Volume Slider1.3

Really nifty and convenient. I really like the resizable mute button. And the volume level in percentages on the slider simplifies setting and resetting volume levels. This is a simple but very useful app. Thanks to the developer for creating this, and offering it for free. Well done!

Basically this is a good and useful idea, I use it a.) because I am using a keyboard without volume key and b.) my monitor is large enough that a trip to the menu bar is a nuisance. Having said that, there are some drawbacks: a.) I wish this were a preference pane rather than an an app., as then it wouldn't clutter the dock with yet another item (this would only be useful if the volume controls were in the dock icon itself), b.) it doesn't work quite right on Tiger: the preference panel always displays when you launch, and if you dismiss that panel you can no longer check the mute box. And as an alternative to this app, I'l prefer something that let me control volume/muting with some user-defined keystrokes rather than requiring me to visit a dialogue box.

People complain too much. There are always numerous shareware options to provide alternative ways to do things. Especially when these are made freely available, I do not understand why someone cannot simply either like the program or shut up if it's not what they're into. I've found that many of these freeware authors - including the one who made Volume Slider - tend to be the most responsive to e-mails and feature requests. They put work into these projects, and they should be thanked for what they do. As for this program vs. the Apple menu sound option, I like that Volume Slider provides some visual references for sound adjustment. I find nothing interesting about Apple's approach; one would think they could innovate after all these years (and not just with this feature). Besides, I don't want to clutter my menu bar with all kinds of icons. Volume Slider works fine and suits me.

Since I run multiple desktops on my computer its a nice like piece of software that can be tucked away in some corner of your desktop screen and remain there as you switch desktop screens, I like it!