GrandPerspective 2.6.2

Overview

GrandPerspective is a unique application for Mac OS X that graphically displays file system disk usage within a visual interface that makes it easy to manage disk space allocation. This software makes it easy to quickly determine which files/folders are using the most space in your operating system.

Installation

The setup and installation process for GrandPerspective is as simple as that of any other compact application for the Mac operating system, as you are instructed by a step-by-step wizard-style guide. There are no unwanted toolbars or third-party applications attached to the install file, so you don't have to worry about the hassle of removing additional software.

Interface

The user interface is surprisingly simple, with a few self-explanatory buttons along the top navigational pane – Zoom in/out, Focus, Open, Reveal, Delete, and Drawer. The size and location of files/folders are artistically displayed within colored blocks, and the color themes can be changed to a variety of palettes. In addition, the user can choose to organize blocks by file type, folder, or extension. GrandPerspective utilizes easy-to-read tree maps to visualize file sizes and locations comparatively. Each file within a folder is color-coded and sized differently to indicate how much disk space it is currently utilizing.

Pros

• Offers a configurable set of views, giving the user a choice of color mapping schemes and palettes. You can also choose to view the entire volume or just the contents of a single package

• Makes it easy to find and remove files/folders that are consuming a lot of disk space on your hard drive

• Supports mapping by file type

• Makes it easy to view the properties of a file as you can quickly select file/folders in any view

• Use the 'Reveal' button to open files/folders in the Finder, and use the delete button to quickly erase files/folders from within the visualization

• Utilize a variety of criteria (including file path, name, type, size, package status, and hard-link status) to mask, filter, and exclude particular files/folders when conducting scans and displaying areas of the operating system

• Lets you save the results of disk scanning operations, as well as images of views, so you can easily refer to them later on

• Configurable user preferences make the interface and functionality fully customizable

• Utilizes very little system resources (RAM and disk space), so computer performance is not affected during operation

• Available in six major languages – English, German, Japanese, French, Spanish, and Dutch

• Includes adequate help documentation so even the most novice user can quickly become acquainted with all of the features

Cons

• It takes a little while for views to be updated after a chunk of data has been removed

Alternatives

The two most popular alternatives to GrandPerspective for the Mac OS X operating system are Disk Inventory X and DaisyDisk. There are also several applications for the Windows operating system that offer similar functionality, including WinDirStat, TreeSize (Free, Personal, Pro, Mobile), and SpaceSniffer.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a convenient way to analyze disk space usage on your Mac, GrandPerspective provides a user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing interface in which you can assess and edit files/folders in a visual manner.