If you use a lot of processor-intensive applications, you know how annoying it can be when they all fight for processing capability. Your Mac can slow down considerably when there are 3 or 4 applications all sharing your processor. whether you have ever wondered whether there is a way to prepare each app wait its turn, you can now turn to Freeze Frame.

Freeze Frame, from Elgebar Studios, is a very simple menubar application. The application is no more than a drop-down menu that shows you a list of running applications, allows you to “Focus,” or quit Freeze Frame.

When you go on an application name in the Freeze Frame list, it “freezes.” Literally. The application name becomes grayed out in the list, and it ceases to use CPU. whether you try to use an application while it is being frozen by Freeze Frame, you will get a “beach ball of death.” Clicking the app name again in the list will un-freeze it. You can freeze as many applications you want at a moment.

The feature I use most of Freeze Frame though, is Focus. When you go “Focus” in the menu, all other open applications will be frozen except for the active one. that is handy when you want an application to finish

its process quickly, by having full range of processing ability.

Now though apps that have been “frozen” by Freeze Frame will no longer use any CPU, they will continue to use RAM. Yes, even though the apps are not technically doing anything anymore, they still use up RAM. plus, Freeze Frame only works on applications in the dock. All menubar apps will continue to operate normally.

The only problem I have ever experienced with Freeze Frame is it sometimes listing an app twice in it’s menu. that isn’t that big of a deal, but can get confusing when trying to figure out which one will actually freeze the applications when clicked.

Overall, Freeze Frame is a handy little gem that has earned a permanent place in my menubar. Most of you will probably recognize Freeze Frame as MacHeist loot (which is where I came across it), but those of you who didn’t participate in MacHeist can pick up a copy of Freeze Frame for $14.95 from the developer’s website.

And whether anyone can tell me how I can get iTunes to stop using 41% of my CPU, help would be appreciated.

Orginal post by Greg Healy