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The Best Mac OS X Software Tools

Posted by kdawson on Sun Mar 11, 2007 05:04 AM
from the steroids dept.
Software Utilities (Apple)
An anonymous reader writes "Mac advocate John C. Welch weighs in with his list of the top 20 Mac OS X products (except Welch manages to list 22). The collection of software tools ranges from the obvious, such as Boot Camp, to the obscure but perhaps more useful — little-known apps like Peter Borg's Lingon, for creating launchd configuration files. What's on your personal list of indispensable Mac productivity aids and programming tools? Also, do you think Welch gives too much air time to built-in OS X tools at the expense of third-party products such as NetworkLocation?"
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The Best Mac OS X Software Tools 50 Comments More /

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  • The List (Score:3, Informative)

    by BarryJacobsen (526926) on Sunday March 11 2007, @05:10AM (#18306596) Homepage

    Ecto

    Transmit

    Sync Services

    BBEdit

    Missing Sync for Windows Mobile

    OmniGraffle Pro

    ConceptDraw

    iChat AV

    AppleScript

    Script Debugger

    Microsoft Entourage

    SketchFighter 4000 Alpha

    TypeIt4Me

    NetworkLocation

    Apple Remote Desktop 3

    MacLink Plus Deluxe

    Parallels Desktop for Mac

    Remote Desktop Connection

    Snapz Pro X

    Boot Camp

    PDF

    Lingon

    Workgroup Manager

    • Quicksilver (Score:5, Informative)

      by zaphod_es (613312) on Sunday March 11 2007, @05:59AM (#18306648)
      What, 22 favourite apps and no Quicksilver? This is the one program I just could not live without, it is what makes my Mac usable. I hardly use the mouse anymore and access and/or run almost everything on my computer with two or three keystrokes. And it's free!

      • Re:Quicksilver (Score:5, Informative)

        by bismark.a (882874) on Sunday March 11 2007, @07:04AM (#18306758)
        I don't own a Mac, but I swear that my next laptop will be a Leopard tera-core sexy machine. And one of the reason for that is beautiful apps like Quick Silver. [blacktree.com]

        • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

          by Ash-Fox (726320)
          If there was a quicksilver equivalent that had the same functionality available on the Linux desktop, would you consider Linux?
          • Sorry, he said, "one of the reason". If it also had a program like Indesign, photoshop and their subsequent ability to use CMYK properly, I would. I used linux since RH 5.1 but that was when I was a networker - now I'm a type setter.

            • Sorry, he said, "one of the reason".

              Sometimes it just takes one particular thing to make a decision on considering possible. For example, I knew when I switched to Linux on my main desktop not all my Windows games would work... But I got other benefits that I wanted.

              If it also had a program like Indesign, photoshop and their subsequent ability to use CMYK properly, I would.

              I don't know of alternatives to Indesign (mostly because I haven't done much with publishing related things yet). But Krita [koffice.org] offers much

              • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

                by nick.ian.k (987094)

                Just because they're both launchers does not mean that one does the "exact same thing" as the other. That's like saying GIMP does the "exact same thing" as Photoshop.

                If you were trying to be helpful, you'd've mentioned what Quicksilver does differently. Of course, you didn't, and you posted AC because you must fear burning karma. Why? If you're that obsessed with karma points, why not go for the easy "informative" points while simultaneously telling me why I'm wrong? Seems fairly stupid to me.

                Checking

      • Textmate! (Score:4, Informative)

        by thelamecamel (561865) on Sunday March 11 2007, @08:00AM (#18307010)
        No textmate either! It certainly does everything the journo wants from BBEdit. And for LaTeX and Ruby it's utterly indispensable. I think it's the only shareware I've ever bought.
        • Textmate:BBEdit::OSX:OS9

          BBEdit was it back in the day. Bees knees. But they're still stuck in a world of floating palettes and out of date syntax coloring.

          Textmate.... is just amazing. I think I've only scraped the surface of 10% of what it can actually do. The best thing is, if I don't like a keystroke or a syntax coloring, I can change it. I wanted to start writing Matlab. Sure enough, someone has written a bundle for it. There's even a Bundle called 'GetBundle' that will automatically download and update

      • Launcher apps. like Quicksilver and Launch Bar aare very customizable, and I'm sure I could get used to any of them. The one I've gotten comfortable with is Butler [manytricks.com]. On Windows, I launched programs by navigating the Start menu with sequences of keystrokes that were ingrained in my fingers. Navigating the Dock or the Applications folder felt glacial by comparison. Butler's abbreviations are better than either approach. It's kind of like the WIndows Vista Start menu, except that it recognizes initials; for exa

      • If you had not posted I would have. Before I got quicksilver I had no clue what I was missing. It completely changed how I interact with the computer. I don't use any of it's fancy features I just use it to launch apps from the keyboard. I have not opened my application folder in months. That and BBedit are the two apps I would be sorely pressed to give up.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by shmert (258705)
        I was going to say the same thing about LaunchBar [obdev.at]. It's what spotlight should have been. When I'm on a computer without it I'm constantly cursing. Or installing it.

