InformINIT

If you've ever wondered what all of those control panels, extensions, and other files in your System Folder are for, InformINIT is for you!

InformINIT is an application which provides information on a mind-boggling number of System Folder files: control panels, extensions, system folder contents, and more -- from both Apple and third-party developers. Information includes file descriptions, who needs what, version numbers, RAM consumption, and helpful tips (even a few "secrets"). Where appropriate, files are organized into "groups" that are mainly used together. Live URLs to information sources on the Web are provided for files that require extensive discussion.

But InformINIT is not just "INITs" -- it contains sections on installing the latest system software, files which don't take up system RAM, items found loose in the System Folder, startup file management utilities, PRAM, and the Modern Memory Manager. It also contains a primer on System software for beginners, and a thorough discussion of the new HFS Plus file format by Eric Belsley of the Mac Resource Page. It also provides links to some of the best Mac info sites on the Web.

The information contained in InformINIT is organized in a way that is more like a book than a database. You can read it from start to finish, or you can use the search feature as an index, so finding that mysterious INIT is a breeze. It is a self-contained application, so it does not need any other software, and can be used whenever you want, wherever you want. Use InformINIT to satisfy your curiosity about unidentified files, to help you cut down on all the spurious extensions that you don't really need, and to generally improve the performance of your Mac.

There have been many imitations of, and efforts similar to, InformINIT, but it remains THE reference for System Folder information. Even Apple's own technical support staff uses it and recommends it to customers!

System requirements: InformINIT will run on all Mac OS computers except for those with 68000 processors. It requires 1.5 MB of free RAM, and less than 1MB of hard drive space

email the author, Dan Frakes