Existing users, 
User Name summerstormpictures
Member Since 2006-11-06
Total number of Feedback Posts: 73
Total number of comments: 17
Last 10 Feedback Posts by summerstormpictures [ Search for All ]
VUWER 1.3 (Mac OS X)
The developer probably needs to fix the disk image so that the OS doesn't spew up this warning--especially when considering that what this utility offers is potentially so useful. We want to scare off the thieves who run off with a laptop--not the owners. [alert admin]
Wednesday, November 18 2009 @ 06:44 PM PST
Apple HP Printer Drivers 2.3 (Mac OS X)
Installer hangs, runaway process, fans, 
This exact scenario happened with my attempt at installing. I have four friends, one of whom used to work at an Apple Store--same issue. This is obviously not an isolated event as even a previous commenter added weight to this. I got a PACE kext repeating dialog and a runaway process with fans a blazing. I not only had to force-quit the installer, but had to reboot as well to get rid of a continuing repeating loop of pop-up errors about an badly installed kext. I gave it one more shot and rebooted into safe mode, logged into a freshly created admin account--same deal. Had to force-quit the installer--which didn't end the repetetive pop-ups. Obviously this is a problematic update that needs fixing. It still frankly amazes me, and don't get me wrong, I still drink the Apple Kool-Aid, but I've been amazed how easily the Windows updates go in general, considering they are on a huge installed base of "machines of mystery" of an infinite variety of configurations not owned by Microsoft. Apple owns, develops and maintains it's own installer base that includes a much smaller number of KNOWN machines (machines of no mystery)--and yet we are so often plagued with bad install issues like this. You'd think this would be the opposite experience in "mac world." Owning a Mac is about simplicity in your computing life, not having to be a "smart Mac person" who knows for example, not to use the automated "Software Update" but rather to download a huge combo-update, boot into safe mode, repair permissions, install, re-repair permissions etc. You can do much much better than this Steve Jobs. Take your eyes off your bottom line and live up to what Bill Gates said about you when he said you were "doing good things..." There's nothing wrong with "doing good things" after you've sold someone something too. We're moving into a more and more re-purposed world that tries to keep technology out of the landfill just a little longer. [alert admin]
Tuesday, November 17 2009 @ 01:52 PM PST
IceClean 3.3.1 (Mac OS X)
Would love to try but the downloading is confused
Why is there not some sort of direct download link rather than sending you all over the place?
I've tried allowing all scripting and still get no download. Very frustrating and not making a good first impression. [alert admin]
Read Comments (1) | More Info | 0 of 1 users found this helpful
Friday, November 13 2009 @ 05:38 PM PST
1Password 3.0.0.BETA-85 (Mac OS X)
You want us to trust our passwords with a beta? And pay for it?
This is just so totally beyond silly.
It's not even worth a bad review so I'll just suggest a free and totally reliable alternative to paying (throwing away) $40 for the privilege to become a beta tester--doing someone elses' work for them.
Use Firefox and LastPass add-on. I have been using it for ages now and it's completely and utterly reliable and safe and encrypted...and totally FREE.
Sheesh. [alert admin]
Read Comments (5) | More Info | 1 of 6 users found this helpful
Wednesday, November 11 2009 @ 06:40 PM PST
Windows Sync Live 14.0.8096.0903 (Mac OS X)
And for a few (nervous) laughs from the Mac vs. PC smackdown...
I promise this is not a Windows vs. Mac OS bash. In fact it might be just the opposite...or at least even-handed and worth a chuckle or two.
As a Mac user I absolutely love this better, more reliable and dare I say it, faster alternative to ''immobile''Me offered by Apple--a company that think's it's smart to charge $99 a year for something that works some of the time and has been troublesome to just plain useless for the year I've had it. Windows Live Sync is great--but get this:
After working flawlessly for many many months between 3 Macs and a Dell, it still works flawlessly for me between my various Macs...but not on the Windows/Dell machine, where I get a strange new message I've never gotten before:
"Your XXX computer has been disconnected from the XXX folder because the path of a file in the folder was too long. To sync the folder again, please choose a folder that has a shorter path."
This is a new one, and dare I say, an opportunity for a few laughs, albeit nervous ones.
I've tried all sorts of tinkering to un-nest folders to shorten this so called file path that is too long. No luck.
But ultimately as a Mac user I can't complain though. Windows Live Sync is indeed the new MobileMe for a lot of Mac folks who use a combination of Windows Live Sync, Plaxo and Google (all free by the way) to keep their various boxes in sync.
