From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Utilities Date: July 30, 2005 3:28:00 PM MDT To: G-Books@mail.maclaunch.com
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.
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