partofus.org Mac-Tests > 2007 > April

Mac OS X provides several methods to install applications. Simple apps get installed by copying the application file from the disk image to the desired folder. Others are distributed as PKG files whick are more powerful than just simply copy the app file to the applications folder, e.g. the can automatically install files into the system or user’s library. The complete installation process of those PKG files are logged by OS X in so called “receipts”. However OS X lacks the ability to use these receipts for uninstallation.To fill this gap Nicolas Zinovieff developed a small program called DesInstaller. And he did a good job. Experiments with packages of Subversion, MacGPG and NeoOffice worked without any problems.Rating:

For some reasons not further explained here I dumped my mobile phone, a new one preferably with iSync integration was to be bought. I took the Motorola L7 (german edition): synchronizing with iSync worked seemless, also file transfers worked right out of the box via Bluetooth.But, as most times with new gadgets, there is one backdraw I encountered: Apple offers the ability of sending SMS messages right out of the Address Book only for few mobile phones (mainly Sony-Ericsson’s).But David Reitter programmed a plugin to enable at least the Motorola L6 to work. Good news! Even Better news: the plugin also works with Motorola’s L7. As synchronization of Motorola’s L6/L7 is already integrated if you’re runnning a system up to date it’s sufficient to copy the folder “Address Book Plugin” from the downloaded disk image to the user’s Library (exit Address Book prior to this operation). After restarting Address Book you get a new entry “Send SMS via Bluetooth” in the context menu of the mobile phone numbers of your contacs.I say: Thank you, David! You saved me from breaking my fingers typing messages on my mobile phone.Rating:

To continue with Safari-Plugins we’ll now present SafariStand.

The Stand-Menu located in the Safari-Menubar allows to quickly change the character-encoding of the viewed page as well as activating or deactivating the Stand-Sidebar.

Stand-Sidebar shows previews of all open tabs of the active browser window to have an overview of opened sites.

The plugin is configurable with a seperate configuration panel, accessible view the Stand-Menu. See the Standbar and Quicksearch configurations below.

The Quicksearch function allows to access configurable searchengines via shortcuts in the standard adressbar of Safari. The configuration of Stand-Sidebar allows to change the visible part of the opened tabs.

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The first test is about a small extension (input manager) to Safari, Apple’s web browser included in OS X: Inquisitor 3.0Inquisitor changes the behavior of the integrated search field to use the Google API for auto completion – Spotlight for the web. While inputting the search terms Google is contacted – the results you get sometimes change with every character you expand your terms

The plugin extends Safari’s settings dialogue with a further site called “Search” to setup the search options (e.g. use localozed Google sites like google.de, number of results to display, behavior of Google’s auto completion, …):

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Well, and now for something completely different…
The first tests are ready to get posted, so, for god’s sake, let’s push the button

The aim we try to achieve through this blog is to test software (mayby hardware too) on Apple’s Mac OS X and share our usage experience with you, trusted readership, to give you an independent overview about it.
Having not only german, but international audience in mind, we try to keep up on posting out entries in german AND english to also give the non-natives (austrians included ) a chance to read our posts.

Hope you enjoy,
Tom and Eddie