8/12/2023 0 Comments Parallels toolbox review![]() Barcode recognition and creation tools are only needed for a certain user base, while screenshot creation and screen recording tools are similar to those built into macOS. The alarm feature, in my opinion, is much simpler than Apple’s Reminders app. There is also a stopwatch and the ability to create multiple alarms. ‘Break Time’ reminds users to stop working on their computer and take a break from time to time. Examples include countdown timers and schedule countdowns that count the number of days remaining until a specific date. There are also tools for time management. The ‘focus window’ tool, which helps you focus by lowering the brightness of the entire screen except for the window or app you are currently using, also helps increase productivity. I also like Pages, which I use to edit screenshots for review, and the one-click ability to open entire groups of files or apps like Photoshop Elements. It’s very useful for storing text or graphics that you might reuse when writing and editing an article so you can quickly review and retrieve them. The ‘Clipboard History’ tool, which I use most often and put in the menu bar, keeps a bunch of text and graphic items copied to the clipboard for up to 30 days. The largest group of tools are ‘productivity tools’ that save time. An ‘Audio Download’ tool that can extract just the audio track from a video file found online is also useful. It includes a ‘video conversion’ feature, the ability to create screen recordings or GIFs, and more. In the ‘Video Tools’ group, there is a ‘Video Download’ function that downloads videos from sites such as YouTube, and a video file that can be converted to a format that can be viewed on iPhone or iPad as well as AVI or WMW format that can be used on Windows devices. It also shows large files that take up a lot of space, such as games that you no longer need, but that you don’t use often. There’s even a tool to get rid of files and apps scattered around your drive. For example, if you need a cleaning tool to free up disk space or tweak your Mac’s performance, the ‘Clean Drive’ tool will find unnecessary files that are taking up space on your Mac, as well as duplicate files that you no longer need. However, Toolbox categorizes tools into groups so that you can easily find the functionality you need. Users can also create their own keyboard shortcuts to launch each tool.Ī collection of over 50 tools means there is a lot to remember. Add your favorite tools to the dashboard view or place them in the menu bar for quick access. The sub-tabs are grouped into related groups, such as ‘Video Tools’ or ‘System Tools’. In the ‘Library’ tab you can see everything available. The ‘Dashboard’ tab shows the most popular basic/essential tools and the most recently used tools. The pull-down menu, opened by the toolbox icon, has two tabs for displaying tools. In this case, the Toolbox icon is displayed in the main menu bar along with basic Mac controls such as time and volume. Toolbox can be set to automatically launch when your Mac starts up. ![]() For example, the ‘Free Memory’ tool shows the memory currently available on your Mac, and which apps are running using the most memory. Each tool does one specific task, like a mini-app. Parallels claims that the latest version (6.0.2) includes over 50 tools (54 to be precise, but the number is not important). A 7-day free trial is also available, so you can try it out first before deciding to buy. Since then, it has grown and is now available as a standalone product for Mac and Windows, with a subscription costing $24.99 per year. Released as a small collection of utilities, Toolbox is included with Parallels Desktop and is, and still is, available at no extra cost. However, there are many tools in the toolbox beyond simple functionality. Parallels Toolbox offers a variety of tools and features to completely uninstall installed apps and clean up old or redundant files that are taking up unnecessary disk space. It’s not too late to decide after a 7-day trial to see how useful it is. ![]() An annual subscription is required to use the toolbox. A feature that you never use will be a feature that someone somewhere needs. Among the 50+ tools Parallels Toolbox offers are hidden gems like clipboard history and video downloads.
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