This handy uninstall utility is as easy to install as it is to use: just drag and drop.

AppZapper is one of our top choices among Mac OS X utilities that uninstall apps. Why? Because it's easy to use, affordable, and fast.

Whether you opt to use an uninstall utility Mac depends on how picky you are about what doesn't get removed when you simply move an unwanted app to the Trash - uninstalling software this way can leave a host of files associated with the deleted application on your hard drive. If you want to stick with the free, manual method of deleting software, you can add a Spotlight search for files associated with that app and delete any that turn up. Of course, this assumes that Spotlight can actually find the files you're looking for, which can be a hit or miss proposition, depending up on how that app names its helper files.

AppZapper ($12.95, www.appzapper.com) automates the process of removing applications and their associated helper files. Its creators tell us that it's "far more than just a name searcher." AppZapper uses techniques to find related files that include identifier matching, receipt cross-checking, and intelligent name-based searches.

The prime reason we like AppZapper is that you don't have to be a rocket scientist to use it. Deleting an app is almost as simple as dragging it to the trash: Just launch AppZapper and drag the app to the AppZapper window.

If you want to select the app or apps to delete from a list, click on the icon that looks like a genie's lamp. A list of apps appears, excluding any "safe" apps, which are those that you designate as off-limits for deletion. You check the box next to the apps you want to get rid of, then, when you click Go, AppZapper goes out and finds all the files associated with those apps and presents you with a list, which you can approve before clicking Zap.

If there are files associated with apps that you want to keep, you can always uncheck the box next to an item before you click Zap.