/Internet Plug-Ins to allow it to intercept downloads from any web browser. This is fine, except that the app doesn't tell you at any point that it's doing this. So, if you uninstall it without removing these files, you won't be able to download anything from a browser because the plugin will intercept it but the app won't be there to pass it on to. Simply delete these plugins and restart your browser to return to normal operation. I hope the developer will be more forthcoming with this information in the future.  
(Version 0.8b)

ROBOTANK  I revisited Camino for the first time in a while with this release and was very impressed overall. It's fast, lightweight, and has a nice feature set including ad blocking and Flash blocking built in. In addition, it's written in Cocoa, so it's genuinely OS X native, unlike Firefox 3 which fakes a native Aqua interface. There are numerous hidden preferences and a few add-ons to tweak its behaviour further. Where Camino comes up short is in its lack of drag-and-drop tab reordering and low standards compliance due to its using the 1.8 Gecko branch (like Firefox 2). However, Camino 2.0 looks set to solve these issues in the near future. Check out the official Camino blog and the Mozilla forums for more information.  
(Version 1.6.5)

ROBOTANK  I’ve been quite impressed with this app. It’s still very young, but the developers have made significant improvements with each update. In my experience, they are also responsive to customer concerns via email and MacUpdate postings.

In regards to a post below, comparing Fantasktik to DragThing isn’t reasonable. More important than DragThing’s age advantage is the simple fact that the two apps are intended to do completely different things. DragThing makes docks, and its process dock is not equivalent to Fantasktik’s all-windows + previews display. Both apps are excellent and, in my opinion, don’t really compete with each other.  
(Version 1.2)

ROBOTANK  Fantastic word processor. I've been using Mariner Write for a while, but Nisus Writer does several things better without becoming bloated or too feature-intensive. I also appreciate Nisus Software's offering excellent educational pricing on their software.  
(Version 1.2)

ROBOTANK  Ultimately, what word processor is best comes down to personal preference and needs; there will never be a definitive end to this debate. For my needs--taking class notes and writing short and medium-length papers--Mariner Write achieves the perfect balance of features and weight. It's quick to open and respond, and its essential features for my purposes are more easily accessible and intuitive than in any other word processor I've tried. My only real complaint is something that's come up several times on this page: improper spacing of characters. With some fonts, you end up with the occasional ugly gap between letters. This is a minor issue in the end, and no software is perfect. I’ve noticed that Mellel has come up a lot on this page. It’s also a fine word processor, and contains more advance features, though Mariner Write is still more streamlined. Also, if you use Spell Catcher, Mellel will not allow automatic replacement, which can create issues with bulleted lists since Spell Catcher has to backspace to make corrections.

The only way to choose the best word processor for your use is to try what’s out there. There are good options on the Mac platform besides the huge, feature-intensive office suites (though these are still essential in some situations).  
(Version 3.8)

ROBOTANK  I've quickly become a fan of A-Dock. On the surface it doesn’t look that much different from Apple’s dock, but it offers many features sorely lacking therein. Some of its best attributes include: 1) You can add folders to it whose contents can be viewed hierarchically and dragged out of the menu (including smart folders). 2) It’s far more customizable. You can tell it to show only favourites or tell it not to display individual running applications, so you don’t have to have background apps that don’t need to be displayed taking up screen space. It can also be freely positioned on the screen and its appearance can be altered with free themes. 3) You can select modules to add to the dock, including volumes and a System Preferences icon that expands into a hierarchical menu. 4) A-Dock can also display your trash (supports custom icons and can display the number of items within) on either the dock or the desktop and its contents can also be viewed in a hierarchical menu. There are numerous other little features in A-Dock, and as of 1.5.1, it’s properly displaying all animated dock icons (though no bouncing). Perhaps its only real weak point is an inability to display minimized windows. In terms of support, A-Dock’s developer is responsive and his website contains plenty of useful information. This app is well worth the $10.  
(Version 1.5.1)

ROBOTANK  The new interface is highly irritating and filled with superfluous nonsense. As far as I can tell, it’s intended to be a combination of a social networking application and a “legitimate” torrent site like bittorrent.com. Fortunately, with the classic interface enabled, Vuze can still be just a torrent client, which it does a fine job of. Having said that, Transmission is far better—it has fewer advanced settings, but is faster, lighter, more stable, and is written in native OS X Cocoa (not in Java like Vuze).  
(Version 4.0.0.2)

