IceClean (Mac Only)

Since switching from Windows to Mac, I've found myself with a complete lack of a need to scan my computer. For anything! Sure that's a great thing, it's just... so ingrained after a lifetime of AdAware, Spyware Blocker, McAfee Virus Scan, etc. It's like Phantom Limb Syndrome -- it's gone, but you still feel like it's there. Yeah, you could scan for spyware, but I've done that twice in the half year I've had my Mac, and not once has a single threat appeared, so that's out of the question.

Enter IceClean, a high-powered, multifunctional application that will keep your Mac running clean, secure, and fast. On one hand you have the body of the app: compact and clean, it can look up Whois information (sneaky), trace network addresses, display all current socket connections, and display system info, mostly dealing with memory and processors. The body isn't where the power lies, though; the menubar is where IceClean keeps the big guns. This is my only complaint about the program; the menubar menus should be available on the body of the app as well, because that's what I've noticed confuses people most about IceClean.

Here are the three main menus and their subsequent actions:

OSX Maintenance:
- Full System Profiler
- Verify System Disk
- Periodic Routine Cron Scripts
- Verify Preferences .plist files
- Repair Permissions files
- Update Prebindings
- Update Locate & Whatis Databases
- Rebuild LaunchServices

OSX Cleanup
- Remove System Caches
- Clean Font Caches
- Deep Safari Cleanup
- Clean Safari Icons
- Deep System Cleanup
- Remove Log files
- Remove .Localized files
- Remove Temporary Files
- Remove All files

Security & Network
- System Journaling Process
- System Activity Monitor
- Network Info
- AFP Connection
- Firewall
- Firewall Rules
- Firewall Settings

There's also a menu called Utilities, which will allow you to make use of many of your Mac's inherent abilities, including some that aren't readily available without downloading some program to enable them, such as Finder Animations, Address Book Debug Menu, Safari Debug Menu, and Fast Mac Screen Lock.

Basically, IceClean is all you need to keep your Mac running at top speed and efficiency. I do a Deep System Cleanup once a week (which requires a restart), and my computer runs as well as the day I bought it. I even have an anecdote about why IceClean is so great: I downloaded Google Desktop once upon a time. It's a great little thing to have if you feel it's necessary; I thought it was at first, but I realized after having it for a month that I hadn't used it once, so I tried to uninstall it. The problem is, I didn't know that Google Updater was simultaneously installed, which was where I could've uninstalled it, had I known that. So I went through and tried to delete every single file associated with Google Desktop, which did not remedy the problem; the app would still appear, it just didn't do anything. At this point, I found out about Google Updater and tried to uninstall it, unsuccessfully. After much frustration, I tried repairing my permissions files, restarted, and I uninstalled Google Desktop in like two seconds. IceClean works wonders. You'll see.

7/7

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