Existing users, 
 Doktor Kleanor - 10.4maintenance & problem solving utility |
|
||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
Feedback Summary:
| This Version: | |||||
| Overall Rating: | Not rated (0.0) | Features: | Not rated (0.0) | Support: | Not rated (0.0) |
| Ease of Use: | Not rated (0.0) | Quality / Stability: | Not rated (0.0) | Price: | Not rated (0.0) |
Key to Types of Feedback:
Reviews 
Troubleshooting 
Usage Tips 
Developer Notes 
Commentary 
Featured Reviews
Some observations - Version: 10.4, 9/15/2005 04:37PM PST
(2 of 2 users found this comment useful)
John Sawyer
This can be a useful utility for those few problems that it fixes; it will be even more useful when/if the author adds more fixes. However, for most of what Doktor Kleanor does, it doesn't tell you what commands it's going to execute. There's a general explanation in the readme file, and on the developer's web site, for what it does for problems with Safari, Mac Help, and Microsoft Word, but that's about it, and it doesn't specifically list the actual commands, which would be nice to have, since sometimes there's some disagreement among various users as to the best commands to accomplish a specific task.
I also have one little complaint about the new Terminal interface. It's OK, and cutely retro with its black screen and green lettering (though I think most users would be happier with the former GUI interface), but the first choice you're now given is to simply enter "1" if you have a problem, and "0" if you don't. I suppose this is handy for users who just want to launch the utility and see what it looks like, or who change their mind, or suddenly have something else to do, but if you enter "0", it takes Doktor Kleanor 15 seconds to respond, at which point the Doktor Kleanor Terminal window closes, but Terminal is left running. I suppose that's fine for people who want to stay in Terminal, but it would be a little confusing for people not used to using Terminal. At least there should be some feedback in Doktor Kleanor's Terminal window as to what's going to happen when you enter "0", and it should happen faster. As it is, you'd be better off just quitting from Terminal, or just closing the Doktor Kleanor window.
I also have one little complaint about the new Terminal interface. It's OK, and cutely retro with its black screen and green lettering (though I think most users would be happier with the former GUI interface), but the first choice you're now given is to simply enter "1" if you have a problem, and "0" if you don't. I suppose this is handy for users who just want to launch the utility and see what it looks like, or who change their mind, or suddenly have something else to do, but if you enter "0", it takes Doktor Kleanor 15 seconds to respond, at which point the Doktor Kleanor Terminal window closes, but Terminal is left running. I suppose that's fine for people who want to stay in Terminal, but it would be a little confusing for people not used to using Terminal. At least there should be some feedback in Doktor Kleanor's Terminal window as to what's going to happen when you enter "0", and it should happen faster. As it is, you'd be better off just quitting from Terminal, or just closing the Doktor Kleanor window.
Most Recent Replies: View All 1 Replies
- Some observations
Xeator's delusion - Version: 10.4, 9/15/2005 11:08AM PST
(4 of 4 users found this comment useful)
John Sawyer
Xeator's anti-review below, really is pathetic, so here's my anti-rant, since Xeator's not the only one that thinks that way (but blissfully few do).
It may be partially true that "Apple assumes Mac users are fairly intelligent", but that doesn't mean Apple thinks they "can figure things out without assistance"--Apple provides assistance in the support section of their web site, and assistance by phone, and though Apple's web site's help documents, and some phone tech support personnel, leave something to be desired, as well as phone support being too expensive after your warranty expires (it used to be free), at least they do provide some assistance. Besides, how many people can figure everything out "without assistance"? And if assistance is available, why not avail yourself of it when that's the better option? Sure it's good to learn how to do it yourself to handle future problems, but sometimes you just need to get the problem fixed now.
Xeator's comment "If a user needs assistance, OS X assumes they know how to use a reference library and look up the solution to their problem", is pretty puzzling. Where's that reference library located? As he states, it's not the OS X Help application, which doesn't contain the answers to the kinds of problems handled by utilities like Doktor Cleaner. So where is that library? I don't have one of those in my home town, nor have I found such a single, central web location for all Mac solutions. I'd like a web address, please. And I don't mean any of the Mac troubleshooting sites--I use them all the time since that's part of my job, and they're often very helpful, but it's dumb to expect everyone to go on a troubleshooting discussion spree every time some OS X problem arises. Since new problems crop up with OS X all the time, why not have a central troubleshooting UTILITY than can handle a lot of these problems? I wouldn't try to impose on someone, Mac or Windows user, the automatic requirement that they should have to devote a large part of each day to researching and learning how to troubleshoot their Mac. I know that's sometimes what needs to be done, but if a utility can sometimes short-circuit that process when you need to get a project done, so much the better. If that utility describes how it does each fix, that would be even better--I haven't tried Doktor Cleaner yet, so I don't know if it does that.
