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bestmacsoftware.org — Not having most of these tools is like having half a Mac.

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  • phogasmic, on 10/10/2007, -11/+88If you are not using Quicksilver or Adium, you are seriously missing out. I don't know how I ever worked without them.
    • Shorties, on 10/10/2007, -7/+28I really like iChat with the Chax plugin.
    • Heembo, on 10/10/2007, -72/+81) Buy new mac
      2) Install Win XP
      3) Now you can really play games
      4) Kick yourself for not just buying a beefy dell to start with
      • Shorties, on 10/10/2007, -5/+28I bought a New Macbook Pro (Which is just as beefy as your dell) installed Vista (Which I love been using it for months previously, I like it better then XP) installed some games played them a little and then went to play around on OSX... I haven't gone back to the windows partition since (That was almost 2 weeks ago).
      • coldfusion1970, on 10/10/2007, -5/+125) Console yourself by running Mac OS X, the best operating system on any computer.
        • Giga, on 10/10/2007, -8/+7It's not the best OS on my Toshiba Laptop, it doesn't work.
          • yugiohdan6, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6if you actually had a mac it WOULD work...
      • Vermifax, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4That was .... one of the saddest comments I've ever read.

        (offering you a hug)
      • kingkilr, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3They missed Coda, which is just awesome for web development.
      • anjinash, on 10/10/2007, -1/+13Wow, that's quite some flame bait you've got going there.

        Last month I was struggling with the choice between a nice amped up Dell with 4GB of RAM or getting my first Mac. I chose a 20in iMac with 2GB of RAM. I can't say I've regretted the decision much. I still have a PC with Vista and Ubuntu loaded on it, and I dual boot and run XP through Parallels as well on my iMac. It's the best of all worlds, really. There are things I don't like about Macs and there are things I love about them. Don't be so closed minded, Apple is doing some really cool stuff these days and to stick your nose up at it out of loyalty to your current OS does you no favors. Likewise, many Mac users are pretty stuck up and ***** all over Windows every chance they get. They too need to open their minds and stop being such dicks. Each OS has its' pros and cons, and by using several OS's you open up more possibilities than by sticking with just one.
    • landohlakes, on 10/10/2007, -3/+15I agree with Adium. This is the IM client to use on a Mac. They just released an updated version too (v1.1.1).
      • GregR, on 10/10/2007, -9/+4When Adium can do direct file transfers like iChat (with or without Chax) then I'll switch.
        • pyrophire, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11It can...
        • Thorsten, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0Well but it always seems to have problems.
          Adiumis very buggy, it doesn't crash but things don't work.
          Like sending files, and showing what plays right now in my iTunes.
          Also about 9 month ago adium desroyed my whole ICQ contac list.
          Now I am back with version 1.1 and will see how it goes.
      • Dugg2Death, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4I've submitted 4 comments to this thread, every one gone... wtf is with the comment system?
    • htan, on 10/10/2007, -15/+3having a mac is like having a pc
      • astrosmash, on 10/10/2007, -3/+13... that works.
        • anjinash, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I have a Mac, and a PC. Both work rather well, thank you very much.
      • Rileyper, on 10/10/2007, -11/+2I thought a Mac was a personal computer...A locked personal computer
        • badjoke, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Just because you don't know how to use one...
          • mrBitch, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6" I thought a Mac was a personal computer...A locked personal computer "

            Actually Microsoft has more lock in than running OSX does.

            I have been a microsoft programmer since before windows 1.0 days - and I have switched to a MacBook Pro in the last seven months only because I knew I could still run Windows via BootCamp / Parallels / VMware fusion ...

            and guess what ? the last time I needed to boot Windows was four months ago.

            OSX does EVERYTHING that I used to do running MS Windows - and OSX does it better !

            disclosure : I was a microsoft fan boy until a few months before switching to OSX - and I now can't believe what I used to live with while running Windows - I thought that OSX could not possibly be any worse or better than Windows - Oh how WRONG I was ...
    • jtbandes, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9And TextMate, definitely.
    • MaxPayne3476, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Quicksilver honestly should be pre-packaged with Mac... it's that necessary. I don't even have anything on my dock except Finder, Firefox, System Prefs, and iChat! I'm so used to just hotkeying ctrl+X :)
      • yabos, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Not needed in Leopard which has much faster Spotlight, brings applications to the top and automatically selects the application in the list.
        • MonkeySpank, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Quicksilver is much more than an app launcher dude.
    • sneeka2, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2I went from QuickSilver to Launchbar (even though not free), mostly because it's a lot more stable. Just saying in case somebody has the same problems...
      • HornyGoat, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I went from Launchbar to QuickSilver, mostly because I can do a lot more things and save time.
    • FloriaKir, on 10/10/2007, -7/+1Never forget that Adium derives from gaim/Pidgin, but nobody ever gives Linux any credits for it... LINUX RULZ!
    • MikeTheC, on 10/20/2007, -0/+7Ok folks, based on this thread's collective recommendation, I tried Quicksilver. I read the online docs, read through the tutorial, D/L'd and installed it, and then put my Mac through the usual paces but using Quicksilver instead. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bash the app, but I really didn't find it useful at all to me. I'm already doing everything quicker and more efficient than what Quicksilver does -- for the most part -- and for those tasks that technically Quicksilver *is* faster doing, well... it truly wasn't worth it. I guess by today's standards I just don't do enough on my Mac to derive any benefit from this program.
  • LaSepultura, on 10/10/2007, -117/+26Got a fresh Mac? Start HERE: http://sell.ebay.com/sell

    Then here: http://www.newegg.com/Store/Computer.aspx?name=Computer-Hardware
    • bagelpirate, on 10/10/2007, -7/+59I was a hardcore PC/windows user until i finally picked up a Macbook Pro.
      I could never ever go back.

      Runs games under windows great too.
      • rafaelmagu, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12Same here. Avid PC user that 'accidentaly' tried a MBP.

        Never looking back again.
        • anjinash, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8Why on earth do people see the need to pick sides here? I just got my first Mac about a month ago and use it as my main rig at the moment, but still use my Vista/Ubuntu machine every day. It's not about picking sides, looking back or any of that crap... it's about opening new doors without closing old ones.
      • PueSi, on 10/10/2007, -12/+3How can you play games with that piece of ***** graphic card?
        • meez, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Maybe he plays good games. Last time I checked The Quake 3 engine didn't need much to run, and there hasn't been any good MP games since CoD2 anyway.
        • rhoelshe, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Macbook Pro != Macbook
    • joegibes, on 10/10/2007, -13/+7I lol'd.
      But I guess I'd have a mac, if it weren't for the price... I can build a decent PC for under $500 while new iMacs start at $1200 (of course Minis start at $600, but I can get more power for the money on Newegg).

