DiskMaker X

Overall Opinion: There's a move in the software market for software that does everything at once. It feels like a piece of software can't simply be a photo editing app or a gallery app. It has to be both, while also somehow finding a way to work as a software as a service platform. As service-driven, constantly updating and feature rich programs become the new norm, it's nice to see a program that's as gleefully simple and dedicated to its cause as DiskMaker X. This utility software does one simple thing. It helps you create simple install disks for the Mac operating system. Fortunately, it does that one thing exceedingly well. It's compatible with a number of different versions of Mac, and installation and implementation is a breeze. You can have DiskMaker X up and running in a few minutes, and the minimalist design suits the type of program this is. A full featured frequently asked questions is available directly through the app, but the software will generally guide you through everything you need to do. Once there, you pick the version of the operating system you want to make a boot disk for, and DiskMaker X does most of the heavy lifting from there, guiding you through any questions without any technical knowledge required. All in all, you can get through the process of creating a new disk in the matter of a simple few clicks. There's not a whole lot to the menu. It's stripped down to the fundamentals, which makes sense given the type of software this is. The process of finding your install files is automated, so you don't even have to select the directories or files yourself. While new updates to operating systems can create complications with formerly compatible programs, and while this would seem to be some software that would be especially affected by this, it doesn't look like you'll have to worry about DiskMaker X becoming obsolete anytime soon. The newest version allows you to create an install disk for High Sierra, the latest version of Mac released in September of 2017. There are countless reasons why you'd want to create a boot disk for Mac. Whether it's an issue of backing up your data, transferring over to a new machine, or sharing your ol operating system with a friend or family member, you have a couple of different options. A properly sized USB stick can handle the transfer, and it works easily with any Mac that has USB compatibility. If you're using an obsolete machine to make your backup or looking to translate your operating system to an older computer, there's also the option to burn your OS to a physical CD. Ultimately, DiskMaker X's value is going to be determined by your personal needs. Most customers will likely only need it rarely, but it's completely free, and it's one of the best in its class.

Pros: Quick download, easy setup A completely free product Does what it does exceedingly well

Cons: Very stripped down in the features department Sometimes has trouble when working with High Sierra Very limited usage