MUST HAVE software for a new MacBook Pro

[xhArRiSoNxD]

thanks for the reply, i just refreshed my google chrome and it works now! didn't have smart scroll installed

That's odd.. then I wonder why it stopped working for me.. I closed and re-
opened chrome.

 

[vant]

I find myself loving safari's top sites. Thus i prefer safari. I have firefox incase I run into compatibility issues.

 

[Bosmonster]

Chrome has about the same feature on the home screen. I dislike Safari's interface. Chrome is so much cleaner and easier on the eyes. Also I got used to searching from the address-bar, which doesnt work on Safari.

Firefox is a bit sluggish (and Camino is too outdated). I still use Firefox for development though, Firebug is still by far the best debug and analysis tool.

 

[Tex-Twil]

When I read "MUST have on MBP" I was expecting only apps which can be used especially on a MBP (BTT, gfx) ... not just OSX apps (VLC, Chrome).

there are already threads about must have OSX apps .

 

[mynewromantica]

When I read "MUST have on MBP" I was expecting only apps which can be used especially on a MBP (BTT, gfx) ... not just OSX apps (VLC, Chrome).

there are already threads about must have OSX apps .

That was kind of what I intended for the most part, no big deal tho.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

When I read "MUST have on MBP" I was expecting only apps which can be used especially on a MBP (BTT, gfx) ... not just OSX apps (VLC, Chrome).

there are already threads about must have OSX apps .

So your post is pretty much the entire thread than

 

[roxygal9]

This is a great thread especially as a soon to be first time mac owner (mine is at the fedex facility should be delivered today!). However, some of the links are posted, where do I go in osx to get all these apps? I also see some are not free. Does it kinda work like the app store or do you have to go all over the web to find these apps for mac, etc? Also as a wondows user, I really am careful as to what freeware I download if any at all.

So what makes the freeware you all are talking about secure?

Thanks for any input!

 

[GGJstudios]

iStat Pro - A widget that allows you to monitor temperatures, network usage, fan speeds, disk space, CPU and RAM usage and a few more things.
http://www.islayer.com/apps/istatpro/

iStat menu is good but it is payware now.

I also dislike iStat as there has been complaints about resource usage. It can cost money too, which is ridiculous for something that does what you can do for free.

iStat Pro, which is what the OP mentioned, is free, and does a great job in monitoring and reporting system status. Only iStat Menus is no longer free.

 

[Dozerrox]

Growl is worth the install if nobody's mentioned it so far.

 

[TheNewDude]

This is a great thread especially as a soon to be first time mac owner (mine is at the fedex facility should be delivered today!). However, some of the links are posted, where do I go in osx to get all these apps? I also see some are not free. Does it kinda work like the app store or do you have to go all over the web to find these apps for mac, etc? Also as a wondows user, I really am careful as to what freeware I download if any at all.

So what makes the freeware you all are talking about secure?

Thanks for any input!

LOL no no, no AppWorld for MacBooks or any computers.
You can buy whatever you want from wherever you want.

Most of the things are easy to find with a quick google search. You can purchase most of the paid software very easily from the developers website most of the times.
I've installed a bunch of freeware on my MBP, it's pretty good stuff. Most of the free stuff mentioned in this thread is pretty safe to install.

BTW, i recently got my first mac too. (Been about 2-3 weeks)

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Here's my Top 10.

 

[mynewromantica]

This is a great thread especially as a soon to be first time mac owner (mine is at the fedex facility should be delivered today!). However, some of the links are posted, where do I go in osx to get all these apps? I also see some are not free. Does it kinda work like the app store or do you have to go all over the web to find these apps for mac, etc? Also as a wondows user, I really am careful as to what freeware I download if any at all.

So what makes the freeware you all are talking about secure?

Thanks for any input!

Most of the things mentioned are free or have a free alternative. I have never had an issue with any of the software I mentioned in the OP. If you get your freeware from a trustworthy source you are pretty safe. If you have any questions thats what this forum is for.

Enjoy your mac BTW, you will never look back.

 

[GGJstudios]

So what makes the freeware you all are talking about secure?

