A Switchers guide to recommended free Apps to download to your new Mac

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Back to my old 2.2GHz C2D MB after selling my MBP and wondering what my next Mac will be :)
My mistake, I was thinking of Insomniax which is the app I was referring to.
I stand by my warning against using 'Insomniax' for reasons such as you have just stated.

Now insomniax is just another tool - and you can damage your Mac. It is the first time I overheated my Mac by putting it in a bag with Insomniax enabled.

I'm not a fan of guns or knives either, even though it is the person using the weapon, and not the weapon itself that can kill or harm, but if that weapon weren't in the person's hands, such harm would not be possible.

I know this could start up the "right to protect myself" debate regarding guns, etc, so if this does, I am staying out of it :D
 
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Your right - I chose my examples poorly - lets say a circular saw or a laser pointer. I went with knife as I just finished making dinner, gun came naturally afterward.

The point was - be careful with dangerous things, but there are plenty of dangerous things out there that are useful.
 
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Your right - I chose my examples poorly - lets say a circular saw or a laser pointer. I went with knife as I just finished making dinner, gun came naturally afterward.

The point was - be careful with dangerous things, but there are plenty of dangerous things out there that are useful.

Where's that like tab?

 
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I disagree, Caffeine is an app I like when watching a movie. You can turn it on and off so it's not like it's constantly preventing your screen from going to sleep. Click it to activate it when you need it. Click it to turn it off when you're done.

Caffeine does not prevent your Mac from sleeping if you close the lid or anything else like that. It's simply a way to prevent the machine's display from dimming or sleeping while the lid is open.

OK I have my new MBP 2 days now and I'm a MAC virgin. I downloaded Caffeine after reading about it on this forum but now I'm scared I'll fry something.

My problem is that I can't uninstall the app, I've tried removing it with AppCleaner but it's not in my Applications folder....?!?!?!?!?
And to make matters worse, the documentation on this app is non-existent.

Can someone please advise how to remove this or even confirm that it's perfectly safe and won't burn my display or overheat the system?

thanks. joemac
 
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Mine was in my Applications folder. Did you download it from the App Store? If not, I'd check your Downloads stack.

And, just a tidbit: it's 'Mac' not 'MAC'.
 

BrianLachoreVPI


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OK I have my new MBP 2 days now and I'm a MAC virgin. I downloaded Caffeine after reading about it on this forum but now I'm scared I'll fry something.

My problem is that I can't uninstall the app, I've tried removing it with AppCleaner but it's not in my Applications folder....?!?!?!?!?
And to make matters worse, the documentation on this app is non-existent.

Can someone please advise how to remove this or even confirm that it's perfectly safe and won't burn my display or overheat the system?

thanks. joemac

I've had Caffeine installed and running ever since I got my MBP. It doesn't keep your machine from sleeping when closed - just keeps it from sleeping while on battery with the lid open. I sleep my machine every day just by closing the lid - I travel with it that way - no issues. Don't worry about Caffeine - you'll be just fine - unless you're drinking too much :)
 
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Mine was in my Applications folder. Did you download it from the App Store? If not, I'd check your Downloads stack.

And, just a tidbit: it's 'Mac' not 'MAC'.

Hi, thanks for your feedback. I downloaded it directly from the lighthead website.

Yes it's in my downloads stack, but the location of the archive is not the problem or my question.

I wish to know how to remove it safely from my system....
 
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I've had Caffeine installed and running ever since I got my MBP. It doesn't keep your machine from sleeping when closed - just keeps it from sleeping while on battery with the lid open. I sleep my machine every day just by closing the lid - I travel with it that way - no issues. Don't worry about Caffeine - you'll be just fine - unless you're drinking too much :)

Hi BrianLachoreVPI, thank you very much for the helpful reply.
As long as my MBP will happily sleep with the lid closed, then I can rest easy.
Like I said in my post, I'm a recent convert after 15 odd yrs with Windoze, so it's a bit of a learning curve 3 days in!

