Below and in the next chapter are many non-Apple control panels. If you have an item you would like to add to this list, please email me the name, version number, description and, if possible, RAM consumption figures.
窶｢ Adobe Type Reunion (v1.2): font menu utility, similar to Now WYSIWYG Menus, which groups font families together in hierarchical sub-menus and shows font names in their respective fonts.
窶｢ After Dark (v4.0.3) [150-? (RAM usage depends upon which "module" you are using)]: popular screen saver. This control panel has been known to conflict with many things, and can cause quite a few crashes under certain configurations. Use with caution, especially older versions. One example is when using Energy Saver 2.0.2 and After Dark 2.x, there is a good chance that you will not be able to wake the computer from "sleep" mode.
窶｢ After Dark Files: not a control panel, but a folder within the Control Panels folder. This folder holds the modules and support files for After Dark.
窶｢ Alias Assistant (v2.0.7): provides the ability to automatically delete all aliases to a file when the file itself is deleted via the Trash.
窶｢ Apple Macintosh 24AC: used by the Radius Display Card 24AC.
窶｢ ApplWindows (v2.0.2): allows you to easily navigate through multiple windows by adding a sub-menu of open windows for each application in the Finder's application menu.
窶｢ Argus (v1.0): much like Program Switcher, allows you to switch between active applications using a keyboard combination.
窶｢ ArtValve (v2.0) [.5/.5]: allows AOL users to avoid the long 窶彭ownloading art窶 periods by replacing all art/images with a generic "AOL" graphic.
窶｢ ATI Displays (v2.0.4) [NA]: actually an application, allows you to monitor the ATI graphics cards and change their settings.
窶｢ ATM邃｢ GX: Adobe Type Manager for QuickDraw邃｢ GX. Provides support for display of Adobe Postscript fonts with QuickDraw邃｢ GX installed.
窶｢ Auto Menus Pro: allows you to have "sticky" menus that either stay down once clicked (much like Windows menus) or which automatically drop down when the mouse is placed over them.
窶｢ AV Turbo ROM: intended only for the Quadra 840AV, this control panel allows you to copy the AV ROMs into RAM, increasing performance since the CPU can access RAM faster than ROM.
窶｢ Basic Black [3.5/0]: a simple shareware screen saver.
窶｢ BeHierarchic (v3.1): much like Apple Menu Options and MenuChoice, enables "hierarchical" sub-menus in your Apple Menu. Also enables a "Desktop" sub-menu which shows all the items currently on the desktop.
窶｢ Better Backlight Dimmer (v1.2.0): part of the "A PowerBook Suite" package. Automatically dims the backlight on your PowerBook after a user-definable period of inactivity. Also allows you to invert the screen image and fade external monitors, as well as control the backlighting from the keyboard. Finally, if you are not using Open Transport, it allows you to force the loading of AppleTalk at startup in case you have previous turned it off, thus saving you the trouble of having to restart again.
窶｢ Better Edit Keys (v1.1): allows you to use the shift, option and control keys along with the arrow keys and correction keys (clear, delete, forward delete) to edit text more efficiently. Many word processors allow you to do this already (i.e., Word and Word Perfect allow you to jump forward a full word by pressing option-right arrow, or select text while moving the cursor by holding down shift), but this control panel enables this functionality in any standard text editing field.
窶｢ Better Menu Clock (v1.2.0): part of the "A PowerBook Suite" package. Enables a "better" menu bar clock with timer functions that can be moved anywhere in the menu bar. On PowerBooks, also provides info on battery status and instant sleep and hard drive spin-down functions.
窶｢ CacheCow Control Panel: part of MacUser's CacheCow utility, which helps you keep your web browser cache under control by deleting cache files that are older than the number of days you specify. Also deletes files larger than a certain size (which you can choose) and files smaller than your hard drive's minimum allocation block size, thus saving disk space. CacheCow has a "security" feature that will not delete non-cache files, just in case you accidentally put a valuable file in the cache folder. Requires the accompanying "CacheCow Engine" extension.
窶｢ CD Menu [42/43.5]: places a menu in the menu bar which allows you to control the CD player when playing audio CDs.
窶｢ CDU (Connectix Desktop Utilities) [154/192]: add numerous functionality enhancements to your Mac, too numerous to list here. [Highly recommended! -Ed.]
