November 3, 1998 Price: $19.95 Binary Software PowerSwitch Pros: tons of features, easy to use, the best out there Cons: not-a-one    Keyboard-activated application switchers are nothing new to the Macintosh, but not until Mac OS 8.5 did Apple build this feature into the operating system. The problem with Apple's application switcher is its minimalist approach. Command-tab takes you to the next application as determined by the application switcher. If you'd like to go from the application at the top of the list to the bottom, you must hit command-tab that many times and cycle through each program before it. Third party solutions, from GoMac to the one included with Office 98, offer more elegant ways of quickly switching applications, but none can touch PowerSwitch from Michael Kamprath.    Kamprath was one of the first to create an application switcher based on the Windows approach with ProgramSwitcher. PowerSwitch, which is published by Binary Software, represents the next generation of application switchers. Beyond a simple key combination (18 convenient settings are available) that brings up a list of the current applications and allows you to switch among them, PowerSwitch also features a window switcher. Another key combination will bring up a similar list that contains the currently opened windows within that application, eliminating the need of having to drag windows out of the way or use the WindowShade feature. Navigating up and down in the lists is as simple as hitting the tab key to move down a selection, or the shift key to move up. Also, while an item is selected hitting the Q or W keys will quit or close that application or window. Finally, PowerSwitch also features a contextual menu module that adds both a "PowerSwitch" selection to your contextual menus and a "Switch To" selection. The former gives you quick access to hide, quit, or close applications while the latter allows you to switch to another currently open application.    PowerSwitch offers a myriad of appearance controls for the lists, from small icons with no names to large icons with the name of the application and the amount of memory it is using. Of course, all these blend in nicely with the Mac OS Platinum appearance.    PowerSwitch also features a handful of F-key activated hot keys that allow you to switch to the finder, the last application, quit all but the current, or hide all with a single key. If you use your F-keys for other tasks, PowerSwitch's hot keys can be set to only be activated while the command key is held down.    PowerSwitch is hands down the most impressive application switcher available for any operating system, and at $19.95 it's also an impressive value.   -MS