Mac User Must-Have:
by John H. Farr

A sure way to make me stay away from the theater is to describe a movie as a "must-see" film -- so why am I starting off describing Dan Frakes' InformINIT as a "must-have" item? Because if you're a Mac owner, you just gotta have it. To quote from Dan Frakes' ReadMe file: "it remains THE reference for System Folder information. Even Apple's own technical support staff uses it and recommends it to customers!"

Simply put, InformINIT is a very readable reference that tells you what all those files are inside your System Folder. If you're a new user, be advised that having unnecessary extensions or control panels activated and taking up space on your hard drive can adversely affect performance and even crash your machine. If you've ever updated your system software, chances are you have a few more files than you need but don't know it! This little gem will help you sort through all the names and version numbers. There are applications like Conflict Catcher which manage these files and sleuth out problems, but you can often avoid trouble in the first place by making sure your System Folder is running clean and lean.

The best way to do that is to become an informed Mac user. InformINIT will explain what every control panel and extension actually does, and whether you need it in the first place! Your Mac will be happier with more RAM, too, and one way to get it is by turning off or trashing unwanted bits and pieces. InformINIT will tell you which ones you need for the type of Macintosh and system software you're using.

InformINIT is good for more: there's a system software "primer," a discussion of HFS+, and links to "some of the best Mac info sites on the Web." The program even tells you about all those "other" files floating naked (folderless) inside your System Folder. Best of all, it's fun to read, at least if you're an information addict like me: you'll feel like a real pro by the time you've matched all your extensions to the references in InformINIT and learned how everything functions. This knowledge will help you fine-tune performance and give you much greater control over the functionality of your machine.

Besides, it's fun!

On your way to find out just what a certain control panel does, you might just want to stop and read some of the introductory material on the different system files. Or maybe you'd like to study the differences between the various Macintosh models over the years. It's all here! In fact, there is so much information packed into InformINIT, I would especially recommend it to new Mac users. Reading the pages in this program will have the same effect as taking a Mac OS "smart pill " (if there were such a thing).

Experienced users have no doubt already encountered earlier versions of InformINIT and have it on their hard drives, but they should ante up for version 8.1 like everybody else -- there is just so much here that is really valuable. There are special chapters on Microsoft files, System Enablers, PRAM, Modern Memory Manager, and system versions compatibility, for example. Author Dan Frakes has put together something that would cost nearly 3 times more at Borders or Barnes & Noble. Your cost: a trifling fifteen bucks!

PROS:	Excellent reference: answers more questions than most users will ever have! The best way to identify and deal with System Folder file confusion, and great reading for information addicts. Only $15.
CONS:	Doesn't do Windows. . .[Hah! It's taken me months of reviews to be able to use that line! -- JHF] But seriously, folks: The only thing that could possibly be wrong is a stray typo, though I didn't see any.
CONCLUSION:	The easiest top rating I ever awarded: a big "5" for InformINIT 8.1!

John H. Farr edits the Apple Computer News for Applelinks.com and writes a weekly column. He satisfies his creative urges by working on the ZOO ZONE, his own experimental cyber-sideshow.

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February 07, 2012