STRIDER72  I would really like to like OpenOffice, but every time I open it up and actually try to DO something with it, it fails me. For example, today I opened an Excel file that shows a 30 year mortage amortization. Change a cell and save. No problem.

Now print: OpenOffice prints the whole long spreadsheet on one page, which is unreadably small. There's no way to tell it to go ahead and fit it to the page width, not height. Huh????

So I try to open the file in Excel again. Now that it has been saved by OpenOffice, it crashes Excel. Just Great. (Yes, I did save it as an Excel file.)

In the past I've tried to use the "Word" part of OO, and have have similar frustrations. IT looks solid until I actually try to do real work with it, and then I end up stumbling over seemingly obvious holes in the software.

*sigh* Maybe by version 4.0 they'll have it worked out.  
(Version 3.1.1)

STRIDER72  If backlight doesn't work for you anymore, there is another app called "Wallsaver". FYI.  
(Version 2.0)

STRIDER72  Very cool app, and works fine on OS 10.6.1.

Interestingly, because BackLight doesn't use the OS's "Screen Effects Engine", it can use older 32 bit screen savers that 10.6 won't run!

That is to say, I can run Marine Aquarium 2 as my desktop, but not as a screensaver. :-p

That really says something about the quality of this app that was last updated in 2003. Great great app, and I hope the original developer is still out there doing amazing things. :-)  
(Version 2.0)

STRIDER72  Regarding the feud between the developer and "July1962"... Having read the original thread http://www.springyarchiver.com/o1d4um4m1lk373mp3n4bl3d/viewtopic.php?t=287 , it comes down to this:

JULY1962: Springy claims that it can split files using a standard format, but when I send split files to somebody else, they can't open them.

DEVELOPER: Springy uses a standard split zip format. It's not my fault that no other Mac app understands this standard format.

JULY1962: If no other Mac app understands it, then it's false advertising to call it a "standard". You're a liar!

DEVELOPER: You're an idiot.

...except in the thread it takes them 50,000 words to say it.

The "idiot" has a point. There ARE ways of splitting files that are more standard on a Mac than the format that (according to the developer himself) **no other Mac app understands**. Waving your arms and yelling "but it's a standard!" doesn't make it so. Clearly the PKzip split format is NOT a standard **on Mac**, or some other Mac app would understand it.  
(Version 1.5.1)

STRIDER72  BetterZip also splits archives. Not sure if it's the exact same format as this app.  
(Version 1.5.1)

STRIDER72  An excellent program. I just wish the author would integrate Sparkle Updates or somesuch, so we don't have to manually install the frequent updates.  
(Version 8.5.06)

STRIDER72  I would guess it's a problem between Vuescan and that particular model of scanner.

FYI -- the way to post images is to put them up on the web somewhere (Flickr maybe?) and post a link.  
(Version 8.5.06)

STRIDER72  In comparing the two, you state: "With SugarSync you don't have to download a file, edit it locally, and then re-upload it manually"

You are directly suggesting that in DropBox, you *do* have to do those things, otherwise the "comparison" is meaningless. You've basically done away with a *primary* function of Dropbox.

Dropbox, also, archives old versions of files.

Dismissing your detractors as "fanboys" doesn't change the reality of your distorted rhetoric, nor does it undermine the content of what is said.  
(Version 1.5)

STRIDER72  This review (Copy/Pasted verbatim from the Dropbox page on this site) seriously distorts the way Dropbox works in order to build up SugarSync. if you want to compare the two, go look at Dropbox rather than trusting this review.  
(Version 1.1.12)

STRIDER72  Why assume the user has a third-party decompression program when the OS has compression built-in?   
(Version 2.6.1)

STRIDER72  Just for the record -- MacFUSE is *not* a Google product. It is however hosted on Google Code, as are many open-source projects.  
(Version 1.1.7b6)

STRIDER72  A shame the author chose to make this a Preference Pane in version 3-- it adds clutter to an already crowded screen, rather than just giving me a simple app that I can have run on login. I'll stick to v2 for now, thanks....  
(Version 3.0)

STRIDER72  This is _not_ the same thing as using the server built-in to OS X. MAMP is not very secure -- they pretty much turn everything on for development purposes. Read the description -- this is recommended as a development platform -- not a live server.  
(Version 1.7.2)

STRIDER72  Try trashing your VLC prefs.

On my system VLC would crash every time I tried to run it. I trashed all prefs and support files, and now it runs just great.

My current prefs files are:

* org.videolan.vlc.plist in /Users/you/Library/Preferences

* VLC folder in /Users/you/Library/Preferences  
(Version 0.8.6i)

STRIDER72  This just stopped working -- i don't know why.

When I first had this it worked great -- a real knockout program. Now, it doesn't do anything. It runs -- it's there in the menu -- but when I do a screenshot Sharpshooter doesn't do anything.

I would love this program if it worked as it used to....

(Running OS 10.5.3)  
(Version 0.6.1)

STRIDER72  Pro version or not, that kills this for me. I would _never_ use this on a commercial site if you are forced to have an ad on there.

Boo BannerZest! Fix this!  
(Version 1.0.2)

STRIDER72  I think this can do "tracing mode", where you are drawing over an existing picture.

Might be a good "kids mode" as you describe. Overlay a lone Power Ranger or something and let the kids draw in the rest of the scene. :)  
(Version 1.2.1)

STRIDER72  By the way... did you keep a copy of the stuff you submitted? If so, you should clearly be able to show them that the form you sent had the correct info on it.

I got the rebate when I upgraded from v5 to 7. Rebates are rejected sometimes for various reasons, (How's your handwriting?), but I cannot imagine that this company has some deliberate scheme to defraud its customers as you are claiming.

