hoakley January 12, 2024 General, Macs, Technology, Updates

All the software here that’s free to use in a new menu page

It has been a long time since I last updated the PDF guide to all the free software that’s available from here. Although it seemed like a good idea at the time, I’ve decided that a PDF chart isn’t the best solution any more. Instead I’ve created a new page containing my Free Software Menu.

Here you’ll find all 44 of my apps and command tools that are currently supported, with a brief text description, their macOS requirements, and a link to the respective Product Page, where there’s a screenshot, further information, and downloads of available versions. Some Product Pages will continue to contain details of older software that’s no longer maintained, but for the sake of simplicity those aren’t included in this new listing.

I’m adding a link to that page to the menus offered here, and in the Downloads page above. So here is my Free Software Menu – happy choosing!

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1

EcleX on January 12, 2024 at 8:12 am

Amazing! Many thanks for all these great tools!

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- 2
  
  hoakley on January 12, 2024 at 11:50 am
  
  Thank you.
  Howard.
  
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3

Enzo Vincenzo on January 12, 2024 at 8:19 am

Hi Howard. Why are the download links for many of your utilities listed from lower version to higher version, even when all versions cover the same macOS? I ask you because a few times, at the beginning of discovering your blog, I got confused and only later discovered that I had downloaded the older version… Why not put the most recent version at the top, perhaps in blue or red and bold and follow previous versions in black or a different color?… Better yet, I would leave a blank line between the various versions, changing the version number, if version handles other macOS than the previous version of the same utility. As it is now it is understandable, but aimed more at nerd than at everyone, including newbies.

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  hoakley on January 12, 2024 at 11:55 am
  
  Well, I read a page from top to bottom, and I arrange items in chronological order. I’m sorry if those ingrained habits have led you to download an old version, but every version offered is numbered, and its requirements are given. I don’t include any simple duplicates: there’s a good reason for each version that’s listed, normally the oldest version of macOS that version supports. If I were to reverse the order, the task would be exactly the same: to identify which version you need on the basis of the number and requirements. I fail to see how any of this is aimed at nerds or newbies – the task is identical whichever order they’re given in, and the scope for error is exactly the same too.
  Howard.
  
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  - 5
    
    Enzo Vincenzo on January 12, 2024 at 12:54 pm
    
    I apologize if my comment seemed like criticism or contempt to you… I just thought I could contribute for the better but I see that your point of view have a logical and more than legitimate alternative. Perhaps my process mental is wrong, but I think that my reasoning comes from years of downloading software and utilities in which (I don’t remember exceptions) I use to finding the updates always in descending order. Since you raised a doubt in my mind, however, to ascertain whether my usual experience was wrong, I quickly searched for the first program that came to mind, namely BBEdit. In fact, by going to the Update page of Barebones, the list of BBEdit versions from 15.0 to 11.1.4 is clearly displayed, followed by an “older versions” link at the bottom. Therefore it is this habit rooted for years that pushed me to write my post without thinking that what I think or that is the result of my experience is not relevant to what concerns your blog. Excuse me.
    
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    - 6
      
      hoakley on January 12, 2024 at 3:40 pm
      
      Please don’t apologise for criticism here in comments: that’s why they are there.
      On each of my Product Pages, I list each available version in chronological order, giving the version number, and any hardware and macOS requirements. In most cases, that gives you a choice of just two, which shouldn’t be too difficult. Even if you couldn’t be bothered to read the entry, and just guessed randomly, you’d be likely to be right half the time.
      I have never simply downloaded the latest version of any product, but check the versions and their requirements. When you order from a restaurant menu, do you just pick the first item in the first of its lists? When you choose which train or flight to catch, do you just pick the first of the day?
      The whole purpose in providing a list of versions is to enable the user to choose which they want. If your Mac is still running Sierra, then you almost certainly won’t want the latest version. Equally, if the latest version is a beta-release, you may well prefer to select the most recent full release. I don’t know which version you want: that’s up to you.
      We don’t make selections like this by habit, surely, but using the information provided. Is that really too much to expect?
      Howard.
      
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7

prairiewalker on January 12, 2024 at 4:24 pm

Thank you for the tools that I love to have and use frequently. I appreciate your breadth of knowledge and your willingness to share.

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  hoakley on January 12, 2024 at 10:07 pm
  
  Thank you. You’re most welcome.
  Howard.
  
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9

topquarkone on January 12, 2024 at 6:13 pm

Hi Howard – this is fantastic!

A few questions – what languages do you use for creating most of these? And have you ever thought of open-sourcing one or two of these incredibly useful programs?

Thanks for everything.

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  hoakley on January 12, 2024 at 10:13 pm
  
  Thank you.
  Exclusively Swift. Written with a distinct Object Pascal accent.
  I have mixed views on open source. I very seldom use it myself, but have seen so many coders whose open source work has been stolen by commercial developers – it’s a mixed blessing. Besides, my coding style is very rough, which I put down to several years of writing APL.
  So what I try to do is explain exactly how to do all the tricky bits in each app’s Help book. Then if someone does want to know how to write their own app, it’s all there and ready for them to code up. I’m also very happy to share on personal request, and do provide source where appropriate.
  I like to help, but don’t want my hard work to be ripped off.
  Howard.
  
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11

hstriepe on January 12, 2024 at 6:54 pm

Awesome!!!
Thank you!

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- 12
  
  hoakley on January 12, 2024 at 10:16 pm
  
  You’re most welcome – it was long overdue.
  Howard.
  
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