窶｢ CD-ROM Driver (v2.0): control panel and driver for use with AIWA CD-ROM drives.
窶｢ ChooserUser (v1.3.1): lets you control who can change the owner name for your computer. Also allows the owner name to be changed at startup, either manually or automatically. Useful in public computer labs.
窶｢ ClipAppend (v1.0): provides the ability to add text to the clipboard's contents rather than replacing them.
窶｢ ColorSwitch Pro (v1.0) [171/0]: provides the ability to change settings for color depth, monitor resolution, volume, network configurations, and dial-up connections, as well as providing controls for audio CDs, all from a single menu. Also allows "sets" of settings.
窶｢ Config PPP (v2.1.4): if you are using MacPPP, this control panel allows you to specify settings for your PPP connection. It requires the "PPP" extension.
窶｢ Conflict Catcher (v4.0.3): a commercial alternative to Apple's Extensions Manager (see the chapter on startup file management utilities).
窶｢ ContourMouse (v1.0) [14.5/31]: driver for the Contour Design ergonomic mouse. Allows you to choose preferences for the mouse speed and buttons.
窶｢ Copy Doubler (2.0.7): part of the Norton DiskDoubler package. Under System 7.6.1 and earlier, speeds up Finder copying and trash emptying, and also allows these functions to occur in the background so that you can perform other tasks at the same time. Similar to the SpeedCopy component of the Connectix Speed Doubler utility.
窶｢ Default Folder (v2.7.3): enhances Open and Save dialog boxes by providing many of the features of Now SuperBoomerang (below) and Directory Assistance (see "Third-Party Control Panels"). Allows you to set up a "default" folder for applications, switch between recently used folders, see the space available on each volume, switch between volumes, click on a Finder window to cause the dialog box to jump to that folder, get information on items in the dialog, move items to the trash from within the dialog, jump back to the last file you used (useful when opening a file), change the "Replace" default to "Cancel" when an identically-named item already exists, and turn off custom color icons in the dialog to speed up the display of items.
窶｢ Desktop Strip: shareware which gives all Mac models the functionality of a "Control Strip-like" utility (formerly, only PowerBooks and PCI Macs could benefit from this functionality).
窶｢ Dialog View [21/30]: shareware which expands the open/save dialogs to let you see longer file names. Also allows you to change some system fonts/icons.
窶｢ DiskExpress II (v2.21) [211.5/232]: a disk de-fragmentation utility. Version 2.2 contained two bugs which were fixed by individual "Helper" extensions (see the section on Third-Party Extensions); these bugs were fixed in version 2.21.
窶｢ DiskLight: enables a blinking icon in the menu bar to indicate disk access. This control panel is notorious for causing INIT conflicts and crashes.
窶｢ DoubleScroll (v2.1.2) [22/63.5]: adds up and down scroll buttons at both the top and bottom of scroll bars (so you don't have to go to the bottom of a window to scroll down, or vice versa).
窶｢ DragAnyWindow (v4.0): allows you to drag windows, including modal dialogs, Open and Save dialogs, and any other window which is not usually movable, around the screen using a user-definable key combination. It is also helpful for computers that use the older 9" screens because it allows you to re-center windows on the small screen (many applications are set with a 14" default center, so dialogs are often partly off-screen on these computers). Version 4.0 of the control panel enables "solid" dragging of the entire window rather than just dragging the outline. NOTE: some applications do not redraw their screens according to Apple's guidelines; these applications do not work correctly with DragAnyWindow.
窶｢ Dynamic Desktop (v3.3): used with older Radius Pivot monitors to set options for desktop orientation (these monitors can actually shift 90 degrees and offer dynamic switching between page view and landscape view). Supposedly, this control panel will not be updated/ supported any longer by Radius and/or Portrait Display Labs (the current owner of the Pivot line of monitors).
窶｢ Ephemerid (v1.1): provides the current date and time in a pop-up window -- a solution to situations where you cannot see the date and time when running an application with a lot of menu items.
窶｢ Extension List (v1.0.1): as your computer starts up, this file lists each extension by name in a window so that you can identify them. It also displays the time it takes it file to load. The one catch is that only extensions and control panels which load after Extension List are displayed. The solution is the accompanying extension, " Run "Extension List"," which has two spaces at the beginning of its name to cause it to load very early in the startup sequence. This extension causes the Extension List control panel to load when the extension is loaded.
