SOFTWARE

Here is a list of recommended software. It concentrates on software mentioned in our meetings, presentations, and newsletters. Suggestions for additions to this page may be sent to the webmaster or any group officer (see the Officers section of the "About" page on this site).

In April 2018 the entire page was tested and updated.

CONTENTS
Shareware and Freeware
Commercial Software for Emergencies
Selected Commercial Graphic Software
Where to buy computer gear

Shareware and Freeware

Amadeus	Lite - $24.99, Pro - $59.99
Requirements:	OS X Sierra or later
Martin Hairer	martin@hairersoft.com http://www.hairersoft.com
	This cool audio program allows you to record, manipulate, create, and analyze sounds. It features tools for recording, resampling, encoding MP3s, frequency filtering, eliminating background noise, modulation, mixing, and more. Use it to remove pops and scratches from your vinyl to MP3 recordings, or create unique sound effects with up to 2GB support. It also features powerful sound synthesizers to reproduce practically any instrument, sonograms to visually analyze frequency versus intensity, and spectrograms to view a sound's different harmonics.

AppleJack	Freeware
Requirements:	Mac OS X and 11
sourceforge	https://sourceforge.net/projects/applejack/?source=directory
	AppleJack is a user friendly troubleshooting assistant for Mac OS X. With AppleJack you can troubleshoot a computer even if you can't load the GUI, or don't have a startup CD handy. AppleJack runs in Single User Mode and is menu-based for ease of use. Features: disk repair in single user mode, permissions repair in single user mode, preference file check in single user mode, and cache cleaning in single user mode.

AppCleaner	Freeware
Requirements:	Mac OS X 11.6 or higher
Freemacsoft	contact@freemacsoft.net http://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/
	AppCleaner is a small application which allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps. Installing an application distributes many files throughout your System using space of your Hard Drive unnecessarily. AppCleaner finds all these small files and safely deletes them. Simply drop an application onto the AppCleaner window. It will find for the related files and you can delete them by clicking the delete button.

Audacity	Freeware
Requirements:	Requirements: Mac OS X 10.7 or higher
Audacity	http://www.audacityteam.org/contact/mailing-lists/ http://www.audacityteam.org
	Wanna make music but don't want to drop a dime on some fancy shmancy audio recording program? This may be the ticket. This free, multitrack audio recorder and editor lets you record audio, edit waveforms, mix tracks together, apply sound effects, and export your music as a WAV, AIFF, OGG, or MP3 file. It features a built-in amplitude envelope editor; a gain and pan control for every track; a customizable spectrogram mode; a frequency analysis window; bass boost, wahwah, and noise removal filters; and supports VST plug-ins too.

BatChmod	Freeware
Requirements:	Requirements: Mac OS X or 11
Renaud Boisjoly	renaud@mac.com http://www.lagentesoft.com/batchmodc
	File Permissions made simple - For years, BatChmod has helped thousands of users adjust permissions on their Macs through a simple and elegant interface. Full control of POSIX permissions, unlocking of disks and files and getting rid of pesky undeletable files.

Carbon Copy Cloner	$39.99 (30 day trial available)
Requirements:	Mac OS 10.1.2 and higher
Bombich Software	ccc@bombich.com http://www.bombich.com
	Have you ever wanted a simple, complete, bootable backup of your hard drive? Have you ever wanted to upgrade to a larger hard drive with minimal hassle and without reinstalling your OS and all of your applications? Have you ever wanted to move your entire Mac OS-X installation to a new computer? Then CCC is the tool for you! You can setup a regular backup regimen that occurs in the background, even if you are not logged in.

Catalina Cache Cleaner	$9.90
Requirements:	Mac OS X 10.7 or higher
Northern Softworks	info@northernsoftworks.com http://www.northernsoftworks.com/lioncachecleaner.html
	Catalina Cache Cleaner is an award winning general purpose tool for macOS X. CC makes system maintenance simple with an easy point and click interface to many macOS X functions. Novice and expert users alike will appreciate the powerful toolset SCC provides. Catalina Cache Cleaner is one of the world's leading maintenance tools with millions of downloads around the globe.

