Filed under: Software
My Favorite Mac Apps: Erica's Take
So Victor comes to us and says, "Quick, what are your favorite apps?" Without pausing to breathe or think, the words "OfficeCreativeSuiteQuickeys" tumble out of my mouth. That's because these are the three software packages for Mac that I cannot live without. These three apps are where I spend 80-odd percent of my working life.
By the time I can pause and reflect, I realize that I have picked three apps that provide the least Mac-like user experience. With all the rich and beautiful OS X software landscape out there, I've picked the plain but reliable dinosaurs. They're ugly. They're ported (at least Photoshop and Office are). They work.
This isn't to say that I'd change my list upon further thought. Between Word, Excel, Illustrator, Acrobat, Photoshop, and Quickey's Macros (so I rarely have to actually touch a mouse, eek), these packages get the job done. Throw in the equally ugly Eudora mail program (the original, not the almost unusable open source update that's floating around) plus Apple's cadre of less beautiful utilities, namely Terminal, Safari and TextEdit, and we're talking maybe 90% of my work time.
Sure, I've used Apple's Mail, Preview, iPhoto, iWork, Pages and so forth but I always end up going back to the more capable name-brand power-houses. The user experience might not match the slick Apple software but my efficiency goes way way up.
As for the built-in Keyboard prefs or QuickSilver, QuicKeys gives me all the programming control I need for creating and executing my macros. If I'm going to do a job more than once, I'm probably going to write a macro, whether it's sorting my mail or writing my TUAW posts.
In the end, I'm really happy with my paleo-software. One of the big reasons that I'm still (still!) using my 733 G4 Mac as my primary computing machine is that I know I'll have to re-buy these programs should I switch fully to Intel-based computing.
Instead, I'll hang with my favorite dinosaurs and keep getting the job done.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
danny said 5:22PM on 8-27-2008
there goes apple's reputation as the best computing platform.
I'm dissapointed in erica :P
iWork rules office is an ugly mammoth
Creative suite is barely operable and has no UI
Not familiar with other packages
OTB LEOPARD + iWork is the most productive environment I have ever ran
Mail.app rules
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DigitalFury said 5:32PM on 8-27-2008
Even the most obtuse machead can't deny that Numbers is a simplistic POS. Perhaps in two or three version it will be usable, but currently it can't hold a candle to Excel.
Pages is usable and I think Keynote is better than Powerpoint because of the better graphics and effects.
Kai Cherry said 6:57PM on 8-27-2008
I gotta go with DigiFury here. Numbers seems to me to have forgotten that the point of spreadsheets is to *quickly* crunch *numbers*.
While it does make the "cooked" data beautiful to behold, I would NOT try to use it to filter thru 10s of 1000s of rows in any reasonable amount of time that people that are productive would consider to be...productive :)
jason said 7:55PM on 8-27-2008
Yeah I have to say, Numbers just doesn't cut it if you actually want to, um track numbers. Lots of missing functionality, and clunky UI (in terms of usability). Sure it looks pretty, but you just have to do so much by hand (as opposed to using built-in functions) it's just impossible to use.
And Creative Suite... it's sorta for professionals, so the interface is AMAZINGLY powerful and easy to use. Just watching two experts in the room trading Photoshop tips to do things that mere mortals couldn't possibly even comprehend is pretty exciting.
- Jason
http://www.gravityswitch.com
SimpleLife said 5:23PM on 8-27-2008
That's why there called dinosaurs.
Yuk!
I'll take TextExpander, Bean, and LiveQuartz, and any native Mac app any day.
But, when I have to do real work, I too HAVE to rely on the ancient, vile relics that taint my Mac.
That's why they call it work.
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KarlW said 6:42AM on 8-28-2008
For me, Pixelmator can replace Creative Suite. I only use Photoshop anyway (as, I suspect, do most of the people here with it). PM is much faster to load, has a nearly identical interface (but nicer looking), and has pretty much the same features for a non-professional.
My top applications would be:
- Awaken (Alarm Clock 2 is better, but I bought Awaken, so I feel obliged to use it)
- InsomniaX
- Safari (duh)
- Pixelmator
- Pages
- Terminal.App
- iTunes, CoverSutra
SimpleLife said 5:26PM on 8-27-2008
When it comes to actually being productive and creative, nothing beats OS X and native Mac apps for me.
I don't think crap apps should be celebrated.
Our mission is to destroy these vile creatures and the chains that bind them to us.
Especially from the Microsoft and Adobe bloatware and bug factories.
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brettt said 5:32PM on 8-27-2008
Blasphemy!!!
You are the pioneer of iphone programming!
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billg said 7:32PM on 8-27-2008
she's the self-proclaimed pioneer of iphone programming.
don't most l33t haxx0rs use microsoft office and adobe creative sweet for 90% of their work?
riiiiiiiight.
Jonathan Wise said 10:57PM on 8-27-2008
Ya, I'm a software developer and my top Mac apps would be...
- Microsoft Office
- Creative Suite
- Terminal.app
- TextWrangler
- Mail.app
And I use good old AppleScript and some shell scripts for all my automation. So... I think Erica's right on, and the rest of you are newbs...
CaptSaltyJack said 5:43PM on 8-27-2008
Yuck!! If I want crude, plain tools that get the job done, I'll hop on my Linux box (which I do enjoy, by the way), but I want nice, slick interfaces on the Mac. TextEdit, blegh.. TextWrangler is awesome, AND free.
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Core said 5:47PM on 8-27-2008
Photoshop and Office ported?
Actually Photoshop, Word and Excel first came out on the Mac. These applications were then ported to Windows.
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Scott said 9:47PM on 8-27-2008
this is true. Photoshop was released in 1990 exclusively for Macintosh.
Office was released in 1989, one year before the Windows version came out.
Now just because it was out first, it doesn't mean that they aren't now written for the windows platform then ported to mac. But I do know that Adobe favors the mac platform over windows for the creative suite.
On another note, I do have to agree with Erica's selections, I have to use word and excel every day for work. (pages and numbers are absolutely inferior)
Tim Irwin said 5:54PM on 8-27-2008
Um, wasn't this series subject Iphone Apps?
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Øivind said 6:02PM on 8-27-2008
Indeed. That was the first thought that ran through my mind. Erica?
cynyc said 6:30PM on 8-27-2008
Yes. Hello Erica? iPhone apps! (And you might want to exclude your own from your list or the comments will get real ugly...)
billg said 7:32PM on 8-27-2008
yes, yes it was.
oh erica.
Michael Rose said 10:38PM on 8-28-2008
We're doing both favorite Mac apps and favorite iPhone apps, as not all our bloggers have iPhones.
I find it fascinating that so many people assume, when they lack information, that our bloggers are doing something wrong.
Pixelton said 6:10PM on 8-27-2008
FAIL.
Answer: iPhone apps
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Harbinger said 6:13PM on 8-27-2008
Seriously, you're using Quickeys even as Butler exists?
Come on.
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