Essential Mac software?

[nubbinator]

So, in accordance with getting a new Mac, I now need to know software worth installing.  I'm beyond out of touch with the Mac world, so I what are the "essential" programs I need to install.

So far I have Caffeine and a couple other small things installed.   I tried to install Inkscape, but it refused to start up, so I uninstalled it.

[codyeatworld]

http://www.alfredapp.com/ - hotkeys/shortcuts and more
https://justgetflux.com/ - also on windows/linux, screen dimmer
http://www.clipmenu.com/ - clip board history

[rowdy]

http://www.blacktree.com/projects/nocturne.html - Nocturne - switch your computer to night vision mode
http://lightheadsw.com/caffeine/ - Caffeine - better control of when the Mac goes to sleep
http://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/ - iStat Menus - monitoring
http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/ - TextWrangler - text editor
http://www.secretgeometry.com/apps/cathode/ - Cathode - vintage terminal emulator
http://iterm2.com/ - iTerm2 - terminal emulator
http://www.titanium.free.fr/downloadonyx.php - OnyX - system maintenance utility

And Mac equivalent of all the usual suspects, such as Thunderbird, Chrome, LibreOffice, GIMP, muCommander.

[Belfong]

There's one really good app that shows the calendar month on the menu bar. It's called Day-O
http://shauninman.com/archive/2011/10/20/day_o_mac_menu_bar_clock

The other app that I find useful is Bartender - reduce the menu bar clutter.

Tweetbot for Mac

Mailbox or Airmail for a Sparrow-like email client.

[intelli78]

A few that I've found over the years

Karabiner (formerly KeyRemap4Macbook) - this is geekhack after all...
Brackets - a free HTML/text editor by Adobe
Filezilla - FTP
Handbrake - video encoding
OpenEmu - multi-system emulation, ROM management, etc. this project was very hyped, and is finally available
The Unarchiver - extract RARs, 7z, etc
Transmission - torrenting

[dorkvader]

Get some qemu or vmware asap.

OpenEmu - multi-system emulation, ROM management, etc. this project was very hyped, and is finally available

This works too.

[tp4tissue]

Windowz 7




Solving all your Mac Problems.. since 2005 (shift to intel cpu)   

[Hypersphere]

Dropbox
Filezilla
Karabiner
MacPorts
Mendeley
TextWrangler
Xcode

[tp4tissue]

Dropbox
Filezilla
Karabiner
MacPorts
Mendeley
TextWrangler
Xcode

You don't need any of that crap if you used Windowz

[esoomenona]

Dropbox
Filezilla
Karabiner
MacPorts
Mendeley
TextWrangler
Xcode

You don't need any of that crap if you used Windowz

Weren't you the one complaining about weak trolling?

[tp4tissue]

Dropbox
Filezilla
Karabiner
MacPorts
Mendeley
TextWrangler
Xcode

You don't need any of that crap if you used Windowz

Weren't you the one complaining about weak trolling?

Not trolling.. I am 100% serious..


Imagine a drug addict, comes up to you and says..  Hey can you help me out.. My life's falling apart from all the drugs I'm doing...   I am willing to do anything except giving up drug abuse....


That's what the typical Mac user is like..  Hey guys.. I need software,  I'm willing to install anything except Windows, which would solve all of my problems..

[bueller]

http://www.alfredapp.com/ - hotkeys/shortcuts and more
https://justgetflux.com/ - also on windows/linux, screen dimmer
http://www.clipmenu.com/ - clip board history

Alfred is going to save me so much time, love it.

[Altis]

You don't need any of that crap if you used Windowz

Where is Mr. Microsoft Windows anyways? He should be here by now!

On topic, I really like using BetterSnapTool to have my windows snap to the sides/full screen (without going into full screen "mode").

To be honest though, as much as I try to force myself to like OSX, I just don't really. Apple products are so enticing, but I just don't feel like they deliver.

[tp4tissue]

You don't need any of that crap if you used Windowz

Where is Mr. Microsoft Windows anyways? He should be here by now!

On topic, I really like using BetterSnapTool to have my windows snap to the sides/full screen (without going into full screen "mode").

To be honest though, as much as I try to force myself to like OSX, I just don't really. Apple products are so enticing, but I just don't feel like they deliver.

Windowz is an inextinguishable inferno from the depth of b.gates...