ClamXav	$29.95 yearly after trial
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.6.8 or higher
ClamXav	http://www.clamxav.com/
	ClamXav is a virus checker for Mac OS X. It uses the tried, tested and very popular ClamAV open source antivirus engine as a back end. Back in the days before OS X, the number of viruses which attacked Macintosh users totalled somewhere between about 60 and 80. Today, the number of viruses actively attacking OS X users is...NONE! However, this doesn't mean we should get complacent about checking incoming email attachments or web downloads, for two reasons. Firstly, there's no guarantee that we Mac users will continue to enjoy the status quo, but more importantly, the majority of the computing world use machines running MS Windows, for which an enormous quantity of viruses exist, so we must be vigilant in checking the files we pass on to our friends and colleagues etc.

Cocktail	$19 single user
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.2 or later, an administrator account.
Kristofer Szymanski	http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/
	Cocktail is a general purpose utility for macOS that lets you clean, repair and optimize your Mac. It is a powerful digital toolset that helps hundreds of thousands of Mac users around the world get the most out of their computers every day. The application serves up a perfect mix of maintenance tools and tweaks, all accessible through a clean and easy to use interface. Cocktail's features are arranged into five categories that helps you manage various aspects of your computer. It also comes with an automatic Pilot mode that allows you to simply press a button and relax, knowing that Cocktail will take care of the rest.

Cocktail

$19 single user

Requirements:

Mac OS-X 10.2 or later, an administrator account.

Kristofer Szymanski

http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/

Cocktail is a general purpose utility for macOS that lets you clean, repair and optimize your Mac. It is a powerful digital toolset that helps hundreds of thousands of Mac users around the world get the most out of their computers every day.

The application serves up a perfect mix of maintenance tools and tweaks, all accessible through a clean and easy to use interface. Cocktail's features are arranged into five categories that helps you manage various aspects of your computer. It also comes with an automatic Pilot mode that allows you to simply press a button and relax, knowing that Cocktail will take care of the rest.

CotEditor	Freeware
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.2 or later.
Mineko IMANISHI	https://coteditor.com
	CotEditor - The Plain-Text Editor for macOS. Many great features for Coding and Programming.

DesktopLyrics	Freeware
Requirements:	Mac OS X 10.10 or later
core code	feedback@corecode.at http://www.corecode.at/desktoplyrics/
	DesktopLyrics is an application that displays the lyrics of the song currently playing in iTunes right on your desktop. The lyrics for the song have to be set in iTunes, DesktopLyrics does nothing to fetch lyrics if they aren't available in iTunes. If you don't want to set all your lyrics manually you can use an application like Harmonic.

EasyFind	Freeware
Requirements:	OS X El Capitan or later
Devon Technologies	info@devon-technologies.com https://www.devontechnologies.com/apps/freeware
	Think Mac OS X's Spotlight could use some help, especially when searching for text files? Download EasyFind, an alternative to (or supplement of) Spotlight and find files, folders, or contents in any file without indexing. EasyFind is especially useful for those tired of slow or impossible indexing, outdated or corrupted indices, or those just looking for features missing in the Finder or Spotlight.

GraphicConverter	$35.95
Requirements:	Mac OS X and later
Thorsten Lemke	lemkesoft@aol.com http://www.lemkesoft.de
	GraphicConverter has more than 1.5 million loyal users worldwide - from amateur photographers to professional designers. The Press has dubbed this program the equivalent of the "Swiss Army Knife" describing it as the "Universal Genius for photo editing on the Mac". GraphicConverter offers everything you would need and expect from an all-round image editing program on your Mac with ease of use, an excellent range of features, stability and reliability. And the best part is that you can try our award-winning software with few restrictions and at your leisure until you decide to purchase.

Handbrake	Freeware
Requirements:	For Mac OS X 10.7 or later
PC Tools	http://handbrake.fr/
	An application for ripping DVD movies to a form that you can use to play in iTunes, QuickTime, on iPods, on iPads, etc.

ImageTricks	Freeware or Pro $9.99
Requirements:	Mac OS X 10.4 or later
BeLight Software	support@belightsoft.com http://www.belightsoft.com
	Need to colorize a recent shot of the Golden Gate? Trying to create a mosaic out of some photos of flowers? Image Tricks is a free picture editor for Mac that uses Core Image filters to liven up and transform your photo collection. Also digitally frame and apply image masks to your favorite pictures and share them with family and friends. In a word, Image Tricks is an easy-to-use toolkit for making photos you take everyday more wonderful!

