Essential software for Mac

Updated 20.06.07: This list will be continue to grow here.

The first thing I do when I get hold of a new computer is to customize the operating system. I have a list of what I consider essential software that either makes up for the shortcomings of the OS or, since I zip my way around an OS, makes my workflow faster.

So, in no particular order, here is my list of essential software for Mac:

1. Mozilla Firefox – No introduction to Firefox is needed, really. The open extension architecture of Firefox is what makes its my favorite browser; there is just about an extension for any feature you wished the browser had. (Free)

2. Path Finder – Try this and you will never want to look at the Mac Finder ever again. If you are a power user, you’ll appreciate time-saving features in Path Finder such as tabbed windows and especially the Drop Stack; with the Drop Stack, you will never again bungle up a spring-loaded folder file move. There are simply too many enhancements in Path Finder for me to list. What is amazing is that the early versions of Path Finder was coded by just one developer! (US$34.95)

3. smcFanControl – Save your nuts! smcFanControl is an application that allows you to set the speed of the CPU fans. It displays the temperature of the CPU as a MenuExtra. Also, it can automatically apply different fan speed profiles when the laptop is either running on battery, undergoing charging or running on AC. MacBook and MacBook Pro owners in particular will love smcFanControl; I do. By ramping the fan speed to the max, I am able to shave 10℃ off the reported temperature. (Free)

4. Lab Tick – This menu bar extra allows you to control the intensity of the keyboard backlight, and even overriding the ambient light sensor on your PowerBook or MacBook Pro. (Free)

5. Ejector – This application places an eject button in the menu bar that lets you pick what mounted volumes to eject. (Free)

6. Sticky Windows – Sticky Windows shrinks windows into little neat tabs along the sides of the desktop. Simply drag a window to the sides of the desktop and it automatically collapses into a tab with the title of the window on it. Windows that are made Sticky can be set to automatically minimize once they are no longer in the foreground. (US$15.95)

7. Default Folder X – The default Open/Save dialog of the Finder is pretty darn anemic. Default Folder X is the Open/Save dialog box on steroids. Besides offering you shortcuts to favorite folders, recently-used folders, etc, it also allows you to pick any open window on the desktop as the destination folder. (US$34.95)

Tip: On a related note, if you would like to have the Open/Save dialog always expanded, check out this tip here.

8. SideTrack – Microsoft Windows users will feel right at home with SideTrack. Feature for feature, SideTrack feels like a direct port of the Alps Pointer driver that is installed in so many Windows laptops. With Sidetrack, I can use the trackpad on my MacBook Pro exactly the same way as I use the trackpad on my Sony VAIO; side vertical and horizontal scrolling, corner tapping, etc. SideTrack also offers three different settings for cursor acceleration, which is great since I cannot stand how slow the default cursor speed is on the Mac. Try the ‘Redmond switcher acceleration’ and see that cursor fly! SideTrack is a must-have for switchers. (US$15)

Important note: SideTrack is not yet compatible with Core 2 Duo MacBook and MacBook Pro models.

9. DejaMenu – This little application lets you access the menu bar of an application as a pop-up menu at the mouse cursor’s current location. This is especially useful in a dual-monitor setup; you no longer have to move the mouse cursor across all that screen real estate just to access the menu bar. Combine this with SideTrack and you can immediately call up the menu bar with a corner tap! (Free)

10. ecto – The closest to Windows Live Writer for the Mac. (US$17.95)

11. AppFresh – AppFresh is an application which helps you keep track of new versions of all your applications (both third-party and Apple). (Free)

12. Peripheral Vision – Whenever you plug in a device (USB, FireWire, Airport, LAN, Bluetooth or even AC Power), Peripheral Vision either displays a visual notification or plays an audio notification. You can also set Peripheral Vision to perform a certain action upon plugging in a device. (US$8.95)

Note that the download for Version 1.62 hosted on Granted Software’s website will not work on an Intel Mac. For Intel Macs, download a beta Universal version here (direct link); Peripheral Vision has been bought over by Plasq, the makers of Comic Life.

13. Witch – The default CMD+TAB switcher does not tell you much; with Witch, you can TAB through all open windows by their window titles. Witch, by default, uses the ALT+TAB keystroke, since Mac OS X 10.2 and later reserves the CMB+TAB keystroke exclusively. But if you much prefer Witch and wish to make it the default switcher, use PullTab to reclaim the CMB+TAB keystroke so that you can assign it to Witch instead. (Free)

Tip: When you tap CMD+TAB, the selection bar goes from top to bottom. If you overshoot the window you wish to switch to, tap CMD+SHIFT+TAB to reverse the direction of the selection bar.

14. WiFind – The Airport icon in the Finder Menu Bar does not show much information. WiFind integrates itself seamlessly into the Airport menu and shows you whether a WiFi hotspot is open or protected, which channel it is on, and what its signal strength is, all at a glance. This should have been built-in into OS X. At only US$8, WiFind is a steal. (US$8)

Tip: The default Airport menu will sort hotspots by signal strength if you hold down the OPT key while clicking on the Airport menu icon.

15. Smart Scroll X – The most useful feature in Smart Scroll X is, to me, Grab Scroll. If you use a Wacom tablet for Photoshop, you will know how to pan around an image by holding down the spacebar and dragging your Wacom stylus around the canvas. Grab Scroll in Smart Scroll X is exactly like that, except now you can scroll a web page in your browser or the Finder by dragging. It is hard to describe well what Smart Scroll X does; you really have to try it to see what it is like. If you are a heavy Wacom user—and especially if you are still using an Intuos2, which does not have the zoom strip—chances are you will like Smart Scroll X. (US$19)

16. Quicksilver – I can’t believe I’d forgotten about Quicksilver. Quicksilver is a keyboard-based application launcher; hit CMD+Spacebar (my preferred keystroke) and the Quicksilver window pops up. Start typing the name of an application, file or bookmark and Quicksilver will quickly show you all the possible hits. After a few times, Quicksilver will remember your most-frequently launched applications.

But more to being just a launcher, what really makes Quicksilver powerful is that it can run commands. For example, you can call up Quicksilver, type the name of a file, press TAB (upon which the focus will then be on the gear icon on the right) and use the arrow keys to pick an action you want Quicksilver to take on that file.

And the best part is that Quicksilver is free!

Tip: I recommend turning off the “Reset search after…” option under the ‘Command’ section in Quicksilver’s Preferences. Often, I find myself typing halfway into Quicksilver and pausing long enough for Quicksilver to reset whatever it was I had just typed (the default is set at 1 sec).

Tip #2: Windows users, try Launchy. While Launchy does not have the ability to run commands as elaborately as Quicksilver, you still get a neat launcher. Do note that Launchy sometimes inexplicably loses whatever additional folders you have specified in its indexing database and resets to default (especially after a restart), a bug that its developer has yet to fix.

18. UNO – The Mac OS has a beautiful user interface, I’ll grant you that. But, as of OS X 10.4.8, there have been inconsistencies in the design of the UI; iTunes has the flat, gray look while iSync has the brushed metal look (ugly, if you ask me). If you are looking for one unified look to all your OS X windows, give UNO a try. (Free)