The Mac OS X operating system is great. Everything is elegant. Everything is simple. Whatever task you wish to do—it’s easy. Apart from one thing that is…uninstalling applications. Uninstalling applications is just plain confusing. Sure, you can just take that little app out of your Applications folder and dump it in the Trash, but will it really be gone? Are there still some system and preference files lurking around your system and wasting that precious space? Indeed, most applications can be just trashed, but some will require a more thorough removal process, which may involve you looking around many system folders, trying to find all the support files that are no longer required.

AppZapper’s Drop Zone

AppZapper to the rescue. AppZapper is really the uninstall program Apple forgot to include. If you’ve just bought a new Mac, or have reformatted your system, AppZapper should be right on top of the list of applications you need to install—this little app is essential. Alright, so how does this thing actually work? Here’s the beauty of it. When you launch it, you will be presented with a little “drop area”. Take an application from your Applications folder, and drop it into this drop area. AppZapper will process it and present you with a list of pre-selected files it wishes to remove. All these files AppZapper found to be linked to the application you want to delete. To proceed, just click Zap, and the files will be destroyed with a very satisfying laser visual effect. Uninstalling applications has never been so fun before!

AppZapper’s program browser

This app is a little gem, and as I’ve said should be an essential purchase. Its functionality is great—not only can you remove unwanted applications, you can also remove any installed screen-savers, widgets, preference panes and plugins. Clicking on the little genie lamp button opens up a list of all installed applications, a-la Windows style. Here you can see application versions and even how long ago you’ve used that application, which is very useful for freeing up some space from stuff you keep but don’t really use.

AppZapper’s preference panes

Conclusion

It’s a shame that Apple haven’t included a good uninstall solution with OS X, but this app really fills the gap and is well worth the purchase, and I can recommend it without hesitation. Indeed, this is an essential app to have if you’re on a Mac. You can grab a trial and see for yourself at appzapper.com