Thou shall not waver..  Windowz 4 lyf

[Hypersphere]

Dropbox
Filezilla
Karabiner
MacPorts
Mendeley
TextWrangler
Xcode

You don't need any of that crap if you used Windowz

Perhaps you do not understand the functions of these programs.

I also use Windows and Linux in addition to OS X.

In Windows and Linux, I use Dropbox, Filezilla, and Mendeley, just as I do on the Mac.

MacPorts and Xcode are augmentations for the built-in unix in OS X; this functionality is included in Linux but not in Windows without installing CygWin, which is a kludge to provide some of the functions of an actual Linux installation.

TextWrangler is just a better version (IMO) of the Mac built-in text editor, TextEdit. In Windows, I use Notepad++ as a better version (IMO) of the built-in text editor, Notepad. In Linux, there are many excellent built-in text editors; I happen to use gedit, Kate, Vim, and nano.

[nubbinator]

Let's keep it on topic without any trolling.  I already have a computer that runs Windows.  If I wanted Windows on my Mac, I'd install.  Currently I do no, so let's keep it to Mac software.

[MJ45]

I can recommend VLC media player it has opened/played everything for me.
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html

[cruzin]

Alfred (which also does clipboard history, among other things)
or
Launchbar is an alternate to Alfred

Moom
Hazel
Adium (for IM)

[mreverything]

http://brew.sh/ (I prefer homebrew over MacPorts)
http://caskroom.io/

brew cask install chromium dropbox firefox flash iterm2 skype spideroak textwrangler thunderbord torbrowser vlc

[Input Nirvana]

Windowz 7
Solving all your Mac Problems.. since 2005 (shift to intel cpu)   

God you really suck sometimes. LOL  Thanks for the laugh though.

Bumptop
Little Snitch

Bumptop is a virtual desk program that I really dig...goooooogle it to see where to get it
Little Snitch is a monitoring application to help protect web connections.  http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html

You guys have already mentioned most of the big improvements, thanks for this thread.

[rowdy]

Windowz 7
Solving all your Mac Problems.. since 2005 (shift to intel cpu)   

God you really suck sometimes. LOL  Thanks for the laugh though.

Bumptop
Little Snitch

Bumptop is a virtual desk program that I really dig...goooooogle it to see where to get it
Little Snitch is a monitoring application to help protect web connections.  http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html

You guys have already mentioned most of the big improvements, thanks for this thread.

When did BumpTop return?  I remember seeing previews years ago, and then Google bought it, and everything went dark.  I haven't seen any mention of it since.

[Input Nirvana]

It's still dark. I still use it and you can still get it I believe?

[rowdy]

It's still dark. I still use it and you can still get it I believe?

It's ok, I looked on Wikipedia.  Apparently Google released the source, and it is currently unmaintained.

[Input Nirvana]

It's still dark. I still use it and you can still get it I believe?

It's ok, I looked on Wikipedia.  Apparently Google released the source, and it is currently unmaintained.

Doesn't seem to make sense, but at some hidden level it may. Haven't seen anything else quite as clean. Being visual creatures, I like having several desktops, but I like to have them "visible"...hence to room" configuration works for me.

[dustinhxc]

http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html

http://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/

http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx

[Input Nirvana]

Also, I think with the addition of Apples iPhone 6 Plus "phablet", OSX Yosemite "Handoff", and tighter iCloud integration, Macs will continue to become more popular, and more interest/work will go into apps. Of course I live in Silicon Valley and Apples presence is probably bigger than most areas.

I also use VMware Fusion.

[nubbinator]

Also, I think with the addition of Apples iPhone 6 Plus "phablet", OSX Yosemite "Handoff", and tighter iCloud integration, Macs will continue to become more popular, and more interest/work will go into apps. Of course I live in Silicon Valley and Apples presence is probably bigger than most areas.

I also use VMware Fusion.

On the other hand, I have kind of a negative perspective of the whole "app" model.  I think it causes a race to the lowest common denominator with a ton of mediocre to bad software with poor integration that only addresses part of a problem.  Since the barrier to entry is so low, it makes it easy for anybody to make something and put it in the app store. 

[Input Nirvana]

Also, I think with the addition of Apples iPhone 6 Plus "phablet", OSX Yosemite "Handoff", and tighter iCloud integration, Macs will continue to become more popular, and more interest/work will go into apps. Of course I live in Silicon Valley and Apples presence is probably bigger than most areas.

I also use VMware Fusion.

