The Ultimate Mac Apps List
UPDATED 12/20/07: Added more free alternative links. I also removed Crossover. Added Parallels and Burn.
Note: Click on the Application Icon for a neat AJAX preview.
App Zapper
Everybody loves the drag and drop nature of OS X. Drag an app into your Applications folder, and it’s installed. You’d think uninstalling would be just as easy dragging it to the trash. But it’s not — applications install preferences, caches, and other support files throughout your computer that take up space and generate clutter. App Zapper automates the process for you, because deleting these by hand every time you delete an app is a pain. Free alternative AppDelete.
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Awaken
Choose a playlist, pick from either a weekly or specific date alarm, set the time, and enter a reminder note if you wish — and you’re done. The volume of the music can be set to fade from 0% to the desired level over a specified number of minutes to gently wake you from a peaceful slumber without a sudden jolt. You can also use the sleep timer to fall asleep to your favorite iTunes playlist. The volume can be set to slowly fade to 0% as you fall asleep. Once the timer reaches the end it can put your Mac to sleep and later wake itself at alarm time. This might be the greatest thing since the Snooze Button. The free alternative Aurora.
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Parallels
Parallels Desktop for Mac allows you to install your favorite Windows applications and games on Mac OS X. Parallels includes an easy to use, single click interface, which makes installing Windows software simple and fast. Once installed, your application integrates seamlessly in OS X or in a virtual machine window. You can also use your bootcamp hard drive!
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Handbrake/MediaFork
HandBrake is a GPL’d multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter. HandBrake was originally available on the BeOS, but now has been ported over to MacOS X and to GNU/Linux. A Windows port is under development.
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Newsfire
RSS web feeds and podcasting are hot technologies, and NewsFire is even hotter. It’s packed with features, blindingly simple to use, and ground-breakingly elegant. NewsFire is the ultimate RSS experience for the Mac. Free alternative Vienna.
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OnTheJob
On The Job is an unobtrusive, easy to use time tracker. It’s not bloated with features you’ll never use, yet it’s powerful enough to handle all of your time tracking needs. On The Job is perfect for anyone billing by the hour.
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Pzizz
Pzizz combines Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), enchanting music, sound effects and a binaural beat to achieve a wonderfully relaxed state in the listener, similar to that experienced during the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep.
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Tables
With Tables you can not only organise data but also calculate and compare them, too. Add, multiply, or otherwise manipulate numbers or process data by using different functions. Tables offer extensive options to format the data to currency, an amount, as percentage rates, scientifically or with different dates.
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TextMate
TextMate brings Apple’s approach to operating systems into the world of text editors. By bridging UNIX underpinnings and GUI, TextMate cherry-picks the best of both worlds to the benefit of expert scripters and novice users alike. The Free alternative Text Wrangler
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Transmission
Transmission is a free, lightweight BitTorrent client. It features a simple, intuitive interface on top on an efficient, cross-platform back-end.Transmission is open source (MIT license) and runs on Mac OS X (Cocoa interface), Linux/NetBSD/FreeBSD/OpenBSD (GTK+ interface) and BeOS (native interface).
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Transmit
Transmit is the most refined FTP client available to mac users. It has a myriad of features including: Droplets, Searching, SApotlight, Automator Actions, .Mac Syncing, and my favorite, server to server transfers! The free alternative CyberDuck.
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Burn
It supports data disc formats (Mac, PC, Mac + PC, DVD, ), Audio Discs (AIFF, MP3), Video Discs (VCD, DVD, DivX Disc, SVCD) as well as straight copy functions through a super simple ultra mac-like drag and drop interface. While many of these features are available in paid disc authoring solutions such as Roxio’s Toast, Burn is a Free, rock solid, alternative that definitely deserves a spot in your dock.
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Yep
Every computer has loads of PDF files, probably scattered all over your hard disk. Use Yep to search, view and manage all these documents in one convenient place.
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VLC
VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, …) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network.
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VooDoo Pad
VoodooPad is a garden for your thoughts. Plant ideas, images, lists and anything else you need to keep track of. VoodooPad grows with you, without getting in the way no fences to box you in! Type in notes, highlight important words or phrases and create new pages. Drag and drop folders, images, applications, or URLs into VoodooPad they’re linked up just like on the web. With powerful search, nothing will be lost or out of reach.
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Hungry for more? Check out the Ultimate Add-Ons Page.
[…] Well, it’s official! Mac News Online recently voted pzizz as one of the Ultimate Mac Apps - and we’re really proud to be there! […]
[…] I got a IM from Jeff Kee yesterday and he tells me that he just destroyed his Toshia laptop, but the good news is that he just got a brand new 15″ MacBook Pro to replace it. He must of read my bio to know that I’m a complete Apple whore, so once he told me, I went off about what apps he should be installing. With the help from The Ultimate Mac Apps List, I’ve compiled my own list of Essential Apps that Jeff needs to install as soon as he’s finished setting up his Mac: […]
[…] Something always rubbed me wrong about StuffitExpander as well as the whole .sit dynasty. The .sit files conjure up images of Mac OS 9 and files that should just might as well be zipped. While Mac OS X does have a built in file expander Unarchiver,this free application takes it a step further making even those hard to de-stuff Zip, Tar-GZip, Tar-BZip2, Rar, 7-zip, LhA files a pain free experience. This one definitely earns a spot on the Ultimate MacApps List. Bookmark to: […]
Nice list
Thought you guys might be interested in this new app we helped develop recently
http://torrentfreak.com/now-mac-users-can-easily-get-into-private-bittorrent-trackers-too/
thanks
I would like to see a continuation of the topic
http://madsenblog.dk/?page_id=11
I believe that Madsens “Indispensable Mac OS X Software” does a better job.
Nice list, thank! I can recommend dictionary for Mac - TranslateIt! http://www.mac.gettranslateit.com/