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70 Comments
- emt1451, on 06/05/2009, -6/+41One of the reasons I like Mac OS X is that it lets me AVOID cluttered crap like this.
- kierucom, on 06/05/2009, -1/+22I'm not sure why you are pointing out that Vista, a version of Microsoft Windows released 2 years ago, supports games, applications, hardware, and drivers. This should be a given.
However, I do love the fact that while you are not willing to shell out the cash for a Mac, you are more than willing to install a bunch of 3rd party applications to waste hard drive space and memory to make your Vista machine LOOK like a Mac.
You may not like the price tag of a Mac; but you do WANT a Mac. Obviously Apple is doing something right. - haikuFU, on 06/05/2009, -0/+15Except with your grammar and spelling.
- boozedrinker, on 06/05/2009, -0/+1210 Useful Ways to Chew Up More RAM than is Necessary
- masonentingh, on 06/05/2009, -3/+13not really interested in sacrificing the cleanliness of my desktop for this stuff.
nice list though. - BossKey, on 06/05/2009, -0/+7Not every problem is indicated by a slowdown. With current multi-core systems, it's not always obvious when one app or another has unnecessarily gone over 100% CPU (due to some application bug of an out-of-control process). Especially on my quad-core; an app would have to go above 300% CPU before I'd notice; a Mac Pro under the desk is so quiet I can't even tell high CPU usage by fan noise.
Even when there is an obvious slowdown, I find that iStat menus makes it much easier to figure out why, because of the wealth of info up there. For example, if you click the CPU readout you see the top 5 apps using CPU, and a direct link to Activity Monitor. You say you are going to quit apps, but I am going to know exactly which apps do and don't need to be quit.
I like to set iStat menus so that unusually high numbers are easy to see. For example, if I see a very high Upload or Download transmission rate, I like to go find out which app has decided to suck up my bandwidth with an automatic update, or if the Rx/Tx number is zero when it shouldn't be, I know that something has happened to the network connection. I also use the network throughput indicator all the time on wireless networks away from home to see what the actual throughput is at that location.
If RAM use has gone through the roof, I know I should go see what's behind that. If the hard disk read/write indicator is pegged, again, time to investigate.
iStat menus also packs a lot of useful info into the menus that pop up when you click their menu bar modules. You can see your IP address, available space on each disk, direct links to Activity Monitor and network utilities, etc. I don't even have all the features turned on.
Finally, the Date/Time module in iStat menus is far superior to the menu bar clock in OS X. I use the pop-up calendar all the time. - serif69, on 06/05/2009, -3/+10I prefer MenuMeters to iStat Menus, but that's a personal thing I suppose. They both do the trick.
I also use the Input Menu that'sbuilt into OS X but isn't on by default. I use the character palette almost daily. To turn it on, go to System Preferences > International > Input Menu and check the boxes next to "Character Palette" in the list and "Show input menu in menu bar" just below.
Also notable is the absence of MagiCal. The fuzzy clock is incredibly useful. - MrChunks, on 06/05/2009, -1/+7Well done, dalexandruz. Have a biscuit.
- insertAliasHere, on 06/05/2009, -0/+4I don't understand your logic...my computer might die one day, so I'd better not get used to having useful software because it's a pain in the ass to reinstall? Carrying that logic out to the fullest extent, you shouldn't install anything on your computer. You shouldn't buy a computer at all, because it might die one day and you'll just have to buy a new one.
- CraigGrannell, on 06/05/2009, -0/+3"Also notable is the absence of MagiCal."
I didn't want to double up on anything. I used to have MagiCal active all the time, but since iStat menus has a superior time & date replacement (which can be used on its own, without other stats running), MagiCal didn't make the cut. - Blikus, on 06/05/2009, -1/+4I like MenuCalendarClock. It displays the day of the month in your menu bar and pops down to a full month calendar that syncs with iCal.
- TalonKrass, on 06/05/2009, -1/+4I think You Control: Tunes http://www.yousoftware.com/tunes/ is better than the other iTunes-related apps in the list, plus it's free too.
