A new Best Mac apps thread

[iAlexG]

Most of these apps have to be paid...

I am new to Mac..do you guys pay for these?

Of course some people pirate software but no one will help you get serials or anything here.

Little update since my first post:

iTunes
Adium
Together
iWork + Bean on occasion
Squirrel
DVDRemaster
Evom
CoverSutra
VirusBarrier X5 (just to be safe)

Games:

Call of Duty 4
Age of Empires 3
Civilization 3
Halo
Quake Wars
Fable
Sauerbraten (FREE)
Urban Terror (FREE)

And people say macs suck at games!!

 

[DKatri]

Most of these apps have to be paid...

I am new to Mac..do you guys pay for these?

If an app (like for example Things) that will make your life a bit easier then surely its worth $20 or so that it costs.

That said, there is a massive amount of great freeware out there that will do the same jobs as the paid apps, maybe just not quite as well.

 

[harperjones99]

When you list apps it would be nice to say what they are for like many have done...save people from having to Google your list one by one to see if they have any interest before seeking them out.

 

[iAlexG]

If an app (like for example Things) that will make your life a bit easier then surely its worth $20 or so that it costs.

That said, there is a massive amount of great freeware out there that will do the same jobs as the paid apps, maybe just not quite as well.

Things actually costs $50!! But I forked it up and it was worth it

I love finding new freeware!!!

 

[exegete77]

Nisus Writer Pro
Notebook (Circus Ponies)
Accordance
Mellel
Scrivener
Bookends
Acrobat Pro
InDesign
OpenOffice.org
Papyrus
Ragtime

When you list apps it would be nice to say what they are for like many have done...save people from having to Google your list one by one to see if they have any interest before seeking them out.

Nisus Writer Pro - great general purpose word processor with high-end capabilities
Notebook (Circus Ponies) - keep notes for daily activities and archiving
Accordance - advanced Bible software with Hebrew, Greek, and complex find capabilities (“in the Greek New Testament, find all instances of the dative of a certain word used in connection with an articular infinitive”)
Mellel - superb high-end multi-lingual word processor with multiple, independent notestreams
Scrivener - writing and organizing tool with superb flexibility
Bookends - bibliography database program, interacts great with NWP and Mellel
Acrobat Pro - PDF creation and modification
InDesign- high-end page layout program
OpenOffice.org - free alternative to MS Office (includes Writer, Calc, Impress, Base)
Papyrus - high-end word processor/page layout (published a book using it)
Ragtime - high-end page layout, word processor, and spreadsheet capability

And yes, I paid for all of them (except OpenOffice.org), plus all upgrades; Acrobat and InDesign were part of the Adobe CS4 Premier Collection (Acrobat Pro, Bridge, Device Central, Dreamweaver, Drive, Fireworks, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Media Player, Photoshop).

 

[palmerc2]

MacTheRipper
Toast
iChat
GarageSale
iTunes
iShowU (quicktimes screen capture isn't all that great)
Aperture
Master Collection CS4 (lifesaver)
Mail

I've recently got Logic Studio 9, haven't really been able to use it that much yet, but am very excited to use Logic with my guitar! I have to get a pod studio to hook my guitar up to it first then I will be on my way to a BUNCH of different kind of amps

 

[DKatri]

Things actually costs $50!! But I forked it up and it was worth it

I love finding new freeware!!!

whoops my bad. I'm still in the 30 Day trial right now but I'm gonna buy it once that period ends its really useful!!

 

[mysterytramp]

Pages and Numbers. I'm very happy with them and I respect folks who say they need more powerful features of Microsoft Office but I pretty much doubt that there's much that these two can't do that Office can.

Bean. For lightweight word processing, it's the best.

Camino. Robust browser. Rarely offers me any trouble.

Caboodle. Stores snippets and so much more.

