Q. I've heard of many of the possible replacement extensions
for my computer, such as SmoothType, BeHierarchic, and others. Are
these really better for my computer?
A. Yes, there are many applications out there for your Mac that
let you add or have more control over features that are included
with the operating system. Usually these applications, control
panels, or extensions are designed to add more features than
Apple's included extensions. But which ones are really worth the
price or system resources?
They all are if you need them, but some people don't. Today I'll
tell you which ones are the best for your system and your
needs.
BeHierarchic (vs. Apple Menu Options)
Pros: BeHierarchic
adds expanded abilities over Apple Menu Options, such as the
ability to put the desktop in the Apple Menu (which you could do
yourself with a little bit of effort, but this is easier). Also
allows you to put divider lines in the Apple Menu. My favorite
option: It adds more expandability to other applications, such as
AliasMenu,
KeyQuencer, and
Default
Folder.
The best and obvious most important feature of this little
wonder is its ability to make heretic menus many levels deep, which
is a plus on any system, since pre-7.5 systems don't even have any
hierarchy (submenus, like in the control panels, so you can view it
all on one menu, instead of having to click it and have a window
open) and all others can only go one level deep without it.
Cons: None really, besides the fact it can kind of slow your
system down, a little, but with all of today's super fast
computers, you should be fine, especially since this program's been
around since 1991.
Do I Use It?: Yes, of course, I love this program. Since it can
add submenus to AliasMenu's long list of capabilities, I really
love it. It allows me to have submenu's in my music list menu,
where I store all of my MP3s by genre and artist, it makes things
very organized when you don't want to use tunes, but still want
it's capabilities of organizing your music catalog.
The Bottom Line: Use it, especially if you use Alias Menu, etc.
like I do. The memory or other system resources is negligible, and
so is the US$10 price tag.
Editor's note: I'm a huge fan of MenuChoice 2.1, which I reviewed about
a year ago. This $15 shareware program doesn't suffer the speed
penalty of Apple's menus or BeHierarchic. It also works nicely with
everything from System 7.x through 9.2.1. Try both and see which
you prefer. dk
SmoothType (vs. Apple's Font Smoothing Software)
Pros: Adds much better font smoothing capabilities to your
system. Using a system called anti-aliasing, which smoothes the
onscreen type to resemble a printed page. The functions of this are
similar to ATM (Adobe type Manager) and Apple's built-in font
smoothing, except for the fact it is much, much better.
Cons: Other than the fact that it slows down your system
considerably at times, there are many reported cases of nasty
crashes on system 9.0 and up. (It is not necessary on OS X
machines.) However, I've had no problems with my 7 and 8 machines,
but since I have just made the upgrade to 9.x here, I am not sure
what it's capabilities are, since I have not tried the software
yet.
Editor's note: I'm also a huge fan of SmoothType, which I reviewed earlier
this year. I'm using v2.2.3 with Mac OS 9.2.1 and experiencing no
problems at all. dk
Do I Use It: Nope, well not right now, at least. I have yet to
install it on my new system using Mac OS 9.x because of all of the
rumored crashes. I've never used it frequently on my system while
it was pre-OS 9. I also found it slow on my system running any OS.
But, remember, your actual mileage may as always vary.
Bottom Line: Use it, unless you want bad fonts, or like me have
a very small resolution setting on your system, or just don't want
to risk high crash rates.
Kaleidoscope (vs. Apple Appearance Control Panel)
Pros: Way too many to list. Apple's Appearance Control Panel
used to offer many of the same features as Kaleidoscope. However, with the
discontinuation of themes on Mac OS computers, Apple is unable to
offer a suitable opponent for Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope allows you
to chose from a variety of schemes (3,000 or more!) to implement on
your computer, which will allow it to look completely different
than that boring old "Platinum" look developed for Mac OS 8!
In fact, you can even make your computer look as if it is running
some other operating system.
Cons: None really, except for the occasional system crash and
the oblivious large drains it puts on your system's resources.
Do I Use It?: You bet! It's great. It looks like support for
OS X and higher will never happen, but definitely try it.
The Bottom Line: Definitely use it, unless you like the extra
speed and lack of individuality.
In the end, you have a rather nice list of programs you can use
to enhance your computing experience. Get out there and have some
fun! 