This is a long established company, and the quality of their software is a completely separate issue from whether or not you got a rebate. Please review the **software** rather than venting your spleen over rebate policies. Saying "the software stinks because I didn't get my $20" is nonsense.  
(Version 9.0.2)

STRIDER72  Are you sure? I just got an update to version 7 that improved 10.5 compatibility.  
(Version 9.0.2)

STRIDER72  Personally I'm impressed that they're still releasing new updates to keep my old version 7 running on OS 10.5

Yeah, they gouge you on price, but it's difficult to argue that they don't make a good product. Their products are excellent.  
(Version 9.0.2)

STRIDER72  This is the coolest stupid little drawing program ever made.

Completely intuitive and a lot of fun to just noodle around with. Helps to have a tablet of course....

"Ease of Use" should get Seven Stars. This is probably the most intuitive interface I've ever seen in a program. This guy could teach Apple a thing or two. :)  
(Version 1.2.1)

STRIDER72  "[I]f you have multiple projects and different billing rates per client, you have a problem."

You can set your rate on a per-client basis. I believe you can set the rate on a per-working-slip basis. What is the problem?

"[Y]ou must have one project per client, with multiple work slips"

Huh??? You can absolutely have multiple projects per client. True, it seems you have to print separate invoices per project, but that doesn't mean you can't have multiple projects!

I agree with you on the lack of documentation -- a problem that should be remedied.  
(Version 2.5.5)

STRIDER72  Just testing it out, I've quickly discovered what I consider a fatal flaw: the Undo functionality is nearly useless.

If you type in a string of text, undo will reverse the typing letter-by-letter. To undo a sentence I have to hit command-z 20 or 30 times. Completely ridiculous.

I've had my eye on this program for a while now, and I really _want_ to like it, but every time I look at it again there's always something screwy like this to ruin it.

Overall it seems a good program, with (so far) one tragic fatal flaw. Hope for the future, but not really usable for now.  
(Version 1.5.7)

STRIDER72  My big computer with the big hard drive and all my media is piping music upstairs to my stereo with the good speakers.

I'm upstairs sitting on my couch, working on my laptop and listening to music.

With iTunes sharing, I could get the music playing on my wimpy laptop speakers. With this app, I can control what the _other_ Mac is playing, meaning I can control what's playing through the good speakers.

Heh. Think of it as the poor man's Apple TV. (Actually, this is more portable, so even that's not quite true.)  
(Version 2.3.1)

STRIDER72  There's a similar app out there that has an interface that looks exactly like iTunes (thus, zero learning curve).

Does anyone know what the name of that program is?  
(Version 1.4)

STRIDER72  So... make an updated CD and then install the new version from the new CD.  
(Version 4.1)

STRIDER72  To the people who think it's just a front-end for iCal and Address Book:

I think you're looking at a relatively minor feature and thinking it's the entire point of the app.

(Full disclosure -- I don't actually use Bento -- I would _love_ to, but my old Mac won't run 10.5. Thus, statements of how it works are based primarily on video demos and articles.)

I believe this is meant to be more of an easy-to-use database app, that happens to have Address and Calendar links as a feature. You can track lots of things, such as a household inventory, or your books and DVDs.

I'll give you an example of how you might use the address book and iCal links:

I'm going to throw a party, so I make a Party item in Bento. It links to my calendar for the date of the party, and I can also link related preparation events to the same Party record. Separately, I pull names from Address Book into Bento for a guest list.

To that guest list I add additional fields to each person: Invitation Sent, RSVP yes/no, and a note field to mark down if, for example, they're bringing anything. These fields make a lot of sense linked to the person _only in the context of this particular party_ -- it would be messy at best to put all this in Address Book.

In a separate section of the Party item, I put a shopping list for myself.

All this information is collected in one place in Bento, but it pulls live data from the other apps, so if somebody's phone number changes, Bento knows about it.

There's a video on teh Bento web site showing a person building a business database -- it's a lot more than just a front end for iCal and Address Book.  
(Version 1.0v2)

STRIDER72  Runs on my G4 laptop on 10.4.11  
(Version 0.2)

STRIDER72  Does exactly what it claims to. The only significant limitation is that it will not sync files to an SD card, so you are forced to use up valuable space on the Palm's internal memory.

Still, thanks to the developer(s) for putting this out there -- without MAL Conduit, we wouldn't be able to use AvantGo at all, as in several years they still have not bothered to put out an OS X conduit.

There's always "Missing Sync" I suppose, but I would be paying the $40 just for the ability to put AvantGo files on my SD card -- I'm not _that_ picky! ;)  
(Version 1.0.4)

STRIDER72  It's a great concept for a program, but LocationChanger is lacking in a number of key areas. It is difficult to configure, as virtually all settings are simply text fields that must be filled in. (Growl Path? To the PrefPane? No...)

I've followed this App ver time, and frustratingly, bugs get fixed in one version and then reappear in another -- it appears it went from one developer to another, and the new group decided to reimplement a _very_ poorly considered feature. (Specifically, the danged thing turns on Network Proxies every time my Location changes. No way to stop this -- I have to manually change Network Prefs _every time_ now....)

All in all, this app would be nice if it were readily useable, but it's too hard for a layman to configure, and has recurring usability issues. If you can get it set up it can be useful, but there are alternatives that are worth the price.

I would recommend the shareware NetworkLocation instead. Fewer features (so far), but very easy to use.  
(Version 1.3)

STRIDER72  It's pretty standard that any time you see a pre-1.0 version, it's a pre-release version -- essentially a beta version.

Wait for version 1.0 before judging it on completeness of features. It _was_ released to the public early, and knowingly so, in order to get feedback on the parts that are done.  
(Version 1.1)