I became interested in software utilities in the last century, when nifty and buggy programs could be downloaded from computer bulletin boards. If I liked the software, called shareware, I was honor-bound to pay the author his fee. If not, I'd delete the software that resided on a floppy disk. A shareware developer once told me that there wasn't much honor among thieves.
Thirty-five years later, I'm still hooked on utility programs like the ones in Parallels Toolbox. Parallels, famous for software that runs Windows alongside the Mac OS, has taken just about all the useful utilities and put them in one place. I can now archive files I don't use much anymore, and then unarchive them. If I'm making a presentation, popups don't appear on my screen. I often forget how to take a screen shot of my monitor or even a window shot � there are utilities for those, too.
If I'm making a presentation that requires recording my screen, no sweat. There are utilities for putting the PC or Mac to sleep, a timer that can be set for beddy-bye and one that will keep the PC awake all night without ever going into sleep mode. This parallels the experiences of new parents.
In its latest version, for both Windows and Macs, Parallels Toolbox has grown in scope and simplicity. Their titles (archive, for example) are self-explanatory, and their execution is much simpler than similar shareware programs of decades past. There's an app, or utility, that will free-up memory, similar to shareware ones that typically messed up memory functions in DOS (Disk Operating System) or the early days of Windows.
I recall one poorly written bit of shareware that uninstalled software and in the process corrupted DOS 2.11. The uninstall app in Toolbox for Mac takes a gentler, more efficient approach.
There's more in Toolbox: Duplicate File Finder and an app for downloading video from YouTube and Facebook. If you suspect that Big Brother is watching you through the Mac or PC camera, there's an app for blocking the camera, too.
Unlike its shareware counterparts, there's a "clean drive" program that gives users a fighting chance to choose which programs to delete permanently and which to keep. There's even an "airplane mode" in the Mac version that turns off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
There are several versions of Parallels Toolbox, including the Teams version for $80 a year; a screen and video version for visual content for $10; a collection for students, teachers and small business owners and others for $10; and a collection of the dozens of apps for $20 a year. The latter strikes me as a bargain, and, unlike shareware, all the apps work as advertised.
To try before you buy, go www.parallels.com.