    • Re:The List (Score:5, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 11 2007, @09:16AM (#18307352)
      Linked version with condensed summary. I wanted to find out more about some of them. Others may benefit too.

      Ecto [kung-foo.tv] a blogging client (but the site seems to be down: try this for more info [versiontracker.com]). Shareware, $17.95.
      Transmit [panic.com] an FTP client. Shareware, $17.95
      Sync Services [apple.com] -- comes with 10.4
      BBedit [bbedit.com] text/html editor. $125, but worth it.
      Missing Synch for Windows Mobile [markspace.com] - synchronize with PDA/smartphones. $49.95/$39.95
      OmniGraffle [omnigroup.com] - diagramming / flowchart program. $79.95 / $149.95
      ConceptDraw [conceptdraw.com] - another diagramming / flowchart program. $299
      IChat AV [apple.com] - built-in to 10.4
      AppleScript, Scriptdebugger - also built-in. No link. I'm getting lazy.
      Microsoft Entourage [apple.com] -- part of MS Office.
      Sketchfigher 4000 Alpha [ambrosiasw.com] -- a game from the great Ambrosia Software [ambrosiasw.com]. $19.00
      TypeIt4Me [ettoresoftware.com] - keyboard macro expander. $27
      NetworkLocation [centrix.ca] - automatically trigger configuration changes depending upon where you are on the network (e.g., at home, work, etc.). $15
      Apple Remote Desktop 3 [apple.com] - control / configure Mac systems remotely. $499 / $299 (unlimited / 10 systems)
      MacLinkPlus [dataviz.com] - file conversion software (e.g., from WordPerfect documents to/from Word, and many others). $79
      Parallels Desktop for Mac [parallels.com] - virtualization software (e.g., run Win XP simultaneously with OS X). $79.
      Remote Desktop Connection [microsoft.com] - connect remotely to a Windows desktop. FREE
      Snap X Pro [ambrosiasw.com] - screen / movie capture. $29
      Boot Camp - dual boot Windows. I'm lazy.
      PDF - Portable Document Format from Adobe? What?
      Lingon [sourceforge.net] - tool for making launchd scripts for 10.4.
      Workgroup Manager [apple.com] - manage local systems - part of 10.4 Server.

      ---
      Okay, a mildly interesting list. Here's a few more suggestions:

      Cyberduck [cyberduck.ch] - FTP and SFTP client. Donationware.
      VLC [videolan.org] - cross-platform video viewer / transcoder.
      Blender 3D [blender.org] - cross-platform 3D modelling / rendering.
      Bookends [sonnysoftware.com] - excellent bibliography software. $99
      Celestia [shatters.net] - cross-platform real-time 3D astronomy simulator.
      Plot [plot.micw.eu] - a, uh, plotting / graphing program.
      proFit [quansoft.com] - another plotting / graphing program, non-free. $95
      WordService [devon-technologies.com] - adds a bunch of text reformatting tools to the Services menu, making them accessible in any program. The same page has a bunch of other useful and free services.

      The original article lists PDF, but no tools. While its true OS X native support makes PDF pretty easy to use, there's still some tasks that are awkward and some useful tools out there to do t
      • Onyx [versiontracker.com] should be #1

      • My addition: Growl [growl.info] - Notification manager. Free. Supported by enough Mac apps to make you wish they all supported it.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by MsGeek (162936)
          Yes, you can run Linux as a Parallels guest OS. You are also not wedded to XP for your Windows version...you can run Windows 2000, 98SE, 95, OS/2 or even DOS as a guest OS. Any OS that can run on Intel x86 can run as a Parallels guest OS. And it can run completely isolated from the host OS if you don't enable file sharing and Internet access. If anything, it's a superior way of running Windows if you have to do it.

        • Re:The List (Score:5, Informative)

          by Divebus (860563) on Sunday March 11 2007, @12:41PM (#18308536)

          I find it quite telling that one of the most popular applications for the MAC is a program that lets you run a different OS.

          If you've been paying attention here for the last year, most of the commentary surrounding virtualization on the Mac has revolved around people finally able to dump their infernal Windows machine and do everything on a Mac instead. Parallels [parallels.com], along with Boot Camp, is quite possibly the largest driver of Mac sales in the last year. There are a few functions not available on the Mac [yet] and Parallels lets people run those few apps they'd miss from Windows. Yes, Paralleles does run Linux. I currently know more people who dumped their Windows machines in the last year than I know remaining Windows owners - and those aren't far behind.

  • BootCamp (Score:3, Interesting)

    by suv4x4 (956391) on Sunday March 11 2007, @06:44AM (#18306690)
    Who else thinks that BootCamp being in the top 20 best OSX products is kinda silly?

    On Windows (or even Linux) you don't see "top 10 best products" list that often, if at all, simply because they are too many to just list a "top 20 best".

    Computers have moved to a point where different people use them for wildly different purposes. As such, you simply can't have "top X products" for an entire OS. If on Mac it's not the same, it's that much sadder.
    • Have you even read the freaking list? It's obviously a top-20 list for sysadmins.

        • Have you even read the freaking list? It's obviously a top-20 list for [Mac] sysadmins.

          All 3 of 'em?

          What kinda sysadmin needs graphical concept drawing software
          The kind of sysadmin that documents his network. Not all sysadmins manage a small network like yours. Smells like network envy.

          • What kinda sysadmin needs graphical concept drawing software
            The kind of sysadmin that documents his network.
            Oh God! Not more Powerpoint presentations. ANYTHING BUT THAT!

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by LKM (227954)
          Hahaha, I hope you like it in ignorance land, because that's where you are. As for the game, as I already said, read the list. He explains why he includes Sketch Fighter.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by suv4x4 (956391)
            So don't force what doesn't come naturally. You'll be much happier if you stick to an OS that suits your personality. And you'll be doing the rest of us a favor, too; you leave Macs to Mac users, and we'll leave beige to you.

            Good job. The logical progression after failing to convert the audience into your little elite club, is to claim "you are not worthy of possessing a Mac" and further engage in your delusions of superiority.

            BTW, I really find your opinion of the plain beige PC-s [alienware.com] amusing. Do you think shi

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by suv4x4 (956391)
        you are totally right... I see the error of my ways... can I have a quarter to buy a real computer?

        I'd blink on it, but I'm a curious fella, and simply gotta know: what the heck do you mean with the whole "can I have a quarter to buy a computer" anyway?

  • Some of Mine: (Score:2, Informative)

    by sugapablo (600023)
    Being a web developer who works from home, here's my short list of tools I like:

    Web Developer Ext. for Mozilla: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/60/ [mozilla.org]
    MailTags: http://www.indev.ca/MailTags.html [indev.ca]
    FTP/SFTP Client: http://cyberduck.ch/ [cyberduck.ch]
    Text Editor: http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/ [barebones.com]
    OpenOffice: http://porting.openoffice.org/mac/ [openoffice.org]
    Image Editor: http://www.macgimp.org/ [macgimp.org]
  • No mention of fink or Darwin ? Those are pretty much the only tools I know on OSX.
  • I was quite fond of CodeTek's Virtual Desktop. http://codetek.com/ctvd/ [codetek.com] It made me feel right at home when jumping between my Linux desktop and the Mac. Lots of real-estate, some nice customization features, and mouse focus behavior I preferred to OS X's. Sadly, the application hasn't been properly supported for a while. It does work, mostly, but isn't as flawless as it once was. I recently had to turn it off because of some misbehaviors with Firefox.

  • Kiddie pools... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Beefslaya (832030) on Sunday March 11 2007, @08:54AM (#18307244)
    For starters:

    I would throw in iTerm, virtueDesktops, Parallels, TextMate, Navicat for Mac.

    Without these programs, I couldn't make it in the fast paced Graphic Design field of Macs (Any other IT people out there want to shit nails when someone says Mac's are for graphic design? Last time I checked, my Macs didn't look like big blue pumpkins.)

    ----My Motto:
    I don't care if the customer's stuff is working or not. I just don't want to be affected by whatever they have. My equipment MUST work, Therefore I use Apple.
    • iTerm is essential to me, tabbed terminals are something I can't live without.

      Check out Quicksilver if you haven't yet, it's by Blacktree. I have no affiliation with them, but it's the bomb:

      http://blacktree.com/ [blacktree.com]
      • I tried using I term 2 years ago and it was a horrible experience. very slow and it would crash taking all my terminals with it. Has it improved?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by tres (151637)

          I use iTerm for hours every day. It's much more stable than it was a couple years back, and has some cool new features.

          command+enter gives a full screen of terminal. Combine that with Virtue desktops & I've got my "terminal" desktop.

           
          • Agreed. It was a mess for a while, now it is very stable and always running on my machine.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by tres (151637)

      For anyone interested in an open source Navicat alternative, check out Yoursql [ludit.it].

