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App Recap: Views 4, CleanMyMac X, MacTracker and Major App Updates

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In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted two new apps that are worth checking out. We've also compiled a list of apps that received major updates this week.

Views-4-App-Recap-Week-3-e1588469070888.jpg

New Apps

  • Views 4 ($4.99) - Views 4 is a news and podcasts app that presents content tailored to the interests of the user. Upon downloading the app, users are presented with a series of screens that allow for the selection of popular interests, fonts for an optimal reading experience, and six color themes that can be used around the app. The app's easy to navigate interface is complemented with the integration of Haptic Touch when tabs and in article arrows are tapped. Aside from the ability to read articles from a personalized feed, Views also allows users to search, favorite, and download podcasts directly. The podcast interface is simple and even allows users to set a sleep timer. Views 4 is one of the latest apps to take advantage of Apple's universal purchases feature, so buying the app once will allow you to have access to it across all of your devices.
  • CleanMyMac X (Free) - Popular desktop cleaner app CleanMyMac X this week made its debut on the Mac App Store. Previously, the only way to use the software was to download it directly from its website. It is worth pointing out that the Mac App Store version of CleanMyMac X does not have all of the features available from the version available directly on its website. The Photo Junk, Shredder, Updater, and Maintenance features are only available from the website version of the app. Although the app is free to download, a yearly subscription fee of $34.99 is required to get access to all of the app's features.

App Updates

  • Apple Support - The Apple Support app was revamped this week with a new customized user interface with support for Dark Mode, guided step-by-step troubleshooting, new and improved chat and call experiences, and more.
  • Mactracker - Mactracker is an app that provides detailed information on every Mac, iPod, iPad, and iPhone ever made. The app also details specific information about each product such as processor speed, memory, graphic cards, price, and more. There's also a tab that allows users to obtain information about every software version issued by Apple for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and more. Mactracker received an update this week with the addition of Apple's new Magic Keyboard, an updated support status for Apple's vintage and obsolete products, new GeekBench 5 performance scores, and general bug fixes.
  • Pandora - Pandora this week updated its Apple Watch app with Siri support. Siri can now be used to play stations, songs, albums, and podcasts. The app also now allows asking Siri to dislike or like a song to help in tailoring songs to the likes of the user. Pandora has also updated its iOS app with a new Shuffle Stations feature, a more personalized discovery for better music recommendations, and more.
  • Ulysses - Popular writing app Ulysses was updated this week to add native support for Apple's iPad trackpad and mouse support which was first introduced in iOS 13.4. Along with the ability to embed external folders from the Files app and edit the contained files with Ulysses 19, the app has introduced several other new features that are worth checking out.


Article Link: App Recap: Views 4, CleanMyMac X, MacTracker and Major App Updates
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/05/03/views-cleanmymac-mactracker/
ct2k7 said:
Why is everything going subscription?
Click to expand...

It's easier for devs to work out our user base and develop new features quicker. Instead of a new feature being bundled up with a dozen more and sold as an upgrade, we can now release things as and when they are ready. New OS releases are now continuously catered for, you don't have to buy a new version just because some API we relied on is missing on your version.
 
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Cleanmy bs. Just use onyx.
[automerge]1588534331[/automerge]
ruka.snow said:
It's easier for devs to work out our user base and develop new features quicker. Instead of a new feature being bundled up with a dozen more and sold as an upgrade, we can now release things as and when they are ready. New OS releases are now continuously catered for, you don't have to buy a new version just because some API we relied on is missing on your version.
Click to expand...
Subscription does not guarantee anything that’s the problem. There are already apps that went belly up. **** value is **** value however you spin it.
 
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Bought some pro apps later devs changes to subscription by releasing new app removes pro app I bought from AppStore. I don’t by apps anymore. Devs need to get a real job stop gaming people with subscription. Not all devs are same just some greedy.
 
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ganja24 said:
Bought some pro apps later devs changes to subscription by releasing new app removes pro app I bought from AppStore. I don’t by apps anymore. Devs need to get a real job stop gaming people with subscription. Not all devs are same just some greedy.
Click to expand...
Define real job? If all devs get these real jobs, who will be developing?
 
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ct2k7 said:
Why is everything going subscription?
Click to expand...

Because the vendors love it. Nothing better than a steady income stream. The trouble is, they don't deserve a steady income stream in many cases. The should fix their damned bugs free of charge. If they create something new, an updated version, great, I'll think about whether or not it's worth buying.

I am irked by the bothersome adverts for Apple Arcade, which is subscription only. I'm not even going to try the free trial period because subscriptions annoy me so much. If I like a game I will pay for it. If I *really* like a game, it's not something that could be played in a few days in an 'arcade'. My life is too short to play games all day.

I did take the free year of Apple TV+ courtesy of a newly purchased device, but there's no way I will renew it in a year's time.

