Firstly, Suitcase Fusion 2 doesn’t ‘imported all the fonts and placed them under “System Fonts”.’ It simply shows a list of all the fonts you have installed in your OSX system font folders. Whilst in the system folders you can only deactivate/reactivate them. The way SF2 works, is that you build your own library/database of fonts within SF2, separate to the system fonts. You can create multiple libraries to keep certain fonts away from others if you need to.

Secondly, it’s not true that “There also isn’t any feature like Application sets, or any monitor for font requests—nothing.”. Suitcase Fusion 2 has a feature called ‘Global auto-activation’. You can add any application to a list that Suitcase Fusion 2 will then monitor for font calls to the system, and it will then automatically activate requested fonts, from your library(s). You choose which applications are monitored, and it all just happens in the background (assuming you have the needed font available!). Check your Preferences window for this feature.

The review of SF2 is missing some of the other features that are highlighted for the other apps, such as printing, our unique floating previews, and the glyph viewer. We also have our unique patented FontSense, font identification technology, for when you want 100% accuracy in your auto-activation but maybe have duplicate versions of fonts in your collection. Some of the other applications just work off the postscript name alone to identify a font and struggle to correctly manage duplicates therefore. So that’s some of what you’d be paying $100 for!

To Paul – it sounds like you’re running the Universal Type Server 1 Lite? Not the Professional version, which would be why you didn’t get a free upgrade to version 2, since the Lite version skips on the Maintenance agreement, but is a cheaper purchase as a result. For comparison though, a 10-machine upgrade for Suitcase Fusion 2 would be around AUS$750, thus AUS$1,099 for a Server with 10 Client upgrades seems reasonable to me given the additional benefits of Client/Server font management.

Regards support, there’s a difference between development and support. Universal Type Server 1 is still fully ‘supported’, for customers with issues, but is no longer under active ‘development’ since the launch of UTS 2 in June 2009. Snow Leopard was launched in August 2009 and consequently only the latest product version has been updated for compatibility.

Regards,
Chris Stevens,
Extensis Technical Support – UK.

It is possible that the fonts that you are trying to preview have some file corruption. Your purchase of Suitcase Fusion includes a copy of Font Doctor, which you can use to check the file. If the font is unable to be repaired, replace the version on your machine with a fresh copy from disc.

This is most likely the cause of your issues. If you are still having problems, please contact our tech support team. It’s free.

http://www.extensis.com/support

Regards,

Jim Kidwell

So I bought UTS 1 in March this year, for AU$2499 but of course now Extensis do not support it, so I have to upgrade to version 2 for Snow Leopard support.

Can you explain that Jim? Why are you not supporting something you sold to me this year?

So to get Snow Leopard support Extensis have quoted me… ready for this… AU$$1,099

There is an upgrade path for Universal Type Server version 1 customers, so you need not purchase the entire product again.

If you have an annual service agreement, you get Universal Type Server 2 for free. If not, the upgrade is provided at a discounted price. Please contact our customer service department for details. http://www.extensis.com/support/

Jim Kidwell
Extensis