Jiggler	Freeware
Requirements:	Mac OS X
Stick Software	http://www.sticksoftware.com/
	Jiggler is a little freeware app with one purpose: to keep your Mac awake. When you have some lengthy task for your computer to do, it's annoying to have to turn off your screensaver and turn off the sleep timer, only to have to turn it all back on again when you're done. (The "never sleep" corner will keep your screensaver from kicking in, but still won't prevent your machine from falling asleep.) What you really want is a little helper who will bump your mouse every once in a while to keep your machine alert. That's Jiggler.

LaunchBar	Freeware or $29 - home use
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.11 or later
Objective Development	vt-support@obdev.at https://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar
	LaunchBar is a keyboard file-finding utility that allows you to find any folder, file, app, or what have you on your hard drive - just type a few letters of what you're looking for and the app will find it for you, lickety-split. Use it to find documents, email addresses, preference panes, apps, bookmarks, and more.

Little Snitch	$45 (single license) after trial
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.11 or later
Objective Development	vt-support@obdev.at https://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch
	As soon as you’re connected to the Internet, applications can potentially send whatever they want to wherever they want. Most often they do this to your benefit. But sometimes, like in case of tracking software, trojans or other malware, they don’t. But you don’t notice anything, because all of this happens invisibly under the hood. Little Snitch makes these Internet connections visible and puts you back in control!

MacTracker	Freeware
Requirements:	most Macs
Ian Page	http://www.mactracker.ca/
	Mactracker provides detailed information on every Apple Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and iPad ever made, including items such as processor speed, memory, graphic cards, supported OS versions, price, storage, and expansion options. Also included is information on early Apple systems, Newton, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple accessories, displays, printers, scanners, storage, Wi-Fi products, and operating systems.

Malwarebytes	$20/year
Requirements:	Mac OS-X and 11
J. Schrier	jschrier@mac.com https://www.malwarebytes.com
	Proven Malwarebytes technology crushes the growing threat of Mac malware. Finally, cybersecurity smart enough for the Mac.

Monolingual	Freeware
Requirements:	Mac OS-X
J. Schrier	jschrier@mac.com http://monolingual.sourceforge.net/
	Monolingual is a program for removing unnecessary language resources from macOS, in order to reclaim several hundred megabytes of disk space. It requires a 64-bit capable Intel-based Mac and at least macOS 10.13 (High Sierra). I don't know about you, but I use my computer in only one (human) language — English. And I'm willing to bet that you do too, albeit perhaps not English. So why do you have a bunch of localization files for the operating system filling up your hard drive? Enter Monolingual — a handy utility for reclaiming your space for more useful things… like international mp3 files, email or whatever you like.

Onyx	Freeware
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.2 or later
Titanium Software	info@circusponies.com http://www.titanium.free.fr/
	OnyX is a multifunction utility for macOS which you can use to verify the startup disk and the structure of its system files, to run miscellaneous tasks of cleaning and system maintenance, to configure some hidden parameters of many of Apple’s applications, and more. Note that there is a version of Onyx for each version of MacOS sinse Jaguar (OS-X 10.2).

SMARTReporter	$6.99 after trial
Requirements:	Mac OS X 10.14 or later
Julian Mayer	feedback@corecode.at https://www.corecode.io/smartreporter/
	SMARTReporter is an application that can warn you of some hard disk drive failures before they actually happen! It does so by periodically polling the S.M.A.R.T. status of your hard disk drives. S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) is a technology built into most modern hard disk drives that acts as an "early warning system" for pending hard disk drive problems. SMARTReporter can notify you of impending hard disk drive failures by a variety of notification options including alert boxes, on-screen notifications and email. The current status of your hard disk drives is also always easily recognizable because SMARTReporter changes its icon (optionally in the menubar) from green to red if a problem occurs. SMARTReporter does not only check for S.M.A.R.T. disk failure predictions but increases failure prediction accuracy by checking for dangerous I/O errors as well. Additionally SMARTReporter can monitor the status of software R.A.I.D. sets for degradation or check free space on the boot disk.

SnapNDrag	Trial version
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.11 or later
Yellow Mug Software	info@yellowmug.com http://www.yellowmug.com/snapndrag/
	SnapNDrag Pro is screen capture made ridiculously easy. SnapNDrag started off as a simple app that lets you snap a screenshot with one click and then drag the result off to Mail, Finder or any other app that accepts an image. SnapNDrag has since matured into a powerful screenshot tool that helps you annotate, organize and share your screenshots. As we added features over time, we have made it a top priority to keep the app easy to use. And we think the extra thought we put into this speaks for itself. This powerful app is still as easy to use as the day it was born as a simple one-trick pony.

