Many Apple applications rely on FontBook to show and manage fonts one way or the other as far as I know (like TextEdit, iLife and iWork - and yes, some of use DO use those as they are far more reliable than MS Office apps).

I used Suitcase until about six months ago and since OSX was born. Never hade ANY problems with it.

Before OS X I used ATM Dlx for many years - never had ANY problems with that either.

Before that I used an app which I've forgotten the name of and before that the then Suitcasee in its first incarnation. That's when you used the Font and DA mover to install and remove fonts.... Things have become easier actually when it comes to font management. Compared to then.

I do NOT use FAP. I've looked at now and again and never liked it. Just as I've looked at other font managers over the years. It's something about the UI that doesn't agree with my way of working.

At work we use FontBook, nothing else. "Work" is Scandinavia's largest daily newspaper and the fonts used are restricted and fixed and centrally decided upon (I work at the Mac Helpdesk). There is no need for activating and deactivating. Personally I stopped using Suitcase not because I had problems with it (never had problems with it) but because I do not really need a font manager nowadays (I did in my previous job at an Apple Centre where I was in charge of all courses, made my own materials, all printed matters, ads etc). I've reduced my number of active fonts to those I really use. The rest I keep elsewhere and only put in in case of need. The less fonts, the faster the apps are. And no need of a font manager.

Not every user needs a font manager. Only those who constantly activate and deactivate fonts do, which normally means people who work with clients one way or the other.

That does NOT mean that you have to activate and/or deactivate fonts via FontBook, just that it needs to be there. The rule is to never use FontBook for activation/deactivation of fonts if you are using another font manager. (You CAN however use it to look at the fonts placed in the ordinary fonts folders that need no activation to be used). And to never use more than one font manager ever regardless of which brand it has. Because they get in each others way. Just letting FontBook be there doesn't do a thing to another font manager. You can even use it for quick looks of fonts and font-info if you want to - as long as you don't activate or deactivate fonts through it when another font manager is present.

You DO need to remove fontcaches and to keep your fonts healthy - that does NOT mean that you need to remove FontBook. Most peoples aversion against FontBook stems from the very first version of it (I agree, that was sometimes a disaster). It has matured though over the years and only become better.

Lu_Smith

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