As Mac OS X has evolved throughout the years, one part that has remained relatively the same is the Open/Save dialog boxes. And if you’ve been using the Mac long enough, you may have come across some tiny limitations when using said boxes. Well, luckily for us, we don’t have to settle for that, since St. Clair Software offers an excellent piece of software to remedy that. Default Folder X is one of those utilities, which work out so well on the Mac, that one has to wonder why Apple hasn’t yet included similar functionality within Mac OS X.

Design. Default Folder X lives within the Open/Save boxes, where it appears as a very Leopard-esque border with buttons, as well as a small independent window in the bottom in the same style. From the design standpoint of the software, you won’t get any complaints: the interface is quite friendly, and actually looks good. Default Folder X can also live within either your menu bar or dock for quick access.

Functionality. As its name implies, Default Folder X gives the option to select an application’s default folder for saving all work — all from the button shaped like the software’s icon. More noteworthy, you also can create new folders, rename current items, move them to the trash, get their info, and more — all without exiting the Save/Open box. For some of these features you’d have to go to the Finder window to do so. As for the other buttons, the Mac-shaped button grants you access to all disks within the Mac, and more, thanks to its list-styled window for quick navigation; the heart-shaped button allows you to add favorite locations and manage them; the clock-shaped button allows access to recent locations; and the Finder-shaped button for selecting currently open Finder windows in the background. How’s that for usefulness? Not to mention that it also allows for you to input comments for use with Spotlight, offers Quick Look functionality when selecting an item in an Open box, and allows you to change permissions. You may also directly click on any open Finder windows in the background to select that path to save.

Limitations. With so much functionality packed in the software, is there even some kind of limitation? Well, nothing of importance was found on my side. It does its job — and more — exactly as described.

Final thoughts. Default Folder X is a must-have piece of software for your Mac. There are few other pieces of software that could be said about the same, since it’s the ones like Default Folder X that are appealing for all different types of users. Of course, some may hesitate when they see the $34.95 price tag — but there is a 30-day demo available for anyone interested to try out. After that, once you have it installed in your Mac, it’ll never feel right when using another Mac that doesn’t.