Sophos Anti-virus	Free trial and then $50/year
Requirements:	OS-X 10.10 ot higher
Sophos	https://www.sophos.com/en-us.aspx
	Sophos Home for Mac antivirus protects every Mac (and PC) in your home from malware, viruses, ransomware, and inappropriate websites. It uses the same award-winning technology that IT professionals trust to protect their businesses and was named 'Best Free Antivirus for Macs' by Tom's Guide. Best of all, you can manage security settings for the whole family from any browser.

Sound Studio	$49.99 (single user)
Requirements:	Mac OS X 10.8 or later
Felt Tip Software	http://www.felttip.com/ss/
	Record, edit, and produce your audio with Sound Studio, an easy-to-use Mac app for recording and editing digital audio on your computer. Digitize tapes and vinyl records, record live performances, create your own mixes with crossfades, tweak the levels and EQ, apply digital effects, and save in all major file formats. The Mac’s most popular audio program for many years, Sound Studio continues to be regularly updated to add new features and to take advantage of the newest Apple technologies. With Sound Studio you can record professional-sounding Podcasts and other audio dialog. Spoken word, speeches, presentations, music, and other audio can all be recorded and edited with the same high fidelity.

Speedtest by Ookla	Freeware
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.11 or later
Ookla	support@shirt-pocket.com https://www.speedtest.net/apps/mac
	Use Speedtest for quick, easy, one-click connection testing—accurate everywhere thanks to our global network. Millions of people each day go to Speedtest.net and use our Speedtest mobile apps to test their internet speed. Now, the most accurate and convenient way to test your speed lives in your macOS menu bar. - Get your ping, download, and upload speeds within seconds - Real-time graphs show connection consistency - Troubleshoot or verify the speed you were promised - Track prior tests with detailed reporting - Easily share your results

SuperDuper!	$27.95 after trial
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.10 or later but NOT Big Sur (perhaps soon!)
Shirt Pocket	support@shirt-pocket.com http://www.shirt-pocket.com
	3.1.5 is fully compatible with High Sierra, the latest release of macOS, and produces fully bootable HFS+ and APFS backups faster and easier than ever. It even supports creating and copying from snapshots! You can keep your backup on its own volume, or you can even store and Smart Update it alongside your Time Machine backups. We even let you copy your Time Machine backups to other disks, so you can back them up or upgrade to a larger disk without losing your history! But of course we didn't abandon our non-High Sierra users. 3.1.5 is still compatible with Yosemite (10.10) and later, and as always we've made improvements for everyone. And, of course, 3.1.5 still includes all the other terrific features of SuperDuper!, including: the ability to easily schedule backups; many imaging options; more control over shutdown; AppleScript support; hundreds of UI improvements; Growl support; and an extensive, task-based User's Guide. SuperDuper! also includes Smart Update, a great feature that updates a clone to exactly reflect any changes on the original in just minutes!

TinkerTool	Freeware
Requirements:	Mac OS-X and 11
MBS	osxinfo@bresink.com http://www.bresink.de/osx/TinkerTool.html
	TinkerTool is an application that gives you access to additional preference settings Apple has built into Mac OS-X. This allows to activate hidden features in the operating system and in some of the applications delivered with the system. The tool makes sure that preference changes can only affect the current user. You don't need administrative privileges to use the tool. With this design, it is no problem to use TinkerTool in professional networks where users have restricted permissions. The program will never change any component of the operating system, so the integrity of your system is not put at risk, and there will be no negative effect on system updates. All preference settings changed by TinkerTool can be reset to Apple's defaults, or to the state that existed before using the tool. No dangerous background processes are used for TinkerTool's operation.

Commercial Software for Emergencies

Drive Genius	$79
Requirements:	Mac OS X 10.10 or higher
Prosoft Engineering	http://www.prosofteng.com
	Drive Genius is an OS X utility designed to provide unsurpassed storage management. Featuring an easy-to-use interface, Drive Genius is packed with powerful tools such as a drive optimizer, a comprehensive repair facility for analyzing, repairing and rebuilding volumes, plus excellent testing capabilities with media surface scanning, performance benchmarking and data integrity checking. It can be used to initialize drives, create and delete partitions, and erases them securely as per Department of Defenses standard. Drive Genius can also hide partitions and duplicate volumes or drives swiftly. Last but not least, Drive Genius features advanced tools for resizing and moving of volumes without reformatting, and sports a sector editing tool to modify the data on any sector of the drive - powerful features that will satisfy even the seasoned Mac experts. A FREE lite version is available to test.

