Bookdog 2.3.7 — Quickly alphabetize your Safari bookmarks
reviewed by Harry {doc} Babad
Publisher: Jerry Krinock of Sheep Systems http://www.sheepsystems.com/bookdog/ Clear and complete help is available from within the software as well as from the publisher’s website. Shareware: $15 USD File Size: ca. 4.0 MB Requirements: Apple Macintosh
computer running Mac OS 10.2, 10.3 or 10.4 and Apple’s Safari web browser,
any version. The software was tested on a 1 GHz dual processor PowerPC G4 Macintosh with 2 GB DDR SDRAM running under OS X 10.4.3. Product and company names and logos in this review may be registered trademarks of their respective companies. |
|
Introduction
I have of the years, even before Apple created the Safari web browser, flirted with a variety of other products. Obviously, prior to Safari, Microsoft Internet Explorer was one such mainstay as was Netscape navigator.
Each of these web tools had, at the time(s) I used them, strengths and weaknesses. My choices were aimed at whatever feature set and comfort level I achieved at the time. Between testing, well playing with is more accurate, various browsers, and finding more sites of interest on the web itself, I created bookmarks in a helter skelter fashion. Of course the longer my collection of bookmark folders because, the more randomly I added the newer bookmarks I wanted to remember. Of course, where possible, I transferred my entire favorites collection to the new browser so I would suffer no lost links. This of course served to double or triple the number of favorites recognized by the browser I used at the time. Does this sound familiar?
Now all I have to worry about, having gotten my Safari Bookmarks under control, is the over 2,000 other links I’ve collected in a folder collection. Over the years, I’ve alternated between using tools such as URL Manager Pro and just plain Finder folders to store my bookmarks. I also created a FileMaker Pro database for keeping track of bookmarks, but that was more trouble to maintain than it was worth. As a result, until recently I’ve not attempted to collect, store and order my bookmarks in my browser. With my adoption of Bookdog, I can easily integrate my collection, weed out duplicates and keep the bookmarks in a well-ordered fashion.
At least for now I have settled on Safari and Firefox, but that still leaves me with a large disordered collection of bookmarks many of which are replicates of one another. Then along came Bookdog. After a few minutes of use, I was delighted by Bookdog’s crisp, easy to use interface that painlessly let me sort, manages duplicates and helps, find and fix broken bookmarks.
Publisher’s Highlights
“Computers know their A-B-Cs and how to keep up to date. For example, you can throw files into a folder, hit "View as List" and the Macintosh Finder will display them in alphabetical order. Is there an update to the Mac OS? Apple's Software Update will tell you about it. However, someone forgot these tricks when web browsers were developed. Today most web browsers, Safari included, do no automatic sorting (alphabetizing) or other maintenance of your bookmarks.
“Bookdog, the successor of the popular SafariSorter application, knows these tricks so that organized people like you will no longer have to spend time alphabetizing and maintaining your bookmarks manually.”
The Software-Its Features
According to Jerry Krinock, its developer, “after you install Bookdog, you spend a few minutes adjusting how you want your bookmarks sorted, click Sort and within seconds your bookmarks are all in order! Done! Just click Analyze to find duplicates and then fix them” either one at a time or all at once.
“Give my Bookdog a time when you'd like your bookmarks re-sorted every day, and he will silently resort to include any new bookmarks you've added. Automatically. Do you seem to have a lot of bookmarks that don't work anymore? Tell Bookdog to Verify. He'll go fetch all your bookmarks, present a comprehensive report, give you some options on how he can automatically fix the ones that have been 'redirected', and finally an easy-to-use dialog which allows you to quickly review and fix the remainder."
You control Bookdog’s
actions and features either from it’s main window, which was all I needed, or
by creating a more customized tool by changing the software’s defaults using
the powerful preference features provided by the developer. Either way, its
easy and focused help is just a click away in the unlikely event that you might
need it.
Specific Bookdog features include -
Exclusive PowerPaws technology can sort all your bookmarks with just one click.
Finds duplicate bookmarks (same URL), and provides an easy dialog for fixing them.
Verifies bookmarks, with options to automatically update various redirects.
Intuitive interface explains and helps you quickly fix broken bookmarks.
May be scheduled to sort automatically every day, without disturbing you.
· Easy to indicate which folders you want to be sorted or not sorted. This is a feature I did not need.
· Can sort by bookmark name, by URL, or by domain/host/path.
· Bookdog is Safe! It is not a Safari plug-in; does not "hack" Safari!
· Product has the best and clearest help, and support pages of any shareware product I’ve yet tested.
For newbies, the Bookdog website contains a crisp easy to follow Application (Bookdog) Installation and Reinstallation guide. Jerry’s documentation includes well-written sections on
Quick Start |
Sorting Bookmarks |
Save and Revert: Your Bookmarks File |
Preferences |
Analyzing and Fixing Duplicates |
Command-Line Operation and Troubleshooting |
Main Window |
Verifying and Fixing Broken Bookmarks |
Uninstalling |
Some Folks Just Don’t Get It!
I noticed when I downloaded the product at the MacUpdate site that a number of reviewers bitched about the price of the product. From my perspective, even at minimum wage, I’ve wasted more time alphabetizing and re-alphabetizing my bookmarks that the cost is a bargain. Folks who won’t pay for a quality product that save them time ought to get a life.
Conclusions
I have long agreed with Dan Frakes, who, when reviewing Bookdog 1.2 in Macworld September 2005 noted; “One of Safari's most glaring omissions is the ability to sort your bookmarks alphabetically." Bookdog fixes this problem and others faced by browser users who collect long lists of favorite sites as they surf or work with the Internet. I’m back in control. I can, if just a few seconds, sort, manage and verify Safari's bookmarks. Try, it, then buy the product — your bookmarks will be as well trained when you done as is Jerry Krinock’s Bookdog.
Note: Bulldog 3.0 is in beta testing as we write this review. In addition to enhanced functionality for Safari, it will also be able to work with the Firefox and Camino browsers. I’ll check the new version out when it becomes available, but why wait — This product, although you many only use it a few times a month, is a keeper.