Hopefully this strange issue will be addressed so I can once again use Windows Live Sync...on...uh...Windows. [alert admin]
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 01:17 PM PST
SubX 0.9 (Mac OS X)
I tried...but more work needed
This is a sorely needed little utility but after spending maybe half an hour (25-minutes longer than I expected) tinkering with it trying to make it work, I gave up. It is completely unintuitive and I just could not seem to figure it out at all. This is from someone who knows Final Cut backwards and forwards. There seems to be no consistency, rhyme or reason to it. I felt like I was trying to help someone else who didn't speak English line up colors on their Rubix Cube over a phone that didn't work. I think what is needed for starters is a better interface with just a few more buttons. Maybe a drag-and-drop? Keep working on this. It has potential. [alert admin]
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 11:58 AM PST
MCS Utilities 1.5 (Mac OS X)
WARNING: Why is MCS using svn to contact svn.ffmpeg.org on TCP port 3690 behind my back?
I'm no expert and I'd generally not be surprised if some software or utility tried to utilize a standard port like TCP 80 to check for updates--but not during and before completion and not on a non-standard port.
During the installation of MCS, and before it finishes, the installer attempts to contact svn.ffmpeg.org on TCP port 3690. If you deny it, the install will fail out.
This is an odd and wholly unexpected--not to mention scary--sequence of events, and raises suspicions because both TCP and UDP ports 3690 are known paths that can be hijacked by IRC based Trojans.
In this scary age of malware, such behavior--even if not malevolent--shouldn't surprise a user, much less do it behind their back without warning.
Because of this non-disclosure, I cannot recommend, and will not install MCS Utilities until the developer discloses why this is happening. [alert admin]
Read Comments (1) | More Info | 3 of 3 users found this helpful
Saturday, November 07 2009 @ 08:20 AM PST
Parachute 1.0b7 (Mac OS X)
Same folks who snatched up MainMenu and ''stole'' sideNote
I love Austria--especially this time of year. I love the Austrian people. I love The Sound of Music and I had an Austrian girlfriend years ago. That said, I have to say I'm a bit tentative about Vienna-based Dare To Be Creative, Ltd. They snatched up a great free utility called MainMenu and threw a coat of paint on it, renamed it 2.0 and now charge for what is essentially pre-existing OS functionality put into a menu bar item. It is not an application but a front-end cosmetic convenience. They also want $20 for it. Way overpriced. They basically stole one of the top ten best Mac utilities called sideNote, renamed it SlidePad, call it their own and charge $14 for that. Now, we're supposed to jump up and down and provide free testing to these folks with yet another backup utility? What's more, the beta expires in just a couple weeks? Just how much will you charge for this? I downloaded this utility and it offers nothing really special over so many other alternatives not in beta, so what's the point? Sorry, but I am just continuing to not get good vibes from your organization. [alert admin]
Wednesday, November 04 2009 @ 05:56 PM PST
Windows Sync Live 14.0.8096.0903 (Mac OS X)
Finally a seriously better alternative to the overpriced "un-MobileMe"
I am glad to see a Snow Leopard compatible version is finally out. I had almost given up the idea of ever seeing it, but here it is and it seems so far to be good-to-go. Apple should take a page out of Microsoft's book: Make MobileMe a free perk to those who shell out too much money for a premium product...especially the "Pro" line of Macs. There are just too many free alternatives to the cloud and sync world out there including Dropbox and ZumoDrive...and of course, Windows Live Sync. Dropbox just plain works. Windows Live Sync just plain works. Both are fast and update quickly. MobileMe does not. Just so nobody thinks I'm a Microsoft shill, I own three Macs and I'm happy. Nothing against MS/Win folks or their machines, I just prefer to "be a Mac." I like to be balanced in my reviews and WLS is great. I'm also merciless when warranted, and unfortunately Apple is pulling a stupid with MobileMe. I (over)paid for a year's service and it never worked reliably. I wasted my money and will never go back. [alert admin]
Post a comment | More Info | 0 of 1 users found this helpful
Tuesday, November 03 2009 @ 02:57 PM PST
Edgies 2.6 (Mac OS X)
Getting that "Abandone-ware" feeling
There has been no development for over a year now (since 8-30-2008) and the developer desperately needs to bring Edgies into line with the modern OS.
While I have yet to find the "perfect" note-taking utility, I've found Edgies to be as close as I can get "but..."
It's definitely nice to have ready access along the screen edge for notes. This was an inspired design in pre-Leopard, pre-Exposé days "but..."
Times have changed. There is a longstanding issue with Edgies I've tried several times to get addressed by the developer that have gone unanswered, and I'm starting to get that "abandon-ware" feeling.
I've asked for some time in repeated emails to the developer to make Edgies more "Exposé friendly." In this one area Edgies is living in the last century along with every other Stickies-type reincarnation.
What's the issue? One word: Exposé.
When you use Exposé to show all windows, a bunch of little tiny collapsed tabs uselessly labeled "Window" show up and not only clutter up the screen in general but take up so much room that they make the other "Exposé friendly" applications and utilities so small as to be unintelligible, rendering Exposé generally useless. I've had to stop using Edgies and return to... yes... Stickies... because I find Exposé just too useful a time saver.
Until this is addressed, I cannot recommend Edgies, not even as a long-time paid user. There are just too many alternatives like dotNotes, sideNote, the original Stickies and many others that offer the same thing with the same draw-backs.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. Reengineer Edgies to show the actual title instead of just the tiny collapsed tab with the meaningless label "Window" when Exposé is activated.