I don't subscribe to Apple Music. I've bought plenty of my favourite albums on iTunes. I'll keep it that way.

I don't subscribe to apps.

I don't subscribe to a 'phone plan' that includes a phone. I buy the phone outright and get a SIM separately.

When I look at my bank statement each month, I don't see any annoying subscription charges. That's the way I want to keep things.
 
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Way too many apps get abandoned, don’t get bug fixes, devs change terms ... buy a premium app that is supposedly a perpetual license, only to see it abandoned after v2 and come out with a separate app for v3 ... next they’ll have v4 with monthly subscription?
 
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!!! said:
Mactracker still hasn't been updated for the iOS version. Odd, considering how the Mac update was already released.
Click to expand...
The Mac app has only recently been updated. This app (Mac and iOS) used to great and quickly updated, but not any more. A real shame.
 
CleanMyMac provided me discount but I read throughout the Internet it is BS and not useful in a way the user wants: it can remove some junk, but not more than that. If the Mac is slow it will remain slow.
What do you think? Does it worth trying??
 
I use CleanMyMac X and have been generally happy with the app for the many years I’ve used it and earlier versions. It includes a handful of features that others have suggested are offered by free or cheap alternatives. I’ve used Onyx, but I’m not convinced its cleaning function works as comprehensively. For app removal (and associated files), you can use the free AppCleaner, but it’s nice that the uninstaller is built into CMM. For a tool I run about once a week and helps avoid unnecessary bloat, it’s been worth it.

All that said, I too bristle at adding another subscription service - especially on an app-by-app basis. I abandoned 1Password when it went that route. Unfortunately, the alternative I went with, Enpass, has also now gone subscription-only. I got grandfathered in with a ‘free’ lifetime subscription for being an early adopter, but don’t feel good about it. I also gave up the Adobe Creative Suite for Apple’s Pro Apps because of the subscription model. It’s a real shame these companies have arrived at the conclusion that subscriptions are the only viable solution for their survival. It’s such a pain to keep track of subscriptions as an end-user, and when the chips are down (for instance, during a global pandemic accompanied by job insecurity), these subscriptions are the first to go.

All of that said, it’s worth noting that you can still get a one-time purchase of CleanMyMac from the MacPaw website. It’s more expensive and probably means you will have to pay for the upgrade when a major update comes around, but it’s still my preferred way of paying and I’m glad the option is there. So many other developers should follow suit.
 
Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t CleanMyMacX considered Malware/Grayware for a long time? Why are we promoting it’s use? They’re a highly abusive company when it comes to sharing data and charging customers for “essential software repairs” that they had to remove just to be on the App Store. Macrumors promoting Malware. How the mighty have fallen.
 
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mac1984user said:
I use CleanMyMac X and have been generally happy with the app for the many years I’ve used it and earlier versions. It includes a handful of features that others have suggested are offered by free or cheap alternatives.

...

All that said, I too bristle at adding another subscription service - especially on an app-by-app basis. I abandoned 1Password when it went that route. Unfortunately, the alternative I went with, Enpass, has also now gone subscription-only. I got grandfathered in with a ‘free’ lifetime subscription for being an early adopter, but don’t feel good about it. I also gave up the Adobe Creative Suite for Apple’s Pro Apps because of the subscription model. It’s a real shame these companies have arrived at the conclusion that subscriptions are the only viable solution for their survival. It’s such a pain to keep track of subscriptions as an end-user, and when the chips are down (for instance, during a global pandemic accompanied by job insecurity), these subscriptions are the first to go.

...
Click to expand...

I agree that CleanMyMac X has some nice features that warrant consideration over other similar apps.

I too cringe at all of the subscription services and apps these days. It is just too easy to end up dropping hundreds of dollars every month on streaming music, cable TV, XM Radio, iCloud, Amazon subscription, O365, Adobe CS, ...

As for a password management app, Myki is a stellar one that I highly recommend. It is free and available on numerous platforms (Android, IOS, macOS, Linux and Windows). There is a $10 on-time upgrade fee if you want extra features like creating folders.
 
varsity said:
Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t CleanMyMacX considered Malware/Grayware for a long time? Why are we promoting it’s use? They’re a highly abusive company when it comes to sharing data and charging customers for “essential software repairs” that they had to remove just to be on the App Store. Macrumors promoting Malware. How the mighty have fallen.
Click to expand...
Because these creatures love money more than anything else.
 
edubfromktown said:
As for a password management app, Myki is a stellar one that I highly recommend. It is free and available on numerous platforms (Android, IOS, macOS, Linux and Windows). There is a $10 on-time upgrade fee if you want extra features like creating folders.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll have a look into Myki as an alternative to Enpass (despite having that grandfathered lifetime sub) as I want to support devs offering something other than a subscription model.
 
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