Mac becomes Mc
Back in February 2006, when thriftmac was first getting its feet wet, I chose some of the best free Mac apps I could find to get things rolling. Among them was MacSolitaire.
It was — and is — clean, crisp and easy to use. There’s nothing fancy about it, but it works exactly as you would expect — perhaps “standard” would be the best way to describe it. Four years later, which is like 20 years in computer time, I can still recommend it as a good solid way to pass the time playing Klondike.
So what’s changed? The developer, PCV, has come out with McSolitaire 2. At first I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Surely, the “a” between the “M” and the “c” was left out inadvertently. But no. The original MacSolitaire and the newly released McSolitaire are listed as two different apps.
So of course I couldn’t resist comparing the two.
McSolitaire 2’s main claim to fame is the ability to go full screen with the click of a button. This feature only works, though, if buy the iPhone version, which somehow unlocks it on your Mac. (I tried this, but couldn’t make it work. You may have better luck.)
Other than that, the differences between the two are scant. If anything, the original has a few more preferences. For example, you can opt to double-click to move the cards.
Also, the graphics in the free version of the new McSolitaire 2 are not as sharp, likely because they have not scaled down well from the the full-screen option. And the thicker black lines around the cards are unwieldy.
Compare the MacSolitaire Jack of Hearts with the McSolitaire 2 King of Hearts:
Overall, McSolitaire 2 is a disappointment. Unless you really need full-screen, you’re better off sticking with the tried and true MacSolitaire. And while you’re at it, give PCV’s Double a try — it’s a nice implementation of the classic Shanghai-style game.
After years of giving away freeware, PCV is trying to make a bit of money, and who can blame anyone from trying to make a living. Let’s just hope he’s able to iron out the wrinkles in his offerings.
Update: That didn’t take long. McSolitaire 2.1 is now out with a larger default size for the free version. This significantly improves the graphics.
Behold:
Posted Friday, March 5, 2010 in Reviews
Previous: DaisyDisk vs. DiskRing
Next: The return of Smultron