I HATE how OSX deals with fonts...especially FontBook. I don't know what I did, or how I did it in FontBook but I got rid of a font or changed a font or something and I don't know how to fix it. Now certain webpages display Helvetica Fractions unless I disable Helvetica�which I did.

I find font management programmes annoying on the whole; especially Suitcase.

The activating/deactivating aspect of the question is key.
As type designers we're contstantly loading and unloading
minor variations of a single typeface. OSX seems to really
hate this. I've licensed Suitcase and FontAgent Pro. Both
are ok, but Font Cache cleaner is the new type designers friend.
http://homepage.mac.com/mdouma46/fcache/fcache.html

Semi-related: Apple will give it another shot with Font Book 2.0 (which will come with OS X 10.4 "Tiger"), but I wouldn't hold your breath. Not so sure this is good for activation of any sort.

I'll take a look at that Stephen, thanks. And thanks Eric, I'm going to have to try that and see if it fixes my helvetica problem.

Let's hope FontBook two is better than 1. What I'd love would be transparent font management. IE, put EVERY font you have into one folder designated for fonts, and have them all deactivated but listed as available to be used programmes. When you choose to use one, it activates it until you're not using it anymore then it gets deactivated. The user never even knows what's going on.

�Font Cache cleaner

Yes, I just remembered a couple of days ago that I had that. Good to run every now and then, just to tidy up. I have downloaded the demo of FontAgent Pro, so thanks for that tip Stephen.

I can chime in about the ol' Master Juggler OSX. There is something very simple and clean about the interface. It's stripped down in terms of its capability, which I like. No font activation. You have to do that manually. Which I like.

I had assumed, as a result of this simplicity, that it would be speedy and reliable. And it's not. I've had lots of problems installing TrueType fonts as well. The Font Guardian feature, which analyzes the fonts upon installation, does not seem to understand TrueType. It asks for PostScript outline files on installation. Wha? And the whole program freezes up from time to time, I assume as a result of "bad" fonts. And its display of font samples, while pretty, is slow and cumbersome. It's disappointing. I'm praying that Alsoft will come out some sort of update� I think it COULD be quite nice.

Fonts are tricky, no? I wonder if our Macs will conquer them any time soon.

�I had assumed, as a result of this simplicity, that it would be speedy and reliable. And it's not.

Really? It sucks that with all the jargon and claims on these various developers sites that there isn't any truth! Ah well. I guess that is the nature of advertising. They should really get us to test drive their software before releasing it.

Wait. 'install' is not the right word... It's more of an import. Because Master Juggler doesn't move your fonts to some other location upon import. I can't remember if Suitcase does that or not. I remember Font Reserve did that. Font Book seems to kidnap your fonts.

Stephen, is there something better or different about the newest FontAgent Pro?

I mean, maybe I'm being really impatient or picky. I don't know. It's just that you feel as though you have to tiptoe around Master Juggler.

Thats not picky! You pay the bucks for solid font management, and that is what you expect. Not some crappy dribbly program that does a half arsed job.

I was sort of mad, actually. Although I wouldn't say it's crappy. But it is dribbly! And it does about a 2/3 arse job.

Is that a permanent copy? If so, where does it put it? If not, I assume you have a nicely organized folder somewhere on your computer, with your collection of lovely fonts, and FontAgent Pro uses those files. I like the idea of that. It's simple. But perhaps, there is a reason to make a copy of the font file, as opposed to using your original files? Hmmm....

I guess my only other question is, is there anything you don't like about it? There has to be something. : )

More precisely. I guess there must be something about FontAgent that isn't ATM Deluxe