Snapz Pro X 1.0

Mac OS X's screen-capture application, Grab, is serviceable but hardly elegant, and the keyboard shortcuts in OS X 10.1 provide little control over an initial shot. OS X users who need a more capable tool should look to Ambrosia Software's Snapz Pro X 1.0.

Snapz Pro X is native to OS X and offers many of the features found in Snapz Pro 2.0, which ran in Mac OS 9.2 and earlier--capture of full screens, windows, menus, and user-defined selections, as well as the ability to capture a series of on-screen actions as a QuickTime movie.

Snapz Pro X does its predecessor one better by allowing you to select multiple objects--a menu and two windows, for example--with the Object command. There's also a new Fatbits feature that magnifies your selection and provides you with exact coordinates of the selected area.

Regrettably, OS X is unable to capture audio along with QuickTime-recorded motion. Ambrosia intends to implement this feature when Apple provides support for it.

Macworld's Buying Advice

Snapz Pro X is a nicely wrought utility that puts all other screen-capture methods to shame. If your Mac OS X work requires precise screen captures, Snapz Pro X is a must-have tool.