There is a small DragThing 5.9.8 update here.

This works round a specific problem with 10.7.2, which could cause errors when trying to load or save docks. I would recommend it for anybody who is running Lion.

PCalc 2.4.2 is available here.

This is just a bug fix release for a few problems on iOS 5 - the most notable being a horizonal line that appeared across the iPad screen if you had the split keyboard mode enabled in other apps. Enjoy!

It's alive! You can download a new version of DragThing here.

This is a compatibility release for Lion. It fixes three serious - if rare - crashes and a number of other problems people have seen on Lion. Details are here.

One of the bugs I've fixed is that the software update mechanism in earlier versions does not work on Lion. So, the obvious problem is that people who are already running 5.9.6 on Lion will not hear about this new version. So, please, spread the word!

Also, please note that DragThing now requires Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later. This is mainly due to Apple's modern development tools no longer supporting PowerPC Macs and older systems. But, if you are using an earlier OS, you can still download a version of DragThing that will run happily on it. All the way back to Mac OS 7.5.5 in fact :)

We haven't charged for a DragThing update in the eight years since DragThing 5 was released, and this is no exception. However, if you would like to support our continuing efforts, please consider buying a copy of PCalc for iOS or PCalc for the Mac. Or buy another copy of DragThing if you are feeling particularly generous.

It's good to be back!

If you are seeing DragThing crash at launch on Lion, it's probably because you installed the latest AirFoil 4.5.6 update which breaks DragThing and a number of other apps - full details are here. The folks at Rogue Amoeba are working on a fix.

In other news, I am now currently working on a DragThing 5.9.7 update to address some smaller issues people are seeing on Lion. If you've seen any problems, let me know and I'll do my best to get them fixed. Hopefully it will be released before the end of the month!

So, the good news is that I've tested DragThing on Lion, and it's working well. I'm going to fix any problems that crop up, but everything seems ok so far. The only issue I've seen is that software update isn't working, but that doesn't cause the app itself any problems. Let me know if you see anything.

Regular readers will note however that this is the first major release of Mac OS that hasn't had a corresponding major release of DragThing, and I wanted to share some of the reasons why that's the case. Please excuse the honesty.

Firstly, Lion is adding a number of features like Launchpad which - like the Apple Dock before it - many casual users will use instead of a third-party utility like DragThing. And DragThing will never be accepted into the Mac App Store in its current form, which is the place most people on Lion will buy their apps from.

In fact, there are changes ahead in the not-too-distant future which I believe will end up with many existing system utilities actually getting removed from the store. It's not controversial to say that Apple appears to be trying to move the Mac away from "applications" and more towards "apps".

So, while the Mac market is certainly growing, the market for DragThing is equally certainly shrinking, and the sales have reflected that for some time. On the other hand, the iOS market is growing almost exponentially, and as a company, we're seeing around 80% of our revenue coming from there already.

Plus, on a technical level, DragThing really needs a ground up redesign and rewrite. It's working perfectly well at the moment, but new users are confused by the wealth of options, and some of the code in DragThing is seventeen years old and beginning to show its age. It needs a lot of investment of time, energy, and emotion, basically starting again from scratch. That is a tall moutain to stand at the bottom of.

Now, add to all this the current climate regarding software patents and indie developers, and I hope you understand why we're - for once - not there with a new version on day one. I don't want to promise a major release and have people angry at me when I don't deliver, so for now, no promises.

DragThing is not dead. Long live DragThing!