When the time comes...

[navier-stokes]

OK, so I've been waiting all summer to buy my very first mac, and hopefully I will be able to on the 14th... if the rumours are to be believed.

Anyway that is partially irrellevant. As a mac newbie, has anyone got a definitive list of the essential software, both freeware, downloaded, and bought to get the most out of my mac?

Which is the best ms office equivalent for mac... is it ms office?

What about installing a VM for windows on it? The best way to go about it?

Thanks all!

 

[chrono1081]

Heres what I use:

- VM Ware to boot XP without having to reboot the machine. (Useful when I want to program in Visual Studio)

- Neo Office or Open Office Aqua for an MS Office replacement. I use Neo Office but everyone else swears by Open Office Aqua

- If you need a replacement for MS OneNote then try Circus Ponies Notebook. I didn't like it near as much as one note, but it grew on me after learning the keyboard shortcuts, now I like it a lot better then one note

- Mac the Ripper (Ripping DVDs)

- Handbrake (Encoding DVDs for iPod, etc)

- DVD2OneX - Burn ripped DVDs, combine multiple dvds.

These are what I bought

 

[techound1]

Chrono has you off to a good start. From there, a lot depends on what you use your Mac for. CoolOSXapps.net is one source for freeware/shareware to do just about everything.

 

[Jonnyfive]

quicksilver is awesome and so is dropbox!

 

[savvos]

I use Adium for my instant messaging needs and it's great because it hooks into all the chat networks.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Freeware;
VLC - plays media files.
Firefox - self explanatory.
Google Earth - self explanatory.
Transmission - torrent client.
iMovie HD - free if you have iLife '08, which all new Macs come with.
Skype - if you use it for work.
AIM for Mac Beta - aim client for mac. in beta version.
Handbrake - dvd ripper.
MacTheRipper - dvd ripper, can get past more dvd encryption methods than Handbrake.
Adobe Reader - you can use Preview or Quick Look in macs to read PDFs, but some ppl like using Reader.
Adium - im client to can connect to pretty much any network, like MSN, AIM, Yahoo!, Skype, Twitter, etc.
iSquint - free version of VisualHub.

Paid apps:
MS Office (Mac) 2008 - same thing as Office for Windows.
iWork '08 - can be used to replace Office. a lot cheaper.
AppDelete - app uninstaller. you can delete apps by hand, or use this. by hand isn't too hard, but you never know...
Photoshop CS4 - pre-order, same as Photoshop for Windows.
Adobe CS4 (general) - if you use CSX in Windows, CS4 for Mac is the same thing.
VisualHub/AudialHub - Visual for converting movies, Audial for converting audio. No longer being sold, but you can buy it from places like eBay, etc.
MobileMe - email service from Apple ($99 a year) but it's much more than that. good if you travel a lot and integrates into OS X very well.



For VMs, Parallels/Fusion/VirtualBox all do the same thing. Fusion is the most popular and newest in terms of being updated. VirtualBox is free. If you don't mind rebooting into Windows XP/Vista, you can use Boot Camp (included with every mac). Boot Camp lets you choose which OS you boot into, so you get native speeds and no virtualization. Anyway, welcome to the forums! and enjoy your mac!

 

[zer0tails]

hi navier-stokes, whether you get one of the current macs or the new ones on the rumored 14th, trust me when I say you will enjoy your mac like nothing you've ever experienced before.

These are a few of my essentials:

1. Adium - the best IM app i've ever used. You will love the customization, eae of use, and beautiful simplicity. Don't waste your time on messenger for mac.

2. Neo office, Microsoft Office 2008, and Open Office Aqua are all excellent programs. You won't go wrong with either. Personally, I favor office 2008.

3. iWork is great for creating amazing Keynotes, and powerpoint presentations. Here it's my choice for creating beautiful slide shows for my presentations.

4. VLC media player for watching all videos.

5. Transmission for torrents.

 

[iMav]

I use VirtualBox for my virtualization needs. It's free and works quite well.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Most of the world uses Word, so I'd agree with zer0tails and recommend some version of Office; when I switched, earlier in the year, I got Office for Mac (very necessary).
Welcome to the world of Mac, you'll enjoy it hugely.
Cheers