      Maybe when I have money (i.e. after college) I'll buy an iMac... Or Macbook.
    • greatcaffeine, on 10/10/2007, -4/+17I take it you're looking to buy one on eBay?
    • Whaines, on 10/10/2007, -18/+4Well, if you've got a fresh Mac I'd assume the first place to start is the return department of wherever you bought it, not eBay.
    • keyboardduder, on 10/10/2007, -22/+3I totally dugg you up. I came here to post exactly what you said but you got here first!
    • zongamin, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5idiot - have fun with your piss poor home built piece of *****, I'll stick with my mac.
  • KingZoidberg, on 10/10/2007, -8/+98A few more freeware apps that I'd suggest getting:

    Transmission - the best Bittorrent client for the Mac, bar none. http://transmission.m0k.org/download.php

    The Unarchiver - an archiving utility that works with a ton of formats http://wakaba.c3.cx/s/apps/unarchiver.html

    MainMenu - a utility that enables gives a GUI to various Unix tasks, as well as doing convenient things like disabling that resource-hogging Dashboard. http://www.santasw.com/

    I'd also recommend Safari beta 3, unlike the Windows version it's quite stable and well designed, and has a vastly improved search feature, as well as being the fastest browser on the Mac in terms of rendering: http://www.apple.com/safari/
    (and to easily block ads, I'd grab http://sagefire.org/files/good-vibrations-css/beta.zip)
    • Powerdrift, on 10/10/2007, -3/+5Actually PithHelmet supports Safari 3ß now. Works perfectly.
      • KingZoidberg, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Ah, they hadn't updated it the last time I'd checked. Thanks for the tip.
    • davidhildreth, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7FFMPEGX, Handbrake and X slimmer are also a god send.
    • meatmcguffin, on 10/10/2007, -1/+36I would add growl to the list. Unbelievably useful and an absolute *must* have.
      • surfacewound, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Adium gave a prompt to install Growl for me, so as long as you don't ignore the prompt it's easy to get along with it.
      • Linh, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3I haven't used growl.. I don't really see the purpose.
        • meatmcguffin, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I thought the same but give it a try, it's so handy when you're waiting for a file to download or something to change status without keeping that application at the front or having to check it every few minutes. At the moment i have 53 apps installed that use it.

          I have notifications pop up when a file downloads in safari, when a handbrake conversion finishes, when i have new mail, when adium users sign in and out, when someone changes their facebook status (via fmenu), when another computer connects to my local network, which track is playing in iTunes and i even get notified if i pull out the laptop charger by mistake.

          When you get it, set the display preference to 'music video' and you'll start to get annoyed at macs that don't have it installed :P
    • zeppo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3If its just CSS I am pretty sure it just hides the ads after downloading them. So for people that want to save bandwidth they would still need to use another web browser or an adblocking proxy.

      I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.
      • KingZoidberg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Nope, you're right. I just hadn't realized that PithHelmet (best Safari adblocker) was up and running on beta 3 yet.
      • chloran, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Do you know of any of non CSS ad blocking programs/addons for Safari?
    • blumph, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1yeah, betas usually ARE stable. good recommendation! hehe
    • selkie, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Out of curiosity, I use Stuffit for extraction as it was the only software I could find that would allow me to view the list of files in the archive and pick and choose what I want to extract (a la Winzip / Winrar in Windows). Does anyone know a good solution for this on the Mac as I haven't been able to find one. You only seem to get the 'double click me and I'll extract everything' deal.1000 points to whoever points me the right way.
    • mckk, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2And what about Perian? It really is a wonderful set of codecs (basically all you need besides windows media). http://perian.org/
  • pathetik, on 10/10/2007, -29/+1BurP !!! sKuze me ... not another list...
    You forgot the most important in Mac UI
    "Cleardock" people... come on !!!
    Have a Hardcore Day ;0)
  • zzz@tkz, on 10/10/2007, -27/+169Someone want to buy me a macbook so I can join the club :)?

    (If you bury me, I'll take that as saying that you'll send me money)
    • Lick, on 10/10/2007, -31/+3(If you bury me, I'll take that as saying that you'll send me money)

      That doesn't really make sense y'know. I know it's not meant to make sense and is intended as a joke, but my illogic-scanner popped up a warning in my brain's OS. ;D Should I digg you up or down?
      • zzz@tkz, on 10/10/2007, -6/+7Actually, I do want the digg community to buy me a macbook, the bury me thing was to prevent myself from getting dugg down, thus my message appearing to a wider audience, and just maybe, some rich guy who wants to buy me a macbook.

        My current computer is POS, 256 MiB RAM, Pentium 4 processor, and some ***** integrated video card.

        6 people dugg me down, so I want money.
        • NitrousFlare, on 10/10/2007, -13/+5SHUT THE ***** UP
        • manitoba98xp, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8I, too, would like a Macbook, but I just thought I'd point out: the Macbook does use an integrated graphics card (GMA 950).
        • nullx42, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Hes just going to spend it on booze. Get a job.
        • danklogix, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3@ manitoba98xp: I call it the Grandma 950. I love the book but can't stand the card.
    • frostieDude, on 10/10/2007, -11/+3I don't like panhandlers in real life. I like them even less on the internet. Get a job.
  • Shorties, on 10/10/2007, -19/+55Thank you poster, Just got my first mac last monday, I am officially a switcher. (And I am loving it!)
    • fender06, on 10/10/2007, -2/+11ditto
    • avatarpalin, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Hey welcome!!

      Here's a tip, spotlight is your friend... Here's some spotlight tips for ya.

      1. To find any file from the same applications, say all 'word' documents just type word.. it will show you the app but give you a list of all word docs.. being a DOS guy I was typing *.doc *grin*

      2. Create a smart folder *click on the apple logo and choose new smart folder* and then type in 'Date:today' (without the quotes) and it will show you all the files apps etc that you opened today, you can type in date:yesterday & date:last week etc..

      3. If you want to find all movies or picture etc type in 'kind:movie or kind:picture '

      Enjoy OS X!!

  • Powerdrift, on 10/10/2007, -3/+53UnRarX shouldn't be on that list. The Unarchiver should.
    • macbookpromat, on 10/10/2007, -14/+1Or stuffit 11

      • nullx42, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12No, not stuffit 11. unless its pirated. Even if it is, The Unarchiver is 11 times better
    • kuyman, on 10/10/2007, -3/+14Stuffit is horribly buggy. The unarchiver is great though, no problems at all.
      • gregulate, on 10/10/2007, -11/+1actually its the complete opposite
        • chromerium, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9actually you're wrong. Stuffit is a POS. The unarchiver is great.
      • ShinRaTDR, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Stuffit IS horribly buggy. So is the Unarchiver, with passwords and RARs, it has problems. Plus its no longer being updated. I keep both around, if unarchiver can't handle it, then stuffit will.
        • nullx42, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1AND OUT OF NOWHERE! WINRAR FOR THE WIN!... Oh dreams.... D:
        • ShinRaTDR, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Winrar is the worst of them all
  • nakile, on 10/10/2007, -25/+11Well, at least you have half of a Mac out of the box.

