SecretBox2.2.3

I used it since it was named SecretBook. After adnX acquisition every version had been worst than the previous one (in terms of usability and interface). The only new feature, sync with iphone version has been removed... so, addio!

I bought this tool because it was able to sync over wifi to the iPhone version of SecretBox, so I always have my "Secrets" with me. Now they removed syncing (instead of fixing it) because of problems with Lion, and they "updated" the iPhone app in the same manner. Now the app is completely useless for me... PS. If you're not running Lion don't update!

I started using this application when it was called SecretBook, and at that time, it was the only one that allowed individual fields per entry(!), file attachments and an XML export format for easy, readable data export should you ever have to switch to another app at some later time (you are not locked into the application). These features are still the strong main features of SecretBox. But unfortunately, the UI is continuously getting worse with each release (and this is seemingly the only thing that changes from release to release). Here's a list of the UI sins introduced in SecretBox: • the width of the groups pane at the left is not remembered between launches • clicking a field name to copy its value does not give any UI feedback (like a brief highlighting like the predecessor SecretBook did so beatifully) so you are never sure if the value actually got copied to the clipboard or not • the new search implementation introduced in v2.1 is horrible: - Cmd-F does NOT open the search window, you are requird to use the mouse to start a search (there is not even a menu command to assign a keyboard shortcut to!) - the list of results is horizontally centered, so its hard to skim over the results - you cannot jump from a search result to the actual entry in SecretBox (so there's no way to see which group a search result is in) - after you click on a search result and find it is not the one you were looking for, there's no way to go back to the result list; instead you have to perform the search anew - the animations of the search window for long search result lists slows operation down to annoyance level; this is a data storage and retrieval app that should be fast in getting at the data, but looks more like a Core Animation demo... In short, it is such a pity that the new developers at app4mac worsen the UI with every release to the point this application is almost unusable. The underlying database schema and core implementation would be really, really good featurewise, but are rendered unusable by the bad UI. The companion iPhone app continues in that tradition in that entries synced from the Mac show their data fields with ellipses (…) in the middle when they are too long to be displayed in one line (instead of making them scrollable, as is the case for entries that are entered on the native iPhone app). Have a long entry entered on the Mac? No way to ever see and get to the complete data on the iPhone. I have reported the iPhone issue, several localization issues (German language) and the no-feedback-on-click UI issue to app4mac (the latter one on their forums, but the entry seems to have been deleted meanwhile...?) several months ago, but none of the issues have been fully adressed till now. As it is at this point, I cannot recommend SecretBox as an app that you are intending to use daily since the UI will drive you mad (especially when you are a keyboard-centric person).

Installed the new version. It crashes immediately upon launch. Re-installed and it still crashes immediately. Will contact developer.

I considered buying something like this up until I saw the pricetag... 49 euro!!! That is too much for something like this, it is more like a retail price tag but as you add the option of getting a physical disc as well that price goes up another 19 euro. Extra support even more. What does it do that warrants that tag? It buys the licenses of other applications for me as well? Lifetime updates? Sure, but i.e. LicenseKeeper is only $19 and it does what I need _today_ without robbing me. Tomorrow is always tomorrow, and in the rapid changing world of computers that is far off enough. It's rather gutsy to charge for all the great things you're going to do in the future... And if that's the case, how about a roadmap, so that we might know what the future looks like, at least in plan? I.e. if we're buying features we might need or if it's just bloat? No, thank you, I'll pass on this 'investment'. Twin and Presto is now also off my list for reasons similar.

The old Secret Book was hundred times better. This new version takes ages... to check the licence validity. It's useless. I swith to 1 Password.

App4mac flat out refused to offer any type of support or help to our company in upgrading from Secretbook to SecretBox. They just lost a customer ready to purchase 20 licenses. Their emails even started to get rude before we decided to move on.

43 dollars is way to much for this app. I have secretbook, and ill stick with it.. And to comment on the previous statements from the developer, free updates for life means very little. Repeating it still dont make me wanna pay for it. When u say that the price for the app is set that high as a result of said "lifetime updates" you just admit that you could have sold it for 10 dollars and let people pay for the updates. Check out the other developers on macupdate. Many of them has simply stopped developing their apps further. We have no guarantee that u will keep developing this app for the next 5-10 years. I actually find it very unlikely. 15-20 dollars and ill consider it. 43 ? then your competition have yet another customer...

Not liking the new version. As a data application, I want to be in and out as quickly as possible. The cube animation is just a waste of CPU cycles. Also there are some glaring usability issues: the giant icons have to go--not all of us are running 27" iMacs. Also, the app still can't seem to remember how wide I want the sidebar to be.

Nice, but... Big league price without the big league features, and a developer with a relatively short track record. For less than half the price, check out info.xhead for a serious encrypted database app. For $3 less, check out 1Password, which transparently integrates with all web browsers to automatically save and send any and all login info. 1Password's developers issue rapid-fire updates to keep their app working seamlessly with all Mac web browsers, and their customer service is highly professional, in contrast to that exhibited by the SecretBox developer in this comments section.

the launch time is very long, ~20 sec before i see the window for login ? i'm on Snow Leopard (10.6.1, Mac Pro with 12Go RAM)

Version 2.0 doesn't work, it won't let me open the Secret files I create upon launching application, therefore I can't add any information to the database. BTW: I tried twice before trashing this application. Sticking with 1Password it still is the best of the bunch.

Sorry, i lost with RapidoSerial (an pre-SecretBox-App) ALL MY SERIALS! No support on their website…

I purchased the 50% off license for SecretBook users. I like what app4mac have done with the interface and the export/import of my SecretBook data was simple and worked perfectly. Yeah, I can certainly agree that it is not really a necessary upgrade as SecretBook was/does still work just fine, but with free upgrades in the future I thought I'd support the developers future plans for the app.