Shrook. I rarely stick with an RSS reader for too long but this is my current one.

mt

 

[ttttaylor]

google chrome
apple mail (looking for a new mail app though... any suggestions?)
ichat
tweetie
transmission
adobe illustrator cs4
ical

 

[Corrode]

Alright, I'll post a few I use daily:

iStatPro - Computer statistics I couldn't live without. Prefer it over iStatMenus because I use my dash a lot
Organized - a nicer dashboard view of iCal, which shows upcoming events below the calender
App Cleaner - never worry about leaving files behind when you delete an app
Coconut Battery - for those of us obsessed with out battery health
Google Notifier - Great for those with Gmail accounts
Facebook Notifications - Addicted to Facebook? Keep up even better with notifications in your menu bar
SMC Fan Control - control your fan speeds and temp of your mac
GrowlTunes - uses growl to notify you of changing iTunes tracks

 

[steezy1337]

Adium - IM client (use for msn & facebook chat)
fluid - make frequently used websites into their own windows (i've got one for gmail and one for facebook)
itunes - 'nuff said
safari - i'm waiting for google chrome after using it on windows
vuze - torrent client
garageband - music creator
pages - word processor from iWork
smultron - html client
codeblocks - IDE
bowtie - displays cover art and track info from itunes on desktop
geektool
gmail notifier - notifies me when i have new e-mails
isquint - free video converter
pod-to-mac - free ipod to mac ripper

i'm also contemplating using plex instead of front row, is it worth it?

 

[jamesdmc]

i'm also contemplating using plex instead of front row, is it worth it?

Once you get it set up, it's totally worth it. I don't have a remote for it yet (gonna get a Harmony One), but even my 5-year-old daughter can grab the keyboard and choose something to watch. Actually, she knows how to change the movie's cover art and background art to her liking .

 

[keekl]

AppZapper
Disk Inventory X
Time Machine Editor
OnyX
Thunderbird
iWork 06 (just use Pages sometimes)

 

[rhett7660]

Notebook[/B] (Circus Ponies) - keep notes for daily activities and archiving

I have been reading about in Mac|Life etc... was wondering how you like it?

 

[wattsja]

I have been reading about in Mac|Life etc... was wondering how you like it?

I love the program. I am a recent convert from the PC to a MAC and this was on of the first programs I bought. I keep a notebook for work with all kinds of information. I am the IT Manager for a chemical plant so I keep track of LOTS of information. I didn't use anything like it in Windows, but like you I tried it because of the ads in Mac|Life, and I would be lost without it!

 

[steezy1337]

Once you get it set up, it's totally worth it. I don't have a remote for it yet (gonna get a Harmony One), but even my 5-year-old daughter can grab the keyboard and choose something to watch. Actually, she knows how to change the movie's cover art and background art to her liking .

can you not use the apple remote?

 

[jamesdmc]

I could, but I still fiddle around with settings enough to warrant using the keybaord (experimenting with the Aeon skin right now). Besides, I was supposed to get that Harmony remote a while ago, so I never bothered with the Apple remote. The Harmony will be in my hands some time around Christmas, so I'll keep using the keyboard and mouse for now.

 

[exegete77]

I have been reading about in Mac|Life etc... was wondering how you like it?

Notebook works well for me. I use it to take diary-like notes, calls made, topics discussed, visits made, conferences, etc. It provides an instant index of every term, so finding something is relatively easy. It apparently will allow me to set due dates, etc., but I haven’t explored; I was pushed into a situation in which I needed something like this, be up and running within 1 day and maintain the consistency and accuracy of reporting. Notebook provided that. I would like to explore it even more (because it does more), but with my schedule, this is about all I have done.

Very dependable. My only concern will be when it increases in size, will it be that responsive. With two months of notes, it had grown to 1 MB (I have no idea if that is large or small, relative to this program).

 

[Scrimpy]

Freebie faves

Here are some free ones I really like:

Tweetie — Keep track of Twitter from your desktop.
SimpleTask — To-do list lives in menu bar, dock or both.
Vienna — Subscribe to Atom/RSS news feeds and podcasts.
iStat Menus — Keep tabs on what’s going on under the hood with stats in the menu bar.
Caffeine — Set your Mac to stay awake.
Bean — An open source word processor.
Jumpcut — Save up multiple snippets of text.
Pastor — A password-protected spot to stash serial numbers, passwords and the like.
Cyberduck — FTP client has a nice Mac-like interface.