      For a Postgres GUI, check out pgAdmin [pgadmin.org] (I've had some stability issues with this one, but there's not much else out there that's Free and Open.

  • Little Snitch from ObDev [obdev.com].

    BBEdit or TextWrangler from Bare Bones Software [barebones.com].

    Opera [opera.com].

  • iTerm (Score:2)

    by tji (74570)

    For others moving from Linux to Mac OS X, like I did (for my laptop at least, my server & mythtv boxes are still Linux), iTerm is the first thing to install. Mac OS X has a terminal program, but it's weak at best. iTerm is a good terminal program, with multiple tabs and cutomizable display settings.

    http://iterm.sourceforge.net/ [sourceforge.net]
  • I'd substitute Interarchy for Transmit. Otherwise, looks reasonable.

    Also, OmniOutliner is VERY nice for many tasks. And Silverkeeper is a free basic backup program that does well enough for me.
  • ...but, as always, subjective at best. I still have a G5 iMac, and many of the apps on the list are useless to me, as they're specifically for the Intel processor. However, these lists are informative in that they help to become aware of potentially useful apps to any mac users out there.

    That said, here are a few apps the guy neglected to mention:
    - Claris Filemaker http://www.filemaker.com/ [filemaker.com]. Hands down, the best database software out there, for the Mac or any other OS.
    - iWeb http://www.apple.com/ilife/iwe [apple.com]
  • Just my personal preferences, but I imagine lots of people will agree with me.

    0. Start Safari, get Firefox, remove Safari from the dock.
    1. OS X Developer tools. Going to be compiling lots of stuff.
    2. Subversion.
    3. VLC
    4. TextMate
    5. GraphViz
    6. Clisp
    7. SBCL
    8. XWindows

    I was so impressed with the compile speed on my new MacBook. I blink and it is done. (Except for compiling
    Erlang, that took 30 minutes and burned a hole through my desk. Dude.)
  • I use Path Finder (http://www.cocoatech.com) every day, all during the day.
    Can't imagine only having the Finder to use.

  • Missing Program (Score:3, Informative)

    by maytagman (971263) on Sunday March 11 2007, @12:03PM (#18308306)
    How on earth did he not include Onyx? I'd probably say its top 5... http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs/english.html [titanium.free.fr] from the site: It allows you to run misc tasks of system maintenance, to configure certain hidden parameters of the Finder, Dock, Dashboard, Exposé, Safari, Login window and many Apple's applications, to delete cache, to remove a certain number of files and folders that may become cumbersome, to see the detailed info of your configuration, to preview the different logs and CrashReporter reports, to check the Preferences files and more. I would even go so far as to say it deserved to be number one...

  • Menumeters (Score:3, Informative)

    by Espectr0 (577637) on Sunday March 11 2007, @02:22PM (#18309194) Journal
    Come on, who doesn't have menumeters? It's even free. Handy little tool to know the transfer rate of your network card.

  • What about Growl? (Score:3, Informative)

    by libwolf (1074434) on Sunday March 11 2007, @04:32PM (#18310194)
    Don't forget http://www.growl.info/ [growl.info] - just need to know a tiny bit of scripting and it's amazingly useful

    • Re:The bit i like (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Watson Ladd (955755) on Sunday March 11 2007, @06:54AM (#18306722)
      Programing is hard. It doesn't matter if you use drag and drop widgets, or switches on the front board. You still need to specify what you are doing in a precise manner. With Labview it is easy because it has a very limited domain. Not so with general programing.
    • While not general-purpose, Max/MSP is drag and drop and it's still mostly in the hands of geeks. I'd wonder how many not-geeky musicians that are required to look at it in/through college ever pick it up after graduation?
      I think it's a difference of expectation, the masses just want to pop a disc in and have something happen. They don't want to wrench on stuff.
    • If you have trouble typing, programming of any kind probably isn't going to be your thing anyway.

    • Re:Essential Mac tools... (Score:5, Informative)

      by AugstWest (79042) on Sunday March 11 2007, @11:02AM (#18307934)
      Or, just:

      vi (built-in)
      screen (built in)
      apache (built-in)
      ssh (built-in)
      emacs (built-in)

      and the list goes on.

      It's my favorite *nix workstation. I don't wear an earring, drive a Jetta, or own a kayak, mountain bike or iPod.

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by Stamen (745223)
        I think your post needs to be repeating. People love stereo types, so I'm probably whistling in the wind, but there are many people like you out there, I'm one of them. People who are love Unix and also love OS X. However I do own an iPod, a few of them.

        People have to realize that OS X is mostly open source, except for the windows manager and the user-land stuff. The first thing I install on OS X is XCode so that I have gcc, and then DarwinPorts so I can "port" myself to happy goodness.

        Of course I'd rat

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