    You only have about 1/4th of a PC when you buy one...
    • H080J03, on 10/10/2007, -2/+10nah its more like 5/2 of a pc, they load so much extra crap on there you don't need
    • seventoes, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1and 1/2 after you install all the good software.
  • Slackersrule, on 10/10/2007, -40/+6I would start with this instead.

    http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/6933/dumpsteruh1.jpg
    • SpeckledLemon, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3You're, uh...real original. Just like everyone who used subtle overtones of sarcasm.

      You should paint your home something other than white.
    • joshuakuhn, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Let me know the address of the dumpster you dump a new iMac or MBP in... I'll come pick it up when you're done!
  • Legolover64, on 10/10/2007, -5/+11VMWare trumps Parallels and Q Emulator any day.

    Also, Flame (bonjour scanner) lets you keep an eye on all other bonjour computers in the network, and what services they have open.
    • K3ITHK, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Agreed, VMWare Fusion is teh pwn.
    • HUKI365, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Yep. Parallels just isn't anywhere NEAR the quality of VMWare.
    • abird, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Just out of curiosity -- what makes VMWare so much better than Parallels? Don't nail me for being ignorant -- I'm just wondering what makes VMWare in a completely different league than Parallels.
      • jm1234567890, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1It "feels" much more like a mac application.

        Especially when you compare unity to cohearance
      • blackjack75, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1One thing I hated about parallels ( I bought both ) is how bad it worked with linux. Typically it would hang at the grub level if you selected a multicore kernel (the default). Also version 3 had a tendency to use more and more memory in the app_server. Vmware simply seems to have a more stable engine.
      • erictheninja, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1VMWare plays much nicer with virtual machines running on the same disk. I've run Parallels and just switching between parallels to any os x application is groggy and very resource intensive. I've not had that nor an incredible temperature increase using VMWare.

        Parallels will run my MacBook Pro at about 73 C and VMWare at about 65 C
    • Rekzai, on 10/10/2007, -6/+1When did trump become a verb?
      • BodhiGeek, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5The earliest reference to "trump" used as a verb was 1375 CE per the Oxford English Dictionary. :-) Personally, I hear it used as a verb far more often than as a noun.
  • Millsee, on 10/10/2007, -5/+43I switched over to mac about three years ago. Now I'm one of those annoying fanboys, but I have to say - my macbook pro is heaven.. yummy yummy yummy.

    • edvas, on 10/10/2007, -23/+4You forgot the "not" dude
    • edvas, on 10/10/2007, -17/+2What? I wasn't being a troll, just pointed out that he indicated that he _is_ a fanboy when he's really saying that he isn't.
    • badjoke, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5He's saying he is one.
  • nathanmock, on 10/10/2007, -3/+11Google caught it:
    http://72.14.253.104/search?hs=sUq&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fbestmacsoftware.org%2F&btnG=Search
    • seventoes, on 10/10/2007, -9/+2So did this cool cache site:
      http://bestmacsoftware.org/
    • antdude, on 10/10/2007, -17/+1So did Coral Cache: http://bestmacsoftware.org.nyud.net:8080/ and it has images.

      Copy and pasted texts FYI:
      Essential software to make your Mac more awesome. Not having some of these tools is like having half a Mac. Others are just plain fun. You have a very cool computer... enjoy!
      IM - Instant Messaging
      adium
      Adium
      Why install three separate instant messengers when you can connect to AIM, MSN, Yahoo and GoogleTalk in a single, beautiful app? Plus it's 100% free and open source. Everybody needs Adium.
      Download Page
      Application Launching
      quicksilver
      Quicksilver
      Quicksilver lets you start applications (and do just about everything) with a few quick taps of your fingers. Warning: start using Quicksilver and you won't be able to imagine using a Mac without it.
      Download Page
      Auto Update
      appfresh
      AppFresh
      Keeps all of your Mac applications up-to-date, automatically. Still in beta, but so necessary.
      Download Page
      Email
      spamsieve
      SpamSieve
      Anybody who uses "Mail" for Mac needs this. After a few days of training, SpamSieve will obliterate junk mail and leave good emails unscathed. Free for 30 days, then worth every penny.
      Download Page
      Writing and Office
      xPad
      xPad
      For most writing a word processor is overkill. xPad is the perfect simple alternative. Your notes sit in a sidebar and save automatically when you quit. Way better than stickies or TextEdit.
      Download Page
      writeroom
      Writeroom
      A full-screen writing space that eliminates distractions. If you use your Mac for writing, you have to try this.
      Download Page
      neo office
      NeoOffice
      NeoOffice is a full-featured, office suite compatible with Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. Plus it's 100% free and open source. Friends don't let friends pay for Microsoft Office.
      Download Page
      Reading (e.g. books)
      tofu
      Tofu
      Makes reading on your computer much more like reading a book. Drag or paste text into Tofu and it arranges everything in crisp, classy columns that scroll side to side (not up and down). Ergonomic reading for Mac.
      Download Page
      Web Browser
      firefox
      Mozilla Firefox
      The premier free, open-source browser, considered by many to be the world's best. Clutch for sites that don't support Safari. What sets it apart from Safari is the huge universe of plugins and extensions.
      Download Page
      camino
      Camino
      Based on the same Mozilla foundation as Firefox, Camino is a more native OS X app. Fast and simple.
      Download Page
      Privacy
      vidalia
      Vidalia
      Rock-solid anonymous web browsing for everyone. This TOR frontend keeps you anonymous on the web using open source software and military-grade techniques. To use with Firefox see: TorButton.
      Download Page
      Todo Lists
      basecamp
      Basecamp
      This is web software, but it will become as central to your work experience as any desktop app. Seriously, Basecamp will make you more productive and change the way your organization works. Try it!
      Webpage
      Running Windows Software on Macs
      parallels
      Parallels
      Run Windows programs on your computer in their own window at full speed. You have a top of the line Intel chip; you deserve it.
      Download Page
      Q
      Q Emulator
      Not as polished as Parallels, but 100% free and open source. Lets you run Windows on G4 and G5 Macs too (though this will be slow).
      Download Page
      Video
      miro
      Miro
      Miro can play any video format (much more than quicktime), download torrents, permanently save videos from YouTube, and watch video podcasts. Beautiful interface, 100% free and open source.
      Download Page
      VLC
      VLC
      Plays more video files than most players: Quicktime, AVI, DIVX, OGG, and more. Great for playing DVDs too.
      Download Page
      Video Ripping / Burning
      burn
      Burn
      Burns to DVD, VCD, and SVCD. Take your downloaded videos and burn them to disks you can watch on regular DVD players. For VCD and SVCD you don't even need a DVD burner. Free and open source!
      Download Page
      handbrake icon
      Handbrake
      DVD ripper with MPEG-4 / H.264 encoding. The simplest way to save DVDs on your computer.
      Download Page
      Peer-to-Peer Filesharing
      xtorrent
      xTorrent
      Possibly the best Bittorrent client ever written. Makes you very happy to have a Mac. You have to pay for full functionality, but still awesome.
      Download Page
      acquisition
      Acquisition
      Possibly the best, simplest filesharing client ever written. Never be without music.
      Download Page
      Graphics and Photo Editing
      seashore
      Seashore
      "Photoshop" your photos without buying Photoshop. 100% free and open source, based on the open source image editor "Gimp".
      Download Page
      Xee
      Xee
      Fast image viewer and image browser.
      Download Page
      iPod Ripping
      senuti icon
      Senuti
      Get music off of your iPod onto any computer.
      Download Page
      iPodDisk
      iPodDisk
      Copy music off your iPod in the finder, like a regular disk drive.
      Download Page
      Telephone
      skype
      Skype
      Talk with any Skype user for free. Buy some credits and you can call any number in the world, cheap. Perfect for when your cellphone is out of batteries... or on the other side of the room, lazy.
      Download Page
      Alarm Clock
      aurora
      Aurora
      Use your Mac as an alarm clock and wake up to your favorite music. Wakes from sleep, so no need to leave your computer on all night.
      Download Page
      Nintendo Emulator
      sixtyforce
      Sixty Force
      Trouble finding good games for you Mac? Then turn it into a Nintendo64! MarioKart works great, even on a Powerbook G4.
      Download Page
      nestopia
      Nestopia
      Kick it old school with this NES emulator for Mac.
      Download Page
      Music
      abletonlive
      Ableton Live
      For anyone who ever wanted to make a remix, DJ a party, or play with beats. A great manual, good tutorials and a super slick interface make Live so easy to learn. Free demo (hint: use AudioHijack for saving).
      Download Page
      ieatbrainz
      iEatBrainz
      iEatBrainz automatically adds the right song, artist, and album info to your iTunes music. No more messy iTunes Library.
      Download Page
      Maps
      googleearth
      Google Earth
      The 3D map of the world that just gets better and better...and creepier. Total must-have.
      Download Page
      Wifi Scanning
      kismac
      KisMac
      The best wireless scanner for Mac. Find wireless access when you're on the go. 100% free and open source.
      Download Page
      RSS Readers
      netnewswire
      NetNewsWire
      The slick integration of tabbed browsing makes this RSS reader our top pick.
      Download Page
      vienna
      Vienna
      Very nice, native RSS client. 100% free and open source.
      Download Page
      FTP / SFTP
      transmit
      Transmit
      The best FTP program for Mac.
      Download Page
      cyberduck
      Cyberduck
      Very good all-around ftp program. 100% free and open source.
      Download Page
      Utilities
      unrarx
      UnRarX
      Uncompress RAR files on your Mac. Many new Mac users will be puzzled the first time they download a RAR file. Do them a favor and download UnRarX for them!
      Download Page
      IRC
      colloquy
      Colloquy
      Great IRC client. 100% free and open source.
      Download Page
      About this Site

