TypeRecorder X - 2.12

Works well when it works. But it stops recording after a time and will only record again after rebooting (using 10.4). This has happened on multiple machines. I contacted support over this but they offered no solutions. Also, there hasn't been an update in ages. I think this software is a dead project.

Try logKext. It's free and much more stable.

I've been using TypeRecorder X for close to two years and I've never had a significant problem with it. There have been a couple of minor irritations—like its not working in Panther—but that was fixed relatively quickly. The developer has always been responsive, courteous, and reasonable.

I use TypeRecorder X to record keystrokes in case an app crashes before I've managed to save my work, and also as an automatic logger for the apps I use, not for spying on others who might be using my computers. Fact is, no one else uses my computers but me.

The apps I use wherein TypeRecorder is my insurance against data loss via a crashed app are MS Word, MS Excel, and Mozilla Mail. Word and Excel both have auto-save functions, so the most I can lose there is 5 minutes of work. MozMail has no auto-save, and I do a lot of mail composition, so TypeRecorderX has come in mighty handy there.

I keep track of all my worktime, and sometimes things get so crazy that I miss a log point when I switch work functions. TypeRecorder X is a great help there, as it records the date and time of the keystrokes logged when I switch apps.

The only downside about TypeRecorder X is that it crashes itself on my PowerBook at midnight every night without fail; but it immediately relaunches itself after the crash, so that's really not much of a problem...just a minor irritation. If it were causing a problem, I'd try to sort out the glitch, but as it is, the only reason I know it happens at all is because it makes the app-quitting noise I've set in my DragThing preferences, and it displays a crash report on the screen. It really doesn't amount to much more than a reminder that it's midnight.

The TypeRecorder X logs are encrypted—an absolute must-have for the security constraints that govern much of my work. If you're looking for a keystroke recording app, TypeRecorder X is a good one. So is KeystrokeRecorder, which is now slightly less expensive, and has somewhat different features. Both apps are excellent, and both have good developers.

As for the folks who have reported that app doesn't work or that the developer is unresponsive, that simply hasn't been my experience. For my purposes, TypeRecorder X is a good app.