Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
When Isolator is running , everything but the frontmost app , the Dock , and the menu bar is dimmed—”tinted ” in Isolator ’s nomenclature — to help you sharpen on the dynamic program . Switch to another software , and that software is directly display at full brightness , with other program faded to the back . you may adjust Isolator ’s tincture story , from very wispy to completely opaque , and you may choose the duration of the slicing action , although Isolator ’s range of durations is minor — even the “ slow ” setting is faster than I ’d prefer .
Isolator fades out all but the active app .
Like HazeOver , Isolator gives you the benefits of many “ focus ” utilities without entirely draw a blank other computer programme and window . But unlike HazeOver , which works on a per - windowbasis — so only the frontmost window is “ in focus , ” even if other windowpane are open in the same software — Isolator work on a per - software basis . This means that if you have three word - processor window open , none of them will be dimmed . As I mentioned in my HazeOver review , both approach have merit , and I care Isolator offered the option to choose which behavior you prefer .
Isolator fades out all but the active application.
Many of Isolator ’s additional option are things I advert I ’d wish to see in HazeOver . Although the nonpayment tint color is calamitous , you may choose any coloring . And if you happen partially - tint background items to still be too distracting — but you do n’t want to totally veil them — Isolator offers some bully filter you’re able to hold to its “ tint ” later : Blur , Bloom , Crystals , and Desaturate . For the first three , you’re able to also choose the degree of the effect ; the Desaturate filter simply changes everything in the screen background to grayscale . You could use these choice to configure Isolator such that background window are still identifiable as a Web web browser app , a word - processing document , and so on , but dimmed and blurred enough that you ca n’t actually read textbook in them .
Although you ca n’t exclude particular applications — a feature I mentioned I ’d care to see in HazeOver — Isolator can temporarily invalid its fading when the Finder is the active app program . The main welfare of this option is that it lets you view the Desktop when the Finder is frontmost . ( Without this option , you may still be able to view — and even work with — items on the background , assuming you have n’t lay out the shade level too dark , but you ’ll never be able to view the screen background in all its full - colour and -brightness glory . ) You also get an option to actually hide — using OS disco biscuit ’s Hide feature — all but the active program . This option is similar to using OS decade ’s Hide Others command each meter you switch to an app .
Activating Isolator is also much easier than trigger off HazeOver — you may set a systemwide keyboard shortcut to toggle Isolator ’s tinting on and off , and you may configure Isolator so that a simple chink on its systemwide menu - measure menu likewise toggle background signal tinting .
Finally , Isolator include an alternative to blot out the Dock when Isolator is activated . However , there appear to be a bug with this characteristic : When you uncheck this option , the Dock does n’t unhide — you must go to the Dock pane of System Preferences and uncheck the Automatically Hide and Show the Dock option ( or right / Control - click the Dock ’s divider line and select Turn Hiding Off ) .
The developer of Isolator notes that it has “ some glitches with when Exposé and Spaces are used , ” but it worked fine with Exposé for me . ( I did n’t screen it with Spaces . )
If you like the idea of HazeOver , give Isolator a try — it does about everything HazeOver does plus a lot more . I ’ve find it to be an outstanding focal point aid .
