Contentbarrier X4 10.4 - Single User (Mac)

List Price: $49.99

Features:

• Parental control and Web filter software for the Mac
• Adjust settings for age and maturity; multiple levels of protection
• Pre-determined categories for safe and easy content filtering
• Anti-predator function to block predatory language in chat sessions
• Limit Internet access by day and time; detailed log of use

Accessories:

3-Year Extended Service Plan - Covers Electronic Items $0-$200 - Repair

Customer Reviews:

this parental control for mac really works! [Posted on 2007-01-05]
haven't had any problems with it. really blocks out content that children should not see! i recomended this product!

Highly Recommend [Posted on 2007-04-03]
This is an excellent way to protect your children from the perils of the internet. Easy to use and it really works. Anyone with children should have this on their computers. Some internet screening software I have tried in the past either allow too much to come through to the viewer or blocks everything. This is great for blocking porographic websites and file sharing (like limewire) that allow viruses to invade your computer. I wish I would have bought this years ago. Also, there is not much out there available for Mac users in the way of content barriers and this is really all you would need. I cannot recommend this enough.

By far the best for Mac users [Posted on 2007-08-24]
As of August 2007 I've spent hours reviewing, downloading and demoing every available web filters / content filters for Mac computers. This product has surpassed the others and while not perfect I've bought it. The 5 stars is relative - I'd give it 4 vs. my expectations but 5 vs. other available products.

this program also blocks chat sessions, or will monitor them for preditor phrases and then contact you immediately if they occur. I don't allow my kids to use chat,so I can't speak for the effectiveness of this. I also haven't tried to defeat the program or crack it in any way so I can't speak to the ultimate security vs. a determined teen or more advanced computer user.

It also will limit kids to a certain list of programs (great when they get grounded!), and limit time on the internet (haven't used this one).

Pros:
Easy to copy profiles for multiple users
Each user can be customized (but if user stays logged in, other users will have access to what they can see)
As user logs into account, the profile is automatically started
Does not seem to slow down internet access at all
Easy to bypass a blocked site if needed (just need admin password or one that you set yourself)
Easy to add sites that may be mislabeled/blocked (no software is perfect)
Seems to block pretty aggressively
Stable (like most Mac programs, unlike the slowdowns and general instability I endured with my windows machines and security software)
Has seach engine re-direct (typing sexual words into google or yahoo gives more information even on the search results page than I would like my kids to see, even if the site is blocked if they try to click on it)
Will update automatically
Logging will send either complete browsing history or blocked sites to an email address

Cons
Gets expensive for multiple computers in the house
If you change from restricted (very tight control) to custom (which I have most users on) the default is to allow all sites (this should be changed to default the same - be careful if customizing)
Requires installation and reboot on each machine and sometimes after updates
Doesn't block everything (but haven't found anything better yet)
Does mislabel some sites (photography site I go to was labeled as porn, even though none present, however again nothing is perfect and it's easy enough to add the domain to my no-block list)
The silly teddy-bear logo is insulting to kids - it's not the toddler's we're worried about, it's the young kids/teens


I wish I could find a reliable hardware device to sit on my network and filter before the computer - however I've tried the SecureSpot device and it was a disaster for Mac. I don't want to spend $1500 or more for a commercial piece of hardware, so for now this software seems to be the best I've found

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