Utility program MainMenu hits version 3, adds overlay menu
updated 06:05 pm EDT, Thu April 14, 2011
Also offers custom tasks, desktop archiving, more
Popular system-maintenance utility MainMenu has been updated to version 3, bringing with it a new overlay-style menu for quick task access from a configurable global hot key. The update also features customizable user-defined tasks, and a new "archive desktop" function to keep the desktop clean yet organize the files that tend to end up there. The program is now also available on the Mac App Store.
The program is offered in two versions, a regular and pro edition. Both versions do routine tasks such as cleaning cache files, locating large files for quick disk cleanup, change the screenshot file format, vacuum Apple's Mail index, rebuild Launch Services and other tasks like offering secure erasing of free space, secure deletion of files and removing .DS_Store files.
All of these functions are actually part of OS X itself, but are often accessed through obscure Terminal commands or are just less handy to get to for most users. In addition, the program now has a task queue for running multiple sequential tasks, similar to AppleJack but in a GUI environment.
The pro version adds maintenance functions such as repairing disk permissions, flushing the DNS cache, removing corrupt preferences, rebuilding the Spotlight index, cleaning logs and optionally disabling Dashboard. The price difference between the regular and pro versions is slight ($15 versus $19) but due to Apple requirements only the regular version is available in the Mac App Store. The company recommends that users upgrading from version 2 go for the pro version, which is available on their website.
Both versions now require Mac OS X 10.6 and thus an Intel Mac. The company still offers MainMenu v2 for users on older systems. A 14-day free trial version of either edition and a comparison chart of regular versus pro features is available from company's website.
