(written with my macbook pro in mind, title inspired by mrbrown's zhng ur car series)
i remember making a post abt some great firefox and itoy aka iphone apps quite some long time ago. recently i've had a ball of a time sprucing up my mac and such... that i've decided to make a post abt all the best apps (IMO of course) for mac.
Warning: I forsee a really really long post coming up, and I think i'll take an equally long time writing it.
Ease of Access/Use.... Apps that make your life easier:
1) Alfred - free, available from the mac app store. a paid powerpack is available, but its pretty expensive (euros is omg so strong!) and i dont think i will use the powerpack features much (well basically i'm 1) too broke/stingy to buy the powerpack, sponsers anyone? 2) still prefer the mouse/trackpad for powerpack features)
ok more on the FREE Alfred and why i really really love this app to bits. Basically, Alfred is a handy little search bar that you call up with a keyboard shortcut (option + space by default) that allows you to search and run/open files, applications... etc etc. Its tiring to have to scroll through the whole long list of applications... typing them is a much faster way to call up those programs. the downside is that you have to remember their names though.... i dont use Alfred to open up files much. mainly because my lecture notes for sch work are named in all sorts of weird ways (and i'm too lazy to rename them all). Alfred also learns your user preferences, so it will list the most frequently used item on top.
There is another application called QuickSliver that does basically the same thing, i have them both installed but i prefer Alfred. why? cos Alfred shows a list of all the possible hits, rather than just one hit in QuickSliver. This is especially useful when you arent quite sure of the entire name - a list will let you spot what you are looking for while in QuickSliver you might just forever be missing it out.
I think Alfred should be one of the 1st (if not the 1st) app to get on a new mac. Hey its free afterall, why not just give it a try?
2) Window Keys - available in the mac store. Free... supposed to be free cos the developer just released another app... i downloaded it a couple of months back, and now its still free... so... yeah...
One of the greatest annoyances of mac is the pathetic window resizing function. I mean... I've gotten used to how they put all the application windows in the same application on the dock... I've gotten used to using the active screen corners (and fallen in love with it), and how to pick out the right window i'm navigating to amongst the many others show in a small screen etc etc... but i cant stand how they wont resize my windows properly for me. Many a times i click the green + sign and they... 1) make a window into some funny size OR 2) place my window in some funny location OR 3) make my window even smaller (hey, i always though that button was for expanding the window rather than shrinking it!). Well... Apple hates window(s). It’s a fact...
Here's where window keys comes in. It allows you to use keyboard short cuts to move, resize, and most importantly for me, maximise the window. a great savior for me - i like my windows as big as possible, but i dont like running things in full screen cos i love my dock + i keep switching btw windows (i prefer clicking the dock icons than keyboard shortcuts)
3) Typinator - i got this one on offer at like... smthing ard 15 SGD. Got it from MacUpdate Promo - Check out the site for programs on offer...
Yikes! This is one expensive app! Basically it replaces what you type with a predefined word(s). It works great as a spell checker, esp for ppl like me who keeps typing 'T-E-H" instead of "T-H-E', amongst many other common and constant typos... you can also specify long words or even whole sentences/paragraphs for the program to insert as you type. Check you more on their website http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/. It is really as fast as the video shows... and adding or removing words is as easy as they claim. I brought the program with all my frequent typos + upcoming reports/fyp in mind. Like ya know all that pesky long names... i can add them in the program so i dont have to type out the full thing. AND i can delete those when i'm done with my report/fyp etc. Quite pleased with it so far even tho i've not put it to heavy use yet.
4) Calendar - free, available in the mac app store.
Pretty simple app, basically it puts a small icon on your menu bar and lets you view your calendar (iCal) from there. better and faster than opening up iCal IMO. Scroll over the dates to see the entries for that day. If you need to add in any entry, just double click on the date and it will open up iCal for you. with this, i've removed iCal from my already overcrowded dock.
5) nowplaying for mac - free, available in the mac app store.
shows the song you are playing, artist in the menu bar so u can keep track. simple yet convenient. if you listen to songs on your comp a lot and like to keep track of wat you are listening to, than this is the app for you.
6) tracks - free, available in the mac app store.
another music related app. this one lets you type the song you wish to play from your menu bar. without having to open up itunes.
7) Copy paster - free, available in the mac app store.
Basically a clipboard so you can select which previous items you want to paste. Shortcuts available and can be configured.
Communications
1) Adium - free. Download from http://adium.im/
Basically its your MSN messenger, AIM, Yahoo... heck even the China messenging program QQ is supported here! Only bad thing is that it doesn’t support video calls. For that you have to use Skype or Microsoft Messager (basically MSN for Macs). For me, i only use MSN out of all the services that Adium supports... so why use Adium instead of the 'original MSN'?
- Msn (for mac) doesn’t support a bunch load of functions... including things like sending offline messages. I have many friends (heck, even my sis!) who likes to appear offline... i cant send them messages on msn, but i can on Adium
- Loads of pretty themes and emoticon packs for you to download and pick from...
- much better interface, more userfriendly. in particular i love how they put your conversations in one window, but different tabs... makes all your conversations look much neater. on the other hand, MSN is... screwed. Once you open up one conversation windows, ALL the rest of the conversation windows open up. Unlike in the Windows version where each conversation is a separate window, you can minimise and expand each window separately... here you cant.
- Previous conversations are kept in Adium... so you can keep track of where you and your friends previously chatted till. Ever found yourself in a jam cos u needed some info from the convo window but accidentally closed it? You wont have this problem anymore in Adium.