If you search the forum with MRoogle, you can find recommendations for software, many times with links to the site where you can download them. If you see many in the forum recommending it, it's a safe bet. You'll find lists of reputable sites for free apps at the bottom of this post: Helpful Information for New Mac users

 

[ricriley]

I received my macbook pro i5 just two weeks ago. Being my first apple computer it hasn't taken me long to get used to OSX. I keep finding good quality applications, here are some of the ones that I consider MUST HAVE:

Better Touch Tool
Adium
Dropbox
Twitterrific (paid)
Evernote
Spotify (Europe only)
CleanMyMac
InsomniaX
ScreenFlow (paid)
Unison (paid)
Perian
gfxCardStatus

There are many more but these have been the pick of the bunch for me. I'm currently becoming very unproductive with all these new toys to play with.

 

[The ORly owl]

If you plan to do some serious work on your Mac without being distracted, do not, I repeat, DO NOT under any circumstances install Growl

 

[singhjeet29]

As an HD junkie, my experience has been better with MPlayer OSX extended than with VLC for mkv playback and generally with other media. I would definitely recommend MPlayer OSX Extended over VLC any day for Mac. And I used to use VLC exclusively for 4 years on PC and Mac.

 

[vant]

I'd also like to add CoolBook for those who are technically able. I saw bigger gains in cooling on my 2010 mbp13 than my 2009 one. CPU idles around 38-41c now at 70f ambient! I'm running the beta.

 

[applefieddarwin]

Fan control has slight problems on newer MacBook Pros using eitehr an i5 and i7. It will not read the fans or sensors properly, and uninstalling them (or even removing the preference pane file will cause kernel panics. I highly suggest using SMC FanControl!

 

[plasticphyte]

Growl is worth the install if nobody's mentioned it so far.

Growl is the best thing to happen to Mac OS X since, well, Mac OS X

 

[helix21]

One I use most often are -

Quicksilver - best for a macbook pro, not dealing with a trackpad and if you set it right, you can do pretty much anything from it. I find the 'launch songs in iTunes' priceless.

Better Touch Tool - However I found that the rotate command in Multiclutch is far more reliable and better implemented. I love that as the refresh command in my browser. Speaking of browsers...

Firefox - Chrome is blazing fast. Safari is great as the default and Top Sites is aesthetically pleasing. However, the lastest betas (6) of Firefox 3.6.4 are just so so good on memory management. I have 2GB of RAM so I find this invaluable. Addons such as InstaClick (which turn your right click on a link into a 'open in new tab' (middle click) are such a timesaver on my macbook)

Office for Mac 2011 beta 3 - Cant describe how much of an improvement this over the worst piece of software I have ever used on a mac. I actually enjoy using it now.

Skype/Adium - self explanatory really, use that iSight camera!

Perian Quicktime X was the best thing for snow leopard. I actually use this to launch all the iTunes podcasts and movies. They really need to make iTunes Cocoa and 64 bit.

Dropbox - mentioned many times already.

Growl - best notification system out there, works great with Adium.

Those are the one's I couldn't hope using my MBP without on a daily basis.

 

[vant]

Firefox - Chrome is blazing fast. Safari is great as the default and Top Sites is aesthetically pleasing. However, the lastest betas (6) of Firefox 3.6.4 are just so so good on memory management. I have 2GB of RAM so I find this invaluable. Addons such as InstaClick (which turn your right click on a link into a 'open in new tab' (middle click) are such a timesaver on my macbook)

Office for Mac 2011 beta 3 - Cant describe how much of an improvement this over the worst piece of software I have ever used on a mac. I actually enjoy using it now.

In regards to shortcuts for browsers, I haven't tried it on anything other than Safari, but I love how I can open windows forwards and backwards in new tabs with ease.

Command+Three finger swipe right or left (Open forward/back page to new tab)

How did you get a copy of Office 2011 Beta 3? I can't find a trustworthy source!

 

[Patrick J]

Chrome, Movist, Adium.

Why clog up my new Macbook Pro with tonnes of programs?

 

[toffa813]

I also dislike iStat as there has been complaints about resource usage. It can cost money too, which is ridiculous for something that does what you can do for free.

I just got a new MBP and had the older version on my Macbook, and when I found out v3 wasn't free, I just googled istat v2 and downloaded it for for free.
Here's where I downloaded it.

No, I don't think it's necessary (which is why I didn't buy it), but it can be cool to see what's going on with your computer and whatever.

 

[lazarusbf]

Hello, this topic could be very useful for us (mac)newbies.
Is there any way someone makes a poll with all, say, 10-15 major applications for macbook pros, and then we'll see which ones get the most votes.

 

[530farm]

For everyone using CHROME. I use to use chrome on my windows/linux machine but i have strayed from it due to that it activated the nvidia 330m. Are you guys using it with the 2010 mbp? Do you not mind that the 330m is running while just browsing?