- insertAliasHere, on 06/05/2009, -0/+3Screw that. I find the Dashboard totally inconvenient. Granted, that's just my opinion, but I like being able to look and see a meter with my RAM usage, CPU usage, Disk Space, and Temp. Even if I don't need these stats all that often, the fact that they are always there, always visible, taking up empty space that I wasn't using anyway is nice for those few times I do want to see them. Then I don't have to go through the finder or into the utilities to find it.
- BossKey, on 06/05/2009, -0/+3No, Dashboard widgets totally suck ass as real-time system monitors. You cannot simultaneously run your applications and catch something out of the corner of your eye in the widget, because the widget is only visible in the Dashboard. Widgets are useless when you want to use them alongside your apps. The menu bar version is ideal in this respect. I have mine using a subtle gray color scheme to be unobtrusive, yet I can still see if a graph is maxing out when it should not be.
(Yes, I know about widget developer mode, but it is not an ideal solution. If I want to have something running and visible, I will ignore the widget and get the app version.)
Widgets work best for occasionally used functions. Other than that, an app often works better, can be more capable, and is more consistent with the overall system UI (keyboard shortcuts, window behaviors, etc). For these reasons I rarely use widgets. Widgets are so limited and out of step with the rest of OS X that I think of widgets as "iPhone app mode." - noccy80, on 06/11/2009, -0/+2So true. I love it how most of these things come by default with Ubuntu. And it even allows you to change the theme!
@skurt; he may have a small penis, but honestly, i'd rather have a small penis than an iVagina - FirstOne1, on 06/05/2009, -2/+4gtfo
- EtherGnat, on 06/05/2009, -0/+2Yes, but if it's a reason you like OS X that implies you can't pick and choose what you want to install on some other operating systems. I'm trying to figure out what you think is different about OS X in this respect from any other OS.
- inactive, on 06/05/2009, -1/+3My point was that nobody's forcing him to install all that stuff. He can pick and choose if he wishes.
- MacParrot, on 06/05/2009, -0/+2I don't think you really know what intuitive means or how to actually read an article since these are all pretty inexpensive.
- warbrain, on 06/05/2009, -5/+7Exactly. I've got those few third-party extras in my menu bar but it's still clean. This isn't a Windows machine.
- oneofakynd, on 06/05/2009, -3/+5lol. NOT! : P
- EtherGnat, on 06/05/2009, -2/+4Huh? How is that any different from any other OS?
- adam07, on 06/05/2009, -3/+5I don't want to clutter my Mac with all that *****. The only app I use in the menu bar is Alarm Clock. You can create multiple alarms for each day of the week and choose the alarm to be a song from iTunes.
- inactive, on 06/05/2009, -1/+3I don't know, 5?
I don't know. - MacBandit, on 06/05/2009, -0/+2You don't have to install it. You just copy it over.
- revsd5, on 06/05/2009, -0/+1Thats "installing" ; )
- wastern, on 06/05/2009, -0/+1Agreed, its much more powerful then the one listed on the this site. Though currently in an effort to combat menubar clutter I took it out in favor of just right clicking iTunes on the dock to skip songs or check an artist/track name quickly.
Currently I'm just running iCalendarClock, Logmein, Mozy, Dropbox, Gmail Notifier, and Tweetie... and you know, the standard OS X stuff - choopie911, on 06/05/2009, -0/+1Those were really weak suggestions. Why not some useful ones like gmail notifier, SMC Fan Control (if applicable), SMART Status reporter, etc.
- jdames1980, on 06/05/2009, -2/+3Butler creates an abomination.
- dineth, on 06/06/2009, -0/+1anyone here knows how to reshuffle the menubar items?
- EtherGnat, on 06/06/2009, -0/+1How did you dis my favorite operating system? I wasn't mad about anything you said, I am just confused. What you said just made no sense. WTF are you talking about?
I'd still love to hear exactly what you think it is that's different in that respect on a Mac. You know, if you can actually answer questions rather than just make glib statements.