      Best Mac Software .com is a simple list of applications that will make almost every Mac user really, really happy. We aren't trying to be a complete listing of every mac app, and there are obviously some hugely significant pieces of Mac software (like Final Cut Pro) that aren't included, usually because of their cost or their specificity. We made this page to be a handy reference for all the folks who are buying new Macs and don't know about all the great stuff that doesn't come pre-installed. And we made it to help long time Mac users extend the basic capabilities of their Mac in as many awesome directions as possible. Most of all this is a work in progress. If you think we're missing any totally clutch Mac apps, let us know.

      Note to software creators: first of all, thanks so much for making totally rad mac apps.

      Second, if we linked to macupdate or versiontracker as the download page, it's because we think your download page is too confusing for new users. It's usually very easy to improve-- just add a big 'Download Now' link towards the top of the page, without too much clutter around it (use mozilla.org or adiumx.com or bittorrent.com for inspiration).

      Here's some more unsolicited advice for getting more people to download your software:

      a. if you have a nice icon, show it off prominently.

      b. put a download link and a screenshot on your front page.

      c. if you use mirrors, use a script to pick a random mirror and just give people one link that says 'download now'

      d. if there's any way you can avoid sending people to the sourceforge download mirror page, you should (we know it's not your fault, but it baffles lots of folks).

      e. if you really want to make things easy for people, and you have a cross-platform app, detect what OS they are on and give them the correct link.

      f. test your page on a novice! See if they can understand what the software does and how to get it.

      Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email us: hi@bestmacsoftware.org

      And here's a similar site dedicated to the best open source software on the mac: OpenSourceMac Video Game Release Dates
      • Masterchief3k, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Now why would you go and copy and paste all of that?
    • Slugball, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0Did you really feel the need to do that?
  • davidhildreth, on 10/10/2007, -13/+5they recommend FF for mac?

    AAAHAHAHHAAAAA, no really, use Safari or Camio or Omniweb or for pubes sake at least an optimized version of FF.
    • Tippis, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2...or Opera.
      • davidhildreth, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2The Opera client for mac is pretty good, but FF on OS X is just ridiculous.
      • esotericguy, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1really tho, Opera is optomized for windows
    • aten, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3FF runs fine on my macbook...
    • ShinRaTDR, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Safari crashes and memory leaks more than firefox.
  • AndrewDB, on 01/10/2008, -20/+60Got a fresh mac? Then why aren't you eating it? Fresh Macintosh apples are hard to come by this time of the year.

    /completely off computers.
    • K3ITHK, on 10/10/2007, -1/+21Commenting via US Postal Service then?
    • spyd3rweb, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1I got fresh mac and cheese, where do i start?
    • dojonz, on 10/10/2007, -4/+6Macintosh is the computer, McIntosh is the Apple. Fool.
    • djsim, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1In reality, Macintosh isn't an apple. the McIntosh is an apple (notice lowercase "a").
  • K3ITHK, on 10/10/2007, -6/+1IEatBrainz is cool, I never knew about it. Sometimes it doesn't get the tags right though. It tried tagging some Akon as Nirvana.
    • K3ITHK, on 10/10/2007, -0/+14Nevermind, it sucks. It gets nearly everything wrong.
    • QueEsAmor, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1No, it probably just confused ***** music with ***** music.
    • sneeka2, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1It's far from perfect and unfortunately not updated anymore, but I usually let it have a shot at newly imported music. If it does work, it works great. Which it does for about 8 out of 10 albums.
  • purpmint008, on 10/10/2007, -29/+2Buried as cracker-ass mac user spam.
    • unfinity, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8Yeah, what's up with that? Almost every time I see a story from the Apple section it has something to do with Macs. I wish there was a way I could block Apple related stories from showing up for me altogether! Oh well...
    • Kingconsulting, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3I'll just bury you as a plain old cracker ass...
  • aburd, on 10/10/2007, -7/+4http://webkit.org/

    How could they leave off webkit? I had so many problems with firefox on Mac and Safari had issues as well. Then I found my trusty webkit and all issues went away. This is the best Mac download out there. It is fast and functional.
    • davidhildreth, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10so fast and functional that it's safari
      • aburd, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3It's safari+. When I tried to use safari exclusively on my mac I had issues with the browser freezing mysteriously on pages that included embedded flash. I tried re-installing over and over but continued having the same problems. Then I found webkit and those issues disappeared entirely.
        • manitoba98xp, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3No, WebKit is Safari's rendering engine. Shiira is an attempt at "Safari+". If you installed that, then you didn't change anything in the browser GUI, you just updated the version of the rendering engine.
  • coolbeansdude51, on 10/10/2007, -7/+0Leopard is going to have a lot of those features that those programs already provide!

