What Is The Best Processor For The Mac G5

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Apple switched to Intel processors in 2006 – any Mac from before then uses the PowerPC platform. For a while Mac software was designed to work on both types of computers, but those days are for the most part gone. Is the CPU on the Power Mac G5 upgradable? How is it mounted? Unfortunately, no. The processor, or processors, in the Power Macintosh G5 models cannot be upgraded. The processors in all models are mounted on a custom daughtercard with a 300-pin connector. Although this daughtercard does not contain the ROM, it appears that the processor is.

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It can’t be the Good, the Better, or the Best model, so just where does the new $1,499 Power Mac G5 fit into Apple’s pro desktop lineup? Slowest is one way to describe it. Cheapest is the other.

Unlike its siblings in the current Power Mac family, the new model has only a single processor—a 1.8GHz G5. Its frontside bus—the channel connecting the CPU to the rest of the system—operates at one-third the clock speed of the processor (600MHz). By contrast, the current dual-processor Power Macs have frontside buses running at half the processor’s speed (900MHz, 1GHz, or 1.25 GHz).

Not surprisingly, therefore, the new machine’s speed scores lag well behind the other Power Macs’. On some tasks, particularly with applications optimized for dual processors, the difference is dramatic: rendering video with Maxon’s Cinema 4D XL or encoding into MPEG-2 format with Apple’s Compressor takes twice as long on the new machine as it does on the next model up. Overall, on Macworld’ s SpeedMark 3.3 benchmark suite, the new Power Mac barely beat out its iMac G5 cousin.

Benchmarks

Speedmark 3.3	Adobe Photoshop 8.0	Cinema 4D XL 8.5	Compressor	iMovie 4.0.1	iTunes 4.6	Unreal Tournament
OVERALL SCORE	SUITE	RENDER	MPEG-2 ENCODE	RENDER	MP3 ENCODE	AVERAGE FRAME RATE
Power Mac G5/1.8GHz	165	1:52	3:05	10:18	:45	1:56	39.4
20-inch iMac G5/1.8GHz	163	1:51	3:02	10:05	:39	1:53	33.6
Power Mac G5/dual-1.8GHz	194	1:29	1:32	5:03	:41	1:17	32.6
Power Mac G5/1.8GHz (previous)*	169	1:48	3:00	7:16	:43	1:54	39.7
>Better	<Better	<Better	<Better	<Better	<Better	>Better

BEST RESULTS IN BOLD. REFERENCE SYSTEMS IN ITALICS . *With 80GB hard drive and graphics card from new 600MHz bus, 1.8GHz single-processor Power Mac installed.

Speedmark 3.3 scores are relative to those of a 1GHz eMac G4, which is assigned a score of 100. Cinema 4D XL, Compressor, iMovie, iTunes, and Photoshop scores are in minutes:seconds. All systems were running Mac OS X 10.3.5 with 512MB of RAM installed. We used iMovie to export a movie that was 1 minute and 40 seconds long to QuickTime: Email. We tested MP3 encoding with an audio CD track that was 45 minutes long, converting it from the hard drive using iTunes’ High Quality setting. The Photoshop Suite test is a set of 14 scripted tasks using a 50MB file. Photoshop’s memory was set to 75 percent and History was set to Minimum. We used Unreal Tournament’s Antalus Botmatch average-frames-per-second score; we tested at a resolution of 1,024 by 768 pixels. We used Compressor’s Fast Encode preset. For more information on Speedmark 3.3, visit www.macworld.com/speedmark .—Macworld Lab testing by Jeffy K. Milstead and Jim Galbraith

In other respects, the new model is similar to what used to be the low end of the Power Mac line, the $1,999 dual 1.8GHz version. That means you get many of the advanced technologies common across the Power Mac G5 family, including FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, an AGP 8x Pro graphics slot, and an 8x SuperDrive (CD and DVD burner).

But you also have to settle for some technological limitations and somewhat modest standard specs: an inadequate 256MB of memory, expandable to only 4GB (half the capacity of the higher-end Power Macs); an 80GB hard drive; a decent but unexciting video card (the Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64MB of dedicated RAM); and three expansion slots of the PCI variety, rather than the faster PCI-X slots used in the higher-end models.

Macworld’s Buying Advice

If you’re a graphics or video professional, or anyone who does computation-intensive work, the new Power Mac isn’t for you—we strongly suggest that you opt for one of the dual-processor models, even if that means putting off your purchase until you can save up the price difference. Those who need an expandable desktop system but don’t require maximum performance—they’re looking for a file server, perhaps, or a multimonitor instrument-control station—may see the latest Power Mac as an attractive bargain. For more information, see Macworld ’s Apple Hardware Guide summary.

[ Information about the Power Mac’s frontside bus in this article has been edited to correct a misinterpretation of Apple’s technical specs.—Ed. ]

What Is The Best Processor For A Laptop

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Best Vpn For Iphone And Mac

• Best Vpn For Iphone And Mac
• Best Vpn For Iphone In China Free

ExpressVPN is our top choice for the best all-round VPN on the Mac. The firm's dedicated app is intuitive and very user-friendly, featuring a one-click option for connecting, as well as some. Best VPN for MAC VyprVPN supports multiple VPN protocols to ensure proper encryption. It lets you choose your preferred level of encryption, speed, and protection with OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP, and Chameleon protocols. The Best Mac VPNs of 2018 A virtual private network, or VPN, is one of the best and simplest ways to take control of your privacy online. We did the tests, and these are the best VPNs for your Mac.

You Need an iPhone VPN

While iPhone security may not be perfect, its failings lie more in the realm of spending so much on security that the price becomes unreasonable. You don't have the malware ecosystem that lives to feast on Android devices. And once you've got an iPhone in your hand, the price you paid is no longer relevant. You've got some darn good protection! That is, until your data leaves Apple's walled garden and head for the wilds of the internet. To keep your data protected in transit, you need a VPN, or virtual private network. With a VPN's protection, nobody can see or tweak your network traffic, not even the network's owner. VPNs have other benefits too, so get busy and install one on your iPhone, and your other devices.

It's true that modern cellular communication is thoroughly encrypted, not easily tapped unless you have access to police-level tools like the Stingray device, or data dumps from cell towers. Oh, it's possible for bad actors to jam the secure 4G and 3G channels, forcing nearby phones to connect via insecure 2G to a briefcase-sized cell tower called a femtocell. In that scenario, the attacker has full access to all communication. But the likelihood you'll suffer such an attack is vanishingly small.

The real day-to-day problem is Wi-Fi. When you connect to the free Wi-Fi at the public library, airport, coffee shop, grocery, or wherever, your security is in the hands of the hotspot owner. A crooked network owner can sift through all your communications, hoovering up credit card numbers, passwords, and more. Other users of a nonsecured network can also find ways to track your network traffic, if they're clever. Even your own ISP can now aggregate and sell nonpersonal information, thanks to the current administration's steady dismantling of online security. It's a jungle out there!

It gets worse. Once you've connected with a hotspot, your iPhone's default behavior is to connect with that same hotspot automatically next time it comes in range. However, there's no verification other than the SSID (network name) of the hotspot, and your iPhone broadcasts the names it's looking for. It's easy for bad guys to obtain a portable hotspot that listens for those broadcast queries and mimics every network name requested by nearby devices.

Best Vpn For Iphone And Mac

Note that the same dangers apply to that lightweight MacBook you're carrying around. When you're connected to Wi-Fi, you're vulnerable. Be sure to install a Mac VPN before you head for the coffee shop.

Encryption and Location Spoofing

When your VPN is active, all your network traffic, whether from browsers, apps, or iOS itself, gets encrypted before it leaves your phone. This encrypted data stream travels to a server owned by the VPN company, where it's decrypted and sent on its way.

Encrypted web traffic isn't the only reason you need a VPN. With a direct, no-VPN connection to a website, your IP address not only identifies you to that site, but it also identifies your geographic location. Ad-trackers, snoops, and government agencies can use that IP address to track what you do online. When you're using a VPN, however, the IP address that others see is that of the VPN company, not your own.

The best VPN companies maintain servers all over the world. On one hand, that means that when you're traveling you can find a nearby server, and nearby typically means faster. On the other hand, you can spoof your location by choosing a server in a faraway country. Try doing that and visiting the Google website; you'll find that it comes up in the language of your apparent location. Journalists embedded in repressive countries and political activists working against those repressive regimes have long relied on VPNs to communicate safely with the outside world. Of course, you may be breaking local laws just by using a VPN. For example, Russia has banned the use of VPNs, claiming a need to block terrorist activities.

Russia's not alone. China banned the use of VPNs last year, though some still manage to connect. China's internet censors have displayed their power by blocking use of the letter N. The big Chinese ISPs have been tasked with blocking unauthorized VPN use, while letting businesses continue to use their internal VPNs.

It's not uncommon for online streaming services to offer content in one region, but not another. Offerings from Netflix and Hulu differ by country. Brits can watch BBC shows for free, while the same shows require a subscription in the US. Spoofing your location with a VPN can get you access to shows not normally available to you. But take care: Location spoofing may violate your terms of service. In addition, companies like Netflix are cracking down on VPN users. More often than not, streaming isn't an option when your VPN is running.

Despite Wi-Fi and cellular security issues, privacy concerns, and the other potential benefits of location spoofing, too few people protect themselves and their traffic with a VPN. In fact, in our recent survey on VPN usage, 71 percent of respondents had never used a VPN. If you fall into that group, don't worry! We've got a whole feature on how to set up and use a VPN.

What an iPhone VPN Can't Do

The connection from your device to a VPN server is totally secure, but the same can't always be said of the connection from the VPN server to the website you're visiting. If it's a plain old HTTP website, the back-and-forth between the site and the VPN server isn't protected, and might conceivably be intercepted. If the site uses secure HTTPS, on the other hand, your interaction is encrypted from end to end.

Even with no VPN, your connection to a site that uses HTTPS, as Google wants every site to do, is encrypted. Of course, that HTTPS connection does nothing to hide your IP address. For the best security, use your VPN and also connect using HTTPS whenever it's available.

While the data going to and from your VPN server is encrypted, using a VPN doesn't get you the level of anonymity obtained by connecting through the TOR network, nor the concomitant ability to dive into the scary depths of the Dark Web. On the plus side, some VPN services include TOR-specific servers as an option.

It's true that iPhone users have less to worry about when it comes to malware (but don't get too complacent). However, you can still be duped by a phishing website into giving up your security credentials. A few iPhone VPNs promise to strip out fraudulent sites, malicious sites, and (in some cases) advertising from the data stream that pours into your iPhone. Just don't rely too strongly on these, as in most cases they do the job using a simple blacklist. Phishing websites come and go ephemerally, and often vanish before they ever get blacklisted.

See How We Test VPNs

Testing iPhone VPN Performance

Best Vpn For Iphone In China Free

Suppose your business involves shipping goods back and forth between City A and City B. If you add a requirement that they go off to City C for a security check in the middle of each run, the trip will naturally take longer. The same is true when you stick a VPN server in the middle of your connection to a website. Things almost always take longer. We have observed a few exceptions, however. The fastest VPNs running on Windows make downloads faster, probably due to their own high-speed connections. It's as if the goods shipped from City C went via bullet train instead of slow freight. In our latest iPhone-based testing, just one product seemed to speed up the connection, though the rest didn't slow things as much as in previous testing.

Before starting our VPN speed tests, we disable the cellular data network by putting the phone in airplane mode and then enabling Wi-Fi. The cellular connection isn't as stable, and it's also much more difficult to attack than Wi-Fi, as mentioned earlier. We test all of the products on the same Apple iPhone SE, running the latest version of iOS.

For testing purposes, we use Ookla's internet speed test tool. (Note that PCMag's publisher, Ziff Davis, also owns Ookla). We average a series of tests, discarding the lowest and highest results. Then we immediately enable the VPN, connecting to whatever it recommended as the fastest server, and repeat that test. By comparing averages with and without the VPN active, we derive a score based on the percent change.

Ping latency is the time it takes for your device to query a server and receive a response. If that query must go through the VPN, latency typically increases, sometimes by a little, sometimes by a lot. However, we measure latency in milliseconds. Unless you're playing a fast-paced online game where extra milliseconds of lag can get you fragged, you won't notice a modest increase in latency.

A drag on download speed, on the other hand, will probably draw your attention. If downloading a new app takes twice as long, that's not good. And slow download speeds can cause streaming videos to pause or stutter. Fortunately, few of the iPhone VPNs we've tested had a big impact on download speed. In fact, one of them actually sped up downloads in testing.

When's the last time you uploaded a big file from your smartphone? Right, it's not a common activity. A drag on upload speed due to the VPN isn't likely to bother anybody. In truth, while all the iPhone VPNs we tested had some effect on upload speed, even the worst of them wasn't bad.

For this batch of reviews, we performed all the iPhone speed tests on exactly the same device and network, over the course of just two days, but that doesn't mean we'd get precisely the same results on a different day, nor that you would get the same results on another network. The extremes would probably remain extreme, but other results could well vary. In addition, for most people, speed shouldn't be the only factor in choosing a VPN. A convenient interface, a wide selection of servers, useful advanced features—these are also important considerations.

Can You Trust Your VPN Service?

If you're using a service to route all your internet traffic through its servers, you have to be able to trust the provider. Established security companies, such as F-Secure, may have only recently come to the VPN market. It's easier to trust companies that have been around a little longer, simply because their reputation is likely to be known. But companies and products can change quickly. Today's slow VPN service that won't let you cancel your subscription could be tomorrow's poster child for excellence.

We're not cryptography experts, so we can't verify all of the encryption claims providers make. Instead, we focus on the features provided. Bonus features like ad blocking, firewalls, and kill switches that disconnect you from the web if your VPN connection drops, go a long way toward keeping you safe. We also prefer providers that support OpenVPN, since it's a standard that's known for its speed and reliability. It's also, as the name implies, open source, meaning it benefits from many developers' eyes looking for potential problems.

In evaluating VPNs, we give special attention to the privacy practices of VPN companies and not just the technology they provide. In our testing, we read through the privacy policies and discuss company practices with VPN service representatives. What we look for is a commitment to protect user information, and to take a hands-off approach to gathering user data.

As part of our research, we also make sure to find out where the company is based and under what legal framework it operates. Some countries don't have It's also useful to know under what circumstances a VPN company will hand over information to law enforcement and what information it would have to provide if that should happen.

The best VPN services have a privacy policy that clearly spells out what the service does, what information it collects, and what it does to protect that information. Some companies explain that they collect some information, but don't inform you about how they intend to use that information. Others are more transparent.

While a VPN can protect your privacy online, you might still want to take the additional step of avoiding paying for one using a credit card, for moral or security reasons. Several VPN services now accept anonymous payment methods such Bitcoin, and some even accept retailer gift cards. Both of these transactions is about as close as you can get to paying with cash for something online. That Starbucks gift card may be better spent on secure web browsing than a mediocre-at-best latte.

VPN Features and Extras

The features to look for in a VPN depend on the way you intend to use it. If you never travel abroad and don't feel the need to pretend you're surfing from Amsterdam, the most important features for you are a convenient interface and a big selection of servers in the US. Conversely, if you're a globetrotter with a need for a secure connection from just about anywhere, you'll look for a VPN provider whose server locations cover all the continents.

For those protecting their Windows or macOS desktops with a VPN, the availability of specialized servers for BitTorrent and P2P file sharing may be a deciding factor. However, in our experience, using BitTorrent or P2P on a mobile device is much less common.

Here's a distinction that may matter more to us than to the average user. There are many protocols available to protect a VPN connection, and our favorite at PCMag is OpenVPN. It's open-source, so many experts have vetted its security. It's also fast and effective. And…hardly any iPhone VPNs use it. Why? Because Apple would prefer developers use the default IPSec or IKEv2 protocol, so any app that uses OpenVPN must go through even more vetting than usual.

Finally, there's the bang-for-your-buck factor. While it's possible to get a VPN for free, most free services either put a draconian cap on bandwidth or serve up ads. Prices for the iPhone VPNs we've examined range from less than $7 to more than $12 per month, typically with a discount if you pay for several months or a full year. That subscription lets you install protection on anywhere from two to seven devices. And no, the price and number of devices don't necessarily correlate. One of the most expensive VPNs that we've examined covers just two devices.

Get the Right iPhone VPN

There's little need to go searching the Apple store for an iPhone antivirus utility to go with iOS 11. Malware coders focus on the low-hanging fruit, meaning the relatively insecure Windows and Android operating systems. But using a VPN isn't about protecting your device; it's about protecting your information, and your network connections. You need a VPN no matter what type of device you use. Read our reviews, check our ratings, and select the VPN that's best for you. Once you've chosen a service, be sure to read our guide on how to set up and use a VPN.

Editors' Note: IPVanish is owned by j2 Global, the parent company of PCMag's publisher, Ziff Davis.

Best VPN Apps for iPhone Featured in This Roundup:

• KeepSolid VPN Unlimited (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $9.99
  

  Pros: Inexpensive. Flexible pricing. Supports OpenVPN. Decent speed test results. Personal VPN server, static IP available. Specialized streaming servers.

  Cons: No free version. Small number of servers.

  Bottom Line: With affordable and flexible pricing, an attractive app, solid speed test performance, and advanced features, KeepSolid VPN Unlimited for iPhone has it all.

  Read Review

• NordVPN (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $11.95
  

  Pros: More than 5,100 servers in diverse locations worldwide. Unique, specialized servers. Strong customer privacy stance. Six simultaneous connections. Blocks ads, other web threats.

  Cons: Expensive. Lacks some features of the Windows edition.

  Bottom Line: NordVPN packs an excellent VPN service, the most servers of any VPN service we've seen, and unique features into a reliable and friendly iPhone app, making it a clear Editors' Choice.

  Read Review

• CyberGhost VPN (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $12.99
  

  Pros: Good server distribution. Robust network. Strong privacy policy. Unusual, artistic user interface. Offers seven licenses with a subscription.

  Cons: Expensive. Streaming mode doesn't allow location spoofing. Lacks some of the the Windows edition's features.

  Bottom Line: CyberGhost offers an excellent VPN product with strong, unique features not found elsewhere. It's a worthy choice.

  Read Review

• Golden Frog VyprVPN (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $9.95
  

  Pros: Hundreds of servers available across the globe. Good speed test scores. Clear, informative interface. Advanced features. Allows P2P. Free trial available.

  Cons: Few licenses. No ad blocking. Retains some usage data.

  Bottom Line: Golden Frog VyprVPN offers advanced features, a robust service, and a friendly interface, but it doesn't offer as many licenses per subscription as the competition.

  Read Review

• Hide My Ass VPN (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $11.52
  

  Pros: Hundreds of servers spread around the globe. Purpose-based server selection. Friendly, simple interface. Can change public IP with a tap. Good speed test results.

  Cons: Most servers are virtual. Expensive. No free version. Lacks advanced features. Logs some user data.

  Bottom Line: Hide My Ass VPN has a cheeky name, but its web-traffic protection is no joke. It does log more user info than most, though, and its reliance on virtual servers is concerning.

  Read Review

• IPVanish VPN (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $11.99
  

  Pros: Hundreds of servers around the globe. Allows BitTorrenting. Can set to always use VPN.

  Cons: Unattractive, unwelcoming interface. Some slowdown in VPN speed tests. Relatively expensive.

  Bottom Line: VPN service IPVanish secures your iPhone's web traffic from prying eyes. It's not for newbies, nor is it cheap, but it does pack some powerful features for experienced VPN users.

  Read Review

• Private Internet Access VPN (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $6.95
  

  Pros: Affordable. Thousands of available servers. Ad blocking. Strong stance on customer privacy.

  Cons: Servers available in only a few countries. Unfriendly interface. Slowed uploads in speed tests.

  Bottom Line: The Private Internet Access iPhone app gives you access to a top VPN service, but it's best suited for advanced users.

  Read Review

• PureVPN (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $10.95
  

  Pros: Excellent interface. Good speed test scores. Numerous, geographically diverse servers. Allows P2P and BitTorrent. Gravity and Ozone features protect against malicious and unwanted websites.

  Cons: In testing, Gravity and Ozone did not block porn, phishing, or malware-hosting sites.

  Bottom Line: PureVPN offers servers all over the world. The iPhone app helps you choose servers based on your purpose, and it scores well in our speed tests. However, its security add-ons didn't work in testing.

  Read Review

• TorGuard VPN (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $9.99
  

  Pros: Wide selection of features. Decent speed-test scores. Many servers.

  Cons: Limited, overly simple app. Confusing server information. Does not automatically select fastest or closest server.

  Bottom Line: TorGuard's VPN service is among the most comprehensive in terms of server locations, and it earns decent scores in our speed tests. Its user interface could use an update, though.

  Read Review

• TunnelBear VPN (for iPhone) Review

  
  MSRP: $9.99
  

  Pros: Excellent privacy policies. Pleasing, approachable design. Passed third-party security audit.

  Cons: Lack of geographic diversity in server locations. Lacks specialized servers. Cannot select protocol. Some slowdowns in speed tests.

  Bottom Line: TunnelBear is not only capable, but fun and friendly, and it won't get in your way. It's a good mobile VPN choice for those without much tech knowledge.

  Read Review

Best Remote Access Software For Mac And Pc

Apple Remote Desktop is the best way to manage the Mac computers on your network. Distribute software, provide real-time online help to end users, create detailed software and hardware reports, and automate routine management tasks—all without leaving your desk. Featuring Automator actions and Remote Spotlight search, Apple Remote Desktop makes your job easier than ever.

1. Best Remote Access Software For Mac
2. Remote Access For Mac
3. Software For Mac Free

Apple Remote Desktop is the award-winning OS X desktop management system for software distribution, asset management, and remote assistance. Apple Remote Desktop offers a wide range of high-performance features, including lightning-fast Spotlight searches across multiple systems; more than 40 Automator actions for easy automation of repetitive tasks; and AutoInstall for automatically updating software on mobile systems once they return to the network.

First-class upgrades

Installing software or updates to your network has never been this easy. Take an existing package, from either Apple or a third party, and simply use the Install Package to copy and install on your client computers. And it works with custom install packages as well. Apple Remote Desktop will alert your system’s users to upgrades and even restart machines remotely.

• The free version of this software which supports Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Chrome OS, Android, iOS, Windows App and Blackberry. Allow users to transfer files, video and voice calls, and chat. Both users must have the software installed on their computer or devices.
• We tested remote access software by installing each app or service on four machines: desktops running Windows 10 and Windows 7, a laptop running Windows 7, and a Mac laptop running macOS.

Either it is a Mac or PC you can access all the installed apps and all types of browsers in your remote system. It is the most used application across various platforms. It supports for iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, Windows, Mac and WebOS Tablets and Smartphones.

AutoInstall allows you to stage software on a Task Server, which then takes care of distributing the packages for installation on client computers. You can even set a schedule for installation to occur at a time that is most convenient for your organization. And if a computer is not on the network, the Task Server will keep track and automatically install the package once the system is online.

Automation for your Mac computers

Those time-consuming administrative tasks will become a thing of the past, thanks to Automator actions in Apple Remote Desktop. To use Automator actions, all you need to do is drag and drop the actions to construct a workflow.

More than 40 Automator actions are included with Apple Remote Desktop, which you can apply to set desktop pictures, Finder preferences, Energy Saver preferences, default time zones, and more.

No need to make house calls

The screen-sharing features of Apple Remote Desktop allow you to provide immediate help to remote users, saving time for both of you. Don’t want your admin tasks to be seen? No problem. Turn on Curtain Mode to block the local user’s view of their desktop. This is perfect when you’re updating a public display. You’ll have full control of the system, but your work will be hidden from view.

If you need to move files or folders to a single computer, the easy-to-use Remote Drag and Drop copy function makes the job a snap. You can also copy and paste between local and remote systems — no extra steps necessary.

Reporting for duty

Remote Spotlight search takes advantage of one of the most powerful features of OS X. Now you can perform lightning-fast, user-specified searches on remote client systems. Files from the results can be copied to the administrator system for reporting.

Apple Remote Desktop also makes it easy to compile reports on application usage, history, inventory, and more. Hardware reports gather more than 200 attributes about networked Mac systems, while software reports collect information on 16 file system attributes. Inventory reports can be gathered even from mobile systems not connected to the network, and results are stored in the included SQL database for fast access.

Who Needs Remote Access Software?

Ever been in a meeting in another company's office and realized that the PowerPoint presentation you were planning to dazzle them with is back at home on your computer? Or tried to help your parents, who live halfway across the country, figure out why their computer just won't open a file? These are exactly the scenarios that remote access utilities are made to handle.

Remote access apps let you either access your home or office computer from another location, or allow others to have access to some or all of your files, as if they were actually sitting in front of your PC instead of somewhere else entirely. Some are tailor-made for personal use, while others, with their complex security protocols and granular menus, are better suited for a more corporate environment. Many even let you access a remote PC from your phone or handheld device. Here, we break down exactly what a remote access app does, and why one may make a lot of sense for your increasingly mobile life.

What Is Remote Access Software?

Remote access software lets one computer view or control another computer, not merely across a network, but from anywhere in the world. You might use it to log into your customers' computers and show them how to run a program, or sort out their technical troubles. Or you can even use it to invite friends or clients to view your desktop while you run a demo for them. You can use the screen as a temporary whiteboard, drawing lines and circles that help friends or clients understand what you're doing on your machine or theirs.

Remote access apps also let you transfer files between two machines without using email or file-sharing services. You can use remote access to print a file stored on someone else's machine on a printer connected to your own machine. Your tech-challenged relatives can use remote access software to give you access to their machine so you can repair their mistakes or clear out malware. It's far, far easier to grab the wheel yourself than it is to try and talk someone through the process of troubleshooting their PC. And your high-tech colleagues can use it to collaborate on complex projects in real-time, complete with chat via text or, with some apps, voice.

Not Just for Help Desks

Corporate help desks are major users of remote access software, but these apps can be useful for anyone. I personally use it for three reasons: First, I can give tech support to friends by logging in to their machine, without going out to make a house call. Second, while on the road, I can connect to my home or office machine and find and view an ancient file that I haven't stored on a file-sharing service like Dropbox or Google Drive. Third, I can invite friends or colleagues to join me in editing documents in a more straightforward way, with easier communication than other online collaboration methods, such as the real-time editing features in Office 365 or Google Docs. You may have very different reasons for wanting a remote access than I do, but there's no doubt that they are quite handy.

Best Remote Access Software For Mac

I looked at five remote access apps that work easily between any machines running either Windows or macOS anywhere in the world. In addition to these third-party apps, Microsoft provides its free Microsoft Remote Desktop software that lets you access Windows PCs from other Windows machines, mobile devices, or a Mac, but not from Windows to a Mac. Microsoft's app lets you access any Windows version going back to Windows 7, except for 'Starter' and 'Home' versions, for which you'll need a third-party app. Apple offers its $79.99 Apple Remote Desktop app for accessing other Macs only—but that only connects to Macs running OS X versions 10.8 Mountain Lion or later.

I use Microsoft Remote Desktop from my Mac laptop when I want to run a program on a Windows desktop in another room in the same house, but only a full-fledged third-party remote access app lets me take full control of any machine anywhere—if the machine's owner wants to let me in.

Security Concerns

One of the first questions you may ask yourself when considering using remote access software is whether or not this is secure. If you've been using a PC for a while, you may remember pcAnywhere, which used to be the remote access software that was almost everyone's first choice. Symantec bought pcAnywhere from its original developer and eventually, after some major security breaches, stopped supporting it in 2014 and recommended that customers stop using it.

Some other remote access vendors have reported security breaches, but these seem to have been triggered by users who chose the same passwords for their remote access software that they used at hack websites—always a bad idea. Some remote access apps let you use relatively weak security if you choose, but they all encourage you to choose strong security, and our Editors' Choice products, GoToMyPC and TeamViewer, won't let you make an end-run around their security precautions.

What Remote Access Software Offers

We tested remote access software by installing each app or service on four machines: desktops running Windows 10 and Windows 7, a laptop running Windows 7, and a Mac laptop running macOS. We also installed each vendor's iOS-based mobile-access app for connecting to a Windows or Mac machine, though I wouldn't want to try running my desktop machine from a phone or small-screen tablet unless I were desperate.

All the remote access apps we tested provide the same basic features. They offer remote access to another machine that has the app's server software already installed; remote access can take the form of full control over the other system or mere passive viewing. All feature a shared clipboard (in some cases optional), so that text or images that you copy to the clipboard on one machine can be pasted into the other. All have a text-based chat feature. Each app provides file-transfer features via a standard two-pane file manager interface.

GoToMyPC and LogMeIn add the ability to drag and drop files between the local desktop and the viewer window that displays the desktop of the remote machine, but this feature works only when connecting to and from Windows computers. TeamViewer has a FileBox window into which you can drag files that will be accessible to both machines. LogMeIn, TeamViewer, and VNC Connect include whiteboard features for drawing lines in the viewer. For more on each remote access apps individual features, see the individual reviews, which are linked to below.

Which Remote Access App Fits You Best?

We focused on remote access software designed mostly for one-to-one connections, though it's possible with all these apps for more than one user to log in to a remote machine. If you're looking for advanced conferencing features like a whiteboard, you should probably look elsewhere, though LogMeIn includes a whiteboard feature that makes it work well as a basic collaboration app.

The vendors of some of the remote access apps we tested also offer a specialized video conferencing app that uses an interface similar to the remote access versions. For example, GoToMeeting is a conferencing version of GoToMyPC; Splashtop Business Access offers Splashtop Classroom; and TeamViewer offers Blizz.

Security features differ markedly among these apps. Some make it possible to provide access in a straightforward way if you choose to do so. Others require you type in passwords more than once and provide email verification before you can do anything useful. All let you customize security to varying degrees, and you should take a close look at the options that you'll feel comfortable using.

Remote Access For Mac

If you're a complete hermit who never leaves the room, you don't need remote access software. But if you often find yourself as the de facto IT tech for family and colleagues, or if you need to connect to other computers for your business, or if you need to connect to your own computers while you're on the road, then you'll need remote access software. Check out our reviews to find the one that best suits your needs.

Software For Mac Free

Best Remote Access Software Featured in This Roundup:

• RemotePC Review

  
  MSRP: $6.95
  

  Pros: Effortless, simple interface with a flat learning curve. Fast performance. Easy file transfers between local and remote desktops. Inexpensive.

  Cons: Can't display more than one remote monitor in the same window.

  Bottom Line: RemotePC is one of the best low-frills remote-access apps, offering identical features on PCs and Macs, fast performance, and a minimal, but intuitive, interface.

  Read Review

• TeamViewer Review

  
  MSRP: $50.00
  

  Pros: Comprehensive feature set. Multi-level security. Elegantly designed viewing window. Multi-monitor support. Combines remote access and online meetings in one app. Free version for non-commercial use.

  Cons: Expensive. Some options are difficult to find. Security features can be annoying.

  Bottom Line: TeamViewer combines remote access and shared meeting features in a single secure app, and it hides most of its complexity under an elegant interface. It's our top pick for remote access software for enterprise and corporate use.

  Read Review

• LogMeIn Review

  
  MSRP: $249.99
  

  Pros: Clear, simple interface. Easy access to most features through a web browser. Comes with 1TB of cloud storage for file-sharing or simple storage.

  Cons: Mac version lacks some features. Interface could be more intuitive.

  Bottom Line: LogMeIn is a solid, straightforward remote access and file-sharing software that's suitable for personal or corporate use.

  Read Review

• GoToMyPC Review

  
  MSRP: $12.00
  

  Pros: Straightforward interface. Runs mostly from the browser. Drag-and-drop file transfers. Desktop icons for remote computers. Smooth multi-monitor support. Option for direct connections within a network or across the internet.

  Cons: Distracting testing-server message during computer bootup. Slightly reduced features when using a Mac system.

  Bottom Line: GoToMyPC is a mature, easy-to-use remote access software with the best available balance between features and ease of use. Unless you need support for Linux or enterprise-level operating systems, this is the app you want.

  Read Review

• VNC Connect Review

  
  MSRP: $40.00
  

  Pros: Multi-platform support. Relatively simple interface. Fairly inexpensive subscription plans, including a free plan for personal use.

  Cons: Separate server and viewer apps make setup confusing. No drag-and-drop file transfer between viewer app and desktop. No sending one-time invitation emails from the remote machine.

  Bottom Line: VNC Connect is solid, secure, and simple to use, once you get the hang of it. It has fewer features than other corporate-level remote access software, but it's also a lot less expensive.

  Read Review

• Splashtop Business Access Review

  
  MSRP: $60.00
  

  Pros: Low cost. Easy-to-understand security options. No-password access to a remote session.

  Cons: Minimal feature set. Clunky visual design.

  Bottom Line: Splashtop Business Access is a low-cost alternative to better-designed and more feature-rich remote-access apps.

  Read Review

Best Music Library Software For Mac

1. Best Music Library Software For Windows 10
2. Best Music Library Software For Android
3. Best Music Library Software

All music libraries are different, and the right free music player can help you get the most out of yours – particularly if you have a large collection.

Best Library Management Software Libraries rely on library management systems to manage asset collections as well as relationships with their members. Library management systems help libraries keep track of their documents inventory and loans, and member subscriptions and profiles, sometimes for multiple physical locations. Sibelius is primarily notation software, although you can plug custom synthesis into it. The sounds that come packaged with it are mostly a cheap demo of this capability, and a composition aid for music intended for live performance. I spoke to Ben Westgarth, senior audio software engineer at NCH Software, about the best lossy audio formats for archiving a music collection. He told me there is a contentious debate about the topic among industry professionals and casual users, but there is a clear winner in terms of file size to sound quality ratio.

If you're still using a general purpose media player, you're missing out on a wealth of features that can make organizing, expanding and enjoying your music a breeze.

A clear winner emerged in our tests, but the other four free music players we've put through their paces are all superb in their own right and well worth a look – especially if your music collection is fairly small, or you really need a free player that can handle video as well.

We update this guide frequently so you know you're always getting the latest information and the best advice.

1. MusicBee

Supports huge music libraries

Playback optimization

MusicBee is a free music player created for serious music lovers and includes everything you need to manage and enjoy your collection, no matter how large (it's reportedly handled a library of over 500,000 tracks without a hiccup).

Switching to MusicBee is easy. The first time it runs, the app scans your PC for music and lets you import your files from Windows Media Player or iTunes. Tracks are catalogued, but aren't moved unless you've checked that option under Library Preferences so there'll be no surprises.

Once your songs are imported, tagging them is a piece of cake; hit Shift+Enter to open the tag editor and go to work. MusicBee's automatic tagging is superb, or you can update metadata yourself using industry-standard tags for each file format.

As in Windows Media Player, adding artwork is as simple as copying and pasting, and it isn't limited to the album cover – you can also add pictures of the artist, lead singer, band logo, and photos from live performances. These additional pictures are used throughout the player as navigation aids, and as visualizations while tracks are playing. MusicBee also searches for song lyrics to display as each track plays.

This free music player is designed to make the most of your PC's hardware, including top-end soundcards and surround-sound setups, with upmixing for stereo sound. Continuous playback eliminates silences between tracks (ideal for Pink Floyd fans), and you can choose to add silences or fades, normalize volume, and experiment with the equalizer.

The free music player supports almost every audio format around and converting files is simplicity itself, with presets for different playback devices (though for MP3 encoding you'll need to download the LAME codec).

If all of that isn't enough, there's even an Android app for controlling MusicBee remotely, and support for WinAmp plugins. You won't find a more comprehensive free music player, and although it's not open source, it's completely free to use and tinker with for personal use.

2. AIMP

Manage even the messiest library with superior tagging options

Works with multiple directories

Web interface

Best Music Library Software For Windows 10

Like all the best free music players, AIMP makes organizing your songs a breeze – even if your collection is currently a sprawling mess of tracks in different formats and locations, with incomplete or missing metadata.

Your AIMP library can be built using files from multiple directories and ripped from CDs, with automatic track numbering and tag filling to help you get it in shape.

AIMP supports a huge number of formats, and additional encoders are available as user-created add-ons. Most music player extensions are extra visualizations and skins that, although cool, have little practical use. By contrast, AIMP's plugins include some real gems. Some of the highlights are a YouTube extension that lets you build playlists from multiple videos, an add-on for streaming music from SoundCloud, and an extension for controlling the player remotely.

The app also features some unusual built-in tools, including an alarm clock function that starts playing at a certain time, a wind-down setting that shuts down your PC at the end of a playlist, and a voice remover for making your own karaoke tracks.

It's not as feature-filled as MusicBee, but its thoughtful design and carefully curated feature-set earn this free music player a respectable second place.

3. MediaMonkey

Automatic tagging tools make this a great free player for all media

Finds missing metadata

Some features are paid-only

MediaMonkey plays and organizes both music and video, and unlike some dual-purpose media players, it does an excellent job of both. It identifies tracks with missing metadata and searches for the information online, and like MusicBee, its superb tagging tool lets you tag files using industry-standard formats.

You can also tag music during playback, which is a great option that avoids the need to preview snippets of tracks before labelling them with a mood or genre to generate playlists.

MediaMonkey arranges your music library in a logical hierarchy, and its File Monitor ensures everything is kept up to date as you add, edit and remove files. It works well, but if you want full manual control you'll need a third-party plugin.

As a slightly trimmed-down version of a premium product, MediaMonkey's interface has a little more gloss than its open-source competitors, but at the expense of some features.

The paid-for Gold version includes a party mode that locks the interface to prevent guests messing with your carefully curated playlist, built-in conversion for TVs and mobile devices, and MP3 encoding for ripped CDs. None are essential, but their absence pushes MediaMonkey to third place.

4. foobar2000

A customizable modular player suited to small music collections

Erases duplicated tracks

No real-time updating

foobar2000's advanced tagging tool makes light work of cleaning up a messy library, with options including batch processing, automatic metadata completion and track numbering, and copying and pasting data between fields.

This free music player will look up metadata for untagged tracks when you rip an audio CD, and can identify and erase duplicated tracks. foobar2000's library doesn't update in real time, but it can detect changes and remove dead links.

foobar2000 supports all common audio formats, and includes a Quick Convert tool with various presets and options for creating your own profiles. If you encounter a file that it can't open, extra codecs are available as user-created plugins, which are installed via the Preferences menu.

