Monday's Mac Gadget - Are You Running the Latest Mac Software? Make Sure with AppFresh!

by , 11:00 AM EDT, August 27th, 2007

Product Link : AppFresh Preview 5.3 (Freeware)
Company Link : metaquark

The good news is that there are thousands of pieces of Mac software out there. Plus, software makers are constantly improving their product, by adding new features and fixing bugs which are discovered after release. To help make sure you have the latest Apple software, there's Software Update. Plus, non-Apple software often includes an update feature, typically run when you start the application. Unfortunately, as you start collecting more applications, the time it takes to make sure everything is up-to-date can become formidable. Fortunately, AppFresh, combined with the iusethis service, makes sure you are up-to-date, and allows you to manage the process from a central location.

When you start AppFresh, it will scan your system and collect version information on not only applications, but also plugins, widgets and preference panes. Once completed, it will list each application, along with the version number, the last time it was used, and if it is up-to-date when compared with the latest version known by iusethis. If it is a new or unusual application, you'll be given a chance to provide an entry on iusethis, so that others can learn about and get info on the applications.

AppFresh Keeps Track of Your Apps

If you find an application that needs an update, just select the application in AppFresh, click on Update, and assuming that the iusethis profile has a link to the download site, a download of the update will begin. Otherwise, you'll be brought to a web page where you can click on a download link. Once complete, you can choose to run the installer, or reveal the download in the Finder so you can inspect additional information that may have been downloaded, such as a readme file or release notes.

You can take the iusethis integration to the next level and link AppFresh to your personal iusethis profile. This accomplishes two things. One, if you ever want to create an identical installation of your applications on another Mac, you'll have a list of your applications. Two, by telling iusethis that you are using an application, you help the iusethis system provide others with a relative measure of an application's popularity.

So make sure you have the latest Mac software, and give AppFresh a spin today! Have any other applications that save you time? Send an email to John and he'll check it out.