Ergonis Software has released PopChar X 5.2 (http://www.ergonis.com), an update of the tool for finding and typing special characters. The upgrade focuses on metrics and font size.
The most prominent change is a new slider at the bottom of the PopChar window that allows you to customize the display size of individual fonts in addition to the global setting in PopChar’s preferences. The new slider is designed for fonts with small and light characters that you want to appear in a larger size.
PopChar 5.2 also contains fine-tuned adjustments for many popular fonts. The program “knows” about 70-plus fonts with unusual metrics and avoids large white areas around characters, which results in larger characters that are easier to read. Beyond that, PopChar 5.2 solves some known issues and reduces the CPU load when running in the background.
PopChar X costs US$46 for a single-user license; however, version 5.2 is a free update for for anyone who purchased PopChar in the last two years. For info about purchases, including enterprise licenses, volume discounts, and upgrade pricing offers, visit the Ergonis web site.
Instead of purchasing PopChar by itself (approximately US$30 for a single user license), customers can get the Macility Productivity Bundle (approximately $77) that also contains two of the company’s other productivity tools, Typinator and KeyCue.
PopChar X requires Mac OS X 10.4 or newer. Mac OS X 10.6 (“Snow Leopard”) is recommended.