    Its going to be awesome.

    Check out http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/
    • davidhildreth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4spotlight is still no quicksilver
    • zybch, on 10/10/2007, -7/+2You mean Leopard is going to blatantly steal a lot of those features like it did with Confabulator??
      • meatmcguffin, on 10/10/2007, -3/+8a) Cofabulator starts with a K
        b) Leopard is software, it can't steal anything
        c) Konfabulator is based on Apple's desktop widgets from many years ago, just updated
        d) You are rubbish at trolling
        • tdowling, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah, Apple had these things called Desk Accessories many moons ago. That was fairly amazing back before Multifinder when you could only run one application at a time.
  • GeleGrodan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2The Writeroom program looks like BSOD:
    http://hogbaysoftware.com/files/assets/0000/0015/writeroom-color-screens.png
    • davidhildreth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3yea, it's suppose to help to stay focused on writing
  • woojoo, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4Best server lag ever.
  • bshellenberg, on 10/10/2007, -26/+3I didn't switch, but I bought a Mac. Now it sits in the closet until I get around to putting linux or xp on it. It would be like someone going out and buying a betamax today. Good luck getting any movies for it (let along anything you actually want to watch). Over priced and under supported.
    • davidhildreth, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9because there isn't more sofware for Mac today then there was last year... and their marketshare hasn't grown...

      you're right it is a "lost format" like betamax
      • meatmcguffin, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Macupdate.com > Updated with new software about thirty to fifty times a day
    • KingZoidberg, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Hahahaha! You really don't know much about the range of Mac software available, do you?

      www.pure-mac.com
      • bshellenberg, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1Half of it is junkware (LimeWire??? ugh). I went down this road a dozen years ago with OS/2.
    • kbro, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Dang, dude! What a waste. Can I buy it from you?

      In October, I'll buy Leopard. Leopard will go on my current iMac, and I'l put my Tiger on yours..
    • monospaced, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4There will always be people like you who don't really do much with their computers. Some people actually create things for a living, and for them the Mac is unbeatable. I don't know what you mean by the Mac platform being "unsupported," but you must be referring to games. In that case, stick with your PC. If you're referring to simply using a computer, the Mac interface is the nicest. You should use your Mac.
      • bshellenberg, on 10/10/2007, -5/+1Two must have's in my world - AutoCad (for work) and World of Warcraft (for funtime). Wow runs like crap on it, and AutoCad is... well... Please explain how creating things is easier on the Mac. I've heard that over and over again, and it belongs on Penn and Teller's ***** as far as I'm concerned. Adobe CS3 and Avid on the PC take care of all the "creative stuff" in no different a manner than on the Mac.
        • wellyuk, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Then don't get a Mac - we're not trying to sell you one. Stick with what you have and stop your ***** complaining.
          • Tippis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1...which immediately nullifies the "Some people actually create things for a living, and for them the Mac is unbeatable" statement made above, which was the whole point.
        • manitoba98xp, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3World of Warcraft is available for the Mac, and from what I've heard, it runs pretty well on most recent Macs.
        • bshellenberg, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1My Mac *is* a recent iMac, and no, it dosn't run very well at all (all details pretty much off, and at 1024x768). Choppy as can be.
          • Tippis, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Recent as in one of the new ones, from two weeks ago?
            Considering that they sport the worst graphics card known to mankind (ok, slightly exaggerated), it's not that surprising :/
          • djames42, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2You must have the low-end GMA 17" then, 'cause I've got a first-generation MacBook Pro and even my PC-using friends were impressed by how good WoW looked on it.
  • DeathAxe, on 10/10/2007, -0/+49Xtorrent possibly the best Bittorrent client ever written? WTF! It's the biggest pice of crap, banned almost everywhere and years behind every other clients. uTorrent via WINE or Transmission is the way to go.
    • zeeky, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10this list, there is something wrong with it.
    • Lionhart, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Tomato torrent IMO
    • ShinRaTDR, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Tomato torrent, Bitsonwheels, Xtorrent, blah blah blah it's all the same *****. All mac-specific torrent clients are *****. Just use azureus, its not THAT much of a resource hog.
    • sneeka2, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10Since v0.80 Transmission is great. Lacks a few features compared to Azureus, but everything you need is in there and it's nice and lightweight.

      Agree with the parent's comment.
    • Firehed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2As far as client interfaces go, Xtorrent is excellent. But until stats reporting and the issues with it being banned on private trackers goes, I'm sticking with Azureus. Yeah, it's a lot heaver and tends to download slower as well, but at least I don't get banned for having falsely low seed ratios.
  • zeeky, on 10/10/2007, -1/+19they forgot unarchiver, transmission, inquisitor, safariblock, safari 3, iwork 08, perian(!!!)....

    and furthermore, some of those recommendations just plain sucked-- like Xtorrent, firefox, and NeoOffice. don't get me wrong though, i LOVE firefox on windows but safari kicks the ***** out of firefox on a mac...
    • Shorties, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8Perian, I forgot about that one, man that was a lifesaver!
      • adude, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1VLC FTW
        • mrBitch, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1actually, that's what I thought until recently - however the latest Perian has ALL the codecs ( even youtube FLV codecs ) - and now I have gone back to using quicktime as my main media player.

          Latest Perian download even makes quicktime work with .SRT subtitle files - so it used to be " VLC FTW " - but now it's " Perian + Quicktime + Nice Player FTW "
    • Dotmeister, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1What about NeoOffice? Does it suck?
      • Kyan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Yes, NEOOffice sucks big time. I installed it about three weeks ago after my hard drive crashed and since then all I do is curse it. The damn screen refreshes after EVERY cell entry in the SS and it LITERALLY takes from 5-7 seconds for me to move on as I'm waiting for it. NEO office ius really, really bad. Stay away. It's writer sucks as bad as its ss.
        • KnightWhoSaysNi, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I've been using NEO Office for a year with zero problems.
          It is much better than MS Office 2004 for Mac.
      • avatarpalin, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I disagree Neooffice isn't that bad at all... I use it for all different kinds of things.