On the other hand, I have kind of a negative perspective of the whole "app" model.  I think it causes a race to the lowest common denominator with a ton of mediocre to bad software with poor integration that only addresses part of a problem.  Since the barrier to entry is so low, it makes it easy for anybody to make something and put it in the app store.

I won't argue that point directly, since there's plenty of crap software on all platforms. My point was that with increased interest, market share, more diverse usage, and more minds in the mix....that there will be more option....some better, some worse. But more options.

Some years ago when Macs started the Intel chip, I needed Paralllels to run some Windoz software. Now, 7 years later, there is now Mac software that is available and just as good. I still use VMware, but that's for some trade software that's currently only available in Windoz format.

[Altis]

Also, I think with the addition of Apples iPhone 6 Plus "phablet", OSX Yosemite "Handoff", and tighter iCloud integration, Macs will continue to become more popular, and more interest/work will go into apps. Of course I live in Silicon Valley and Apples presence is probably bigger than most areas.

I also use VMware Fusion.

The only issue I see with moving to Macs is that they are all somehow flawed beyond what I can accept.

Mac Mini = hasn't been updated in two years and is still selling for the same price, and uses laptop internals.
iMac = laptop internals, very expensive, and no way to upgrade/repair any part except for the RAM on the 27" model. All upgrades are way overpriced, and a $2000 computer with laptop internals and no SSD (5400 RPM, seriously?) is pretty tough to accept.
Mac Pro = only reaches a certain (although very important) part of the market. Average user won't consider this as an option.

Only the laptops are somewhat reasonable, and they sure are excellent. Still, a 15" Macbook pro is around $2k, which is a lot.

All this to say that I'm not sure that Macs are going to become much more popular than they are now as they are very expensive for what you get, and the average user doesn't really want to spend that much. There is a large market that still prefers OS X, though, and there's no other way to get that legitimately.

Apple is so enticing still, and I've been computer shopping lately... I just can't accept the current lineup.

[jacobolus]

Nubbinator: what do you plan to do with your Mac?

Personally I don’t think any of the software listed so far is “essential” (I’m not sure if any third party software is “essential”, frankly). What you’ll want to install depends on what you plan to use it for, how much you need to customize the behavior of your computer and what kind of background experience you have, etc.

Also, are you looking for open source apps, free apps, paid apps, or what? Do you have a budget?

For the things I do with my machine, essential GUI apps include: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, FontExplorer X Pro, Adium, TextMate, NetNewsWire, Tofu, LimeChat, XCode.

[nubbinator]

I tend to do photo editing and am trying to get into some illustration and other work like that.  There's a lot of general purpose stuff and I plan on starting to do some stats stuff again soon, but I should be good on the stats front for software.  So far most of the free stuff I've tried is unintuitive and clunky, but I also don't have a big budget for all of that stuff.  I'm also looking for some CAD type stuff to try and learn, but, again, the free stuff I've tried is clunky.

[intelli78]

Get some qemu or vmware asap.

OpenEmu - multi-system emulation, ROM management, etc. this project was very hyped, and is finally available

This works too.

OpenEmu is just gaming consoles. For VMs, I like vmware.

[suby4me]

Here are some:
Gfx card status: this just helps tell you what video card mode you're running. either onboard or the dedicated.
Flux: i just like this  app, because it'll change the screen so that if you're working late, it's a tone that's easy on the eyes. Although I'd prob turn it off if you are planning to work nights and have to be sure about color accuracy.
geektool: that's if you like running code for interesting widgets. this could range from displaying dates on the desktop, computer info, network info, disk space, and so on. You're only limited by your imagination and coding. There are plenty of sites to copy and paste from.
growl: this gives you notifications for stuff you do. email, messages, and whatnot.
Vox: nifty media app if you want to listen to a couple of tracks, instead of firing up itunes.
adium: just a messenger app, if you use AIM, yahoo, or what not.

[jacobolus]

For statistical work, I would recommend using python with numpy/scipy/pandas. Check out http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449319793/. You could also use R if you want to interact with the mainstream statistics community (though there are a bunch of things I dislike about the language), or Matlab if you want to put a head-shaped dent in your wall. Stay far far away from Stata, SPSS, and the like.

For photo editing, the gold standard is still Photoshop. Almost everything else is a half-assed buggy copy of part of it. For very simple image tasks, I like Acorn pretty well. There are some neat free/open source RAW converters now (for instance darktable), but I haven’t investigated as much as I should.

For interface design, I’ve heard good things about Sketch.

