The general rule is that if trash is left unattended, it may bring several complications (but fortunately not the smell in your Mac!) — like in real life. Compost is one of the apps out there that promises you a better and more efficient trash system, thanks to its useful features. Keep on reading to see how it may improve on the way trash is handled in your Mac. Also, Fastforward Software is offering a Compost license to one random commentator who answers a simple question found at the end.

Design. Compost has many features, and most of it live as a preference pane — except one, which we’ll get to later. But once it’s installed, it looks exactly the same as any other preference pane. And like almost any other preference pane, it is well planned, and even neatly organized. And that other feature that lives outside the preference pan — called DeskTrash — is actually an app in your Applications folder. Once you open it, a neat clone of your trash appears on the desktop. And a functional one, at that! So if you miss the trash bin appearing in the desktop, this is one great bonus — and a blast from the past from when we did not have fancy Docks to hold our trash.

Functionality. The DeskTrash feature works perfectly — just drag and drop your trash. Now for the main features of Compost: you can set expire dates on all items that reach the trash, so that they’re automatically deleted by then. You can set certain items to be deleted when dropped in the trash, such as empty folders or a file that meets size requirements — that last one being perfect for saving space. Compost even allows for trash from different volumes to behave differently, which is a major treat for users who have more than one hard drive (or even USB memory devices — iPods included). The app also offers extended info on your trash as shown in the two pictures below, and a useful menu item for quick access and control.

Limitations. Compost’s main limitation is it’s customizability. Just as some may be happy with the options it offers, others might be left wishing for more control — such as setting file types for automatic deletion. And remember Compost’s menu item? Even though it works perfectly, it would’ve been great for its contents to appear in the trash’s contextual menu when right-clicked, instead of taking up menu space.

Final thoughts. Despite its limitations, Compost is an app that works for just about any Mac user out there. Just think of Compost as the best garbage man in the world — one who lives inside your Mac, one who never leaves a mess, and one who even tags your trash. Compost carries a modest price tag of $12.50 (although I’ve heard the complaint that it’s still too much for what the app does, especially when it used to cost $9). If Compost interests you, try out the demo and be prepared to enter a world with fantastic trash recollection. And once tried, you may not be comfortable going back to Mac OS X’s plain old trash system. Possible side-effects of using Compost include wishing for a real life solution like this.

Giveaway! Fastforward Software is offering one license of Compost to a random commentator who answers their question: “How can we improve Compost?” The winner will be chosen this Friday, and good luck!

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[tags]Apple,Mac,Software,Giveaway,Compost[/tags]