      • blackjack75, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1NeoOffice isn't bad. That said I am always a bit digusted at how fast OpenOffice works on my mac when I boot into windows... NeoOffice is enough for my useage but its a big of a monster.
    • thebluesman, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7iWork 08 is crazy cool
    • ShinRaTDR, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Who are these people having such great experiences with safari. It crashes and memory leaks ALL THE TIME.
    • ShyGuy91284, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Safari is controversial in my experience. You either live it because it is really fast, or hate it for one reason or another. I personally like it over Firefox other then Extensions, but Opera trumps both in many ways (and loses in others).
    • KnightWhoSaysNi, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Matter of opinion. I'll take Firefox over Safari any day.
      Safari is fast, but it works like a single tab browser that just had tabs added as an afterthought.
      it is also sorely lacking in the customization department (yes, I know about Saft, but it's not enough)
    • Firehed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I like Safari, but extensions are just too much a part of my workflow to go without them now. I could almost deal with not having adblock if I had my delicious plugin or the several I have that add mirror links for digg, slashdot, etc. Even my url auto-corrector, which fixes .cmo into .com automatically.

      My experience with Firefox on the Mac is that it can get slowed down easily, but it still pretty stable. I'm always surprised when I hear people complaining about Firefox being unstable on the Mac since my copy isn't at all, but it hogs even more resources than it does on Windows and doesn't feel at all like a proper Mac app (and, technically speaking, it isn't), and my MBP is fairly unstable as far as Macs tend to go (early adopter, rev1 hardware, etc - I'm sending it in for the third or fourth time tomorrow for motherboard issues). Safari tends to crash more often for me than Firefox does.
    • Triene, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I use Safari and love it. A while ago I gave into the Firefox hype and decided to give it a go, but for me, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be... not even a little.

      Also, I'm one of those people that hates tabbed browsing. Am I the only one left?
  • grifta67, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4Seems they sure don't have a fresh webserver...
  • purpmint008, on 10/10/2007, -11/+3Only 16% of diggers use Macs...
    • kbro, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10I see for today:
      52% Windows
      23% Mac
      22% Linux

      http://fvvw.com/digg/

      Where did you get your statistics from?
      • KingZoidberg, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Bah, didn't notice I'd clicked the wrong article. Ignore this.
      • Darph.Bobo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Out of his ass where else?
    • kinerry, on 10/10/2007, -0/+116% is still a huge number of people considering the size of digg these days
    • Kypt, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5You also got to think that most Mac users here on digg possibly have a job that forces them to use something else. So they skew their own percentages. For example, at home I use OSX while at work i have to use XP. I visit digg on both machines. 2 ips, one identity. They cancel each other out. Meanwhile pure windows users don't do taht.
      • MikeTheC, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah, and pure Mac users don't do that either. :)
      • Dugg2Death, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Kinda the opposite here but same premise. I browse at work on my Mac Pro but at home I use my XP system.. I assume I'm not alone so those numbers are alittle off.
  • rnreekez, on 10/10/2007, -28/+2#1 tool for mac users:
    VMware since you'll end up going back to windows or to linux since Macs are only for people who struggle with the point and click.
    • digweb, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1looks like a lot of windows users like to read mac diggs, not play on XP or Vista.
      • Rileyper, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1thats because it ends up in the front page daily
        • knightboat, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2If only there was a way to change what shows up on your front page.
    • meatmcguffin, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Even for a troll, you are ***** stupid. If mac users supposedly can't cope with point and click, how are they meant to cope with the messed-up GUI pile of ***** that is Windows?
    • mvent2, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Are Windows fanboys so painfully aware of the mediocrity of their OS that they feel the need to desperately troll the stories of other OS's just to make themselves feel better?
      • Rileyper, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1O.O quit using $5 dollar words that hurt my head, my linux engine can only spell so many words before i get a headache....loook a quarter...MINE !!!!!!!
    • kbro, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I used to be an Apple hater. I thought they were over-priced, and not enough software. 10 years ago. But this is 2007, and a lot has changed. Firefox, GMail, Java, IM, ITunes, ... all these are no problem on Mac OS X.

      I have over 15+ years as a developer on UNIX/Linux/WIndows platforms. So I am not too challenged by technical issues.

      Plus, I have successfully pro-created, and it is really easy for the whole family to easily share the machine with different accounts, with no risk of viruses, or disastrous accidents (thanks in no small part to the BSD kernel, and Apple's Aqua UI layer). This was not true with the XP machine we had. The last thing I want to deal with when I get home from work is more computer hassles.

      Boy, I wish I could get my mother-in-law to upgrade to a Mac. Maybe I just need to EOL my Windows support for her.
      • mrBitch, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0kbro - i was in exactly the same situation, I got sick of having to be the defacto Windows PC support help desk for my family and friends. I now ALWAYS recommend either an iMac or a MacBook since it means less after hours support work on my part.
  • omnirusa, on 10/10/2007, -22/+2Half a mac is still one half to many for my likings.
  • tomis, on 10/10/2007, -13/+2I've never found QuickSilver useful. I just throw a folder full of aliases into the dock. Right click on it, start typing the name of the app, hit return.

    Firefox is a sick joke of a Windows port. Seriously.

    Most of the apps listed I've toyed with and I could do without.

    The essential Mac software I couldn't live without; Perian, Flip4Mac, The Unarchiver, and Sidetrack. None of which I saw in this list.
  • digweb, on 10/10/2007, -9/+4isn't it funny how windows users are always online reading up on Macs. I think they really want one, or they would be on Vista sights, LOL.
    Maybe they could start a Vista Club, or does it take more than 2 that like it to make a club?
    • AnonymousCow, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Of course I want a MacBook Pro . . . but first, I have to put together a new desktop for Vista migration and dedicate my current five-year-old desktop to Gentoo (though Kubuntu is tempting me). Why can't we love all the options?
  • macbookpromat, on 10/10/2007, -9/+9Never use Firefox 2 on Mac. It's so insanely unstable and slow that I had to stop using it and go back to Safari.
    • Linh, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I'd suggest getting BonEcho (customized build of firefox)... it's a little behind on the custom builds, but it's far better I think.
    • zybch, on 10/10/2007, -6/+1Never use FF2 on a PC either, for the same reasons.
    • ub3rgeek, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6Camino FTW!
    • Mushroonaut, on 07/11/2008, -0/+11I've been using ff2 on my mac and NEVER had a problem.
    • brokencrystal, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7I run FF2 on Mac(s) without any problems... Maybe your OS or hardware is unstable?
    • MikeTheC, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Me, I use a mix of Firefox and Opera on my Mac, and am quite happy with each. From time to time I'll break out Safari, but honestly I've yet to find one single web browser which contains absolutely no deficiencies at all.
    • jtbandes, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4That's what Camino is for. It's like Firefox dunked in a vat of hot Cocoa. (pun intended.)
    • KnightWhoSaysNi, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2No problems for me. I would even venture to say that Firefox works better on my mac (it doesn't leak memory like the Windows version).
    • Kyderdog, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Safari is missing all the plugins I use on fire fox (adblock,videodownloader,1-click weather,translator, bug me not, no script, firebub, stop autoplay, translator..and there is no way I can live without googlepedia).

