Its a tradeoff: Speedier disk access, but less room for files.

One way to maximize this smaller capacity is to carefully monitor which filesespecially big onestake up that space and then terminate them with extreme prejudice.

DaisyDisk 4 is a utility app made expressly for this purpose, and its as attractive as it is handy.

A scanner darkly In terms of functionality, DaisyDisk 4 hasnt changed much from previous versions.

Launching the application presents a list of all mounted volumes, and I do mean all: In addition to local storage, the software can root out folders and files on network-attached storage or cloud services mounted on the desktop like those offered by ExpanDrive and Bitcasa.

In addition to volumes, theres an option at lower left to scan a specific folder, which can then be marked a favorite so it always shows up alongside your disks.

By default, scans are done in Normal mode, hiding filessuch as other user foldersyou dont have sufficient access privileges to.

Tucked under the downward triangle is an option to scan in Administrator mode instead, which causes that drive to be highlighted in purple.

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This feature isnt available on the Mac App Store version due to sandboxing limitations, but those customers can download the web edition and unlock full functionality free of charge.

The darker, slightly flatter user interface is now more in line with the modern OS X look and feel, while color-coded fuel gauges show at a quick glance which disks are in need of a little TLC.

Scans now happen in seconds rather than minutes, depending upon the type of media and processor speed.

Naturally, SSD storage and quad-core CPUs provide best results, with network drives falling at the slower end of the spectrum, since they depend more on internet bandwidth.

It took about a minute and 20 seconds to scan the 500GB flash storage inside my mid-2012 MacBook Pro with Retina Displaynot bad, considering its almost 80 percent full right now.

A Drobo mini containing four 1TB 7200 rpm notebook hard drives added only a few seconds, completing the initial scan in a minute and 31 seconds flat.

After identifying space-hogging contenta task aided by QuickLook previews using the Space bardrag-and-drop unwanted folders or files to the Collector at the bottom of the window, where they can be rejected or deleted in a few clicks.

For only ten bucks, DaisyDisk is a simple, convenient utility for every Mac owner, and it gets the job done well for less technically-inclined users.

Im still partial to WhatSize (15), which trades the lower price and good looks for a more detailed, robust feature set including duplicate file detection and one-click cache cleaning, but quite happy to have both in my arsenal.

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