My guess is that Xeator has been careful not to have any real experience with computer users other than those at his own "level". I've worked with thousands of both average and above-average Mac users since 1985, and even after many of them have used the Mac for years, many people either don't know or have to be reminded about some of the most basic things--for instance, the Chooser under pre-OS X, to select their printer. The same "permanent beginner" phenomenon is true with many people using OS X. I don't particularly like what this says about a lot of people, but it's a fact. What's going on with these users is the usual variety of cultural realities--most people don't want to become computer jockeys just to get their work done, and others are still intimidated by computers. These are still real people, with plenty of other skills. I don't give them a hard time.
So to think that all Mac users are automatically able, or have the time, to wade through the web sites, execute scripts manually in Terminal, etc., is pretty naïve. You can WANT that to be true, but it ain't gonna happen. And it doesn't have to be true.
It may be partially true that "Apple assumes Mac users are fairly intelligent", but that doesn't mean Apple thinks they "can figure things out without assistance"--Apple provides assistance in the support section of their web site, and assistance by phone, and though Apple's web site's help documents, and some phone tech support personnel, leave something to be desired, as well as phone support being too expensive after your warranty expires (it used to be free), at least they do provide some assistance. Besides, how many people can figure everything out "without assistance"? And if assistance is available, why not avail yourself of it when that's the better option? Sure it's good to learn how to do it yourself to handle future problems, but sometimes you just need to get the problem fixed now.
Xeator's comment "If a user needs assistance, OS X assumes they know how to use a reference library and look up the solution to their problem", is pretty puzzling. Where's that reference library located? As he states, it's not the OS X Help application, which doesn't contain the answers to the kinds of problems handled by utilities like Doktor Cleaner. So where is that library? I don't have one of those in my home town, nor have I found such a single, central web location for all Mac solutions. I'd like a web address, please. And I don't mean any of the Mac troubleshooting sites--I use them all the time since that's part of my job, and they're often very helpful, but it's dumb to expect everyone to go on a troubleshooting discussion spree every time some OS X problem arises. Since new problems crop up with OS X all the time, why not have a central troubleshooting UTILITY than can handle a lot of these problems? I wouldn't try to impose on someone, Mac or Windows user, the automatic requirement that they should have to devote a large part of each day to researching and learning how to troubleshoot their Mac. I know that's sometimes what needs to be done, but if a utility can sometimes short-circuit that process when you need to get a project done, so much the better. If that utility describes how it does each fix, that would be even better--I haven't tried Doktor Cleaner yet, so I don't know if it does that.
My guess is that Xeator has been careful not to have any real experience with computer users other than those at his own "level". I've worked with thousands of both average and above-average Mac users since 1985, and even after many of them have used the Mac for years, many people either don't know or have to be reminded about some of the most basic things--for instance, the Chooser under pre-OS X, to select their printer. The same "permanent beginner" phenomenon is true with many people using OS X. I don't particularly like what this says about a lot of people, but it's a fact. What's going on with these users is the usual variety of cultural realities--most people don't want to become computer jockeys just to get their work done, and others are still intimidated by computers. These are still real people, with plenty of other skills. I don't give them a hard time.
So to think that all Mac users are automatically able, or have the time, to wade through the web sites, execute scripts manually in Terminal, etc., is pretty naïve. You can WANT that to be true, but it ain't gonna happen. And it doesn't have to be true.
I am SOOO impressed! 
- Version: 10.4, 9/14/2005 10:41PM PST
(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)
jonfriedman
I cannot believe that a 72k utility could have such a profound effect on my system performance. Hats off to you. If I ran Apple, I'd be offering you a very generous contract right about now...
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
Good stuff - Version: 10.4, 9/14/2005 09:22PM PST
anonymous3456
That is all I have to say,I have no more words.
Elitism Creep - Version: 10.4, 9/14/2005 08:56PM PST
(11 of 12 users found this comment useful)
amcgee
As a more experienced systems administrator and technically adept end-user, I don't have a personal need for Doktor Kleanor, but I can say unequivocally and without reservation, that the user interface ideas contained within this program are brilliant, and that Apple and other utility developers could learn some valuable lessons from the people behind it.
However, I am somewhat dismayed by the inane and callous elitism expressed by one reviewer of this program, who, instead of evaluating the effectiveness of the program itself, goes on a sycophantic rant about Windows, and how people should feel insulted by the hand-holding the program engages in. This is nothing more than crypto-elitism on the part of the poster, disguised as concern for the common man or woman. He could care less whether people are actually able to get their work done and keep their systems in top shape without having to spend innumerable hours digging through the rumor mill that is MacFixIt and other sites. Rather, he is the typical patriarchal he-man, Mr. Machismo incarnate, arguing with fascistic zeal that "real" computer users don't need no stinking wizards. How pathetic.
