Best shareware -- 2.0
May 29, 2013 12:56 PM Subscribe
It has been about 4 years since I asked this question. Now that we are in 2013, I am curious what people think now.
In brief, what is your favorite shareware (over freeware alternatives)? That is to say, what direct download applications between the price of $5 and $50 do you swear by?
Four years ago, my few examples included Reqall Pro (no longer use), Ultramon (still use), and WifiHopper (no longer use). I was also back then considering Evernote Premium (which I now use heavily).
Added bonus points for comments concerning the customer support of your favorite shareware titles. Freeware, Android and apple apps need not apply, unless they're supplementing a desktop/laptop based application.
XMenu (bottom of the page here). It puts a customizable no-nonsense empty menu in the OSX menubar. I named mine "Menu" and, in it, I stashed a list of my most used apps, and a list of folders. Each folder contains aliases to apps and various other stuff. For example, I have a photography folder with aliases for Aperture, a flickr app called SuprSetr, plus aliases to my camera's manual, etc etc etc.
It's sort of the same idea as putting a stack in the dock, but I find menus more helpful.
Since XMenu creates an empty menu that is basically just a folder on your HD, you can turn that menu into anything at all. It's basically the old-school (OS9 and previous) Apple Menu with a customizable name. I love it.
posted by 2oh1 at 1:51 PM on May 29, 2013
It's sort of the same idea as putting a stack in the dock, but I find menus more helpful.
Since XMenu creates an empty menu that is basically just a folder on your HD, you can turn that menu into anything at all. It's basically the old-school (OS9 and previous) Apple Menu with a customizable name. I love it.
posted by 2oh1 at 1:51 PM on May 29, 2013
Carbon Copy Cloner I use this to create OS X drive clones and use it to back up as well. It's rock solid.
posted by bobdow at 2:48 PM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by bobdow at 2:48 PM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
Atmosphere is an ambient nature-noise generator I use a lot. Actually I've bought the full one on my main machine, but still use the Lite version on my laptop.
posted by The otter lady at 3:06 PM on May 29, 2013
posted by The otter lady at 3:06 PM on May 29, 2013
Seconding Little Snitch and Carbon Copy Cloner.
Also 1password, DefaultFolderX, Remote Buddy, Scrivener, and Transmit all get daily use. Especially DefaultFolderX. It bums me out when I have to use Macs without DefaultFolderX.
Haven't needed support for any of them, though I do like the sensible multiple-computer license policies they all have. Maybe all - I think DefaultFolderX and Transmit might be single-cpu-only licenses.
posted by all-caps relapse at 3:54 PM on May 29, 2013
Also 1password, DefaultFolderX, Remote Buddy, Scrivener, and Transmit all get daily use. Especially DefaultFolderX. It bums me out when I have to use Macs without DefaultFolderX.
Haven't needed support for any of them, though I do like the sensible multiple-computer license policies they all have. Maybe all - I think DefaultFolderX and Transmit might be single-cpu-only licenses.
posted by all-caps relapse at 3:54 PM on May 29, 2013
I like Sublime Text Editor, ever since Textmate never was able to get past 2.0.
posted by zabuni at 4:06 PM on May 29, 2013
posted by zabuni at 4:06 PM on May 29, 2013
I've also subscribed to newsblur, which is more of a service than a app, but has apps for android and iphone, which is sort of out of your requirements.
posted by zabuni at 4:09 PM on May 29, 2013
posted by zabuni at 4:09 PM on May 29, 2013
I heart Polyview. Though this may be Freeware and not shareware.
posted by brownrd at 4:36 PM on May 29, 2013
posted by brownrd at 4:36 PM on May 29, 2013
Nthing Sublime Text (2).
For me it replaced Vim, Text Wrangler, SciTE and gEdit.
posted by gregglind at 5:09 PM on May 29, 2013
For me it replaced Vim, Text Wrangler, SciTE and gEdit.
posted by gregglind at 5:09 PM on May 29, 2013
I use free or open source for almost everything, but there are two programs I will always, always pay for. The first is xplorer², a file manager/windows explorer replacement. If you are constantly moving, renaming, organizing, or even just viewing your files, you have to have some kind of tabbed/dual pane file manager, and xplorer² is well worth the money for all it's extra features. The Professional version ($29.95) is the one I use and it's amazing and everything I ever need. The Ultimate version is $49.95 and supposedly comes with priority support, but I've never needed any support so I can't say whether it's worth it to upgrade.
The other program is Copywhiz ($19.95). This is also for people that move files around a lot. I can't really say alot about it except that it makes file transfers a lot easier. Light years better than Windows default file transfers.
Both are Windows 8 compatible.
posted by katyggls at 5:47 PM on May 29, 2013
The other program is Copywhiz ($19.95). This is also for people that move files around a lot. I can't really say alot about it except that it makes file transfers a lot easier. Light years better than Windows default file transfers.
Both are Windows 8 compatible.
posted by katyggls at 5:47 PM on May 29, 2013
I find Fireshot Pro pretty useful. (Also Ultramon, as mentioned.)
posted by Lexica at 6:08 PM on May 29, 2013
posted by Lexica at 6:08 PM on May 29, 2013
For Windows - NoteTab Pro, a plain-text editor with numerous additional capabilities, including a powerful scripting language. I use this, and the above-mentioned xplorer2, all day, every day.
posted by megatherium at 4:52 AM on May 30, 2013
posted by megatherium at 4:52 AM on May 30, 2013
DefaultFolderX and Transmit have single user/multiple computer licenses.
posted by Silvertree at 7:11 AM on May 31, 2013
posted by Silvertree at 7:11 AM on May 31, 2013
I like FastStone Capture for taking screen captures. Lightweight and easy to use, and comes with a number of useful features for editing the images.
posted by nalyd at 2:38 PM on June 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by nalyd at 2:38 PM on June 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 1:49 PM on May 29, 2013