LiteSwitch 1.0
Company: Proteron, L.L.C
Freeware
http://www.proteron.com
LiteSwitch is a Mac OS implementation of the Alt-Tab feature found in another operating system. GoMac, Proteron’s popular Program Bar and Start Menu for the Mac OS has LiteSwitch built in, but Proteron has unbundled LiteSwitch and is now distributing it for free.
LiteSwitch allows you to switch between open programs, as well as hiding and quitting them, all through a simple pop-up dialog box that is brought up by a designated key combination of either Command-Tab, Option-Tab, or Control-Tab. The LiteSwitch control panel is smartly designed, and leaves a very small footprint on your hard drive.
The Summary
There is not much to say about LiteSwitch that isn’t good. If repeated trips to the application menu annoy you, then LiteSwitch is for you.
Download LiteSwitch 1.0
CoolViews 1.0.1
Company: Quadratic Software
Shareware: $20.00
http://www.quadratic.com
When Apple released Mac OS 8, the system’s list views were greatly enhanced. With the Allegro release pending for this summer, it is rumored that Apple has finally allowed us to arrange and re-size our list views, as well as set global view preferences. But Allegro is not here yet, so until then, there’s CoolViews.
CoolViews is a wonderful complement to the Mac OS that allows you to use solid background colors in lists (and any other window for that matter), override date formats, change column widths, and create global list view preferences.
The CoolViews control panel is divided into three main preference sections: column preferences, which allow you to set the width of the columns; other preferences, which let you set options such as relative dates and icon sizes; and bonus preferences, which let you enable “secret columns,” and change window backgrounds and date formats, again, all globally. The fourth section is an integrated help manual in case you have any questions or trouble while using CoolViews.
The Summary
CoolViews is really cool, no doubt about it. The customization of the list view is a feature that is long overdue. If you hardly ever use list views, CoolViews is probably not what you are looking for. But if your use of the list view is as common as mine, it’s a no-brainer that you’ll benefit from CoolViews.
Download CoolViews 1.0.2
Cursor8 2.0
Author: Anthony Wu
Shareware: $7.00
Cursor8 is a small extension that replaces Apple’s default
black and white cursor (also known as the pointer) with a “platinum” cursor that blends better with Mac OS 8.x. Cursor8 supports all of the Finder cursors, including the copy/duplicate cursor, the make alias cursor, and the contextual menu cursor (all shown below).
When using Cursor8, I found that I “lost the pointer” at various times while going over grey or dark areas; but the majority of my problems with appearance were because of my dark blue desktop pattern, not because of the functionality of Cursor8. I did not have any conflicts over my 2 day testing period, and no performance decreases were apparent.
The Summary
Cursor8 is a well-written system extension that enhances your Mac OS 8.x experience. The way the cursor looks with your current setup is a matter of personal preference, so there is no reason why I can’t recommend that you go download Cursor8. $7.00 is a tad on the pricey side for this simple extension, but if you enjoy using it, it will pay for itself.
Download Cursor8 2.0
Requirements/Availability: Both CoolViews and Cursor 8 require Mac OS 8.x to run. No requirements were given for LiteSwitch. Both LiteSwitch and CoolViews are available at their respective web sites. Cursor8 is available at http://www.macdownload.com.
Side Note: Mr. Wu, author of Cursor8, noted that he and Christopher Lund are working on a modular Cursor8 (called MagicCursor) that will allow you to choose any cursor you want. It is in development now, and should be available in a few months. They were unable to have a set date because of their busy schedules.
Adam Karneboge (webmaster@mymac.com)
Websites mentioned:
http://www.proteron.com
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