ROBOTANK  Very nice. I haven’t used Firefox regularly in a while, but I’m impressed with this beta so far. It’s incredibly fast and scores a cool 88 on the Acid3 test. Most extensions don’t work with it yet, but the most important ones—AdBlock Plus, NoScript, 1 Password—do. It crashes quite a bit, but that’s not surprising in the early beta stage. I look forward to updates.  
(Version 3.1b1)

ROBOTANK  I bought this app when it was on promo because I really like some of its ideas. After using it for a few days, however, I came across numerous bugs that seriously detract from its usefulness. For example, my clusters come apart at random when I try to open them, properties of desktop items mysteriously change or don't save properly, text notes on the desktop suddenly get cut off half way down, and half the time clicking on items in the clothesline view doesn't work. Having said that, I think this application has a lot of potential if some of these debilitating bugs are dealt with in good time. Also, the description of Conjure as "unlimited virtual desktops" is somewhat misleading. Conjure doesn't create workspaces that can have specific windows associated with them (like Spaces); it's an application, not a true desktop.

It would be nice if these MacUpdate promos lasted longer to allow for time to really try an app out before dropping money on it.  
(Version 3.0.2)

ROBOTANK  I successfully ran Kameleon after updating to 10.5.5 and it seems to have worked normally. I was hesitant to do this after all the reports of Kameleon causing crashes on the new version of iTunes, but since I had a fresh backup, I gave it a shot. So, if anyone else was waiting to let someone else try it first, here you go.  
(Version 1.0.3)

ROBOTANK  I got this app with the latest bundle offering. I won't say more about the issues surrounding that, but I did give this app a try. Changing the Leopard theme posed no issues. It was fast and seemed to work perfectly well. The only downside to this aspect of the app is the lack of choice in different themes, which will hopefully be improved in the future. Now, as you may have already heard: DO NOT use this app on iTunes 8. There were numerous posts on the MacUpdate promo page and now one on this page warning against this. From what I've read the only way to fix iTunes after attempting to run Kameleon is to reinstall it.

Sometimes new versions of applications cause problems with older apps that try to modify them. This in itself is hardly a crime, but the developers should warn of this issue on their web site. As it stands, there is almost nothing at all on the web site, much less a warning about the iTunes issue. I'm not quite sure what to make of this app. I guess we'll see what happens when version 2.0 is ready.  
(Version 1.0.3)

ROBOTANK  Leo Spill:

Please provide examples of some of these alleged site problems and security holes.

I’ve had very few issues with pages rendering in OmniWeb, and in the problem cases it seemed to be an incompatibility with WebKit, as the same problems occurred in Safari. In some cases, simply changing the user agent in site preferences to something compatible will cause a page to behave better. If some sites are designed to work with IE and don’t work properly with WebKit, it is Microsoft that should be taken to task for refusing to adhere to web standards.

As for the security holes.... All browsers have vulnerabilities that pop up from time to time. I don’t see OmniWeb being very problematic regardless, since with its tiny market share I can’t see many malicious web sites making a point of attempting to exploit OmniWeb vulnerabilities. Furthermore, though it uses a version of WebKit close to that used by Safari 3.0, it’s not exactly the same, so old Safari WebKit vulnerabilities may not apply either.  
(Version 5.7)

ROBOTANK  I love NeoOffice. I started using Macs about 3 years ago and I mistakenly thought that Office 2004 on my PPC machine was the best possible option. I was aware of OpenOffice.org but I didn't like the X11 feel. After upgrading to a new Intel Mac, I was looking forward to Office 08 due to 04's sluggish performance on the Intel chip. So 08 arrives and I give it a whirl and then one day it crashes my MacBook Pro in the middle of a class when I try to save my document, causing me to have to force shutdown and lose what I had written. Granted, all new software has some kinks to work out, but I would think that a company with basically unlimited resources that charges insane prices for their software could release a product that doesn't cause system crashes with something as simple as as save-as command. I'd recently become aware of NeoOffice so I decided to give it a go.

After a day of using NeoOffice I dumped Office completely. NeoOffice does everything Office used to do for me, and does it more efficiently. NeoOffice feels far less bloated than its MS counterpart. It's faster to startup and respond to commands and takes up less hard drive space and system resources than Office. I can't speak to NeoOffice's usefulness for a business environment, but I highly recommend it for casual users and students (it certainly fits our budget). Also, NeoOffice's help documentation is thorough and easy to navigate, and there is an extensive wiki available as well. The transition was painless.  
(Version 2.2.2 patch 11)