And yes I'm drinking way to much ;)
 
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Hi BrianLachoreVPI, thank you very much for the helpful reply.
As long as my MBP will happily sleep with the lid closed, then I can rest easy.
Like I said in my post, I'm a recent convert after 15 odd yrs with Windoze, so it's a bit of a learning curve 3 days in!

And yes I'm drinking way to much ;)
Just to chime in, menumeters is a good application for keeping track of what's going on inside of the system right there in the menu bar. And of course, I cant' stress enough the use of keyboard commands. I am using an 08 blackbook so I don't have the multitouch trackpad (only scroll) however, I can move around the system and get things done faster than my friends with the trackpad with the use of keyboard commands.

Of course it takes some time and effort to get everything that you need memorized but after a while, it becomes second nature.
 
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The definitive “Apps you must get for your first imac” guide

IMPORTANT before you read any further, if you havn't read chas_m's guide for us newbies i highly recommend you do that first. You can find it Here
Ok, 2 days to before I get mine and I have been reading this forum a lot, and one thing I have noticed is that there seems to be a million and 1 apps for everything. Now I can imagine that an experienced apple user will, without thought, be able to know what’s best for their mac, but for us switchers, well we haven’t a clue to be fair. So a thread like this I think would be very useful.

Now I’m not on about apps like aperture for photos or something like a spreadsheet / word processing from what I have read the apps that come with are perfectly able to what is required with a minimum of fuss. The kind of things I am on about are like this “ONYX”(???) app for maintenance, and “Xtrafinder” for file organising. I could be barking up a wrong tree here but if im not then it could be a valuable source of help.

If it is a good idea then could I ask you to suggest your apps in the format:

[appname]
[short description]

And a personal note as to why you think it should be in this list

If the consensus is that it’s a good suggestion then ill edit this first post adding your suggestion with credit to you and organize it into a relevant section. For EG

Photographic

Lightroom 4
This app allows you to edit, keyword, organize and print all your photographs with ease. New in version 4 is the ability to create books.
Thanks to awsphotography for this suggestion

Over to you experienced mac users….
Ta

Andy
====================================================================================================

Security

1Password
A great app that manages all the passwords for all your accounts online. It also keeps track of bank information, credit cards, personal data, and secure notes. Furthermore, it allows you to quickly and easily generate strong passwords so that you don't commit the fatal flaw of using the same password on every site. If you're concerned about web security, this is a great app, and I highly recommend it. It is also available on iOS and Windows in case you need it there too.
Thanks to J.Fo for this suggestion

Maintainance

Onyx
Onyx is a very good tool for maintaining our Mac. Running the automated tools say once a month will keep the gears greased.
Thanks to mrplow and chas_m for this suggestion
 
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It all depends on what you want to do with your Mac. To me, there is no such thing as a "must-have app". Every user needs to do something different with his or her computer. Therefore, an app that I find absolutely essential may be a complete waste for someone else. For instance, I'm a big fan of Pixelmator, but others may never need to manipulate or edit photos to that degree while others need for full-fledged power of Photoshop.

That said, I will add one app to your list:

1Password
A great app that manages all the passwords for all your accounts online. It also keeps track of bank information, credit cards, personal data, and secure notes. Furthermore, it allows you to quickly and easily generate strong passwords so that you don't commit the fatal flaw of using the same password on every site. If you're concerned about web security, this is a great app, and I highly recommend it. It is also available on iOS and Windows in case you need it there too.
 
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I'll give you a reply coming from the opposite direction...I'll suggest one that you shouldn't touch with that 14' barge pole you have. Avoid MacKeeper.
 
C

chas_m

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Even though I own 1Password and like it, it should be noted that it duplicates most of the functionality of the Keychain.

My advice -- as I stated in my essay -- is not to lard up your new machine with apps until you have thoroughly explored what the machine comes with and THEN determined what your needs are that aren't already met. Saves a lot of time and money.
 
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Even though I own 1Password and like it, it should be noted that it duplicates most of the functionality of the Keychain.

My advice -- as I stated in my essay -- is not to lard up your new machine with apps until you have thoroughly explored what the machine comes with and THEN determined what your needs are that aren't already met. Saves a lot of time and money.