Version 1.1 really improves this app... developper was really reactive on that matter, good support and feedback by App4mac... Now, columns retain their width between lauches, new feature like application drag'n'drop from finder to create an entry is neat and welcom... Overall interface is more polished...

I have been using SecretBook for quite some time now, and I'm very happy with it. For me SecretBook does everything I want it to do; so I don't see any reason at all to upgrade to SecretBox.

From the developer's site, “A trial version has a limited feature set when compared with the unlocked version. These extra features can be unlocked at any time by entering a valid user license.” Non-sense. To obtain a license, you must pay for it, and to pay for it, it would be wise to fully evaluate the application. The question then is, how could you fully evaluate an application with a limited feature set? Kudos to developers who provide a fully functional demo for a period of time or a number of launches instead. It's not the case here.

I have to comment negatively on SecretBox, whereas in the past I would have commented quite favorably on SecretBook. I find it very appropriate that the name replaced "OK" with "X". Two major items: (1) app4mac told me that they no longer support sync with DropBox, which was a major plus since I need to access "OK" from different Macs. They said they didn't believe in this, and that iPhone was the way to go (too bad I don't have an iPhone); (2) I also was not able to successfully import "OK" data into "X" - just got a bunch of garbage. Then add that I am now asked to pay again for a product with less capability, and you've basically totally lost me. Very very disappointed in this whole path.

SecretBox is based on SecretBook app. by Bookshelf App... Former decided to give up with SecretBook development to put more time and efforts on another project... That could have been ok if leagcy users did not have to pay again for SecretBox, though a- 50% discount exists... Moreover, new app is not as convenient as formper one except that code seems to be better optimised when it comes to overall speed... But some flaws exist ( left column with groups and sub-groups that do not retain width between app launches, search results that are a bit cumbersome to display, no iPhone/iPod Touch app as of today, etc... ) Well, let's give a few weeks to App4mac to come back with improvements... But I'm not si happy to pay again for a software that is more a beta than a release.

Dear friends, I have an issue with importing SecretBook 4.0 file into SecretBox 1.0. As a matter of fact, I haven't succeeded so far in opening or importing a single file! Every time an error message appears and the opertaion ends. I have exported SecretBook 4.0 in all possible formats it allows and tried to import them by using the import function of SecretBox 1.0 but again was greeted by the infamous error message. Do any of you users experience the same problem? Thanks in advance for your help. Fariborz AMIRSHAHI -Verona (Italy)

I've been using this program for several years now, without any problems. It's a secure program and very easy to use. The developer is also very responsive and has quite some experience with security. I don't understand the post below. These updates had nothing to do with security. Don't write a review after testing an app for a few minutes, just place a comment.

If some of you don't already know, the developer has said in his blog that SecretBook 4 is a free update to current users of version 3. So go ahead and download version 4 now! --->Robert 8-)

iPhone sync feature is a must! Good upgrade!

I've been using for about an hour and created a couple dozen entries, works great, and is easy to use. I like how it works a little better than the free apps I've tried, although everyone's needs are different.

I've been using SecretBook for over a year, and I couldn't live without it. I've demoed lots of similar programs, but I keep coming back to Secretbook for its convenience and stability. Not too many bells and whistles -- no crazy, overblown GUI -- it's a simple program that does its job well. There are some features I'd love to see added, but right now, it works great.

At the time, I evaluated several packages for securely storing software licenses, bank account details and login passwords. SecretBook was the only one where the data fields could be different for each and every entry and named appropriately if the template for a category did not match the information to enter at hand. For example, sometimes a software license is called a "key", sometimes a "code", sometimes it includes a "name" component or a "TSID", sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes it is even a license file instead of a textual string. All that I can store nicely in this application, correctly named and ordered, access it quickly and copy to the clipboard for pasting wherever I want. The application also has a nice printing function to print all or selected items (e.g. software license keys) for hard disk crash proof off-site storage. Contact to the developer was quick, polite and useful, and requested new features (for me, license file storage was essential) have been implemented quickly. I am using this software now for almost a year and am very satisfied.

If you are trying to tidy up your life right now and want to consolidate all of those pieces of papers littering your desk, this would be a great IF you want to use it for software passwords and if you don't expect to get the key from Kagi immediately. I paid for this over 24 hours ago and still can only use the demo which limits you to 10 passwords. I think it is worth it to try the demo. I also have 1Password, but I find that is only really helpful for website passwords and logins. These are both cool for what they do, but I suggest being clear what you need the app for and playing with it first.

You know I've been using it today and it seems pretty darn solid and yet not to complicated user wise. Now this said the last person that wrote, has a point about the really handy feature in Password Wallet so who knows if the developer is listening,and enough people request it maybe he'll put that feature in the future.

I'm a comfirmed Password Wallet user and after looking at SecretBook, I think I prefer Password Wallet. It's totally secure, passworded and encrypted and can launch apps directly from within your file. Say you have an online banking account with a complex password - just open Password Wallet and click on the account and you are taken there with the password ready to use. Password Wallet quits when you close it or after a settable number of minutes of not being used. Check it out (at VersionTracker). --azcurt

This app is handy to have around because everything can be indexed nicely with Spotlight. I can grab my secured files easily with a simple Spotlight search.

This is a great program with a lot of features that make it very safe. For example: You can make your passwords automatically hide after a specific time, lock when your Mac goes to sleep or after a specific time and your clipboard is cleared when the program is locked. It's also nice to be able to find things through Spotlight. Support is also very good, it's clear that the developer knows what he's doing and he really does something with the comment and requests he get.