窶｢ Extra Menu (v1.2.0): part of the "A PowerBook Suite" package. Enables an extra Finder menu which provides instant access to the state of File Sharing, AppleTalk, and the internal modem, as well as instant access to screen color and resolution settings.
窶｢ EventLogger (v1.0): monitors the usage of your computer. You can use it to monitor unauthorized use, or as a "backup" system which records each and every keystroke, mouse click, menu command, and application use to a log on your hard drive.
窶｢ FileSaver (v3.5.1): part of the Norton Utilities package. Works in conjunction with the Disk Doctor, Volume Recover, and UnErase modules of Norton Utilities to repair/ recover damaged/ lost files.
窶｢ Finder Windows (v1.2.2): adds a "Window" menu to the Finder's menu bar which lists all currently open Finder windows. Also allows you to arrange Finder windows by stacking them, alphabetizing them, etc.
窶｢ FindFile Chooser (v1.0.1): normally when you choose "Find..." from the "File" menu (and you have the "Find File Extension" installed), or press command-F, you are presented with Apple's "Find File" application. This control panel allows you to select a different application for performing "Find" searches, such as File Buddy, DiskTop, etc. Applications such as the excellent File Buddy allow for more complex and powerful searches. Note that you still must have the "Find File Extension" installed, and it must load before FindFile Chooser.
窶｢ Fonts Manager (v3.6.8 large and small): allows you to load/unload "sets" of fonts, much like startup file managers (see Chapter 2) allow you to enable/disable extensions and control panels. It's actually an application, so you don't need to have it installed or "active" at startup. Comes is two versions, one for small screens and one for larger screens.
窶｢ FreePPP Setup (v2.6): Part of the FreePPP package, which provides dial-up access to many PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) servers for Internet access. If you are using FreePPP, this control panel (actually an application) allows you to specify settings for your PPP connection. The FreePPP system requires the "FreePPP" extension. NOTE: there is a bug in Open Transport where OT is unloaded from memory under certain circumstances; this bug can affect FreePPP. For details, and a possible fix, see the "OpenOT" extension entry.
窶｢ FunKeys (v1.5): allows you to assign actions to the function keys, such as launching applications, opening files, running AppleScripts, and typing text.
窶｢ Gamma (v2.0.1): allows customization of gamma settings on monitors and PowerBook screens.
窶｢ GoMac (v1.3): imitates the Windows 95 Start Menu, Keyboard Switcher, and Program Bar. Also allows "sticky" menus which stay down once you click on them (i.e. you don't have to hold the mouse button down). According to the authors, GoMac works best with System 7.5.3 or later, but will run with some limitations under System 7.0. You must have "Apple Menu Options" installed in order to use the "Recent" menu. There are a few bugs between GoMac and Now Menus; see the documentation for details. Also supposedly causes a crash with the Network Assistant component of Apple's Network Administrator Toolkit.
窶｢ Greg's Buttons (v3.8): shareware which allows you to change the menu bar color, button appearances, system text color/font, and other aspects of the user interface.
窶｢ Helium (v3.0) [28/?]: allows you to assign a hot key to turn balloon help on/off, rather than having to toggle it on/off from the menu bar.
窶｢ Hidden Finder Features (v1.0.3) [<.5/0]: enables features which are actually built into the Finder, but for some reason not activated by Apple: control-dragging to make aliases; command-R to reveal an alias' original file; command-delete to move an item to the trash; and disabling the Finder's "zooming" rectangles. The control panel allows you to enable/disable each feature individually. There are two extensions, Secret Finder Features and Finder Extensions Enabler, which activate the first three features, but don't give you the option of turning them on or off.
窶｢ In Use (v2.0): places an icon in the menu bar that flashes the SCSI ID# of each device when it is accessed.
窶｢ Iomega Drive Options (v1.1): actually an application, provides options for Iomega drives such as sleep time, disk-write verification and disk ejection.
窶｢ Kaboom: allows you to assign different sounds to different events, such as copying a file, emptying the trash, restarting, etc.