Data Rescue	$99
Requirements:	Mac OS X 10.10 or higher
Prosoft Engineering	http://www.prosofteng.com
	Data Rescue is a data recovery software for Mac. Find, recover, and preview accidentally deleted files, lost data, and reformatted drives with ease. Go beyond hard drive recovery software. Data Rescue recovers files from a multitude of devices including SD cards, USB drives, CF cards, solid state drives, and more.

DiskWarrior	$119.95
Requirements:	Mac OS-X
Alsoft	http://www.alsoft.com
	Everything just disappeared after your Mac went haywire. All your work documents. The music you most enjoy. The movie of your kid's first steps. It's your life and it's gone. Don't panic! DiskWarrior will recover your documents, photos, music and any other files when disaster strikes and you lose access to your files. Your Mac may even tell you that you need to "Initialize Disk" which would erase your entire disk! DiskWarrior gets you back up and running fast! Perhaps you've tried to open a document and all that happens is a color wheel that spins and spins and spins… Or your Mac no longer starts up… Or your external hard disk no longer appears… Or your MP3s won't play... Or every time you look through your photos, your Mac crashes. These might indicate directory damage or even a pending drive failure. DiskWarrior repairs disks no other utility program can repair. With a single click, DiskWarrior reads the damaged directory and finds all salvageable files and folders and builds a new error-free, optimized directory for you to use.

TechTool Pro	$129.99
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.8 or higher
Micromat	http://www.micromat.com
	Apple is redefining how Macs use their disks. APFS, or Apple File System, is their new path forward. If you have upgraded, or plan to upgrade, to macOS High Sierra and have a solid state drive, your disk is going to get 'upgraded' to APFS. Be ready for APFS and macOS High Sierra with TechTool Pro 9.6 - it is the first third party Mac utility to offer APFS compatibility. And it has been fully tested to support High Sierra (macOS 10.13) as well. One extra upside to APFS drives: you don't need to start up from an eDrive to test them. Trust us when we say that there is a lot going on with this new file system, so this is just initial support. Techtool Pro can now test and repair these disks, even eDrives on them, but we're still hard at work exploring the depths of this file system. Some more advanced features will be coming down the road.

Macs Fan Control	14.95
Requirements:	Mac OS-X 10.8 or higher
Macs Fan Control	https://www.crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control
	Real-time monitoring of fan speed and temperature sensors including 3rd party HDD/SSD (using S.M.A.R.T.). Set custom RPM value (revolution per minute) or control fan speed in relation to a temperature sensor (e.g. 3rd party HDD).

Selected Commercial Graphic Software

Products mentioned during the October 2004 Presentation.

Graphic Converter	FREE to test, then $39.95
Requirements:	OS-X 10.9 or higher
Lemke Software	http://www.graphic-converter.net/mac-graphic-converter.htm
	GraphicConverter has more than 1.5 million loyal users worldwide – from amateur photographers to professional designers. The Press has dubbed this program the equivalent of the "Swiss Army Knife" describing it as the "Universal Genius for photo editing on the Mac" and these high performance tools are available for only 34.95 Euros / 39.95 USD. GraphicConverter offers everything you would need and expect from an all-round image editing program on your Mac with ease of use, an excellent range of features, stability and reliability. And the best part is that you can try our award-winning software with few restrictions* and at your leisure until you decide to purchase.

Photoshop Elements	$99.99
Requirements:	OS-X
Adobe	https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html
	This Application is the most economical of the Photoshop series of products and will satisfy the needs of most MAGIC members. It creates and edits raster (bitmap) graphics. Photoshop Elements accepts and uses most filter plug-ins.

Pixelmator	$29.99 after free trial
Requirements:	OS-X
Pixelmator	http://www.pixelmator.com/mac/
	Create Exceptional Photos and Stunning Images Pixelmator is an easy-to-use, fast and powerful image editing program that has everything you need to enhance, edit and transform your photos. Made for the Mac, Pixelmator takes advantage of built-in iPhoto® support and one-click access to iSight®. Use layer-based image editing, color management, filters and special effects to quickly achieve impressive imagery.