User Name Joe Wheeler
Member Since 2005-04-04
Total number of Feedback Posts: 15
Total number of comments: 11
Last 10 Feedback Posts by Joe Wheeler [ Search for All ]
GlowWorm FW 1.5.3b4 (Mac OS X)
Does this work for Snow Leopard?
It looks like development stopped at 10.4x; does it work with the latest, Snow Leopard. [alert admin]
Monday, September 14 2009 @ 02:50 AM PDT
Jumpcut 0.63 (Mac OS X)
correction - my problem apparently rare
I hope my previous commentary did not dissuade anyone from trying Jumpcut. Apparently the problem I'm having is a rare one and the developer is working with me to determine what the problem is. Prime suspects are other, older 3rd party programs that run at login that are themselves not compatible with Snow Leopard so interfere with Jumpcut's functioning. I am going through a process of elimination that may take a while. Meanwhile even though Jumpcut is not working for me, it likely works for most people and definitely causes no harm. I will report back when I have nailed the problem, but in the meantime, my unusual experience should not deter anyone from trying this highly useful tool. [alert admin]
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Thursday, September 10 2009 @ 01:43 PM PDT
Jumpcut 0.63 (Mac OS X)
I'm heartbroken, I used this little app dozens of times a day, and now since upgrading to Snow Leopard, it is broken; one can still see the display of what it "thinks" is 1st, 2nd, etc. on the clipboard, but in reality something else is there, usually the last thing copied, without being displayed. I've written the developer, Steve Cook, about this and hope he fixes it. Maybe it is time for him to at least allow for donations as a motivation. I'd happily send off money for this proven time saver. [alert admin]
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Wednesday, September 09 2009 @ 03:18 AM PDT
Xnippets 1.2 (Mac OS X)
Still works flawlessly in Leopard ![]()
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This little utility is the best $15 I've ever spent for software. When I moved from a PPC machine to an Intel one, I was concerned about compatibility and speed, but even in Rosetta mode, Xnippets is fast and still bug-free. I've collected all kinds of indispensable information into Xnippets over the past 4 years, and was hugely relieved when I could continue to use it with Leopard. Yes, it is text only, but it uses all the features of the OS text handling and supports Services. What this app really is, is a "free form database" (even non-geeks need to organize their information). The design is intuitive and flexible. Don't worry that the app hasn't been updated in 4 years, it is rock solid and because it is built on Mac guidelines and underpinnings, "it just works". [alert admin]
Friday, April 24 2009 @ 07:55 PM PDT
GUI Tar 1.2.2 (Mac OS X)
(1) This absolute gem works with Leopard (10.5.6 as of this writing). (2) Though zip and gzip supposedly use the same algorithm (Zempel something-or-other), using gzip GUI Tar consistently makes smaller files, with no apparent speed hit. (3) Truly a time saver over having to open the Terminal to accomplish an alternative compression to zip; this works fast and slick. (4) Recommendations for a future version (and ask for some money): (a) a Contextual Menu plugin that offers formats if not compression levels (b) compression levels (fast and bigger, slow and smaller, etc.), could be pre-set in Preferences. This is a great example of a GUI "wrapper" that is clean, intuitive and in the grand Mac fashion "just works". [alert admin]
Sunday, April 12 2009 @ 03:11 AM PDT
Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0.0.21 (Mac OS X)
Mac OS X 10.5.x Leopard breaks auto update
I recently obtained an Intel Mac running Leopard; my old computer was a G4 desktop running Tiger (OS X 10.4x). Apple’s Migration Assistant happily transferred my old app’s and data files, so I was running Thunderbird 2.0.0.19 on the new machine just as on the old one, including settings, messages, add-ons, etc. I had been accustomed to Thunderbird periodically checking for updates and informing me of such, then installing them. I had seen no notifications since running TB on my new Leopard/Intel machine. Note that in Leopard what one sees in applications has changed to integrate the help system with Leopard’s built-in Spotlight search software. Just by coincidence in viewing a Version Tracker page I became aware that there was an update of TB to 2.0.0.21. Curious as to why the TB copy on my new machine hadn’t alerted me of this, I discovered that the "check for updates" entry was grayed out, and in the Preferences the check-mark for "automatically check for updates" was similarly grayed out (though there was a faint check mark in the box). Ergo, TB 2.0.x.xx can no longer automatically check for updates under Leopard, at least if my machine is any indication. Therefore, other Mac Leopard users who encounter this will have to periodically visit Version Tracker to get updates. [alert admin]
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Thursday, March 19 2009 @ 05:04 PM PDT
Lexmark Z42 Color Jetprinter 2.0.7 (Mac OS X)
Forget the download link, it "times out" so the driver is probably not available. [alert admin]
Thursday, August 16 2007 @ 10:41 PM PDT
Olympus DSS Player 6.0.4 (Mac OS X)
Though this page is for v. 6.0.4, when you click the download link, the Olympus page does not contain a link to download DSS Player v.6.0.4, it has evidently been removed. There is of course the newer v.6.2.0, but through lousy wording, I can't tell if it is a universal binary that will work on my PPC based Mac, or only on Intel Macs. The blurb below the download link reads:
"This is a software update module for the DSS Player for MAC V6. This update will enable the DSS Player for MAC V6 (PowerPC Binary) to run on Intel-based MAC and support the Mass Storage Class recorders from Olympus. This update is applicable to MAC (OS X) V6 versions. Check the readme file for additional information. (Self-extracting .dmg disk image file 3.22 MB) (1/2007) (MAC OS X only)." What is meant by "PowerPC Binary"? Univeral or not? Clicking on the Read Me link below the download (should open a PDF file) is 404 - file not found.