 

[erikistired]

Firefox - browser, duh.
Tweetie - twitter app.
WriteRoom - basic word processor. love it for writing.
Acorn - image editor.
Fetch - ftp.
RipIt & DVDRemaster - putting my dvds on my mac.
Waller - save passwords and serial numbers.
CrossOver Games - currently to play torchlight on steam.
VirtualBox - does what i need, free.

 

[Ashka]

MacJournal 5. various versions since 2004..
iWork'09
CheckBook Pro

Free ones:
Scribblet ~ notepad in menubar.
Surplus meter to track broadband usage ~ capped plan
Graphic apps:
Gimp
Toy Viewer
Pixen
Small Games:
Quinn
Sudoku Adept
Minimalwords
MyMahj
AtomicWorm
Misc:
Mr Tides 3 ~ worldwide tide tables
Adium ~ messaging
FontDoc ~ list of installed fonts.
MacTracker ~ All Apple Hardware
VLC
Perian
Handbrake.
iStat Menus which everyone should have

 

[maigado]

Path Finder - not perfect, but can't do without it. File management via the Finder doesn't cut it. Other Mac file managers don't do as much, though some do things PF doesn't. Not to troll, but there are Windows file managers that are far better than most Mac ones. Sometimes, the user base's conviction that everything Mac is superior prevents people from demanding improvement where it's needed.
LaunchBar - the one app that really separates Mac from Windows for me. I'd much rather use the Mac to begin with, but I'm not as anti-Windows as most people in a Mac forum tend to be. But of all the launchers I've tried on all platforms, this is the one I can't function without. And, as its devotees well know, it's far more than a launcher. My favorite efficiency tool ever, it reveals more and more functionality all the time.
CoolBook - undervolts my MBP so that it runs cooler and the fan doesn't scream so much. It made my machine usable again after a period where the fan ran so fast and loud that I couldn't stand it anymore. Installing Snow Leopard improved the problem for some reason, but CoolBook keeps things under control better than it would be otherwise.
1Password - I could manage without, but don't want to. One of those apps that, once you've got it, it's hard to let go of.

There are plenty of others that I use and like, but that aren't as vital. Among them:

BetterZip and Springy – better than the woeful support that the OS provides for archives, but not to the standards of some Windows clients. I'd like to see better integration with the OS for this sort of thing, if it's even possible.
VLC - for the same reasons everyone else uses it.

Skype
Cyberduck
TextMate
Mail
iCal
Address Book
NetNewsWire
Firefox - Safari has some advantages, but I can't manage without my extensions.
iStatMenus
Typinator

 

[booyaaah]

Have anyone mentioned Quicksilver?
That is probably the app I use the most, it's awesome.

other apps:

• AppTrap
• NTFS for Mac
• Macports + Wine
• 1password
• MacPAR deluxe
• PLEX
• Sabnzb+
• Yasu
• iStat Menus (thanks to this thread)
• Caffeine (thanks to this thread)

 

[devianter]

plex

 

[harry454]

Schoolhouse - free (or used to be?) - Used everyday to organize assignment/test dates, also has option to email professor right threw it and can calculate your average based on weighting.

Adium - Free - All in one chat client
Tranmissions - Free - Bitorrent Client
ShakesPeer - Free - DC++ Client
Dropbox - Free (2GB) - Online storage, love the intregation all my Uni work is auto backed up on to it.

InsomniaX - Free - Prevents mac from going to sleep when you shut the lid or turn off the screen.

BetterTouchTool - Free - adds more gestures to Magic Mouse and Multitouch Trackpads.

SMCfancontrol - Free - Controls Fan speeds.

AppCleaner - Free - Helps delete apps completely