      I keep trying safari but I ending up using Firefox
    • Firehed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I just commented on this about two threads up - FF2 on my Mac is slow as hell, but stable as any other browser I've used, and I've used quite a few. I need my damn extensions, and the few out there for Camino and Safari don't cut it even if I'd much rather use either of them for a number of reasons.
  • brodsky13, on 10/10/2007, -5/+5I know people love QuickSilver... but for some reason I never hear people rave about LaunchBar http://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar/index.html . I've used it for years. It's fairly light weight, crazy fast and I find it's less cluttered than QuickSilver.
    • Kypt, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5If you think Quicksilver is just an application launcher then you haven't even scratched the surface to its power and Launchbar would be enough for you...

      Edit: Hrmm after looking over this app it seems it is not quite just a launcher either...I'll give it a shot
    • kolywater, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1wow brodsky, thanks for pointing out launchbar. my major gripe with quicksilver was the response of the app. it just never felt fast enough. launchbar has a lot of the functionality i used from quicksilver and has instant response. awesome, thanks.
      • Firehed, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Really? Unless I'm doing something to molest my whole system (Photoshop and Aperture open while downloading something perfectly legal through Azureus, or something to that effect), QS is extremely responsive for me. It never takes me more than a second to invoke everything to launch an app unless I go insane with typos, and the more complex stuff like appending text to files or emailing the selected file as attachments, or setting a countdown timer, or whatever else only takes a tiny bit longer unless I've forgotten the name of the command.
    • jtbandes, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Quicksilver is amazing... sadly I had to stop using it because it crashed constantly and slowed down my productivity rather than speeding it up.
  • xbuzz, on 10/10/2007, -5/+21i use to be one of those mac hating pc guys. what the hell was i thinking? i bought a mac book pro about 5 months ago and i'm in love. mac's are more then just a computer!
    • ravage86, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3So did I, but then they made OS X. Man, classic OS is indescribably horrible.
    • mrBitch, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2" i use to be one of those mac hating pc guys. what the hell was i thinking? i bought a mac book pro about 5 months ago and i'm in love. mac's are more then just a computer! "

      Same with me - until 7 months ago I was a dedicated card carrying Microsoft fan boy. I only bought a MacBook Pro because I knew I could still run Windows on it via BootCamp - but guess what ? I haven't booted into Windows for the last four months !

      I never realised that OSX is a real BSD Unix O/S - and I can't believe how great it is not to have to run all of those " anti spyware " and " anti virus " scanning ***** I used to always have running under Windows. OSX is a beautiful bullet proof very secure very reliable O/S.
  • tateswayz91, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Mirror: http://bestmacsoftware.org.nyud.net:8090/
  • wellyuk, on 10/10/2007, -10/+148Dear Windows Users,

    Will all the Windows users complaining about Macs please vacate the topic please? We're NOT interested in reading your *****. This is a topic about Mac software FOR Mac users not a "Mac vs. Windows" discussion. You don't like Macs? That's fine with us! But we DO NOT need to hear it every ***** single time there's a Mac story in the APPLE section. Please, please, PLEASE visit "Manage Topics" in your Digg profile and REMOVE Apple from the topics.

    Thank you,

    The Mac owning population.
    • wellyuk, on 10/10/2007, -20/+5That's right, Digg me down tossers! You know I'm right.
      • KingZoidberg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15Just ignore them. There's a subset of Windows users that suffers from Mac envy, apparently. Either that or all the thirteen year-olds are out in force today.
    • Tippis, on 10/10/2007, -2/+13Dugg for calling them *Windows* users...
      • weedmonk, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2If only our Fanboys would return the favor. Lets not kid ourselves, our user base is the most obnoxious especially the virulent variety that permeates the blogosphere like pungent flatus.
    • blumph, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1as opposed to what? *PC* users? we've been engineered from those mac ads that anything that isn't a mac is a *PC*. which, according to wikipedia, is an acronym for "personal computer. ironcally, apple used them term in an ad to portray a computer model, albeit 30 years ago :/
      • blackjack75, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1No, as opposoed to all the immature surnames like "winblows", "windooze" , "wingaypornonastick" or whatever stupid name that so many tend to over-use.
  • gzeus, on 10/10/2007, -14/+4Wow. As a windows user who has been considering switching, I must say I'm disappointed.
    The number of basic add-ons that you have to pay for is depressing. Say what you want about MS, but at least there are a lot of freeware apps that do as much as any of the ones on that list - and suggesting Wine is no solution. I guess I'll stick with MS despite all the Apple hype.

    • wellyuk, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Basic add-ons that you have to pay for? Such as what?
      • gzeus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I may have been a bit hasty, but as I read that page, anything that doesn't say "free and open-source" is a pay for program. Is that not correct? I don't see much there that I can't get with a freeware MS compatible program. What's there that should excite about a Mac? What's the gain?
        • ozydingo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Incorrect. A few of those are pay-for programs, like Parallels, but most of them are free. And this is just one guy's list; there are plenty of alternatives for every one of these programs. There is less "free" content in that it's harder to find cracked apps, but I've started trying to support open source software anyway, even if it does mean using VirtualBox over Parallels / VMWare.

          Another thing that is lacking a bit is in the NeoOffice / OpenOffice department; they do run well, but if you use VBA Excel Macros it's not solid yet. Thus far I stick to running Excel in VirtualBox, but that and Adobe Audition are the only reasons I go back to Windows from time to time.
    • pixeldust, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1That list doesn't contain every mac app ever created believe it or not.
    • KingZoidberg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2It's actually a very small list with some strange biases (Xtorrent is the Mac's best torrent app?)... if you're serious and not just trolling, why not type out a list of what you need; I can likely point you to some quality Mac freeware that has what you're looking for.
    • Tippis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Well, that *is* one of the oddities of OSX. You get a metreic ton of fun stuff as part of the package, but if you go beyond that, a worrying amount of what you want/need/find nifty costs money.

      On Windows, you barely get the base necessities, but you can easily stock up on that same metric ton of fun extras for free.
    • glc17, on 10/10/2007, -6/+2I'm confused. I thought everything you iNeeded for your iMac from iApple in your iLife came iBundled already!
      • sudowrestler, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yes, you do seem confused, but I imagine you're used to it by now.
  • T0B1A5Funky, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17Looks a lot like http://www.opensourcemac.org/ to me...
    • ngageguy, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Thanks. I just got a lombard powerbook for free and am going to check these out!
  • h2g242, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2Azureus is a much better bittorrent client. The only downside is the new version has that vuze beta included, but the old version didnt. And even with that you just switch to advanced view once it starts up and i really couldnt ask for a better client.
    • LoungeActx, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Azureus has a lot more features than Transmission does, but it's such a resource hog. If they make a Cocoa version of Azureus, and slim it down (which will never happen), I'd be more apt to use it full time. But Transmission does everything I need it to do. I would also be interested in a uTorrent for OSX. I've heard nothing but good things about for the PC.
      • yabos, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2µTorrent for OS X is in beta from what I've heard. Hopefully it comes out soon as it seems like a very good client.
        • maexus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I love uTorrent but not a fan that the development has been taken over. Honestly, it has the potential to go from a great windows app to being an amazing multi ported app if it where open sourced.
  • rabidbadger, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2171472,00.asp
  • cinder, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2Does anyone know that utility that made certain aspects of Mac OS X behave like Windows? Such as the + button maximizing instead of "zooming", and changing the Home and End keys to function how they do in Windows, too.
    • wiihuck, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2ya. it's called bootcamp. (or parallels.)

