[tweetmeme]The case that Mac OS X doesn’t need an uninstaller has been settled, as far as I’m concerned. The few files that an application leaves behind are of absolutely no consequence, so why bother spending cash on an extra app, when you can merely drag something to the trash? AppZapper was the first with the idea of a third party uninstaller, but the first release was buggy, featureless, and the application didn’t evolve as the developers abandoned it for a while.
In a surprise move that came out of nowhere, AppZapper 2 landed and zapped the crap out of many a Mac user. While maintaining its original premise of ‘drag an app here to uninstall’, it comes with a brilliant new user interface, dubbed, ‘the Hit List’. Switch to the hit list mode, and you can see a beautiful grid of all your applications. You can switch to widgets, preference panes, plugins, or the whole 9 yards. And that’s when you start zapping the buggers. Zap! Zap! Zap! It’s fun! The trick these guys realised is, that while Mac OS X certainly doesn’t need an uninstaller, what if they’re made to want one.
Another feature that makes it into the this release, is My Apps. It’s an application manager of apps near and dear to you. Consider moving 1Password, Coda, Tweetie, and the like into this window. Why would you do this? For the sole reason of staring at your favourite app icons. The devs have done a fantastic job with the user interface—click an icon and a card swings out with its crucial details. You can store licensing details if you want, or not. Personally I’d prefer using something more solid like 1Password to store my app licenses, but it takes hardly two minutes to drop them in anyway.
What’s the bad stuff on this? For one, I still think you don’t need an uninstaller. I haven’t used one for such a long time and my Mac works just fine. Second, in addition to just zapping, they should have also included a slimming feature. Would go hand in hand as the concepts are rather related. And third, I found the app’s features a little too disconnected from each other. There are practically three different user interfaces you have to deal with.
Although, at $13, it won’t burn a hole in your pocket, and it offers a gracious trial of having the pleasure of zapping up to 5 apps. And if you have a license from back in the days, even a MacHeist one, you don’t have to pay any upgrade price. Respect.
Giveaway
Owing to the utter coolness of the app, I got the AppZapper team to offer up a couple of licenses for a giveaway. Tell us which was [one of] the first app you zapped, and/or tweet about this post to get in the game. Standard giveaway rules apply.
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
I tried to drag my Windows PC into the ZAP window but I kept getting compatibility errors!!
Microsoft Office
Damn–and I just dropped $7 on AppDelete. Should I AppZapp AppDelete? For a free license? Why not!
Defcon Screensaver. Doesn´t work on 10.6 anymoree :/
But the Zapping Sound is cool! Desintegrate!!!
The first app I zapped on my fresh 10.6 upgrade was Newsnetwire (because I bought a Socialite…)
I zapped 5 Adobe apps including Photoshop and Dreamweaver.
And it felt good.
The rest to follow.
I see what you mean about it being a little pointless, I’m also thinking it could be a fun way to go through apps and get rid of the chaff. It is pretty satisfying – normally I would kill sound effects and stuff, but for its once in a while-ness I would leave them on. A $5 price point would probably be a little more… app-ed.
(See what i did there?)
I zapped Adobe Bridge. Never use it.
Apple’s Chess. Don’t know how to play )
The first app I zapped was Microsoft Messenger. The reason? Well, I don’t really want to use Microsoft products on my Mac, what’s the point? Since then I’ve zapped many an application, mainly as I review apps.
Using a freeware app like AppZapper is ok, but I really need the fuctionality which AppZapper contains.
I zapped AppCleaner hahah. Thanks for holding the giveaway!
I just zapped my boss! ahahah
Seriously, zapped Beak
Socialite was the first app I zapped. It just doesn’t do it for me, all the buzz had me excited but meh! Next up: All the trials I have installed!
Much improved over old version. Zapped Quciken for MAC 2007. A total dud….
I zapped Facebook Sync and app that sync’s your Address Book contacts with Facebook, but since Facebook for iPhone [3.1] has this now I dont need it!
Say… I should have added this bit to the review… but it would have been nice to zap iPhone apps from iTunes as well now wouldn’t it?
The first thing I zapped was Twitteriffic, who needs that when you have Tweetie?
Just zapped Firefox… Safari’s been a lot kinder and has recently become my browser of choice.
I zapped the Amazon MP3 downloader, as well as a bunch of other big name applications. Indie software is just so much better. AppZapper performs very well.
I zapped Socialite. Doesn’t cut it for me.
I zapped all my MacHeist junk and clutter. Zaaaaaapppppp!
Well. I’m still on Leopard so I can’t try out Appzapper 2 but I downloaded Appzapper 1.8 and I’m really digging it. The ability to know when was the app last used is really awesome. I zapped The Hit List as I haven’t used it for months since I got Things.
First app I despised and zapped for being totally un-Mac-like was Office 2008. I zapped, but didn’t worked too well.
I never really zapped an app before but I will zapp AppCleaner, if I get a license
I zapped my AppDelete for a chance at AppZapper!! ZAP!
I would delete CS3, I’m now using both CS3 and CS4 and it’s too much for my MacBook (a)
And off course as everybody else, I’d delete Office 2008, cause by dragging it to the trashcan doesn’t make my Mac Microsoft-free…
Zapped Parallels
“The few files that an application leaves behind are of absolutely no consequence, so why bother spending cash on an extra app, when you can merely drag something to the trash?”
This statement only works if you substitute “application” for “well behaved application which leaves files in well defined standard locations”.
Few and far between are such applications these days. OS X *does* need an uninstaller and for me at least, AppZapper is that uninstaller. I acquired it via one of the MacHeist bundles and it’s been invaluable and frequently used ever since.
@Gary Gale: Why are those little files left about here and there bothering you? Considering we review so many apps, including unstable betas and whatnot, I still haven’t run into an application that has caused trouble because of some little crud it left behind. Perhaps you could highlight some particular troublemaker apps that I could try trashing out?
I’ll use it for AppCleaner
I’ll “appzap” Gruml… as I just got far too used to checking for new Smoking Apples articles through Google Reader.
I zapped Norton Utilities… forgot which version…. good riddance!
Zapp Socialite, what a mess!
Zapp Facebook Notifications… for more concentrated work!
Just zapped the Socialite app !
AppCleaner haha
zapped trine
Camino
The first app I zapped was Adobe Illustrator!!!!
QuickSilver was zapped to oblivion. Other than the cool-looking splash screen, it’s largely fluff.
AppCleaner does exactly the same thing that AppZapper does. For free.
’Nuff said.
Addendum: And the interface is also really well-designed (even if it lacks some of the superfluous effects).
Postscript: My name need not be entered into the giveaway.
Office for Mac zapped. It just doesn’t do it for me. Let my husband have the license, now he can fight with it, lol.
Zapped good ol’ Google Quick Search Box.
I zapped my Palm files now that I’m using an iPod Touch as my PDA.
@Milind Alvares Because it’s not always “little files” that get left behind. Some of the larger suites (Adobe, Office and so on) leave massive files behind if not uninstalled properly. An old kernel extension, no longer fully compatible with the current OS version can cause instability. And so on and so on.
If (and that’s a big if) all apps were well behaved then an uninstaller wouldn’t be needed. But they’re not and well behaved apps are getting fewer and farther between the more popular the Mac becomes.
Winners of giveaway: Bruno Moniz, Phillip Hess, @matthewskiles. Keep an eye out for an email from us.
Cool! Thanks very much!
@Milind Alvares – Just thought I’d ask, when you are planning on emailing the license codes?
Thanks,
Matt
Holy mo—totally forgot about this one! Thanks for reminding. Will happen soon.