You mean it’s not part of the OS?
Variations on a theme…
I’m fascinated by the responses to
“How do you use your Dock?” and
“The multi-tasking Mac is always running” so I
thought I’d toss out another survey to further examine Mac OS X user behavior . There are certain applications (for
lack of a better word) that I have been using for so long and/or that have become so indispensable to me that I often
forget they are not actually part of the operating system.
Here are a few:
LaunchBar - I am completely helpless without this app.
StickyBrain - Universal note manager. What Apple’s
stickies should have been. My digital junk drawer.
HyperSpell - Instant access to Mac OS X’s built-in spellchecker from
any application (Even from Carbon applications)
WinSwitch - Fast User switching without wasting valuable
menubar space
FruitMenu - I broke my Apple menu habit ages ago, but the
contextual menu options are a must-have.
WindowShade - No genies or scale effects for me. I like double-click
window shade simplicity.
PDFViewCM - A contextual menu for viewing PDFs in the finder. Why open
Acrobat or Preview if you don’t have to?
QuickImageCM - Fast and easy full-size image viewing and manipulation
in the finder without launching any other apps.
QuickPlayCM - Fast and easy full-size video viewing in the finder
without launching any other app.
CopyPaste-X - Your clipboard on steroids. I’ve used this for
years now and actually put off my switch to OS X back in the day until this app was updated because I couldn’t imagine
life without it. The new y-Type addition may also give TypieIt4me a run for its money.
TypeIt4Me - Auto-completion and elimination of repetitive keystrokes. A huge
time saver.
iClock - Menubar clock and calendar with an enormous amount of
flexibility and numerous customisation options.
PDF Browser Plugin - Because PDF links on a web page should be
viewable in your browser! Swift and simple.
Word Browser Plugin - Because links to Word docs on a web page
shouldn’t require you to open MS Word! Fast and free.
SnapzPro - Screenshots the way you want them. And movie
recording too!
DefaultFolder - Open and save dialog enhancer. Save your files
where you want them without wasting time drilling down through your folder trees.
AutoPairs - Auto-closing of tags, such as parentheses,
brackets, and braces. I can’t remember what typing was like before I started using this utility.
Mount - Faster disk image mounting - even in Panther.
There are probably at least a handful of apps I am leaving out because I am so used to them… they have become such an
essential part of my life that I simply can’t think of what they are.
What tools have become an essential part your OS X experience?
Get a WordPress.com Blog
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dave said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
I use iAlarm: http://www.xultrasoft.com/iAlarm/
You can wake up your machine from sleep, iCal Integration... iAlarm can speak the events and todo items in iCal, integrate with iTunes for music alarms, etc... and best of all, it's free!
Reply
nick said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
sidetrack
desktop manager
quicksilver
menumeters
menucalendarclock
i use them so regularly, that I forget they're there. they are the things I tell every new mac owner to dowload immediately.
and these are my additions, to your listing of:
winswitch
fruitmenu
windowshade
quickimageCM
DefaultFolder
AutoPairs
such awesome apps/utilities
Reply
Izzy said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
FruitMenu - saves me room on the dock
Synergy - the best way to control iTunes
Imagewell - makes image manipulation and resizing all too easy
SafariStand - custom search shortcuts make the google search bar obsolete
Calendar Clock - drop down calendar with iCal integration, what more could I ask for?
Reply
Kevin Ballard said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
Why are you still stuck in the LaunchBar age? Quicksilver is far better.
Reply
Al Willis said 1:05AM on 7-12-2005
I must have Quicksilver on any Mac that I'm going to use for any length of time.
Reply
Ian Henderson said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
Xshelf is extremely useful as well: http://homepage.mac.com/khsu/XShelf/XShelf.html
Reply
Egon Kuster said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
I have been using Launchbar for quite some time but have recently changed over to Quicksilver that is cheaper and quicker than launchbar. Also QuickSilver supports plugins for future support of many different applications that launchbar does not support.
Reply
Clint Moore said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
It always comes as a shock to me whenever I reload one of my macs that ittec isn't part of the OS. I couldn't really live without PopupFolder or FinderPop, and I can't get along without this.
Reply
Michelle Lee said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
Quicksilver
WeatherDock
Notational Velocity--like stickies on speed, with incremental search, and far neater on your desktop than a jumble of yellow
Reply
Bill said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
Seriously, I even install quicksilver on macs that i have to use even once. It's part of my handy 'bill's home folder' that i carry on my usb drive.
Quicksilver is one of the best things since sliced bread. I'm hoping spotlight is going to be as cool, if not cooler.
Reply
Davido said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
Questions from a newbie: Did you really pay hundreds of dollars for these programs? Each one seems relatively useful, but not enough to actually whip out my credit card. You paid $69 to see .pdf files in your browser instead of in Preview? Really? (Maybe you get them for free as a reviewer... I can't imagine you bought all those things).
Reply
Laurie said 4:15PM on 6-16-2005
I have tried QuickSilver and I still keep going back to LaunchBar. Maybe it's because I used LaunchBar first so it already knows all my shortcuts? Regardless, both apps are very good at what they do. For pure application and file launching, though, LaunchBar still rocks my world.
In reply to Davido - I suppose over the years I have spent hundreds of dollars, but in return, these apps have saved me thousands of dollars in wasted time. These apps make me more productive and that has value to me. The PDF browser plugin is free for private use, non-profits and educational use - so no, I haven't paid $69 for it, but I absolutely would if I needed to. I didn't get any of the apps I mentioned for free. I pay for the software I use, with rare exception. Sometimes I do get gratis licenses of certain applications in exchange for a review on one of the sites I am involved with, but 9 times out of 10, I already own the program in question.
Reply
barb dybwad said 4:41PM on 10-07-2005
Re: the Launchbar versus Quicksilver debate - I, too, have used both and keep gravitating to Launchbar. Some people swear by TigerLaunch: http://ranchero.com/tigerlaunch/ - is anybody using that?
Anybody care to weigh in on why Quicksilver beats Launchbar? Or why I should carve out the extra time to look at Quicksilver again? ;)
Reply
barb dybwad said 4:41PM on 10-07-2005
Aha, i've seen the light. Took all of 2 minutes with the latest version of Quicksilver today to convince me to ditch LaunchBar. I think I'll borrow a chapter from Bill and put it on the USB keychain drive, as well. It's that good.
Reply