      if you want windows, use windows.
      • djsim, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0or fusion
      • cinder, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Or... I have to work with Mac OS X, and I'd like to it behave how I want.
    • obeythefist, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Zoom is underrated. If maximize is what you want, it's generally because you're used to Windows, not because it's good functionality. If you're a lifetime Mac user, you really miss the zoom functionality when you are on a Windows box.
    • carve, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah- I'd really like something that'll let me view slideshows in finder in chronological order. Also, if I select a file, and then select another file while holding shift, I'd like it to select every file in between those two. How do I do that?
  • adude, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9The majority of my computer time is with Windows, but I have spent some time with a Mac, and this list proves something that surprised me once I got acquainted with the Mac: lots of great quality software. I had been under the impression that one of the disadvantages of Mac is worse or lack of 3rd party software. But nowadays, that's just not true anymore (unless of course it's some corporate or otherwise specialized software).

    Many of the applications are intuitive and even look good when they're freeware. Bravo 3rd party Mac software developers. Bravo.

    (And also, this list is pretty good. Usually I have heard of all the software on these "Mac software lists," but this one had some I wasn't familiar with.)
    • astrosmash, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3The biggest surprise for me was not so much the amount of the software, but the extremely high quality of 3rd party software. Apps like QuickSilver, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, Acquisition/XTorrent, Skitch, etc. I've been a Windows developer for almost 10 years, and this stuff just knocks my socks off.

      I think it really validates the quality of the NeXTSTEP/Cocoa libraries and development environment that OS X provides.
  • woodcoxcb, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4actually, not having a mac is like not having a mac.
  • Jon2222, on 10/10/2007, -12/+4I'll tell you, I love my MAC. I have been a Windows guy for many, many years and recently bought my Macbook. It is tough to use windows after playing on the Macbook. Thanks for posting this site, and I will definitely try out many of these tools, again, thanks.

    Jon
    http://www.racinsite.com
    • misterhat, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4you're going to be automatically dugg down no matter what you say if you link to your website in your comments
  • fugazied, on 10/10/2007, -1/+37I have been a PC user for about 10 years. Dabbled with linux over the year and got my first mac (macbook pro) about a month ago.
    I'm working 20% faster on it, OSX is an absolute pleasure to use, I love the Unix backend, expose, the usability!, applescripts and folder actions. The Adobe suite is more stable and runs lightning fast on a mac.

    And the third party software is outstanding. Adium, quicksilver, vmware fusion (for those wanting to run other OSs on their mac).
    I'm trying hard to not become an irrtating mac fanboi, but it feels like the OS is 2-3 years beyond windows and the extra $ is worth it for the ease of use, stability, security and even the general aesthetics of mac!.

    The windows boxes for games, mac / linux machines for anything serious ;)
    • murphygr, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7haha the last line there pretty much is a kick in the balls for the Apple advertising team. it's the opposite of what they're pushing Macs are FUNNN but Windows are BOOORING and professional only. i never got that, because i work on my mac and play on my PC
      • fugazied, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2If there was Bioshock on the Mac I might change that last line! Bioshock gives me a reason for keeping at least 1 box running on windows...

        I don't quite get the advertising campaign either, if you are talking strictly spreadsheets, maybe windows is a better platform. But if you are talking other areas of work including professonal web design, audio, video creation, mac is a bloody solid platform.
    • IllBeBack, on 10/10/2007, -9/+2"I'm working 20% faster on it"

      Sure you are. It is too bad that this is the statement that completely revealed you as a *****. Because changing to a different computer isn't going to enable you to "work 20% faster."

      *****. Complete, utter BULL-*****-*****!!!
  • Kratisto, on 10/10/2007, -15/+2Which is like having an twentieth of a PC.
  • Vermifax, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Profesional music: Logic Pro 7 (OK, and ProTools too.)
    Redbook CD Authoring: Waveburner
    All-around burnin' goodness: Roxio Toast 8
  • bebopredux, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5My pick is Azureus for bit torrent client. For me, all the other ones never cut it. Azureus flies for me. A winner.

    Burn is OK but, I still like Disco. It gets a bad, undeserved rap and I don't know why. I think it's great.

    Personally, I've never found THE web browser for my Mac. I used Camino a lot but, I had issues with it. Firefox is good but, I'm just not satisfied with it. Safari loads pages ultra quick but, the ad blocking (I've tried all 3rd party apps too) just never gets it done. OminWeb's interface and clunky "tabs" on the side is awkward. If OmniWeb had the tabs on the top, it'd be my choice. Opera? Puhleeze. I end playing with all the options instead of browsing.

    Bean is a great free app that serves my basic word proc needs. I love it.

    Throw in these too:

    AppZapper
    RapidWeaver
    F10 Launch Studio
    Mailplane (this multiple Google email account app rocks)
    Circus Ponies Notebook
    TubeSock
    Weather Dock
    • astrosmash, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1PtihHelmet does an excellent job of ad blocking for me, but it doesn't work with Safari 3 :(
  • sephiroth4, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2another one?!
  • kat81, on 10/10/2007, -7/+1Uhhh and why should we listen to THIS guy/site above all others? For all you know, he's never used a Mac in his life.
    I say he lost any and all respect when he suggested xTorrent - the biggest P.O.S. for torrents out there. Transmission is the best torrent app for a Mac. If he owned a Mac, he might know that.
    Only one app launcher suggested? No thanks. QS is nice for some, but not everyone. There's only a few dozen other launcher apps which are highly popular that could have been mentioned, too. Personally, typing in something to launch things is kind of annoying. How about the launchers that use a visual way to have easy access to things? Dragthing, Butler, Overflow...alternatives to QS.
    This is a crap site - it doesn't really give you a good list of choices.
    (btw - to bebropredux: Azureus is ***** unless you enjoy all your system resources being used up by it, and being unable to do anything else while it is open.
    Buried for being lame and crappy.
    • bebopredux, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2"btw - to bebropredux: Azureus is *****"

      Hey, each machine/connection is different. I have a G5 with dual 2ghz and 8GB memory with business DSL connection. I barely notice it when running. If Transmission works for you.....hey, that's great. It didn't work out for me. Everyone gets different results.
      • 04TL, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0that site's title and 'about this site' section say 'best mac software.com', yet the location of all the app suggestions is bestmacsoftware.ORG....so just because he doesn't know his own domain, doesn't mean he doesn't know his mac software.....right?
    • maexus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1A visual way of launching an app. Hmm. Like the dock?
  • ryda, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2You know you've seen a lot of these lists when you run a good portion of the software listed.
  • aserer511, on 10/10/2007, -6/+1is quicksilver just a macro program? can't windows do that out of the box.
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