Last Updated: 10/16/12
Here is a list of additional software that I usually install on a new Mac:
- Adium : a multi-protocol chat client. Supports AIM, GoogleTalk, Facebook, IRC, and more. I use this instead of iChat (*now called Messages)
- Alfred : an easy application launcher and more. After starting alfred, hit option-space to bring up a search...
- BetterTouchTool: if you run this, you can map all kinds of crazy gestures to apps or actions. Want to open your mail client when you do a five-finger click? this the tool for you.
- Google Chrome : alternate web browser from Google
- CloudApp : used for easy sharing of files... once you create a free account, if you run this, it appears as a cloud icon in your toolbar; dragging files to that cloud copies it up to cloud.app site and puts the resulting shortened URL in your clipboard for easy pasting
- CrashPlan : if the built-in Time Machine backup isn't for you, then CrashPlan is a good alternative
- Day-O : run in place of the standard date/time display in the upper right of the menubar. You can customize the format of the date/time and clicking on the time drops down a handy mini-calendar
- Dropbox : once you create a free account (or pay for one?), acts as cloud-storage for files to sync between machines
- FileZilla : GUI ftp/sftp client
- Firefox : delivered straight from forces of good to combat the evil that is IE
- Adobe Flash plugin : the latest from Adobe... note this is only for Safari and Firefox. Chrome bundles and uses its own version of Flash
- Flip4Mac : let's you view other formats of video that you might not be able to... I'm beginning to think this one is not very necessary
- Flycut : a multi-clipboard that keeps a history of copied items... hit control-option-v to bring up list to paste from. You can change the shortcut key and how many things it remembers. Once you get used to using this, you will not believe you got by without it!
- Apple iWork : Apple's office suite
- Mactracker : a utility that has the hardware specs for every piece of Apple hardware ever released
- McAfee Security : virus software. You may wish to disable/un-install this, depending on your faith in Apple
- MenuMeters : small icons in your menubar showing cpu, memory, disk and network activities. Go to System Preferences to turn it off or change what/how it displays
- Microsoft Office : the latest greatest Office suite
- MPlayerX : alternative video player. plays many formats that Quicktime Player won't
- OmniDiskSweeper : if/when your disk gets near full and you want to be able to quickly find what files are taking up the most space, this is the utility to run
- Opera : impress your Scandinavian friends with your choice of browser!
- Google Picasa : Google's answer to iPhoto
- Quicksilver : an incredibly powerful application launcher and more, you may prefer this over Alfred
- Microsoft Silverlight : Microsoft's answer to Adobe Flash...
- Skype : video conference software (but you know that already)
- SlimBatteryMonitor : instead of the default battery display, shows time-to-charge or time-left, smaller display than default battery display
- SnapNDrag : the best screen-shot utility. Combine with cloud.app (above) for quick sharing of any part of your screen
- Spotify : subscription-based music service that offers free accounts (with options to upgrade for $ for more features)
- The Unarchiver : unpacks, unzips, untars, unRars, etc.
- TinkerTool : tweaker for some settings in OS X. It is how I made the dock 2-D and in the lower right
- VirtualBox : freeware alternative to VMWare
- VLC : another alternative video player. plays many formats that Quicktime Player won't
Bonus... software that *I* use, but you may or may not be interested in:
- Graphics
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- Adobe Fireworks : useful for creating buttons, logos, and other website elements
- OmniGraffle Pro : like Microsoft Visio, for creating diagrams
- Comic Life : make your own comics (for my telecommuting messages)
- Audio
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- Audacity : Audio editor
- Fission : Audio editor, easy way to make iPhone ringtones
- Vox : Audio player and converter, plays FLAC and other non-iTunes compatible audio formats
- Video
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- HandBrake : if you have young kids, like I do, you may want to make back-ups of DVD movies you own before they get their grubby, DVD-breaking little hands on them ;-)
- Mac DVDRipper Pro : like HandBrake, but will back up full disk features (menus, extras, etc.)
- Apple iLife : I use iMovie to edit and export movies of family vacations and activities
- Apple Aperture : I use Aperture to manage and edit photos that I take. I think you'd be equally happy with Adobe Lightroom as well.
- Organization
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- Programming
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- iTerm : alternative to the default Terminal program
- TextMate : used to be *the* Mac text editor for progammers, now a little long in the tooth and its future uncertain
- Sublime Text 2 : one of the few new editors to come along as a viable alternative to TextMate
- TextWrangler : text editing on the cheap (free!)
- SSH Tunnel Manager : gui for setting up, running ssh tunnels
- Transmit : ftp, sftp, and most importantly, an sshfs client
- Sequel Pro : MySQL gui that just rocks
- Apple Xcode : Mac developement ide and the way to (optionally) install command-line compiling (gcc)
- csshX : simultaneous control of multiple SSH sessions
- whatmask : a small C program that will help you with network settings
- RegExhibit : if /^(\S+).*$/ means anything to you, then you'll want this great RegEx tool
- Misc
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- Little Snitch : *outbound* firewalling for your mac
- SMART Reporter : is your hard disk failing? maybe this will tell you so before it dies
Apple websites to know about: