Symantec software follow-up; more on MacTools and Mac OS 8; more competition

Symantec I continue to receive email on Symantec and their software. In addition to the products swallowed and discarded by Symantec (as covered last time), readers wanted me to be sure to mention that Symantec similarly acquired and eventually dumped Delrina Fax Pro and MORE. I can personally attest to my dismay with MORE. This outliner/word processor/presentation application was one of my most used programs at the time (all my lecture notes were created using it). In terms of sales and reviews, it appeared to be successful for Symantec. Then, Symantec just stopped supporting it.

Chris Bailey wanted me to point out that Symantec has at least continued to support and improve Suitcase.

Another reader asked that I clarify the situation with MAXA's Snooper and Alert. He points out that these were acquired by Central Point some time before Central Point was acquired by Symantec. Central Point actually killed them, with the plan to incorporate some technology from them in the next major revision to MacTools. Plans for this revision ended when Symantec took over.

MacTools running on Mac OS 8 Several readers who still own MacTools 4.0.3 have reported that it, in fact, does not work with Mac OS 8 on their machines (contrary to the original report). It gives the same error message that version 4.0.4 does. However, earlier versions (such as 4.0.2) do appear to work. Dave Camp now confirms that it was 4.0.2 that he was using.

Update: Yet another Norton Utilities competitor may be on the way... In addition to DiskEssentials and the MicroMat utility, Les Herbst, the author of MacZap (the program that formed the original basis for Symantec's SUM), now informs me that he is working on a new disk repair utility, due out some time in 1998. It will not be a "head-to-head" competitor but will be especially designed for data protection and recovery, rather than repair.