The next version of XRay, XRay II, has been delayed but I'm restarting work on it. Expect a public beta towards the end of 2008. In the meantime, XRay 1.1 is [b]not[/b] recommended for use under Leopard.

MacUser (April 2007 issue) reviewed 5 file-information utilities. XRay rated 5 out of 5 points and was selected as "editor's Choice".

MacFixit Toolbox Awards 2006

XRay won a Gold Award in the troubleshooting software category (it won the Silver Award in 2001).

Review of XRay 1.1 at MacFixit

MacFixit, in a comparative article called "Troubleshooting Tools: File Utilities" reviewed XRay favorably and said: "...XRay is especially helpful with respect to file extensions, types, and codes, as it shows a "flow chart" that illustrates how Mac OS X determines which application should open a particular document: first the OS checks for a specific application binding, then it checks for a Creator Code, then a file extension, then a File Type..."

Aug. 5, 2004: XRay 1.1 was released!

[Version 1.1 is a bug-fix release... all users should upgrade]

Review of XRay 1.0.9 at ATPM

A very detailed review of XRay by Eric Blair, with several screenshots; he rated it "good":, and also said: "... XRay certainly brings some interesting features to the table that no other info utility can match. XRay's customized data display and superior control over type and creator information are definitely more advanced than anything the competition offers..."

Check out the reviews at VersionTracker, and write your own!

XRay's current VersionTracker rating is 4.8 stars (out of 5).

XRay was included on the March and April 2002 MacWorld Interactive CDs, and also on the May and July 2002 MacWorld Mac OS X CDs, as well as in the upcoming Mac OS X Buyer's Guide.

MacFixit Toolbox Awards 2001

XRay won a Silver Award in the troubleshooting software category.

MDJ, the Macintosh industry's leading daily newsletter

The Dec. 12, 2001 issue of MDJ listed XRay as #1 in its "Product Showcase: Top 30" section.

MDJ's March 29, 2002 issue said: "The program is simply the best 'extended info' utility for Mac OS X that we've seen... It's the 'Type, Creator, and Extension' panel that makes XRay special, though.... XRay always shows you what options you have and what program would open the file. It's elegant and intuitive and is just the best way out there to do it. It's better than File Buddy, even better than Super Get Info. It's one of those 'Why didn't anyone do it this way before?' ideas... probably the best pure native metadata editor available today. We registered it."

MDJ's September 12, 2002 issue said: "Rainer Brockerhoff's XRay 1.0.5 ... remains arguably the best of the class of the Mac OS X-native extended information and permission settings utilities - nothing else has caught up to its simple and modular interface in the nine months since it debuted in these pages. ... XRay still offers a 15-day free trial, and if you're looking for more macho metadata manipulation, it's well worth investigating."

Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus, head guru at OS X FAQ

Bob is a registered user; he mentioned XRay in his book "Dr. Mac: The OS X Files" and also included it on the CDROM.

Bob's personal icon is courtesy of Paul Sahner's "Iconize Me" service.

Other CDs, publications and websites

XRay is listed on the Apple site for Mac OS X software and in the Apple Guide. Also, XRay is on a CD bundled with all Macs sold in Iceland!

XRay is on the October 2002 MacAddict CD.

XRay is on MacHome's "Best Mac Utilities 2002" CD.

XRay is on several 2002 and 2003 CDs from MacPower Magazine.

Scot Hacker uses an XRay screenshot to make a point in his article "Tales of a BeOS Refugee" at OSNews.

XRay is listed at Tucows, where it received a rating of .

MacOSXHints published a very positive review of Zingg! and XRay.

Statistics

6300 copies of XRay 1.0 were downloaded in the first 3 days, and 4,5% of those were registered immediately! This is well above average for shareware.

A total of 26600 copies of XRay 1.0 have been downloaded from my site alone, and over 4000 copies of XRay 1.0.5 were downloaded in the first week - over 50000 in all. 4000 copies of XRay 1.1 were downloaded in the first 3 days, and downloads have passed 65000 so far!