I'm leery about installing 6.2.0, since 6.0.4 works fine for me, and I'm concerned about the trend of newer software versions removing some previously included functionality. That BTW is the case with iListen, which in version 1.6.8 had support for the Olympus recorders but upon introducing v. 1.7, MacSpeech removed that functionality, for which users of recorders are now forced to pay a steep $75 for a "TranscriptionPak" otherwise the Olympus recorders won't work with iListen.
Thus, in addition to DSS Player to manage files, to listen to and type speech I've recorded, there is an app called Express Scribe that reads files from the recorder, can do faster, slower, back up, fast forward, etc., and works with a USB dictation petal or keyboard modifier-arrow keys combos. Since DS-2 or DS-20 have problems in this area (multiple files if one backs up to review), such software is invaluable. [alert admin]
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Wednesday, June 13 2007 @ 01:52 AM PDT
Perian 0.5 (Mac OS X)
I incorrectly stated that the Amazing Media Browser add-on in FireFox used QuickTime. In fact, for .swf files it directly accesses the Flash plug-in. This is no reflection on Perian, which never promised to read .swf files anyway. Perian is great, highly recommended. [alert admin]
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Thursday, November 23 2006 @ 02:42 AM PST
Perian 0.5 (Mac OS X)
I agree with other reviewers, this is a tremendous boon to Mac people who want to view Flash movies via QuickTime. Though not listed as a supported format, I was able to load some .swf files. In some cases, animated text effects did not display, in others, QuickTime simply said the .swf file I was opening had "invalid media data". Oddly, I could view the latter files using the Amazing Media Browser add-on in FireFox (I thought AMB used QuickTime, if it does, must somehow get around the invalid media data faux issue as happens when opening such files directly in QT). So, between the two, I can now open all Flash movies, at least all I've tried. Lovely and long overdue functionality. BTW, some reviewers refer to this as an "app" -- it is not, it is a "component" for QuickTime. [alert admin]
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Thursday, November 23 2006 @ 02:31 AM PST
Last 10 Comments by Joe Wheeler [ Search for All ]
This "app" is never going to show up either in the dock or as a free-standing application. Look in the Menu bar for an additional icon, drop it down, and all features are there. BTW, there is a bug-fix version 1.7.4 available on that 'other' Mac user 'update' site [hint], seemingly only available there, not from the developer's site. Once you understand that it is a background application with a menu bar access, you can use…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Tuesday, June 09 2009 @ 11:30 PM PDT
Since I manually downloaded the entire TB 2.0.0.21 app and installed it (replacing TB 2.0.0.19), the help menu, including auto updates now works again.
Original feedback item : Read More
Thursday, March 19 2009 @ 05:39 PM PDT
It gets even worse if you install FF 2.0 then proceed to update your extensions. The ones I use were all updated for 2.0, so now that I also will be reverting to 1.5.0.7, I'm going to have to hunt for previous/last versions compatible with 1.5.x. I had two crashes in 3 tries; whatever happened to TalkBack? It never came on in either case. As for rendering, the js and css implementation is a mess; I began…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Saturday, October 28 2006 @ 10:56 PM PDT
The instruction Download Mac142EN.sit, install update and restart is only necessary for people who work in OS 9 or Classic, as the installer is a Classic app. Installation of Download DSS_MacOS_10.sit and install results in a Dictation Window.app dated 2001, with a help file that didn't work in Help. No matter, by then Downloading DSSMac604EN.sit, install update and restart gave a much fuller app (though the help files show quite a differemce in screen shots and…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Thursday, October 12 2006 @ 03:43 AM PDT
Trash the 2.6.3 preferences, ~/Library/Preferences/com.fcs.MacDialer.plist That worked for me. Now MacDialer works seamlessly, even with an older external USB full-duplex voice modem (I can dial and have a hands-free conversation, yay!). I had to change the init string to do this (see your modem's manual if necessary).
Original feedback item : Read More
Wednesday, July 05 2006 @ 01:09 AM PDT
I got the same 'no picture' display in Firefox 1.5.0.3, but after a delay the Apple video would play, albeit broken up and placed too high on the screen so it would obscure page info that was meant to be above the video screen. The stand-alone VLC.app on the other hand is terrific.
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Saturday, May 06 2006 @ 10:22 PM PDT
Apr. 22-06 - this comment is still true regarding Enigmail and Thunderbird, but 99% of readers will not know anything about either of these encryption packages, since everything written is in geek jargon and zero skill in expository writing. Question, class: What is the difference between GnuPG and Enigmail? For that matter, what is encryption? If you know that, what programs can use it, and why would you use it anyway? If you don't know…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Saturday, April 22 2006 @ 08:44 PM PDT
Output Device does not like Griffin I-Mic ![]()
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How far back? To what version in order to get iMic to be recognized?
Original feedback item : Read More
Tuesday, February 28 2006 @ 02:49 PM PST
The best OOo Release (for the Mac) yet! ![]()
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Word 5??? If that were true, the reviewer is referring to the most historically esteemed word processor for Mac of all time. No, don’t confuse the simplicity of the default interface with backwardness. This suite has enormous power; and, people who are hooked on “Aqua” are missing the benefits of one of the most versatile tools available on any platform. It works well “out of the box” but considering it is free (or worth whatever you decide…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Wednesday, October 26 2005 @ 02:19 AM PDT
<[NeoOffice/J] feels like an OS X-native app (because it is!)> NOT! It relies heavily on Java, which slows it down considerably, and it is based on OpenOffice 1.1, whereas we now had OO 2, so powerful and solid that I can't imagine anyone doing all that is now available with Java and some C+++ code. Once you tell X11 to forget system keystrokes, suddenly all you Mac Command keys work where it was Conrol before.…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Wednesday, October 26 2005 @ 02:11 AM PDT