For doing flow charts or floor plans or similar types of diagrams, OmniGraffle is pretty great, but limiting if you need more complicated types of illustration tools. For more general-purpose vector graphics work, there are a few nice looking $20–50 apps but I haven’t tried them.

I don’t think there are any good Mac CAD packages, unfortunately.

[Input Nirvana]

The only issue I see with moving to Macs is that they are all somehow flawed beyond what I can accept.

Mac Mini = hasn't been updated in two years and is still selling for the same price, and uses laptop internals.
iMac = laptop internals, very expensive, and no way to upgrade/repair any part except for the RAM on the 27" model. All upgrades are way overpriced, and a $2000 computer with laptop internals and no SSD (5400 RPM, seriously?) is pretty tough to accept.
Mac Pro = only reaches a certain (although very important) part of the market. Average user won't consider this as an option.

Only the laptops are somewhat reasonable, and they sure are excellent. Still, a 15" Macbook pro is around $2k, which is a lot.

All this to say that I'm not sure that Macs are going to become much more popular than they are now as they are very expensive for what you get, and the average user doesn't really want to spend that much. There is a large market that still prefers OS X, though, and there's no other way to get that legitimately.

Apple is so enticing still, and I've been computer shopping lately... I just can't accept the current lineup.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but apple does optimize the hardware better than competitors. Providing full hardware/software integration, allows a better functioning final product, which is all the really matters. And yes, the laptops are business-class flagships. I understand your views and don't necessarily disagree. Price, all I can say is the equipment works better and longer and has higher resale...so price is justified in my opinion.

IMac, Mac Mini are slightly different form factors than standard PC market, and even when copied, let's face it, it's not done as well. I'm of the opinion because of the overall sync and integration features as well as the ease of use/access, that phone/multiple computers being tied together reliably is an attractive package.

I won't say any more...NEED TO STAY ON TOPIC.

[jacobolus]

I don't want to hijack this thread, [...] I won't say any more...NEED TO STAY ON TOPIC.

Yeah, please don’t feed the trolls. (And trolls, please go back where you came from.)

[nubbinator]

I won't be using flux for those who recommended it. I know I'd be annoyed by it and, more importantly, maintaining color accuracy is important to me.

For statistical work, I would recommend using python with numpy/scipy/pandas. Check out http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449319793/. You could also use R if you want to interact with the mainstream statistics community (though there are a bunch of things I dislike about the language), or Matlab if you want to put a head-shaped dent in your wall. Stay far far away from Stata, SPSS, and the like.

For photo editing, the gold standard is still Photoshop. Almost everything else is a half-assed buggy copy of part of it. For very simple image tasks, I like Acorn pretty well. There are some neat free/open source RAW converters now (for instance darktable), but I haven’t investigated as much as I should.

For interface design, I’ve heard good things about Sketch.

For stats it's R or STATA.  They're the standards in my field. 

I've actually been liking pixlr's web interface for photo editing, but it's not as robust as photoshop.  Still great for freeware though.  I've been trying to remember the name of a tool I used to use to batch edit the metadata in photos.  It was fantastic for organizing photos.

[jacobolus]

Since this is a keyboard forum, you may want to check out utilities like Karabiner (already mentioned), USB Overdrive, Ukelele.

Also check out this article I wrote ~8.5 years ago – http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~jrus/site/cocoa-text.html – some is now a bit out of date but most should still be helpful/relevant.

[HoffmanMyster]

I've actually been liking pixlr's web interface for photo editing, but it's not as robust as photoshop.  Still great for freeware though.  I've been trying to remember the name of a tool I used to use to batch edit the metadata in photos.  It was fantastic for organizing photos.

I do not have a Mac, but I'm going to respond here anyway.   

Are you aware that you can get Photoshop CS2 for free legally?     (This is somewhat old news, but I figured you may not have heard)  It is somewhat dated, but honestly has *most* of the features you'll need for photo editing.  I use it daily and have no need to search for something new or better at this point.

[microsoft windows]

I would recommend adding Windows to your list of essential Mac software. Installing Windows will greatly enhance the performance and functionality of your new computer.

[Belfong]

I would recommend adding Windows to your list of essential Mac software. Installing Windows will greatly enhance the performance and functionality of your new computer.

You are 12 hours late. Perhaps IE6 takes that long to render this thread sir?

[heedpantsnow]

If you write papers or fiction, Scrivener is a must.