2. Reengineer Edgies to show the expanded/un-collapsed Edgy when Exposé is activated rather than just a tiny collapsed tab that hogs up valuable Exposé real estate for nothing.
3. BEST SOLUTION: If possible, simply make Exposé ignore Edgies altogether. Having the tabs along the border is good enough. Edgies doesn't need Exposé.
4. WORST SOLUTION: Abandon Edgies and make it free and upset all those who paid for it.
[alert admin]Thursday, October 29 2009 @ 03:58 AM PDT
Last 10 Comments by summerstormpictures [ Search for All ]
Nope, I think your "review" is useless too
Anybody who finds it necessary to resort to name-calling doesn't carry any weight with me either. Looks like others as well.
Original feedback item : Read More
Tuesday, November 17 2009 @ 05:00 AM PST
Just curious if you like the grape or raspberry Kool-Aid better? Actually I'm happy someone's content with the confused, convoluted and unintuitive CPN.
Original feedback item : Read More
Wednesday, November 04 2009 @ 03:36 AM PST
Maybe not back to square one, but maybe square four or five?
You said it much better than I did. I'm glad I'm not the only one who desperately wishes this application would get some sorely needed attention to make it much more user friendly. It could be so much better and live up to its good looks, but alas, beauty is only skin deep.
Original feedback item : Read More
Tuesday, November 03 2009 @ 02:48 PM PST
A good name, an inspired and well designed "utility" (not software) that put existing functionality under a menubar item was snatched up and a fresh coat of paint was thrown on it. It's one thing for the original owner/developer to decide to finally make some money off their hard work. I don't think that's really being debated by anyone here. However, I don't think the original owner/developer would ever have charged the exorbitant price of…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Friday, October 23 2009 @ 12:21 PM PDT
WARNING! ABSOLUTELY HARD FREEZES SYSTEM AND CORRUPTS HARD DRIVE
THIS APPLICATION IS JUST PLAIN DANGEROUS. IT DOES INDEED HARD FREEZE YOUR MACHINE AND ONE MUST NOT ONLY PERFORM A HARD SHUT-DOWN BUT ALSO THE DISK ITSELF IS CORRUPTED. DON'T BELIEVE ME? FROM OFF, TURN ON AND HOLD DOWN THE "OPTION" KEY UNTIL YOU SEE YOUR START-UP DRIVE. THEN, HOLD DOWN THE APPLE AND S KEY SIMULTANEOUSLY, THEN CLICK ON YOUR START-UP DISK...HOLDING DOWN APPLE-S UNTIL YOU SEE THE UNIX CODE SCROLLING. WHEN IT FINISHES, TYPE: fsck…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Wednesday, September 23 2009 @ 06:22 PM PDT
Developer is NOT being non-responsive
I know I'm an impatient person when it comes to a lot of software and freeware, but in this case I must disagree. Back a few months the same thing began to happen with my own local library and upon emailing the developer, he ''fixed'' several times what kept breaking while someone in the library system was ''tinkering'' with what is generally really badly developed and arcane software running the library system. Anyway, after several…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Friday, August 07 2009 @ 08:54 AM PDT
Okay, so I figured out what happened. Now, still, can there be a way to set the default view to ''unviewed'' so that someone doesn't have to keep selecting this each time.
Original feedback item : Read More
Thursday, July 23 2009 @ 05:30 PM PDT
Link to previous (''free'') MainMenu still active today
The download link for the original free version of MainMenu is still active. Hopefully someone else will provide another link by tomorrow. http://soldiersofpawns.110mb.com/MainMenu%201.7.4.zip (you will probably have to copy and paste the above into your browser) I would also go to your user Library/Preferences folder and delete ''com.santasw.MainMenu.plist'' before running the old version just in case there is some disabling code of some sort insinuated by the ''new'' version. Also, I suggest you disable automatically checking for new version.…
Original feedback item : Read More(1 words)
Thursday, July 16 2009 @ 04:53 AM PDT
MAINMENU ''2.0'' = SHAMELESS CASH-GRAB! USE APPLEJACK FOR FREE!
Having friends who are significant and successful musicians in the music business, I think they would find it a bit insulting if I did that. Secondly, those that say things like you just wrote here are typically themselves downloaders of free content. Either way, you're mixing issues that are apples and oranges. When you understand the real issue at hand, write something intelligent and I'll listen.
Original feedback item : Read More
Wednesday, July 15 2009 @ 06:56 PM PDT
For those interested in the previous ''working just fine thank you'' version of MainMenu, I will provide this temporary link to the ZIP file which I will keep up until the end of today. Then it's up to someone else to provide a download link. http://soldiersofpawns.110mb.com/MainMenu%201.7.4.zip (you will probably have to copy and paste this into your browser)
Original feedback item : Read More
Tuesday, July 14 2009 @ 07:59 AM PDT
