Cool Mac Gear• iPod Video • iPod nano • iPod 1G-2G • iPod 3G • iPod 4G • iPod Mini • PowerBook-iBook • Garageband |
Cocktail is a general purpose system maintenance utility for Mac OS X 10.2 or later designed to simplify the use of of advanced UNIX functions and provide access to hidden Mac OS X settings with a graphical user interface. 
Cocktail allows tou to with a few clicks of the mouse: 
• Create symbolic links • Change duplex and speed of network card • Request new lease from DHCP server • Remove cache • Force empty trash • Recreate alias to Mac OS 9 desktop • Customize look and features of Finder and Dock • Easily optimize your system using Auto Pilot, which runs several system maintenance routines. I've been checking out Cocktail this week, and it's great. I haven't tried all of the many function options yet, but the ones I've sampled all worked well. It even runs nicely in the background while, say, re-prebinding files, and I was able to continue working in other applications while that routine ran. 
On a subjective note, I didn't do any formal timed comparisons, but OS 10,2,4, which had been running for a week on my Pismo without a restart and was getting quite sluggish, speeded up significantly after running the re-prebind routine and dumping the system and user caches. This morning it's almost lively. Since Cocktail is both small, and free, there's no good reason not to have it in your arsenal of utilities.
New in this version:
Cocktail is donationware
Spatial Orientation Postscript files in OS X and OS 9 Spatial Finder... From Rick Gunaca Charles, I have not really worked with OSX, not having "upgraded" any of my Macs to it yet. I'm in publishing, but do no real graphics-related work, and I haven't seen fit to "get an iLife" yet. Besides, I'm still lovin' my old Pismo 400 too much...I'd feel like I was cheatin' on her, if you can relate to what I mean. Anyway, I'm not trying to throw any gasoline on a fire that had simmered down between you and many of your "more technically advanced" readers" (read OSX lovers), but I have to tell you - I finally get what you have been raving and ranting about, Finder wise. I'd like to quote you the text of an e-mail I sent to John Siracusa in response to his article (which was obviously a fervent labor of love). To wit:
Although I don't consider myself particularly geeky, I am sometimes attracted to rather abstract discussions about computer workings, especially GUI related.
Please allow me to compliment you on your article and on the work you put into it.
I would like to share with you how my late best friend first explained the Mac GUI to me around '89. He was an accomplished cinematographer and director, mentally brilliant, and he loved Macs. I was clueless, with only minimal exposure to some entry-level 286-486 PCs up to Win 3.1.
My friend took some actual file folders, laid them on a clean desktop, picked up some "files" and placed them in various manila folders with labels on them. He said something like..."see how you keep files in folders and place them around on the top of a desk?...and sometimes you put folders inside other folders...Well, you can do the same thing on the Mac's desktop...". WOW!
I'm still saying "duh" at this marvelous interface. And by the way, I'm typing this on a Pismo w/OS9.2. I'm happy with it. It just allows me to work. I have probably 8-10K or more folders on my PowerBook and I can find any single folder verrrry quickly, with minimal effort. Just the way I like it.
And, I'm sorry to say, I'm even less enthused about moving to OSX when "upgrade" to newer Mac hardware after reading your excellent article.
I really wish they had kept producing the newer apps (iLife suite, etc.) for OS9, plus some occasional improvements to this venerable OS."
Rick Gunaca
Hi Rick;
Exactly. The "file in a folder, in another folder, etc...." Desktop metaphor may not be perfect, but it's as perfect as I've encountered in any computer interface so far. Much more intuitive for non-technically oriented folks like me who want the computer to just work.
Charles From Ken. Cavaliere-Klick I just wanted to drop a line to say thank you for John Siracusa excellent "Spatial Orientation" link. I spent hours reading through the web site (right after your own excellent writings, of course) and came away with a greater understanding. Excellent. Coming through a long list of operating systems, from command lines to graphic interfaces, I was surprised by Aqua. My first reactions were: gimmicky, cluttered, bloated, slow and "Windows". I expected an enhanced Platinum. The situation is, of course, made worse on an old iMac which is ill equipped to run Aqua and Quartz well. No matter how good an OS is if the interface is a kludge it reflects badly on the whole experience.
Again, my thanks.
Hi Ken;
My pleasure. John has done a wonderful job with this article of thoroughly and eloquently articulating the impressions that many of us have been trying to quantify and express.
A masterful effort.
Charles Postscript files in OS X and OS 9 From Noel McRae I am concerned about the newest OS Xs not allowing work with OS 9. I need Adobe Distiller to make compact Postscript files for emailing newsletters. Today for an experiment I made a Postscript file of a newsletter using Export PDF menu in InDesign. The end product was 12.6 megs. When I used Print > postscrpt file, then used Distiller in OS 9 (since it is not available in OS X) it was 384 K . Incredible difference. I have done similar with a large table file with pictures in Word. When I used the Print>Save as Acrobat it was over 300 hundred megs. I had to import it into InDesign, save as postscript, work through Distiller and it was 12 megs. I cannot upgrade until Adobe comes out with Acrobat for OS X -- or Apple does an incredible improvement with its rendering of file for PDF readers.
Am I missing something?
Hi Noel;
I think there are some third-party OS X applications available that can compact PDFs, that might help a bit.
However, this is just another example of why terminating dual-booting was premature.
Charles From Gene Steinberg Doesn’t John realize that a simple Finder preference will spout a new window every time you open a folder? He doesn’t mention it in that piece.
Peace,
Hi Gene;
I don't think that's what he's getting at. It's that said folder window is not the definitive sole access to the contents displayed (among other things).
Charles
The OS X Odyssey archives may be accessed here: Note: Letters to Moore's Mailbag may or may not be published at the editor's discretion. Correspondents' email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context. Opinions expressed in postings to Moore's MailBag are those of the respective correspondents and not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Editor and/or Applelinks management. If you would prefer that your message not appear in Moore's Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message "NOT FOR PUBLICATION," and it will not be published. CM
Page: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
|
Cool Mac Gear• iPod 1G-2G • iPod 3G • iPod 4G • iPod Mini • PowerBook-iBook • Keyboard Skins • Garageband
| ||||||
|
| ||||||||