[microsoft windows]

I would recommend adding Windows to your list of essential Mac software. Installing Windows will greatly enhance the performance and functionality of your new computer.

You are 12 hours late. Perhaps IE6 takes that long to render this thread sir?

You're just jealous.

[MJ45]

I've actually been liking pixlr's web interface for photo editing, but it's not as robust as photoshop.  Still great for freeware though.  I've been trying to remember the name of a tool I used to use to batch edit the metadata in photos.  It was fantastic for organizing photos.

I do not have a Mac, but I'm going to respond here anyway.   

Are you aware that you can get Photoshop CS2 for free legally?     (This is somewhat old news, but I figured you may not have heard)  It is somewhat dated, but honestly has *most* of the features you'll need for photo editing.  I use it daily and have no need to search for something new or better at this point.

I'm not sure but some older Mac versions may not work with late model Mac's, they eliminated 68k compatibility after Snow Leopard (10.6). I was using CS3 and some parts were not usable (part 68k and Intel) so I had to upgrade. Adobe has nice student discount prices available for those who qualify. 

[HoffmanMyster]

I'm not sure but some older Mac versions may not work with late model Mac's, they eliminated 68k compatibility after Snow Leopard (10.6). I was using CS3 and some parts were not usable (part 68k and Intel) so I had to upgrade. Adobe has nice student discount prices available for those who qualify.

Good call.  Like I said, not a Mac owner, so I'm glad you chimed in with that bit of information.   

[riotonthebay]

I won't be using flux for those who recommended it. I know I'd be annoyed by it and, more importantly, maintaining color accuracy is important to me.

Give it a try. I thought the exact same thing, but have found it to be incredible. You can always disable it if you're doing work where color accuracy is important. (And when you're doing that it's likely better to be in a lighted room anyways, so flux won't matter as much.)

Seriously– I can feel my eyes relax when switching from blue light to flux at night. Give it 15 minutes at night and then turn it off and you'll know what I mean.

[saturnotaku]

I'm not sure but some older Mac versions may not work with late model Mac's, they eliminated 68k compatibility after Snow Leopard (10.6). I was using CS3 and some parts were not usable (part 68k and Intel) so I had to upgrade. Adobe has nice student discount prices available for those who qualify.

Yeah, there are some compatibility issues with CS2 and later versions of OS X. At my old job, we still used CS2 even in 2013. They had just migrated to CS5 at the time I was let go, and they were going to put people on Mavericks. Don't know how far that's gotten because the company is much smaller than it used to be.

At my present job, we're all on Mavericks, and upgrades to Adobe CC are rolling out as I type this.

[HalfSharkAlligator]

I think everything I would list has already been listed, but just to add my support for some of the apps I've been using for years now:

1) Alfred: first thing I install after Chrome, and I use it all day, every day. Indispensible
2) Flux: try it, you can always easily uninstall it. I liked another poster's idea to let it turn on for an hour or so, then disable it- you will find it rather jarring. The only time I need to disable it is when I need to discern colors of something. Usually at night I'm just casually browsing anyway. It is SO much easier on your eyes at night though.
3) aText: for text expansion. I love this for shortcuts to entering my email address and other phrases that are annoying to type out but I need to use frequently
4) Dropbox: I use this on all my Macs and PC's, one of my favorite pieces of software of all time (been using computers since the mid-eighties  )
5) Chrome (for the great extensions. It's slower than Safari, but more feature-rich. I use both)
6) Evernote: for all my notes, to-do's, lists, record keeping, etc

[saturnotaku]

I use OneDrive for cloud storage because my Office 365 subscription entitles me to 1 TB of space. The Mac client is similar to Dropbox in that you can selectively sync folders, and it stores a copy of your files locally. With subscription cards going for as low as $63, I like to think of it as purchasing 1 TB of cloud storage and getting 5 Office licenses for free.

Chrome is my preferred browser as well, despite the fact that's it's not terribly well optimized for OS X. Hopefully when the new 64-bit version goes stable it will be better. My favorite part of Chrome is how it syncs everything between OS X and my Boot Camp Windows installation.

[nomaded]

I would like to add BetterTouchTool for more customized trackpad gestures. I still miss the plethora of gestures available on my FingerWorks TouchStream.

Also, 1Password for storage of passwords, notes, CC info, etc. I know there are other apps out there like LastPass and KeePass, but I have 1Password on OSX, iOS, and Windows, and they all work well together. Again, I'm sure the other apps can do the same.