macfidelity

Hello,

on of my main problems after changing from linux and windows to macintosh and OS X was to find some suitable software which could substitude the apps i was known to due my last years with computers.

Basicly we have to devide between apps brought to us by apple directly with OS X and third-party applications. As i really prefer free software for personal usage the following links are mostly out of that corner.

a) usefull apple applications:

• DVD Player - A really well working DVD-Software which offers most function you will ever need to play a DVD
• iMovie - If u ever want to make a small video clip yourself, i.e. using your iSight camera, try this application
• iPhoto - Archive your pics, create slideshows with music and nice effects
• iTunes - well known music or media player. Personally i dont like it cause of the strange storage system
• Mail - an easy eMail client
• Photo Booth - Make pictures with your iSight camera. Includes some really funny effects
• Stickies - Create notes on your desktop and / or dashboard

As those applications are all delivered with your mac, you can just enjoy them without any search and installation work.

If u are searching third-party software for your mac, i really can recommend the following pages:

• VersionTracker
• MacUpdate

b) usefull third party applications:

• A
  • Adium - Free multi-messenger client
  • Azureus - Java BitTorrent Client
• B
  • BitTorrent - Free Torrent Client
  • Burn - Free burn application
• C
  • Camino - Browser alternative
  • Carboon Copy Cloner - Create and Backup Disk Images
  • CoCoNutWIFI - Displays wireless networks and their crypt method
  • Cog - Free and really basic mp3 player
  • Cyberduck - FTP and SFTP brower
  • Cronnix - Frontend for Cron
  • Crossover - Run Windows Apps on OSX
  • Chicken of the VNC - free VNC Client
  • clamXAV - Clam AV (anti virus) for OSX
• D
  • Disk Inventory X - Shows disk-usage
  • Dockless - Manage if an app is visible or not in your Dock
  • Doublecommand - Key remapping app
• E
• F
  • Firefox - Free brower, if safari is not yours
  • Fire - Multi-Messenger
  • Flock - Browser
• G
  • Gimp - Free graphic application
  • Google Earth - any comments needed ?
  • GrandPerspective - show disk usage graphically (like Disk Inventory X)
  • Growl - notification system
• H
  • Handbrake - multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter
• I
• J
• K
  • KisMAC - free stumbler application
  • KoolClip - Enlarge Clipboard
• L
  • Lab Tick - backlight control for powerbooks and macbooks
  • Lingon - control, edit, create launchd configuration files
• M
  
  • MainMenu - System Management tool like tinker tool etc…
    
  • MacTheRipper - DVD extractor for Mac OS X
  • MacFUSE - A FUSE-compliant file system implementation mechanism for Mac OSX
  • MacFusion - GUI for MacFUSE
  • MAMP - If the implemented MySQL and PHP solution is not enough for you
  • Marco Polo - context-aware computing for your portable Mac computer
  • Max - Free and easy audio ripper
  • MenuMeters - Hardware Monitor
  • Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection - To control Windows Clients remotly
  • MuCommander - MC like finder alternative
  • Monolingual - Delete unused languages
  • Musorg - MP3 Tagger and renamer
  • MPlayer - Video Player
  • MP3 Trimmer - Edit MP3 files
  • MagiCal - Calendar & Clock enhancement
• N
  • Namely - Application quick starter
  • NewsFire - RSS feeder
  • NeoOffice - OS X native port of OpenOffice.org without X11
• O
  
  • Onyx - Administration tool
  • OpenOffice - full-featured office productivity suite
• P
  
  • Parallels - Commercial Operating system virtualisation
  • Perian - AVI- and DivX-Support for QuickTime
• Q
  • QuickSilver - Quick Launcher
  • Q / Qemu - open source CPU emulator
• R
  • RsBrowser - FTP Client
  • RCDefaultApp - Define default applications for file extensions
• S
  • SetalphaValue - Add transparency to cocoa apps
  • Service Scrubber - Reconfigure Service Menu
  • SiteSucker - Mirror entire webpages
  • SharePoints - SMB & AFP Share-Application
  • Skim - Nicefeatured PDF viewer
  • Skype - p2p telephone client
  • Smultron - Free text editor
  • Son of Fugu - secure file transfer programm
• T
  • The Unarchiver - unarchiver for zip, tar, rar, 7-zip, stuffit & more
  • Thunderbird - Free Mail application
  • Transmission - Good & free Torrent client
  • TinkerTool - System Administration
  • Todos - display all your applications as icons in one window
  • Tomato Torrent - Free Torrent Client
  • Toast Titanium - Commercial burning tool
• U
  • UnRarX - GUI to expand RAR archives
  • UnAceX - Unarchive ACE files
• V
  • Vine Server - free VNC Server
  • Virtue - Virtual Desktops
  • VLC - Free media player
  • Vienna - RSS Reader
• W
  • Waterroof - Firewall Frontend
  • Wizzard - toggle between show/hide hidden files
  • WhatSize - Space measurement tool
• X
  • XChat Aqua - Free IRC Client
  • Xee - Free image viewer
  • Xfolders - alternative Finder Application (MC-Like)
  • Xspinner - System utility / maintenance
  • XMenu - Customize your menubar
• Y
• Z

Somethings missing ? Feel free to contact me

3rd party lists:

• http://osx.iusethis.com/top
• http://www.ajaxflakes.com/open-source/top-100-best-open-source-mac-software/
• http://macspecialist.org/content/articles/essential_apps/
• http://lifehacker.com/software/mac-os-x/rebuild-your-mac-with-20-useful-downloads-315981.php
• http://rangit.com/operating-systems/top-40-most-useful-free-mac-os-x-softwares/

EDIT:

I do list my favorite apps here:

• Mac ::: Burn ISO using Disk Utility
• Mac ::: Alternative for Disk Inventory X called GrandPerspective
• Speed-up Guide

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 15th, 2006 at 4:29 pm and is filed under How to, mac. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.