Rather than flashy skins, foobar2000 features a customizable modular interface that gives you the information you want in a format that's convenient for you. Modules include album art, search box, playlist manager and various visualizations, with optional tabs for easier navigation. Custom layouts can be saved as themes for future use, and you can experiment with different settings using a built-in scratchbox.

All in all, foobar2000 is an extremely lightweight and adaptable option that suits smaller music libraries.

5. VLC Media Player

It's chiefly for video, but VLC is also a superb free music player

Amazing format support

Tagging can be tricky

Open source VLC Media Player is best known for its video-handling chops, but it's also a superb music manager that can play almost any format without installing any additional codecs – and convert between them, too.

VLC can also stream music from a local network or the internet, including internet radio stations, which you can set up as a playlist for quick access.

Managing your music is easy – just drag files and directories into the Media Library, and VLC Media Player will sort them all into folders. You can organize tracks by album, artists, genre of any other metadata, and use the built-in search tool to find the song you want.

Best Music Library Software For Android

VLC also supports extensions. Most of these are designed to optimize video playback, but a few – including ones for silencing ads on internet radio stations – are specifically for music-lovers.

Best Music Library Software

VLC is lightweight and works happily on all versions of Windows from XP onwards. Versions for Mac, Linux, Android and iOS are also available. If you're looking for a single app to handle both music and video then it's hard to beat, but for music alone, the dedicated tools above will serve you better.

Best Quicken Replacement For Mac Sierra

1. Quicken For Mac Support
2. Best Quicken Replacement For Mac
3. Best Quicken Replacement For Mac Sierra

I have fond memories of using Quicken. As crazy as this may sound, Quicken showed me just how powerful computers could be. I was no longer just playing games or a writing programs to count to 100. I was managing my finances on a computer.

(if you own Quicken for Mac, you know this headache first hand) In 2010, Intuit acquired Mint for $170 million. In 2016, Intuit sold Quicken to private equity firm H.I.G. Banktivity is a personal money manager made for Mac users. The newest version, Banktivity 6, is designed specifically for MacOS Sierra. And – like Moneydance – when you turn to Banktivity as a Quicken replacement, you can import your data for a seamless transition.

• Best Video Software for the Mac How To Run MacOS High Sierra or Another OS on Your Mac Best Graphic Design Software the Mac Stay Safe with. And the certificates used with Quicken for Mac 2005.
• Quicken 2007 Mac on Sierra has functioned fine for me. Just recently it crashed with the message 'Quicken 2007 quit unexpectedly'. Going back to a previous file and re-indexing, I could edge it forward - for example downloading transactions, reconciling and printing reports.

There are, however, several great alternatives to Quicken and Mint. We'll look at five of the best replacement options, the first of which is an advertiser on my personal finance blog. It also happens to be my favorite and the one I use every day.

Personal Capital

Personal Capital has become an extremely popular tool to manage money. There are several reasons for this. First, it's free.

Second, Personal Capital's financial dashboard manages every aspect of a person's finances. It tracks cash flow and enables you to see your spending by account and category. Further, it's a great tool to track your investments.

And YNAB follows a very interesting approach to budgeting. The goal is to live off of money you earned the previous month. As a result, you're not living paycheck to paycheck. It may take some time to get there, but I've found YNAB the best tool to support this type of prudent financial management.

Quicken For Mac Support

Banktivity

For those with a Mac looking for software, Banktivity is an excellent choice. Much like Quicken, you can connect bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and even investment accounts. Once connected, Banktivity manages your entire financial life in one place.

I've found connecting accounts to be, while not perfect, workable. I've successfully connected investment accounts from major brokers, a mortgage on an investment property from Chase, and credit cards from Citi, Capital One and other issuers.

What I've found most appealing about Banktivity is that it just works. There is, however, one downside. The cost. The software set me back $64.99, which by itself would be fine. However, if I want to automatically download transactions, I must pay a yearly fee of nearly $45. In the end, the cost was worth it. But it's an important consideration, particularly when tools such as Personal Captial are free.

EveryDollar

For Dave Ramsey fans, EveryDollar is a good option. It is an online budgeting and money management tool. It comes in both a free and paid version. The paid version adds, among other things, online connectivity to your financial institutions.

The budget is broken down into categories, such as housing, transportation, and food. You can customize expense categories. Without the paid version, however, it's an entirely manual process.

For those following Dave's Baby Steps, they are integrated into the budget. For example, save $200 and you'll see Baby Step #1 (save $1,000 for emergencies), increase by $200.

PowerWallet

The last Mint and Quicken alternative on our list is PowerWallet. This online budget tool enables you to link bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and investment accounts. I found the linking process to be smooth, with two exceptions. I was unable to link a retirement account at Fidelity and credit cards from Citi.

PowerWallet uses a cash flow model of budgeting. In the dashboard, it shows your cash inflows, outflows, and what's left. It also highlights your top spending categories. It does use an advertising model for revenue, so be prepared to see some advertisements.

Connectivity

One persistent problem with all personal finance software is issues connecting to financial institutions. I have yet to use one that didn't have at least one or two problems. I've found Personal Capital to be the one tool with the fewest problems. But you should expect to encounter some connectivity issues regardless of which tool you use.

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I have fond memories of using Quicken. As crazy as this may sound, Quicken showed me just how powerful computers could be. I was no longer just playing games or a writing programs to count to 100. I was managing my finances on a computer.

From slide rule to online budget apps. Here are 5 alternatives to Quicken and Mint. (AP Photo)

Mint had a similar effect, only with the Internet. Now no longer tethered to a hard drive, I could manage my finances from any place where I could get an internet connection.

Sadly (or not), both programs have lost a step or two. Quicken is clunky by today's standards. And I've heard multiple complaints about Mint, especially about updating information from financial institutions.

There are, however, several great alternatives to Quicken and Mint. We'll look at five of the best replacement options, the first of which is an advertiser on my personal finance blog. It also happens to be my favorite and the one I use every day.

Personal Capital

Personal Capital has become an extremely popular tool to manage money. There are several reasons for this. First, it's free.

Second, Personal Capital's financial dashboard manages every aspect of a person's finances. It tracks cash flow and enables you to see your spending by account and category. Further, it's a great tool to track your investments.

The results of running Personal Capital's fee analyzer on my 401k.

Rob Berger

It enables you to link all of your investment accounts. Once linked, Personal Capital provides a wealth of information about your portfolio. From asset allocation to investing fees, this tool gives you easy insight into your investment portfolio. This is particularly helpful if you, like me, have multiple retirement and taxable accounts.

Finally, Personal Captial offers a retirement planning tool. You can see if you are on track to retire as planned. It even provides useful data on 529 accounts you may have for your children and tracks the value of real estate.

Best Quicken Replacement For Mac

YNAB

For those focused exclusively on their budget, there's nothing better than YNAB (short for You Need a Budget). I've tried virtually every budgeting tool available, and YNAB is without question the most effective.

It uses a familiar spreadsheet format that's very easy to use. Categories can be assigned to your spending automatically. Once you've used the software for about a month, you'll rarely need to categorize expenses manually.

And YNAB follows a very interesting approach to budgeting. The goal is to live off of money you earned the previous month. As a result, you're not living paycheck to paycheck. It may take some time to get there, but I've found YNAB the best tool to support this type of prudent financial management.

Banktivity

For those with a Mac looking for software, Banktivity is an excellent choice. Much like Quicken, you can connect bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and even investment accounts. Once connected, Banktivity manages your entire financial life in one place.

I've found connecting accounts to be, while not perfect, workable. I've successfully connected investment accounts from major brokers, a mortgage on an investment property from Chase, and credit cards from Citi, Capital One and other issuers.

What I've found most appealing about Banktivity is that it just works. There is, however, one downside. The cost. The software set me back $64.99, which by itself would be fine. However, if I want to automatically download transactions, I must pay a yearly fee of nearly $45. In the end, the cost was worth it. But it's an important consideration, particularly when tools such as Personal Captial are free.