The only reason why I would open up Microsoft MSN is cos of the video chatting... which i hardly use anyway... in any case, there's always skype...
2) Skype - free (can pay to get more features). Download from http://www.skype.com/intl/en/get-skype/on-your-computer/macosx/
i think most of us know about this already... basically its like msn, but more for video chatting and all... personally i dont use it much though, dont like having ppl see my messy hair + room...
3) MailTab for Gmail - free, available in the mac app store.
As the name suggests, it lets you check your email right from your menu bar. Very convenient indeed.
4) Twitter - free, mac store
Basically... you get a program that lets you read tweets, retweet, and post tweets so you do not have to go to the website itself.
Browsers
Camino - free. http://caminobrowser.org/download/
There's the usual safari (Mac's original web browser, like internet explorer on windows) , chrome, and firefox that most windows users would be familiar with... however there's one more browser that you should try for mac - Camino. It touts itself to be built exclusively for the mac, and have loading speeds to beat that of chrome. Its just like your other web browers, but probably faster. It does load web pages faster, but i've not done an exact speed test so i cant tell you the numbers.
Security Issues
1) Lock Screen - US$1.99 on the app store, i got it at 99cents previously.
with a command L you lock the screen... and you can set a passpattern on how to unlock it. well its not the most secure thing in the world, but its decent enough for me like when i'm in sch or smthing. its not like i'm working on some top secret documents anyway (i'd probably be more afraid of my lappy getting STOLEN than of them trying to crack my slide code...) PLUS, the lock screen is darn COOL i swear!
2) VirusBarrier Express - Free, mac store. There's a paid pro version too.
Free anti virus software that'll scan against mac viruses. Free virus definition updates... if you want it to scan for windows viruses... you'll have to pay.
3) TokenLock - US$2.99, available in the mac app store.
I got this one for free from some twitter... retwiting... erm... competition? idk wat to call it... basically i managed to snug a free code XD. Auto locks the computer when a USB cable is plugged in or out... or bluetooth device is connected or disconnected.
Photos and Doodles
1) Seashore - free. http://seashore.sourceforge.net/The_Seashore_Project/Download.html
Its an open source image editor for mac. No, it wont replace photoshop, but it has quite a lot of photoshop features that lets you do some basic image editing... and hey, its free.
2) SketchBookExpress - free, app store. there's a paid version too.
Great app for random doodles or serious drawing. Not really good at drawing so i dont know if this (or its paid version) is the best one out there... but this app looks pretty impressive to me.
3) Smoke - free, app store. okok, its US$9.99 in the app store... but you can download a free version from their website (will have watermark on save pictures)
Very pretty effects, makes for fun doodling... just randomly dragging your cursor around...
Visual Effects... and more... How to Make you Mac Pretty
1) LiteIcon - free http://www.freemacsoft.net/LiteIcon/
Lets you change all the icons of the mac system. Like the finder icon, the trash can... the Mac HD drive... various folders.... so on and so forth.
2) Img2icns - free to convert img2icns, but to do it backwards you have to buy the paid version.
http://www.img2icnsapp.com/
Basically with this, you can make or take your favourite picture, and convert it into the .icns file format for use as an application icon.
For those of you who do not know, here is how you can change your application icons to another picture: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2493. For a more pictorial version check this out http://pimpmymac.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/how-to-change-icons/. This method is sort of temporary however... sometimes the application... updates itself? or smthing and it changes the icon back. If you are sick of having to keep changing the icon, you can try a more permanent method by...
1) show the application is finder.
2) right click and hit the show package contents button.
3) find the original icon .icns file.
4) copy your new icon into the same location, and change its name to whatever the original one was... and delete the old .icns file.
5) restart the application (if it doesn’t work, restart your mac), and voila! new icon!
Google Chrome keeps... updating and changing its icon back now though... even the 'permanent' icon change doesn’t work... you'll have to do something more drastic like wat was listed here: http://macthemes.net/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=794798. (Note: i followed these instructions and it worked great)
3) DockLibrary - free. http://www.dativestudios.com/docklibrary/
Very simple, easy way to change the way your dock looks. Find a dock theme on the web that you like, open it in dock library and change your dock into the perfect look!
4) DockDodger - free. http://foggynoggin.com/dockdodger
Have too many icons on your dock? Have apps running in the background... and already have a menu bar icon... BUT STILL insists on taking up a dock slot? try this application. Note: i tried it on tracks but it didn’t work >< darn. Here's a screen capture of how my dock looks like at the moment...
Very pretty... no? haha... go pimp your mac now!
Other Useful Applications
basically i dont have enough apps to seperate into more categories, and i'm getting tired so i shall just put them under one universal heading...
1) Store News - free from mac app store.
This app shows you all the other apps on sale... not just for the mac app store, but also in the iOS app store. Convenient filters to help you find the best deals... and what's more, you can 'zhng' your iPhone n Mac at the same time! Now isn't that convenient?
2) coconut battery - free. http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/
Lets you check your battery health. Things like how many times you have charged up your battery in total... your battery capacity now VS the design capacity... Great app to check up on your battery.
3) smcFanControl - free. http://www.eidac.de/
You can adjust your fan speed, and tweak other fan settings. Like on a hot day and your laptop casing feels really hot, you can bump up the fan speed to cool things down.
4) Caffeine - free, app store
Lets you keep your computer awake for as long as you wish (no screensavers and all). Great for draining your battery flat once a month/every few months to recalibrate it.
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