/my personal laptop is a Mac. I'm on it right now. - Angostura, on 06/05/2009, -0/+1Personally, I prefer a uncluttered menu bar. I clutter up my Dock instead. I have Activity Monitor running in Dock Icon >CPU History mode and I run Net Monitor down in the Dock too.
- rebotfc, on 06/05/2009, -0/+1If you have multiple sound outputs, soundsource is good, lets you swap from line output to headphone output very easily.
- satcomer, on 06/07/2009, -0/+1Are you afraid of the keyboard? I ask this because to make a screen shot for the whole screen just press the key "shift+command+3". To take a picture of a section of screen just hit the button "shift+command+4" and a camera cross hair comes up you can move and stretch to the size you want.
- MrChunks, on 06/05/2009, -0/+1Fair comments. I'll download it and see if I can put it to use then.
- dougm68, on 06/06/2009, -0/+1Your half right. I'm saying putting crappy apps and poorly written code leads to your computers ultimate failure. It's fine if you don't agree. My experience with bad software (and theres a lot that looks good at first) is ample.
- CallMeMatt, on 06/09/2009, -0/+1Mojo!
- 1platypus, on 06/05/2009, -1/+2Caffeine is a really good app. Really nice when your watching Hulu.
- MacBandit, on 06/06/2009, -0/+1By definition installing requires the use of an installer.
If you copy over a word document that's not called installing. - b1kerguy, on 06/06/2009, -0/+1you sleep?
-jealous - theblacknight, on 06/05/2009, -0/+1If you used even half those you wouldn't have room for the Apple on the left side of your menu bar unless you had a 30" display, not to mention "Firefox File Edit View History Bookmarks Tools Window Help".
- insertAliasHere, on 06/05/2009, -1/+1Well, you'll love W7 then, because they're making a move to get rid of the tray icons. Allowing for Jump Menus on the taskbar icons removes the need for adding a notify icon to the tray. Also, for all the existing apps that still do put notify icons there, you can very easily re-order them, or tell them to not display.
- AppuruGuru, on 06/06/2009, -0/+0i like to keep keychain access in my menu bar to have instant access to locking my screen...
- inactive, on 06/06/2009, -1/+1EtherGnat: I'm not sure you get this, but I wasn't trying to diss your favorite operating system.
No matter. You need a donut. It's on me. - FishingAddict, on 06/06/2009, -0/+0Avoid these, and any other applications like them!
Just like any experienced Windows user avoids and removes unnecessary items from the system tray, so should Mac users avoid any unnecessary background applications, applications that run at startup, applications that add themselves to the menu bar, run as Dashboard items, or modify or replace the Dock!
It never fails to amaze me that the same users that insist on cluttering up their Macs with these unnecessary applications are the ones yelling, screaming, and blaming Apple when a software update kills their Mac or they are having performance or crashing problems. If you insist on using applications that hook into the system in ways that Apple didn't intend, then you WILL have update problems, performance problems, or crashing problems eventually.
And lastly, if you don't like the dock for app launching, then try learning to use Spotlight instead of some unneeded 3rd party dock or menubar app. Try typing [command]-[space][s][return] to launch Safari, [command]-[space][bb][return] to launch BBEdit,
[command]-[space][t][return] to launch Terminal, or [command]-[space][FirstFewCharactersOfAppName][return] to launch any application in typically only 4 to 5 keystrokes, without even using the mouse! - inactive, on 06/05/2009, -2/+2my head hurts
- PicklePower, on 06/05/2009, -1/+1"Desktoppple"...
- MichaelCorleone, on 06/05/2009, -1/+1Caffeine is a program I love and I use often. And I just downloaded instantshot because I hate using grab.
- KyleMistry, on 06/05/2009, -1/+1I feel InsomniaX should get a mention too.
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/22211
Great app if you want to turn off your laptop monitor but don't want to just turn the brightness all the way down or put it into sleep mode.
I find it useful when playing music from the laptop as I fall asleep. -
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