EveryDollar

For Dave Ramsey fans, EveryDollar is a good option. It is an online budgeting and money management tool. It comes in both a free and paid version. The paid version adds, among other things, online connectivity to your financial institutions.

The budget is broken down into categories, such as housing, transportation, and food. You can customize expense categories. Without the paid version, however, it's an entirely manual process.

For those following Dave's Baby Steps, they are integrated into the budget. For example, save $200 and you'll see Baby Step #1 (save $1,000 for emergencies), increase by $200.

Best Quicken Replacement For Mac Sierra

PowerWallet

The last Mint and Quicken alternative on our list is PowerWallet. This online budget tool enables you to link bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and investment accounts. I found the linking process to be smooth, with two exceptions. I was unable to link a retirement account at Fidelity and credit cards from Citi.

PowerWallet uses a cash flow model of budgeting. In the dashboard, it shows your cash inflows, outflows, and what's left. It also highlights your top spending categories. It does use an advertising model for revenue, so be prepared to see some advertisements.

Connectivity

One persistent problem with all personal finance software is issues connecting to financial institutions. I have yet to use one that didn't have at least one or two problems. I've found Personal Capital to be the one tool with the fewest problems. But you should expect to encounter some connectivity issues regardless of which tool you use.

Best Free Orchestral Vst For Mac

• Best Free Orchestral Vst Plugin
• Best Free Orchestral Vsts
• Edirol Orchestral Vst Plugin
• Best Free Orchestral Vst Mac

Below you will find our list of the best free VST plugins for Windows and MAC (AU) released this year (2017), all are available for download free of charge.

You will find many useful plugins, tools and plugin effects released by popular companies or some new debuts.

Let’s start with:

PHASIS FREE Phaser Plugin

by Native Instruments

For Those Who Want an Entire Orchestra: Personal Orchestra 5 This awesome product from Garritan can give you not only a nice sounding violin but also an entire orchestra at your fingertips. Personal Orchestra costs $150 which is a steal for all of the instruments (Including multiple violin variations) you get. Here are 7 free string VST plugins for FL Studio. These free VST plugins can work with other music production software also. Mac, or FL Studio. Free String VST Plugins. DSK Overture. Classic orchestra instruments. Is a full orchestral sample library created using only samples that are in the public domain. Total Composure is the first.

PHASIS is a free phaser effect plugin released these holidays by Native Instruments, the well known audio company. This plugin offers timeless phasing sounds adding soul, movement adding some magic to any sound. You can change the spacing of the phaser’s notches to get some great vocal effects using its Spread control.

Phasis is available for free ion VST, AU, AAX plugin format via Native Instruments Website.

Download Link: Phasis

DSKmusic.com offers best free virtual instruments (VST plugins) for Windows and Mac to make your own music easy!| Best sampled instruments| VST Gratis Free VST instruments and more Free VST VSTi plugins instruments download. Apr 07, 2014  This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

SynthTrack FREE Rhythmic VST Effect

by 2Rule

Best Free Orchestral Vst Plugin

SynthTrack plugin is a free rhythmic effect VST plugin that uses your track audio as the source where you can then apply Filter/Amp ADSR and LFO effects triggered by a 16 step sequencer.

This plugin is great to create chopping effects, rhythmic gated pad sounds and so more. SynthTrack plugin also includes 26 presets from the factory.

Read More: SynthTrack Effect Plugin

VK-1 Viking FREE Synthesizer Plugin

by Blamsoft

Initially launched as a virtual replica of the Moog Voyager in the form of a rack extension for Propellerhead Reason, VK-1 Viking Synthesizer is now also available as a VST plug-in for all DAWs on PC and Mac.

It features Three adjustable wave oscillators, Infinitely adjustable waveform controller, Noise oscillator for three types of noise, Two modulation buses and one LFO, Transistor ladder filter and 228 presets.

Read More: VK-1 Viking Synthesizer

mvMeter FREE Metering VST Plugin

by TBProAudio

MvMeter is free multivariable metering plugin capable to simulate the behavior of conventional level meters such as VU or PPM meters offering several measurement methods such as Peak, RMS, EBU R128.

Read More: mvMeter Metering Plugin

Ozone Imager FREE Stereo Plugin

by iZotope

Ozone Imager is an FREE stereo imaging effect plug-in part of iZotope’s Ozone 8 mastering plugin.

This plugin can narrow or widen your stereo image with simple controls, stunning visuals, and incredible sound. Ozone Imager is available for Windows and MAC ion VST2, VST3, AudioUnit, RTAS plugin format for both Windows and PC.

Download Link: Ozone Imager

MScontrol FREE Mid/Side Plugin

by Tek’it Audio

MScontrol is a professional Mid/Side control plug-in available in VST and AU for Windows and MAC users.

With this utility free plugin, you can encode or decode the Mid/Side stereo signal featuring an “Onboard” mode and Mid-Side gaind and panning control.

Best Free Orchestral Vsts

It supports any sample rate with zero processing latency and comes with 16 pre-made presets for instant use.

Read More: MScontrol Utility Plugin

Rivera FREE VST Plugin

by NuSpace Audio

Edirol Orchestral Vst Plugin

Riviera free plugin is a hybrid algorithmic-convolution reverb effect available for Windows.

Using Riviera you can easily add some spacing effects to your sounds using its algorithmic calculation in conjunction with impulse response technology. In addition, you can control the delay, stretch, and linearity.

Read More: Riviera Reverb Plugin

OSL Chorus Free Chorus Plugin

by Oblivion Soundlab

OSL Chorus is based on the chorus effect module of Roland Juno 60 hardware synthesizer. You can apply the Juno’s effect to any of you favorite software synthesizer.

This effect plugin is available for free and works with any 32 or 64-bit hosts (Windows & MAC).

Read More: OSL Chorus Effect Plugin

N6 Paragraphic FREE Equalizer Plugin

by RAZ Audio

If you’re looking for an equalizer, well, RazAudio offers the N6 free plug-in for anyone looking for an easy-to-use equalizer plugin.

The N6 free EQ plugin is a high precision EQ tool offering standard curve shapes with ±18 dB per band, various shapes like low / high pass, peak, low / high self, zero latency and more cool features.

Download Link: N6 FREE EQ Plug-in

Also see: Best Free EQ Plugins

MAX-1 FREE Auto-Compressor Plugin

by BeatSkillz

MAX-1 by BeatSkillz is a free auto-compressor plugin which also can work as a maximizer effect inside your mix. This plugin is simple to use and does its job very well in any situation.

MAX-1 is available for Windows and MAC in VST, AU, AAX 64-bit/32-bit plugin formats.

Read More: MAX-1 Free Compressor Plugin

Spectrum FREE Plugin

by BEN/SCHULZ

Spectrum is great analyzer plugin developed by Benjamin Schulz. Featuring controllers for block size, refresh rate, max/min dB and an intuitive graph, Spectrum is a great tool to inspect the frequency of your mix.

Read More: Spectrum Free Analyzer Plugin

Loudness FREE Meter Plugin

by Youlean

Loudness Meter free plugin gives you complete details for loudness control.It is known that “Loudness” is a very important aspect for any music producer. Using this plug-in, you’ll be sure that your music will sound as good on any online platform such as Soundcloud, Spotify, Youtube and so on.

Read More: Youlean Loudness Meter Plugin

Best Free Orchestral Vst Mac

FB-3100 FREE Synth Plugin

by Full Bucket Music

FB-3100 free synthesizer plugin emulates the sound of Korg’s PS-3100 polyphonic analog synthesizer.

It features two-pole lowpass filters, band-limited oscillators, resonators section, two modulation generators, sample and hold controls, additional ‘paraphonic’ Envelope, MIDI learn and much more.

FB-3100 is available for free for Windows and MAC.

Read More: FB-3100 Free Synth Plugin

FB-3200 FREE Synthesizer Plugin

by Full Bucket Music

FB-3200 by Full Bucket Music is another free synth software that emulates the sound of Korg PS-3200 vintage analog synthesizer from 1978, available in VST and AU plugin for PC and Mac.

This plugin is very close to the original sound of the 70’s synthesizer including all the controls from the original unit.

It features Band-limited oscillators, classic lowpass filters, Equalizer section, Two Modulation Generators, Sample & Hold, Paraphonic Envelope Generator, MIDI learn and more.

Download Link: FB-3200 Free Synthesizer Plugin

FreeMod FREE VST Effect

by Audiority

FreeMod is the first Audiority free plugin. It’s a free phase free modulation effect capable to twist your sound in unimaginable ways. The modulation source of this plugin is an LFO with 11 different waveforms and a modulating oscillator with 10 waveforms.

FreeMod is available for both Windows and MAC hosted DAWs, being provided in VST, AAX, AU format (32-bit or 64-bit).

Read More: FreeMod Free Effect Plugin

Unlimited FREE Stereo Limiter Plugin

by Sonic Anomaly

Unlimited is a free plugin to control the loudness of your mix with 5.1 support. Unlimited free limiter plugin is great to monitor the signal loudness on the output and makes the right adjustments on your final mix without overload your CPU.

Read More: Unlimited Free Limiter Plugin

HOFA SYSTEM Basic FREE Effect Plugin

by HOFA SYSTEM

HOFA SYSTEM Basic is the free version of the HOFA SYSTEM commercial plugin.

HOFA SYSTEM Basic is a modular effect that lets you add a chain of effects as you want.

It offers 21 modules like the full version but not all the functions.

Read More: HOFA SYSTEM Basic Free Plugin

This is our list of the best free plugins this year. There are definitely many more, so we leave the comments section open to any reader who has any recommendation to complete the list.

Happy Holidays!

Best Apps For Mac Not In The App Store

Apps can transform the way you do anything you’re passionate about, whether that’s creating, learning, playing games, or just getting more done. And the App Store is the best place to discover new apps that let you pursue your passions in ways you never thought possible. How to find the best apps on the Mac App Store. Apple's introduction of App Stores for iOS, the Mac and now the Apple TV, has been a boon for both developers and users.Developers get access to. Top apps for OS X. Mac apps are a great way to get more from your Yosemite toting Macbook AirorMac Mini.TheMac App Store is filled with Mac games and handy apps, both free and paid, that can. There are literally hundreds of thousands of great software programs compatible with MacOS in the App Store — not to mention the thousands more that are scattered across the web.

1. Download App Store For Mac
2. Best Apps For Mac

Download App Store For Mac

You love technology, but not everyone does. For many people computers are confusing, even scary. Malevolent actors know this, and try to deliberately trick people online. From ads that look like download buttons to ransomware pop-ups, the web is full of deception-based design, intended to take advantage of the less technically inclined.

In theory, this is part of why app stores are useful. Users afraid of being scammed on the open web can browse the Mac App Store with confidence, knowing that Apple’s walled garden will protect them.

Except it won’t.

Let’s Try to Buy Excel Together

Try to put yourself into the mental state of a novice computer user. You have a brand new iMac, and you want to edit some Excel spreadsheets. In the dock you find that App Store you’ve heard so much about, so you open it. You find the search bar, then type “Microsoft Excel.”

The top result is something called “Office Bundle,” and costs $30. You click the result to read more.

Look at that! This is the “easiest way to create high-quality Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations.” That’s exactly what you need! Let’s read a little more.

Reading that block of text, what do you suppose this download offers? Go ahead and guess.

Seriously: guess. I’ll wait.

It’s…templates. A $30, 293MB collection of templates, all of which are useless without Microsoft Office.

It’s possible for a collection of templates to be worth $30, and for all I know these are really great. But let’s review:

• This is the top result if you search for “Microsoft Excel.”
• The word “template” is not in the name of the product.
• The word “template” is not in the product’s description.
• The product’s description outlines several functions that are specific to Microsoft Office, and have nothing to do with what customers will acquire by purchasing a collection of templates.
• It’s literally impossible to find this product by searching for “templates.”

It’s easy to see that users could be deceived by this, and it’s hard to imagine that it’s not intentional on the developer’s part. Whatever the intention here, people were deceived:

Let’s be blunt: these customers were ripped off, and Apple pocketed $10 each. And you’ll only see these comments if you scroll past the two five star reviews that mention the word “app” numerous times. Both of those reviews, by the way, were left by accounts that haven’t reviewed any other apps in the Store.

Search for other Office applications and you’ll find more template bundles, disguised as official applications to varying degrees.

There are also several $20+ applications that put Microsoft’s free online version of Office into a dedicated browser. Then there are the actual “apps” capable of opening and editing Office files, many of which use terms like “Microsoft Word” in their names. They appear to be slightly modified versions of open source applications, but we’re not about to buy them to find out.

All of these fakes use Microsoft brands like Office, Word, and Excel in the product names. The logos aren’t one-to-one copies of Microsoft’s official logos, but they’re almost always the correct color and letter (blue “W” for Word, green “E” for Excel, etcetera).

RELATED:Why the Mac App Store Doesn’t Have the Applications You Want

We’ve talked about why the Mac App Store doesn’t have the applications you want, and the Microsoft Office Suite is among the applications you can’t get there. Maybe you already know this, but tell me: why should the average computer user be expected to? Scammy developers know that they can’t be, and are taking advantage of a hole in the market.

With the exception of OneNote and OneDrive, you cannot buy any official Office app from the Mac App Store. You have to purchase it directly from Microsoft, either for $150 or in the form of a yearly Office 365 subscription. (Alternatively, you can use Apple’s iWork suite, which probably came with your Mac, as well as the web version of Microsoft Office online or a free open source alternative like LibreOffice.)

This might seem obvious to you. It isn’t obvious to everyone, and the existence of the Mac App Store full of imitators serves to make this a lot more complicated. The walled garden isn’t protecting everyone.

These Scummy Apps Are All Over the App Store

We’ve focused on Microsoft Office because this is a particularly egregious example. But you don’t have to dig long to find similar problems.

Search for “Indesign” and you won’t find Adobe’s publishing tool, but you will find several bundles of tutorial videos with icons that mimic InDesign’s closely.

It’s not as clear that any of these applications are trying to deceive people, but it’s another case where it’s striking how closely these developers are mimicking official branding.

And other developers seem to be working some dark App Store SEO magic. Search for “Firefox” or “Chrome” and the top application is “Fast Browser,” a $1 app that hasn’t been updated since 2014.

Using this as your browser is a very, very bad idea.

And there’s all sorts of weirdness to be found elsewhere:

• Search for “Adblock” and you’ll get a $2 application completely unaffiliated with the browser plugin with the same name.
• Search for any website—Facebook, Gmail, anything—and you’ll find several dozen “apps” that do nothing more than open a browser window with the appropriate website. (Something that you can do for free with many browsers.)
• Over the summer at least one Mac App Store app installed malware onto users’ Macs.
• The App Store is also full of disk cleaners and memory cleaners, which you absolutely do not need.

We could go on. The point is that the App Store, which is supposed to protect users from deception, doesn’t seem to be doing a great job at that. There’s a lot of nonsense offered inside the walled garden.

Apple Needs to Clean Up the Mac App Store

Last year we outlined how the Windows Store was a cesspool of scams, a problem Microsoft has since been tackling. Apple, for their part, is making an effort to alleviate fake applications for iPhone and iPad users: the iOS App Store is currently being purged of outdated and broken applications.

But anyone who browses the Mac App Store regularly knows that this platform needs cleaning out too. Seemingly official applications of dubious value are way to easy to accidentally find by searching. It’s understandable that Apple wants the App Store to appear full, but leaving things seemingly designed to deceive people is hardly an answer.

Best Apps For Mac

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