| Version | 1.9.1 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Todd Ditchendorf |
| Release date | Dec 1, 2016 |
| Date added | Dec 1, 2016 |
| Os requirements | Mac OS X 10.11, Mac OS X 10.9, Mac OS X 10.10, Macintosh, macOSX (deprecated) |
| Requirements | None |
| Total downloads | 1,272 |
| Price | Free to try |
Description
Fake is a new browser for Mac OS X that makes web automation simple. Fake allows you to drag discrete browser Actions into a graphical Workflow that can be run again and again without human interaction. The Fake Workflows you create can be saved, reopened, and shared. Inspired by Apple's Automator application, Fake looks like a combination of Safari and Automator that allows you to run (and re-run) "fake" interactions with the web.
Power Users will love Fake for automating tedious web tasks like filling out lengthy forms and capturing screenshots. Developers can use Fake for graphically configuring automated tests for their webapps, including assertions, assertion failure handlers, and error handlers.
All of Fake's automation features are powered by Mac OS X's native scripting tool - AppleScript. Which means Fake can be used to incorporate web automation into many other OS X scripting tasks.
Fake's browser component is based on the same open source technology behind the popular Mac OS X Site Specific Browser, Fluid. That means Fake has powerful features developers expect from a modern browser like Userscript and Userstyle support. Fake's proprietary secret sauce is in its web automation capabilities - the Action Library, and Workflow side pane.
Review
For users who perform advanced Web tasks, manually tracking pages can be time-consuming. Those users may find the automated functioning of Fake for Mac useful. However, regular users looking for a simple browser should look elsewhere.
Fake for Mac offers a free trial version, but its limitations and restrictions are unknown. The full version requires a $29.95 payment. While there was no native installer, the program downloaded and completed setup as expected. Upon startup the first things we noticed were the browser's menus, which were cluttered. The lack of instruction was a problem as well. The left menu contained the main browser window, which was narrower than typical applications. Instead of tabs, a small thumbnail-size window appeared along the top row for pages that were open. The basic browser did navigate and render pages as expected for this type of program. The right side menu contained various buttons to automate advanced Web features. While these might be understood by advanced users, the average Mac user would probably find them difficult to interpret. The functions are for automated page loading, site image capture, and other HTML and CSS functions. These can be started by pressing a play button along the program's right side.
While basically functional as a browser, only advanced users would be able to take advantage of the unique automated features of Fake for Mac.
Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of Fake for Mac 1.8.9.
