Software bundles seem to be all the rage nowadays, but in my humble opinion, MacHeist is still the best. It doesn't just lump a bunch of apps together for special price, but instead, it turns getting a discount into a game.

As a recent Mac switcher, I was utterly confused by MacHeist 3, the first edition in which I participated. Someone told me to check out the MacHeist bundle, so I went to the web site to see what applications it contained. But the site didn't tell me. It soon became clear that I was going to have to work for my software!

The whole idea, if you're not familiar with MacHeist, is that you need to complete a series of challenges, labeled "heists," in order to get free software. Yes, free. As in what lunches aren't. And the software isn't anything to sneeze at (neither are lunches, by the way), as there are always some real gems to be found.

UPDATE: We took the 4 from the title as it is currently unknown whether this is actually MacHeist 4 or an early bundle offer.

Softpress, developer of the popular Freeway Pro and Freeway Express web development applications, wants you to get Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard for free.

Now through September 30, 2009, they're offering a free copy of Snow Leopard with every full-priced retail copy of Freeway Pro or Express purchased at the Apple Store, PowerMax, or The Mac Store. If you buy your copy of Freeway at the Apple Store (either the physical or online version), just fill out this online rebate form [link to form] by October 31, 2009 and Softpress will send you Snow Leopard for free. Purchases made through PowerMax or The Mac Store also qualify for the free Snow Leopard disk.

For anyone who has been considering purchasing Freeway Pro or Freeway Express, this is a nice incentive to act now. PowerMax sells Freeway Pro for US$215.22 (MSRP US$249.00), so you're not only getting the application for almost US$35 off of the retail price, but also saving an additional US$29 on Snow Leopard.

Softpress isn't the only company that wants you to upgrade to Snow Leopard for free. MyService will install a free retail copy of Snow Leopard with any MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air hard drive upgrade. You simply enter a special promo code when ordering your upgrade, and MyService installs Snow Leopard for free, migrates all of your data to the new drive, and sends you the retail copy.

Softpress has graciously offered us two licenses for Freeway Express to give away. These licenses do not come with the free Snow Leopard deal, but with the money you save you'll be able to afford to purchase your own copy. Just leave a comment about Snow Leopard, the universe, or anything else (keep it clean...) to enter. Good luck!

Here's the obligatory rules review to keep our lawyers happy:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and to legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 and older.
• To enter leave a comment below listing your favorite freeway, parkway or other stretch of road.
• The comment must be left before August 28, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
• You may enter only once.
• Two winners will be selected in a random drawing.
• Prize: License code for one copy of Freeway Express (Value: US$79.00)
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Be sure to keep reading TUAW during the Snow Leopard launch, as we're also planning on giving away some more goodies. You may already be a winner!

As the holidays quickly move through it would seem that everyone is in the spirit of giving (unless you're a scrooge, but that's a different story entirely). MacHeist, a site that has mainly been known to sell application bundles, is offering something very special this holiday season. The Mac Giving Tree is a place where people with a MacHeist account can go to get free applications. If you don't have MacHeist credentials, you can sign up for free.

When you sign up, you are able to join the Mac Giving Tree -- this gives you a few free applications upon sign up. I got Synergy and Enigmo 2 absolutely free. On Christmas Day, you are able to visit the site, sign in, and "unwrap" other presents that show up below the tree. When you refer your friends, you are able to get additional presents to unwrap.

Visit the Mac Giving Tree to get your free applications, and while you're there take a look at the page design. If you Twitter a message starting with @macheist, your tweet will automatically show up on the page ... that's just pretty nifty.

Thanks, Phil!