Hi chas and thanks for the reply.

This thread was ment to be a source of information WHEN we newbies have explored our new machines and determined what our needs are.... As newbies although we're at a point where we would be comfortable with our new macs...we're still nowhere near experienced enough to know which apps would be the right apps to suit our needs...this thread was ment (hopefully) to address that for the majority of cases
 
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I can understand where you're coming from but it's near impossible to define must have apps from cold.

Much better to respond to a 'Whats the best way to do xyz?' question. That they you're more likely to get suggestions for apps tailored to what you need to do rather than just apps and a synopsis of their function.

Plus, you'll never see omissions from that list.

That said......... (Exceptions to every rule?)....... Onyx is a very good tool for maintaining our Mac. Running the automated tools say once a month will keep the gears greased. Though as Chas_m points out with the keychain example above, Onyx does primarily access the scripts that OSX uses itself.
 
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chas_m

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The problem with that is that everyone's needs are different, so until you articulate them people are just wasting their time throwing in suggestions that they like but may be irrelevant to you. I don't mean to be negative, I can certainly throw together a list of my favourite apps if you want that, but I could be more helpful if I knew more about how you are going to use the machine and what your other interests are.

Mac owners often start off buying a Mac for one purpose -- like you have with photography -- but discover that they can do so many more things (some of which they never originally contemplated at all) that it takes them in new directions. My mac has become my main source of income and allowed me to do things I would have never imagined doing when I bought my first one (an SE/30 oh so many years ago!).

In my essay I mentioned a few programs one should install for increased compatibility and functionality (such as Flip4Mac WMV Player and Perian). You're already aware of the main third-party options for serious photographers (Photoshop, Aperture, Lightroom) so that's pretty well covered. The Mac offers a lot more power in its included apps than most people realise, particularly Preview, Safari, TextEdit and iTunes (among others).

Believe me I have lots of other programs I like and recommend, but the truth of the matter is that typical Mac owners have little need for third-party apps (apart from perhaps Microsoft Office or an equivalent) in their early days with the Mac, apart from their area of specialty.

If I had to pick a handful of programs I think are a) worth the money and b) really add to my Mac experience, here is a sampling:

a. Fantastical
b. OnyX (or Maintenance, from the same company)
c. SMARTreporter
d. Radium (even though I dislike some of the changes they've made in version 3.x)

But honest to joe many of my core apps are the ones that came with my Mac: Safari, Mail, iTunes, iPhoto, Preview, Notes, Reminders, Calendar, FaceTime and Notification Center.
 
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I can understand where you're coming from but it's near impossible to define must have apps from cold.

Much better to respond to a 'Whats the best way to do xyz?' question. That they you're more likely to get suggestions for apps tailored to what you need to do rather than just apps and a synopsis of their function.

Plus, you'll never see omissions from that list.

i agree, but the simple idea was to create a list under a spesific type list. Basically so we can move directly from "what" to "how" for example

instead of
"what app would you suggest to do maintainance"
to
"how do i get onyx to do this?" (bearing in mind they only buy the app once they have made sure it does do the thing they want it for)

as for list types i ment to have something like

Security
Maintainance
photo
video
audio

etc
that way way the newbie (like myself) can think something on the lines "i need something that can do x in (for eg) photo" so they scroll to the photo section, check out the recommendations, find an app that will do what they want and get it, know they havn't wasted their money because experienced mac users here have reccomended it and if they need to ask questions about it then there is someone here that can answer them :)

simples :)

oh and thnks for the onyx recommendation as both you and chas say its good i'll put that in
 
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I really do see what you're trying to do but it's an ever flowing river, things change, lists date, lists have omissions, disagreements about what's on the list and most often...... People new to the forum, not always, but mostly post a question before looking through Sticky Post and 'read this first'.
Most first time posters just start a thread with a question like "how can I play avi files on my Mac?"

I do applaud the idea of what you're trying to do and don't want to be negative about it. I just think a post like:
"I'm interested in xyz and would like to know if there's a Mac application that does abc".
Is going to give far more useful replies. It's going to carry opinion, current info and probably more than one option.
 

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