It's self-evident and glaringly obvious that Doktor Kleanor was designed to help a specific segment of computer users who are befuddled by all the madness contained in OS X, which the Apple community's mythology seeks to deny. OS X has made the Mac platform much more complex than it used to be, and I for one welcome tools such as Doktor Kleanor to aid me in helping others do more on their own. Who cares about the techno-babble, as long as people understand the need for regular maintenance and upkeep.
Lastly, anyone who doesn't grasp the fact that the name "Doktor Kleanor" is simply a clever, fun, and attention getting way of naming the program, is sadly humorless in the most anally retentive way. I will pray for you.
However, I am somewhat dismayed by the inane and callous elitism expressed by one reviewer of this program, who, instead of evaluating the effectiveness of the program itself, goes on a sycophantic rant about Windows, and how people should feel insulted by the hand-holding the program engages in. This is nothing more than crypto-elitism on the part of the poster, disguised as concern for the common man or woman. He could care less whether people are actually able to get their work done and keep their systems in top shape without having to spend innumerable hours digging through the rumor mill that is MacFixIt and other sites. Rather, he is the typical patriarchal he-man, Mr. Machismo incarnate, arguing with fascistic zeal that "real" computer users don't need no stinking wizards. How pathetic.
It's self-evident and glaringly obvious that Doktor Kleanor was designed to help a specific segment of computer users who are befuddled by all the madness contained in OS X, which the Apple community's mythology seeks to deny. OS X has made the Mac platform much more complex than it used to be, and I for one welcome tools such as Doktor Kleanor to aid me in helping others do more on their own. Who cares about the techno-babble, as long as people understand the need for regular maintenance and upkeep.
Lastly, anyone who doesn't grasp the fact that the name "Doktor Kleanor" is simply a clever, fun, and attention getting way of naming the program, is sadly humorless in the most anally retentive way. I will pray for you.
I am NOT "Brain Dead" and I like this app! - Version: 10.4, 9/14/2005 04:29PM PST
(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)
Razzledazzle
It is a well designed application and the developer put a lot of effort into this application and offers it FREE. He should be encouraged and not taken to task. Talent should be recognised, supported and encouraged. In addition this capp does the job and does it RIGHT! End of story!Hasta LaVista Baby as Dr.Kleanor says so adequately in the app.
Wizard Creep 
- Version: 10.4, 9/14/2005 01:17PM PST
(2 of 11 users found this comment useful)
Xeater
One of the reasons I prefer OS X is that Apple assumes Mac users are fairly intelligent and can figure things out without assistance. If a user needs assistance, OS X assumes they know how to use a reference library and look up the solution to their problem (unfortunately, Help Viewer apparently assumes nobody will use it, but that is a problem for another day).
Dokter Kleanor uses the Windows approach to helping users; it assumes that the user is completely brain dead and could not click their way out of a paper bag. Enter the Wizard. Wizards are smart, they know what the user wants to do and simply do it for him. Windows was overrun by Wizards long ago, and only by painstakingly turning each of them off can a Windows user get any rest from their pestilence.
So why would I want a wizard for troubleshooting my Mac? I've no idea. This Wizard can't even spell its name correctly - not exactly confidence inspiring. Most importantly, this Wizard cannot do anything that other maintenance utilities do far more elegantly and with fewer clicks.
Perhaps if a Mac User was completely Mac Illiterate, a Wizard app for system maintenance would be a nice thing to have. But then, wouldn't it be easier for the ignorant user to simply read about OS X maintenance and do the troubleshooting himself?
Give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach him how to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.
Dokter Kleanor uses the Windows approach to helping users; it assumes that the user is completely brain dead and could not click their way out of a paper bag. Enter the Wizard. Wizards are smart, they know what the user wants to do and simply do it for him. Windows was overrun by Wizards long ago, and only by painstakingly turning each of them off can a Windows user get any rest from their pestilence.
So why would I want a wizard for troubleshooting my Mac? I've no idea. This Wizard can't even spell its name correctly - not exactly confidence inspiring. Most importantly, this Wizard cannot do anything that other maintenance utilities do far more elegantly and with fewer clicks.
Perhaps if a Mac User was completely Mac Illiterate, a Wizard app for system maintenance would be a nice thing to have. But then, wouldn't it be easier for the ignorant user to simply read about OS X maintenance and do the troubleshooting himself?
Give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach him how to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.
Most Recent Replies: View All 1 Replies
Huh - Version: 10.3, 4/13/2005 09:35PM PST
(0 of 1 users found this comment useful)
Duckhue
I don't get the screen shots. When I open this application it just starts Terminal window and I don't get any of these screen shots. I don't get it. It does seem like a nice app. It would be nice if it had a complete optimize.
Most Recent Replies: View All 1 Replies
How about you? - Version: 10.2, 11/10/2003 01:49PM PST
(0 of 1 users found this comment useful)
epteam
I've downloaded this several times, but I can't get it to open. OSX 10.2.8
Most Recent Replies: View All 2 Replies
Simple and sweet !!
Thank you !!!