New Web Site: Free Software!

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Hi folks! I’ve created yet another new Web site for Macintosh users! This one is a bit more fun. It is a list of really awesome free or inexpensive software for the Macintosh. It’s the stuff that I get asked for all the time. e.g. “Is there a free replacement for Mail that I might like better?”

My hope that everyone, no matter how long you’ve been using the Macintosh, can find something on the list that is new to them and that they can enjoy!

The site is free and totally non-commercial:

Free Or Inexpensive Macintosh Software
Free Or Inexpensive Macintosh Software

Please let me know what you think of the site!

This Web site, in case you don’t know, is one of several that I have that attempt to help Macintosh users with questions and problems that come up often. Please spread the word about them.:

Macintosh Routine Maintenance
OS X Maintenance And Troubleshooting

Macintosh Slowdown Solutions
Macintosh OS X Slowdown Solutions

Macintosh Beachballs!
Macintosh OS X Beachballs!

Macintosh Word Processors
Macintosh Word Processors

Upgrading To The Very Latest Macintosh Operating System
http://www.macattorney.com/upos.html
 

Slydude

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Nice collection of software there Randy. I recognize several of them and have had a few on my hard drive over the years.
 
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Good start, Randy. You didn't include OnyX. Any reason for that?
 
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Randy B. Singer
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Good start, Randy. You didn't include OnyX. Any reason for that?

Yes. I recommend YASU instead (which is listed on the site) as it is dead easy to use and can't get users in trouble. OnyX, while an awesome free product, is packed with things that aren't explained and/or which can get an ordinary user in trouble and it is very intimidating to use.

Generally I try to gear my Web sites for ordinary users. I don't consider OnyX to be something that ordinary users should be fooling with. (Yes, I know that it is easy to use if you blah, blah, blah. YASU can be used with no training or caveats at all.)
 
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It's your call, but frankly, it's hard to see how anything can get easier than OnyX. Install it, run the maintenance task with all the defaults as it comes from the developer. Done. Not sure how that's intimidating, but then again, I don't know YASU, but if it's more than download/install/run/done, then it's more complex than OnyX.

It's your site, your list, your call. Thanks for the response.
 
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It's your call, but frankly, it's hard to see how anything can get easier than OnyX. Install it, run the maintenance task with all the defaults as it comes from the developer. Done. Not sure how that's intimidating, but then again, I don't know YASU, but if it's more than download/install/run/done, then it's more complex than OnyX.

It's your site, your list, your call. Thanks for the response.
Titanium’s Maintenance app, is exactly that. It is ONLY the “maintenance” tab from OnyX. Their Deeper app, is everything else.

Some people, don’t like to have other options in an app and never use them.
 
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It's your call, but frankly, it's hard to see how anything can get easier than OnyX. Install it, run the maintenance task with all the defaults as it comes from the developer. Done. Not sure how that's intimidating...

Because that's not what OnyX opens to, and there are a boatload of other things in OnyX to entice and confuse folks who shouldn't even be seeing them.

YASU opens up to one window with no tabs, you click OK, and you are done.

If you want all the other junk that OnyX does, and you know how to use it, it's a wonderful product. But it's sort of like recommending Photoshop to your five year old daughter to make a picture of a kitty. Yes, you could tell her to just stick with the paintbrush tool and it will be dead simple, but there's too much other stuff there for comfort.
 
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Randy, from your comment I'm not sure you've looked at OnyX recently. Here is what you get when you open it: small 2018-12-05 10.53.31 am.png
and if you click on the Maintenance tab, you get this
small 2018-12-05 10.53.48 am.png
When I compare that screen to YASU, there really isn't that much difference. But, again, it's your list, so there is nothing wrong about leaving it out. It's just curious that it is a good tool, we recommend it here all the time, and it is free. Frankly, I'd never heard of YASU before your list. But when I went to the developers website and read it, I'm not sure your low-tech user would understand terms like "Perform the Unix "cron" scripts to clear up system clutter," and "reset the launch serivces [sic] database.". Let's face it, maintenance on a *nix based system is not trivial, and it's not easy to make it so. Fortunately it's only rarely needed.
 

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Agree with Jake. My findings exactly. Of course, it all comes down to what are familiar with an stick to that.

If one dabbles in those more hidden areas, you really have to know what you are doing or face the consequences.


I use OnyX and keep to the mainstream options. But I recognise that it can far beyond this into areas that could do more harm than good.

For the time being, I’ll stick with what I know am are comfortable with.

Ian
 
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Randy, from your comment I'm not sure you've looked at OnyX recently. Here is what you get when you open it:

Exactly. YASU has no tabs for users to wander into, and no other confusing, possibly dangerous features.

Frankly, I'd never heard of YASU before your list.

It's always been on my Web site, I've recommended it here on this very discussion list previously, and it's been around for many years.
 

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@Randy:

Just wanted to mention that the Backgammon game you recommended is really nice. I haven't found a decent Backgammon game to play since way back when I ran Windows 3.0. :)

(And just for Jake.... YASU has been around like forever.) I prefer OnyX but lots of folks like the simplicity of YASU.
 
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@Randy:

Just wanted to mention that the Backgammon game you recommended is really nice. I haven't found a decent Backgammon game to play since way back when I ran Windows 3.0. :)

BGBlitz is pretty wonderful, isn't it? It's the best that I've ever seen.

There is also:

Growly Backgammon (free)
https://growlybird.com/backgammon/index.html

and it's a nice free product, but it doesn't compare to BGBlitz.

Please don't blame me if you don't get much work done for the next few days because you are playing backgammon! :cool:
 
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It's your call, but frankly, it's hard to see how anything can get easier than OnyX. Install it, run the maintenance task with all the defaults as it comes from the developer. Done. Not sure how that's intimidating, but then again, I don't know YASU, but if it's more than download/install/run/done, then it's more complex than OnyX.

I think the main point Randy was making is not so much that OnyX is hard to use but that there are potential pitfalls to OnyX that over-curious users may get into trouble with if they start fiddling about with the settings. Supposedly YASU doesn't have that issue, though I've never used it. But I'm going to install it now that I know about it (hadn't heard about it either...at least not that I remember) and try it out.
 
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I think the main point Randy was making is not so much that OnyX is hard to use but that there are potential pitfalls to OnyX that over-curious users may get into trouble with if they start fiddling about with the settings. Supposedly YASU doesn't have that issue, though I've never used it. But I'm going to install it now that I know about it (hadn't heard about it either...at least not that I remember) and try it out.
Have you looked at Titanium's Maintenance app?

https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/maintenance.html

It's their OnyX "Maintenance" section only. Titanium's "Deeper" app does the other "pitfalls" stuff.

https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/deeper.html
 
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Yes, that's good info and I saw where you posted about it earlier, but "OnyX" was the specific software in question, which is a separate app from "Maintenance" and "Deeper."
OnyX is the combination of Maintenance and Deeper.
 
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OnyX is the combination of Maintenance and Deeper.

Which confirms the concern Randy was talking about with it ;) He was being asked why he recommends YASU over OnyX (not over "Maintenance," which would not have those other options he was concerned about).
 
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randy....
great links...tho many of free software I have not heard of. can always check into at some point in time.

as I understand with ONYX you make sure you have downloaded and installed the correct version for your OS. is that the same for YASU?
I have used ONYX but no nothing about YASU...cannot hurt to check out.
 

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