Review: mTools by MotionsApps

First, in case you don't already know, mTools is a utility suite for the PalmOS. Included in the suite is:

I'm always a bit skeptical of suite applications because one of the apps will usually get more attention than the others. So while one of the six apps works like a dream, four of them are just okay and the other two are basically useless. But this is far from the case with mTools, and even though I can find a few "cons" with some of the applications, the individual app is still far better than a lot of apps designed to only perform that one individual task.

Card Manager: Extremely well done feature of the suite. This allows you the ability to quickly mount your card to the desktop, rename your card, format your card and test the cards speed transfer rate. It also gives you full details on the used and free space on your card.
Pros: All of the above.
Cons: Can't find any.

Volume Boost: There are a couple of very good and very expensive apps out there to increase the volume on your Treo. I personally don't have this problem, but I know (since I owned them), the 600 and 650 can most definitely use a boost. But after using it to boost the Mic and Speakerphone, the difference in volume on both improved dramatically.
No noticeable cons

Battery Saver: The battery saver gives you some nice features. I've used it to keep the keypad light off until 7:00pm when I will need to see it. This has noticeably increased my battery life while watching TV through SlingBox.
No noticeable cons

Backup and Restore: The Backup app is fantastic. I've been using Nomad for years and it has always been reliable, but I have had no problem making the move over to the mTool backup utility.
Pro: It's fast and easy to setup.
Con: Doesn't allow you to restore individual files.

Remote Lock: Great feature, works very well. the best thing I can say about this one is if you decide to use it instead of "Butlers" remote lock, you won't be sorry, it's just as capable.
No noticeable cons

File Browser: The file browser does an excellent job of giving you access to all of your files on both the external card and the internal memory. There are also some nice features that allow you to send a file over Bluetooth or email, as well as copy, paste, get info etc.
Pro: Very easy to navigate, nice option list.
Con: I feel like an option is missing. I would like the ability to move a file from the card to the internal or vice versa. UPDATE I have been informed by the MotionsApps team that I missed this usage. You can indeed move files by selecting "copy" and pasting it into your desired memory. So there you go, no more con. I tried it, it works.

Start Menu Launcher: This is my favorite feature of the mTools suite. Like ZZtechs "LaunchAnywhere" this menu feature gives you a quick launch to apps, contacts (you setup) favorites, bookmarks and recent apps you've opened. You have access to this from inside any app you are currently in. It's intuitive as well. When I create a new bookmark while surfing Blazer, the bookmark is added to my bookmark list in the start menu.
Pro: Again, all of the above. It's nice to see a app as competent and useful as this included in a bundle suite.
Con: This isn't really a con, but it's not skinable. I would like to skin it.

Web Search: I like this one because it has proven to be a great addition to the web feature I already use in "UltimatePhone". Instead of just "Google", you have selectable search engine choices like Yahoo, Amazon, Lycos etc. Very Nice Feature.
No noticeable cons

Conclusion:

Even though I can find a few cons in a few of the included apps, there's no doubt in my mind that this is possibly the best utility suite you can get for the PalmOS. MotionsApps has been making phenomenal applications for the Treo and PalmOS for years. They really know and understand the OS, and have a keen eye for design (can you say mOcean?). Knowing this I was confident that I would be very satisfied with mTools before I even loaded it up. But I'm very pleasantly surprised to see a suite with useful apps that rival some of the titles built for one specific task.

I highly recommend mTools for your Palm. $19.99