What's your favourite macOS app?

[Rod]

I know we have a "What's your favourite iOS app?" thread but nobody has started the same for macOS.

So just to kick it off I want to mention Keyboard Clean Tool.

This little app disables your keyboard keys while you clean the keyboard, something previously impossible to do without all the beeping and/or occasional accidental keyboard command as all the new MacBooks turn on the minute you press any key. So you either put up with it and hope you don't accidentally initiate some action you didn't expect or you can use this little tool.
You can download Keyboard Clean Tool free from here, also the home of Better Touch Tool; folivora.ai - Great Tools for your Mac!

 

[IWT]

Yes! I was amused by their comment that it could be useful if you've got cats!

They also suggested that kiddies might learn how to type on the KB without doing any damage - not sure about that one

But it's a great little app if you want to clean the KB, as you mentioned. Really only applicable for MacBooks; iMacs, a Mac Mini and similar products that have an external KB.

Nice one, Rod. I'll have to think about my favourite app(s).

Ian

 

[Jimmysb]

I know we have a "What's your favourite iOS app?" thread but nobody has started the same for macOS.

So just to kick it off I want to mention Keyboard Clean Tool. View attachment 39309

This little app disables your keyboard keys while you clean the keyboard, something previously impossible to do without all the beeping and/or occasional accidental keyboard command as all the new MacBooks turn on the minute you press any key. So you either put up with it and hope you don't accidentally initiate some action you didn't expect or you can use this little tool.
You can download Keyboard Clean Tool free from here, also the home of Better Touch Tool; folivora.ai - Great Tools for your Mac!

Seems nice, but I went for a Logi BT, which has an on/off switch on the side

 

[ferrarr]

Seems nice, but I went for a Logi BT, which has an on/off switch on the side

Most external keyboards have a switch on them.

 

[toMACsh]

Most external keyboards have a switch on them.

I've never seen one with an on/off switch. That's funny.

 

[ferrarr]

Sorry, I should have said powered/rechargeable.

 

[IWT]

Here's one of my favourite apps - not the most frequently used - but great when required.

Encrypto (Secure Your Files) Actually recommended, or at least endorsed, by Apple. You can get it free from the Apple Store.



Ian

 

[Jimmysb]

For me it has to be App Store, the gateway to other apps. Seriously though, as I am new to the Mac, currently do not have a favourite app, I have a word processor, spreadsheet, and finance apps, and HP Smart for printing and scanning, but if I had to choose it would be App Cleaner, removes the clutter I put on my Mac looking apps to do tasks.

 

[pm-r]

I know we have a "What's your favourite iOS app?" thread but find any file has started the same for macOS.

Your post and question ask What My Favourite Application Would Be rather than what application I use the most, I would have to say Find Any File.app comes pretty close, especially when FAF finds something isn't where Apple's OS doesn't want you to search or maybe the Mac OS built-in text-to-speech and the voice in Google Chrome dictation extension. I would use Apple's Mac OS dictation version if it worked better and faster and especially more accurately.

So, I guess due to my eyesight's degrading macular degeneration and it is definitely getting worse, I would say Text-To-Speech has to be my favourite Mac OS feature and makes using my Mac much more enjoyable than it would be without it.



- Patrick
=======

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I know we have a "What's your favourite iOS app?" thread but nobody has started the same for macOS.

I have a LOT of Mac apps that I absolutely love. But if I have to choose a favorite, it would be:

FreeOffice (free)
https://www.freeoffice.com/en/

Very similar to Microsoft Office (offers about 90% of what MS Office does); with a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation application included. Excellent compatibility with Microsoft format files! Softmaker offers a commercial version of this office suite, but the free version is all that many people might need. Not a crippled or demo product. Many folks for whom I have installed FreeOffice can't even tell the difference between it and MS Office!

Personally, I have an office full of Mac users and Macs. I put FreeOffice on every Mac whose user isn't a power user of MS Office. That means that FreeOffice saves me thousands of dollars over having to buy a MS Office license for every single Mac in the office.

 

[Jimmysb]

I have a LOT of Mac apps that I absolutely love. But if I have to choose a favorite, it would be:

FreeOffice (free)
FreeOffice: The best free alternative to Microsoft Office

Very similar to Microsoft Office (offers about 90% of what MS Office does); with a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation application included. Excellent compatibility with Microsoft format files! Softmaker offers a commercial version of this office suite, but the free version is all that many people might need. Not a crippled or demo product. Many folks for whom I have installed FreeOffice can't even tell the difference between it and MS Office!

Personally, I have an office full of Mac users and Macs. I put FreeOffice on every Mac whose user isn't a power user of MS Office. That means that FreeOffice saves me thousands of dollars over having to buy a MS Office license for every single Mac in the office.

I used MS Office for the last 20+ years both at home and at work (the last five years as a super user), and when retiring and moving to the Mac in 2022 I wanted to get away from MS, and tried Free Office and Libra Office, and found that neither would give me what I wanted, I had been spoiled. So I relented and used your link for the inexpensive copy of MS Office, not quite the same as the Windows version, but more user friendly for a long time user.
But, if you have not been indoctrinated in to the use of MS Office, both the above are more than adequate.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

...tried Free Office and Libra Office, and found that neither would give me what I wanted, I had been spoiled. So I relented and used your link for the inexpensive copy of MS Office...

I too use a genuine copy of Microsoft Office (Actually, I just use Word.) for most purposes. However, I use FreeOffice on my laptop as I tend to only do basic editing and similar work on my laptop, while away from my desktop computer.

However, I use a number of MS Office's advanced features (and I would not want to be without them). I've found that even most long-time MS Office users never use much more than the basic features in Office. They don't even know that most of Office's advanced features exist. For those folks, FreeOffice will do fine.

I'm not saying that FreeOffice is perfect for everyone. I'm saying that it's an excellent FREE product that most users will probably like a lot, and which even fills a niche for those of us who feel we NEED MS Office. FreeOffice is fast, stable, friendly, has a lot of nice features...and did I mention that it's FREE?

Of course, there are lots of folks who "hate/are afraid of" MS Office. Those folks are unlikely to like FreeOffice either.

As for LibreOffice, even after a couple of decades of development, it still can't be counted on to properly render MS Office documents that have been created using MS Office's advanced features. I find that to be a huge disappointment. For instance, FreeOffice is the only non-MS word processor that I've found that can open my MS Office pleading template and render it perfectly. In LibreOffice it's a mess.

 

[Rod]

Free office is excellent, a really great alternative to MS Office. I have recommended it to a few friends who are very pleased with it.