The current version Dialectic has been tested on and is compatible with OS X 10.8+ (including OS X 10.11 El Capitan). If you need to use Dialectic on an earlier system (0S X 10.5.8 - 10.7), you can download v1.9.2.
The first time you launch Dialectic you may see a dialog indicating that Dialectic is from an unidentified developer and, depending on your Gatekeeper settings, the OS may refuse to launch the application. If so, Option-click or right-click on the Dialectic icon in the Finder (not the Dock) and, from the contextual menu, select “Open.” Then, if further prompted that this item is from an unidentified developer, allow Dialectic to open by clicking the "Open" button. Once you allow Dialectic to launch the first time you only need to double-click its icon in the Finder again to re-launch it.
In addition, there are many places from within Dialectic where it will access your Address Book data (i.e., from the AB Menu, from the Lookup, etc.). This data is managed by the Contacts application. If prompted, you should allow Dialectic access to your contact data. Once you allow Dialectic to both launch & access your contacts, you should not need to change these settings again and will be able to use Dialectic as you normally would, including using the Address Book Plug-In and other features.
Analog Modem Compatibility
Apple has discontinued the Apple external USB modem and, as of OS X 10.7, this modem is no longer supported by OS X. This is a limitation set by the OS that Dialectic cannot overcome, this modem is simply not supported on systems running OS X 10.7 or newer. (This modem will also not work on OS X 10.6 with the 64-bit kernel but using the OS X 10.6 32-bit kernel will allow the modem to function properly.)
While the Apple external USB modem is no longer supported, there are other third-party analog modems that continue to work with OS X using the 64-bit kernel. The USRobotics USR5637 56K USB FaxModem
When using an external USB modem, attaching the USB modem to the USB port of an ADC display or to an external USB hub, even a powered one, is not recommended. These modems work most reliably when connected directly to a USB port on your computer.
Note: Analog USB Modems and OS X 10.11 (El Capitan)
In our testing, all the analog USB modems mentioned above except the Zoom 3095 USB Mini External Modem continue to work with OS X 10.11 El Capitan. Our systems running OS X 10.11 El Capitan do not recognize the Zoom modem and, as such, Dialectic cannot access them for dialing or incoming call monitoring. That said, users have reported success using the Zoom modem on their OS X 10.11 El Capitan systems. We urge you to test Dialectic with your modem before purchasing a license.
Dialectic Contextual Menu
With the introduction of OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard), Apple changed the way Services & Contextual Menu Plug-Ins work. Accordingly, Dialectic now simply uses the Services menu instead of the separate Contextual Menu Plug-In or Service workflow included in earlier releases. From the Services menu, in just about any application, select a phone number then choose the “Dial Selection with Dialectic” when you Control-click (or right-click) on it. Selecting this menu item will, of course, send the selected text to Dialectic to dial. If you have a large number of text-related Services, this menu item may be included in a Services submenu at the bottom of the contextual menu.
For enhanced contextual selection dialing, we offer many application-specific extensions and plug-ins (e.g., Safari, Firefox, Contacts (Address Book), etc.). In addition, there are scripts and other resources for dialing directly from additional third-party applications (e..g, Microsoft Entourage, Outlook, FileMaker Pro, etc.) available for free from the Dialectic resources page:
