Keep you Mac apps up to date
AppFresh is one of those programs I read about now and then that at first seem interesting, but in the end I wind up passing on them. I finally broke down and tried it out — and I have to say it’s a lot better than I expected, although I’m still not sure how often I will actually use it.
AppFresh’s basic function is to list all the programs on your Mac and tell you whether they are up to date. The interface is clean, attractive and easy to use. You can sort your apps by kind, vendors and with a special tie-in to the i use this website — more on this later.
If a program in the list catches your eye, you can click on it to get extra information: whether an update is available, when you last used it, a description, release notes, and how popular it is at i use this. If you decide you need the update, you can get AppFresh to download it for you. One drawback is that this information is only available for programs listed at i use this, so you’ll be out of luck for some of your more obscure software.
The more programs you have, the longer it takes for AppFresh to launch since it has to go through them all and check for updates. Even so, it’s fairly quick. I was surprised to learn that I have 429 apps on my Mac — some of which, according to AppFresh, I haven’t used in years. You’d think that knowing I haven’t used some of this stuff in eons might be enough to prompt me to delete it. But, darn it all, you just never know when it might come in handy.
I used AppFresh to bring my copy of Pastor up to date, and everything went smoothly. The developers warn, though, that AppFresh is not yet considered a finished product and should be used with caution. They also note that while it is free for now, that could change once it reaches version 1.0. For that reason, we won’t put place it in the thriftmac collection until we’re sure that it truly is freeware.
Regarding the connection to i use this: If you’re not familiar with this website, it is basically a digg-like collection of Mac apps that get voted up based on how many people use them. The program that gets used most, according to i use this, is — not surprisingly — AppFresh. Others include VLC Player, QuickTime Player, iPhoto and Safari. From that point of view, it’s a bit of a yawner. But you can also view up and coming apps that are gaining traction and could be fun to discover.
By connecting AppFresh to your i use this account, you can sort your own apps by how you’ve voted for them on the site. Depending on how disciplined you are about this sort of thing, it could indeed be a useful way of sorting them. And there is the added benefit of sharing your ratings with other Mac users.
Should you download AppFresh? You definitely need to try it out to get an appreciation for it. If you’re stickler for up-to-date apps, you’ll love it. And if you’re not a packrat, you might even use it to weed out some programs you haven’t used in years
Posted Thursday, August 28, 2008 in Reviews
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