The program is compatible with a range of Macintosh hardware, from dual G4 Macintosh computers up to Apple’s Mac Pro and Xserve multi-processor systems. If not, FontAgent Pro asks them to enter their user name and password, and sign-on occurs automatically with no additional configuration.įontAgent Pro Server 4 works with Mac OS X 10.4 or later and requires 30MB of disk space and 256MB of memory. When users connect to FontAgent Pro Server 4, it checks whether they have previously validated their login via the Kerberos network authentication protocol. It also includes more flexible user permissions that include group administrators and multi-level roles that can control which users can upload fonts, create users and groups, edit licenses, upload and edit sets, upload and edit font libraries, assign fonts and users to groups, and view font usage information. Any updates to this type of manager could add features like checking validity, licenses, or duplcation of fonts, acknowledge new formats like OT, and even resolve conflicts.FontAgent Pro Server 4 delivers faster Active Directory, Open Directory and LDAP synchronization with improved support for nested groups, standalone users, keychain-based password protection, and non-standard directory setups. To my mind, the paradigm of ATM and Suitcase is very worthy of maintenance: Put fonts in a logical place, like the job folder, or a temporary fonts folder, then use the Font Manager to activate or de-activate them, leaving them untouched. Still, it’s not enough to make me switch to a hoarding-style manager. I’ve only encountered one “bug” relating to font formats or conditions that prevent activation. Given these options, I’ve been very happy with Suitcase’s continued ability to reveal information without destroying data or my sanity. Putting fonts in the right folder in System 10 is like being in an alternate universe where ATM, Suitcase and everything else had never been invented. The reason is that I’m a font developer, and testing fonts a few times in the course of designing is a necessity. Does this new version of FontAgent move, copy, or otherwise actively change locations of fonts? I realize for shared situations like agencies, the server paradigm might seem a godsend, but I have to say, as a person who uses a few new fonts at a time, sometimes for a total of minutes, and then either THROWS THEM AWAY (gasp) or relegates them to a storage tank, I do NOT want the font manager to duplicate, shuffle, hide or otherwise act on my font data. If nothing else, its hurried release shows how urgent the OS X font crisis is. It may be the most unfinished piece of software Apple has spewed since OS X’s first versions. Hopefully the strong new features in FAP 2 will be a wake up call for Extensis and Alsoft.Īpple’s fledgling Font Book, by the way, is barely worthy of mention. While the other guys flail about with competition buyouts and slow, disappointing updates, Insider actually seems to care about making a decent font manager. Unfortunately, my experience with this feature was buggy — most of the fonts get cut off at the bottom.įontAgent Pro still lacks the solid UI of the now defunct ATM Deluxe and some irritating bugs need attention, but it remains the best thing we’ve got for OS X. New preview pane samples several fonts at once as line showings. Plug-ins for Illustrator CS, InDesign CS, and Photoshop CS join the existing auto-activators for their previous versions and Quark 6. UPDATE: This feature is part of a new product called FontAgent Pro Workgroup Edition I have yet to try this, but I will very soon and report here. FAP uses Rendezvous to allow you to share fonts with no configuration. For example: make a set for a client and various sets within for each of that client’s projects. Now powered by an industrial-strength SQL database, the developers claim FAP is better at handling large font collections. UPDATE, JAN 13: The new features are now listed at Insider Software’s site. Enhancements to the most capable font manager for OS X include: Insider Software released FontAgent Pro 2.0 this week. Written by Stephen Coles on January 10, 2004
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