From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Utilities
Date: July 30, 2005 3:28:00 PM MDT
To: [email protected]
Howard Katz wrote:
I'd like to get some disk utilities--I've previously owned
TechTools and was going to get the OSX version, and then saw an ad for
DiskWarrior. ... And while
we're at it, what are some of your favorite add-ons and widgets?
After 2-1/2 years on OS X (and providing support thereon to numerous
clients), the only repair utility I've found useful is DiskWarrior.
Norton Utilities were never properly upgraded for OS X, and I've seen
too many problem reports with TechTool (I read MacInTouch every day) to
trust it. DiskWarrior, on the other hand, once it was properly updated
to work with OS X, continues to provide both routine directory
maintenance and occasional miraculous cures.
Note: DO NOT USE the TechTool Deluxe that comes with AppleCare on any
Tiger Mac; it can and probably will trash your HD. TTD has not been
updated in years, and has never been of much use anyway; it's criminal
that Apple is still bundling it with AppleCare. See
<http://macintouch.com/support08.html#jul28>.
I'm a big fan of Macaroni <http://atomicbird.com/>, which automates
Repair Permissions and the three cron routines so the user doesn't have
to remember to do them. Out of the box it repairs permissions once a
week, and does the daily, weekly and monthly 3 am cron routines
whenever the computer is on. You can also configure it to do any other
Unix-based maintenance automatically. Until Apple buys Macaroni and
includes it in OS X, I buy licenses by the dozen, and install it on
every Mac I set up.
OnyX (not OnXy) <http://www.titanium.free.fr/english.html> is an
excellent utility for doing all sorts of chores and interface
adjustments, similar to Cocktail and others, but free. (I've been
having trouble downloading the Tiger version, though; the dmg won't
mount.) A similar utility which you can run from the menubar is
MainMenu; it's free but I sent a contribution 'cause it's so well done.
Some other utilities & add-ons I like: AppleJack, RCDefaultApp, PDF
Broser Plugin (Tiger Safari can display PDFs, but this plugin -- free
for personal use -- still has more features), ClearDock, iSnip, Easy
Find, WeatherPop, URLWell, FruitMenu (I didn't switch to OS X until I
could have a configurable Apple menu), Little Snitch, Safari Aquafier,
and uControl (which I use to allow trackpad scrolling; it doesn't work
in 10.4, so I'll have to look into SideTrack, iScroll2 -- which doesn't
work with my trackpad -- or perhaps the newly released Free Focused
Scroll). I also recently discoverd AcidSearch and Sogudi, which allow
me to customize the Safari web search function.
All can be found at MacUpdate or Version Tracker.
Andrew Main
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