Shareware is a broad category of software that is usually described as being outside of the realm “commercial” categories. At the request of senior management, I have prepared of list of the Top 10 items I’ve reviewed. Get them as a Mac-Shareware Gift for the Mac Drive of your favorite Mac Computer, and of course, yourself.

The list contains new items as well as major updates to December 2005 products I’ve used, but not formally reviewed, if the update maintained or improved the software quality and functionality.

Items marked [HB] are my keepers - items I use almost daily, if not more often. Those not so marked are those I don’t use often, or those for which I prefer an alternative but comparable product (e.g., Fruit Menu instead of XMenu).

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DEVONnote 1.8 (Now 1.9.1) 4.5 macCs — This is an easy-to-use, intelligent notepad capable of storing and organizing plain or rich texts and file aliases. Store and manage your bookmarks, passwords, and subscriptions in DEVONnote. Browse the Web using the integrated browser based on Apple's WebKit, to immediately capture interesting notes. Furthermore, I’ve transferred significant amounts of information I used to store in FileMaker Pro to DEVONnote, because it’s easier to create dynamic Wiki-style links and static crosslinks in that product, that allow me to find stored information quickly and access the Internet without playing the browser bookmark game. [HB]

EasyFind 3.8.1 (Now 3.9) 4.5 macCs — EasyFind is an alternative or perhaps at times my preferred supplement to Spotlight. I use it to find files and folders, but not the contents in any file — all without the need for indexing.

This is especially useful if you are tired of slow or impossible indexing, outdated or corrupted indices, or if you are just looking for features missing in the Finder or Spotlight. I’ve not yet disabled spotlight completely, but have made sure it doesn’t accidentally get in my way when I want to search my hard disk by title, extensionor other attribute. The fact that EasyFind does not index text content, for which I’m grateful, allows me to avoid tens if not hundreds of false positive hits. [HB]

Illumination 1.5.7 4.0 macCs — Illumination allows you to index and search through any volume (hard drive, CD, network volume, tape backup, etc.), online or offline. With this product, you can search based on File Name, Path, Creation Date, Modification Date, Type & Creator Codes or File Size. This is a keeper, but I don’t use it often enough to stamp it as such.

Pop Char X 3.0 (Now 3.1) — PopChar X is a floating window where you can click on a little "P" box on you menu bar to display a table of available characters for a particular font. You can also view your most recently selected characters for faster access (e.g., the Apple Command Key, ∑, Delta symbol, ß, §). Select the desired character and it instantly appears in your document. No more Key Caps, no more memorizing keystrokes. [HB]

Screenshots Preference Pane 1.0 5.0 macCs — Screenshots Preference Pane allows you to change both the file format of your screenshots as well as where they end up on disk, with just a few clicks of the mouse. However, I have used it only once, since I want my screenshot files in JPEG format. I know I’ve violated my own criterion as stated on above, but it’s a great product. [HB]

Shadow Clipboard 3.0.1 (Now 3.0.4) — This is my favorite clipboard manager for Mac OS X, because you can tell it how many copied items to remember on the clipboard for each project related collection you create. With a choice of two interfaces (simple and advanced), you can choose which item to paste into applications. It most useful feature is in allowing me to create clipboard sets that support my various projects, allowing you to paste boilerplate with only two clicks of a mouse. I’ve even got a Hold for a While – Who Knows and a Temporary Immediate Project set. [HB]

TheRecipeManager 2.0.1 (Now 2.10) — This product is an innovative, award winning software application that allows you to store all your recipes and search through them at any time. Ingredients, photos, instructions, nutritional information, and much more are all accessible from one easy-to-use interface. If you choose, for easier access, to enter your favorite recipes into a database for ease of access, this is the tool for you. With this tool, you can easily play the game of, “What can I cook with what’s lying around in my pantry or refrigerator?” . [HB] [Editor – Not Shareware]

ToDo X 2.1 — ToDo X is a powerful to-do list application for Mac OS X. it allows you to maintain multiple, prioritized lists of to-do items, each with unlimited attached notes and clickable links to web locations, documents, folders and address book entries. I find the combination of ToDo X and DEVONnote unbeatable. [HB]

Ultralingua Dictionary 6.0— This English language dictionary and thesaurus includes technical, literary & slang terms, thousands of idiomatic expressions, contextual indicators, irregular forms and secondary definitions. Although I’m not normally at a loss for words, this has become a favorite writing-related tool. [HB]

XMenu1.7 (Now 1.8) — XMenu brings back the Apple Menu to Mac OS X and also includes a complete application launcher. By adding one or more global menus to the right side of the menu bar you can easily access your preferred applications, folders (and subfolders), documents and files.

And that’s my list for this year. With lots of staff interested in shareware and my spreading more of the wealth around, who knows what shareware goodies 2007 will bring?

Harry {doc} Babad

Now: Assistant Shareware Editor