窶｢ Kaleidoscope (v1.7.1): shareware which allows you to completely change the appearance of your Mac's interface. Combines some features of "Aaron" and "Greg's Buttons" plus additional enhancements. Supports user-creatable "schemes" for adding new designs and interfaces.
窶｢ Kensington MouseWorks (v5.0.2): not actually a control panel, but an alias to the actual MouseWorks application on your hard drive. Provides support and setup options for Kensington mice and trackballs.
窶｢ Key Commander (v1.0): allows you to add command-key equivalents to frequently-used menu items.
窶｢ Keys Off (v1.2): disables your Mac窶冱 keyboard and/or mouse to prevent unauthorized access and/or modifications. Even though the keyboard is "off," you must type in your password to regain access.
窶｢ Label Secrets/Label Secrets Pro: a control panel which replaces the "Essential, Hot, In Progress" text under the "Labels" menu in the Finder with a new Mac "secret" every time you restart/ start up your Mac. This file is only available with the book Macworld Mac SECRETS by David Pogue and Joseph Schorr.
窶｢ LockVol邃｢ (v1.6): allows developers to test their software's compatibility with locked volumes (hard drives, etc.), both when accessing these volumes and when run from these volumes.
窶｢ Mac GamePad (v1.0.6) [1.5/0]: driver/ settings for the Gravis Mac GamePad. If this control panel is installed and you have the GamePad plugged into an ADB port at startup, the keyboard restart (control- command- power key) will not work (it has been suggested that this is only true for those computers which have a software-implemented keyboard power key; the Quadra/LC/Performa 600-series and the Performa 6000-series have the keyboard power key implemented in hardware (ROM), and supposedly do not have this problem).
窶｢ Mac Identifier 2.2: under System 7.5.x and 7.6.x, the "About This Macintosh..." window will oftentimes not show the correct model number and/or icon for your Mac. This control panel fixes this problem by examining your computer's hardware and displaying the correct information. Since the Mac model information is stored in a database in the control panel, newer Mac models released after the current version of Mac Identifier may not be correctly identified; the control panel therefore gives you the option of "custom" naming.
窶｢ MacEKG (v3.0.1): the 窶彡ommand center窶 for MicroMat's MacEKG diagnostic utility, which analyzes your computer's "health" at shutdown, startup, and/or other user-defined times.
This control panel allows you to decide when automatic tests should occur, and what tests should be executed.
窶｢ MacEnvy 2.1: an older control panel (1990) which displays info about your machine, as well as a neat "game of life" display.
窶｢ MacLinkPlus Setup (v8.10 Bundle): installed by OS 7.6 to setup preferences for the MacLinkPlus document translation system.
窶｢ MacSLIP (v3.0.3) [<.5/244]: commercial product from Hyde Park Software used for dial-up SLIP and PPP connections. The control panel allows you to select setting for your modem and computer, as well as to set the SLIP/PPP variables for your internet provider. Requires the Slip Extension file (see "Third-Party Extensions").
窶｢ MegaDial (v1.5): installed by the MegaPhone software package. Provides support for automatic and manual dialing via the MegaPhone "speaker phone."
窶｢ Menuette (v2.0.1): alters the appearance of menu titles in the menu bar by replacing the names of the menus with small icons representing the functionality of each menu.
窶｢ MenuChoice (v2.1): much like Apple Menu Options and Be Hierarchic, enables "hierarchical" sub-menus in the Apple Menu. Enables a "Desktop" sub-menu which shows all the items currently on the desktop. Also allows you to perform Finder actions on menu items.
窶｢ Monaco Tuner (v1.1.1) [3/0]: allows you to select a font to be used in place of Monaco. [Monaco 9 has some drawbacks for programmers and I personally find it a bit hard to read in any application. I use this control panel to substitute ProFont, my favorite mono-spaced font, in place of Monaco. -Ed.]
窶｢ MountAlias (v1.0): automatically creates aliases to AppleShare volumes every time an AppleShare volume is mounted. You can temporarily disable MountAlias, so that you can mount a server without making an alias to it, by holding down the control key (it will beep to indicate when you can safely release the key). Requires System 7.0.x or later.
窶｢ Mouse2 (v1.4a) [<1/0]: doubles the speed of the mouse settings in the Mouse control panel.
窶｢ MouseStick II (v3.3.1): driver/ settings for the Gravis MouseStick II.
