Free Macintosh Software!

[Randy B. Singer]

Hi everyone! I'm excited to announce that my most popular Web site:

FREE MACINTOSH SOFTWARE

at:

Free Macintosh Software!

has been extensively updated, and there are now 210 pieces of free software listed!! It is an embarrassment of riches! (Or lack of riches, depending on how you look at it!)

Among the updated listings are several exciting new programs which utilize artificial intelligence, business collaboration programs, an app that will allow you to run iOS apps on your Macintosh, an app to teach you keyboard shortcuts, an app that's always available to allow you to take notes, an app that will instantly transcribe dictation, etc.

If you haven't gone through all of the listings recently, it's worth looking through them again. There are sure to be free apps that you will find that will prove to be invaluable, for newbies and graybeards alike.

Please spread the word about the Web site to others!

 

[Slydude]

What are you trying to do to me Randy? It seems like just a week or two ago that I went through the last update.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

What are you trying to do to me Randy? It seems like just a week or two ago that I went through the last update.

If I had to find and vet about 50 new pieces of software, you should have to read all through the web site.

 

[Backlighting]

Thank you Randy for the free software link. Just a suggestion: When you update it next time perhaps you could identify any new software listing in red or with an asterisk before the title. This would negate having to read thru the entire listing looking for new additions, but instead one could quickly go thru the pages & find the new software which is highlighted.

 

[Alan_B]

Many thanks for producing such an excellent list

I was told recently of a site that lists older versions of software, although I don’t think all are free! The site has not been updated since 2020 but some may find it useful.

https://www.pure-mac.com

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Many thanks for producing such an excellent list

I was told recently of a site that lists older versions of software, although I don’t think all are free! The site has not been updated since 2020 but some may find it useful.

https://www.pure-mac.com

Pure-Mac was once an excellent place to find currently available Macintosh software of all sorts. But it's been abandoned, and now it's just a legacy resource that becomes less and less accurate over time. But at least it has never been associated with bundling adware with its downloads. Unfortunately, several of the other sites that list Macintosh software, as they became unprofitable (due to the Mac App Store making them less important), resorted to bundling adware with downloads to make money.

Other sources for finding Macintosh software (other than Apple's Mac App Store):

http://www.macupdate.com/
MacUpdate

https://download.cnet.com/mac/
CNet (formerly Versiontracker.com)

http://www.macshareware.com/
MacShareware.com

http://mac.softpedia.com/
Mac Softpedia

https://www.macintoshrepository.org
Macintosh Repository

GitHub - phmullins/awesome-macos: A curated list of awesome software for Apple's macOS.

A curated list of awesome software for Apple's macOS. - phmullins/awesome-macos

github.com

Open Source Macintosh Software


Let me explain how my Free Macintosh Software Web site is different.
- It's current and regularly updated
- It is entirely non-commercial
- I would never do anything like bundle adware, or harvest personal information, to make money
- All the software is curated to be high quality, easy to use, and legitimate
- All the software is legitimately free (not time-bombed or crippleware)
- 100% of the software is Macintosh software (you don't have to wade through Windows garbage)

I hope that you enjoy the site! I'll be (mildly) updating the site in the next few days.

 

[MacBiter]

Many thanks for producing such an excellent list

I was told recently of a site that lists older versions of software, although I don’t think all are free! The site has not been updated since 2020 but some may find it useful.

https://www.pure-mac.com

Two such sites:

1. Macintosh Garden
2. Internet Archive (aka Wayback Machine).

 

[Randy B. Singer]

If one is looking for old (or *really old*) Macintosh software, there are a bunch of sources:

http://www.oldversion.com/mac/
Old Version

https://www.macintoshrepository.org
Macintosh Repository

https://macintoshgarden.org
Macintosh Garden

http://www.macfixer.com/vintage-software/
MacFixer Vintage Software

http://websites.umich.edu/~archive/mac/
U. of Michigan Mac Archive

http://www.retro-computing.com/
Retro-Computing

https://www.vintageapplemac.com
Vintage Apple

https://archive.org/details/software?tab=collection&query=macintosh
Internet Archive

http://vintagemacmuseum.com/resources/mac-software/
Vintage Mac Museum

 

[Rod]

Randy, listed on your site is Pathways Into Darkness a great old retro First Person Shooter (FPS) with a great background story and plenty of secrets/puzzles to find and solve.

One of the best ever games of that era, Marathon, is also free from this site;

Mac Source Ports: Marathon for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs

Mac Source Ports: Marathon

www.macsourceports.com

The Aleph One package contains the three games; Marathon, Durandal and Infinity which get better in each edition.

Mac Source Ports has a whole range of classic Intel Mac games all ported for ARM Macs.

 

[Alan_B]

Pure-Mac was once an excellent place to find currently available Macintosh software of all sorts. But it's been abandoned, and now it's just a legacy resource that becomes less and less accurate over time. But at least it has never been associated with bundling adware with its downloads. Unfortunately, several of the other sites that list Macintosh software, as they became unprofitable (due to the Mac App Store making them less important), resorted to bundling adware with downloads to make money.

Other sources for finding Macintosh software (other than Apple's Mac App Store):

MacUpdate
MacUpdate

Apps for mac - CNET Download
CNet (formerly Versiontracker.com)

macshareware.com -
MacShareware.com

http://mac.softpedia.com/
Mac Softpedia

Old Mac Software Archive - Macintosh Repository
Macintosh Repository

GitHub - phmullins/awesome-macos: A curated list of awesome software for Apple's macOS.

A curated list of awesome software for Apple's macOS. - phmullins/awesome-macos

github.com

Open Source Macintosh Software


Let me explain how my Free Macintosh Software Web site is different.
- It's current and regularly updated
- It is entirely non-commercial
- I would never do anything like bundle adware, or harvest personal information, to make money
- All the software is curated to be high quality, easy to use, and legitimate
- All the software is legitimately free (not time-bombed or crippleware)
- 100% of the software is Macintosh software (you don't have to wade through Windows garbage)

I hope that you enjoy the site! I'll be (mildly) updating the site in the next few days.

I certainly will be scanning the list with increased interest I've visited some the other sites you mention - years ago I scanned the original Versiontracker site several times per day! Once again, thanks

 

[Randy B. Singer]

One of the best ever games of that era, Marathon, is also free from this site;

Wow! Awesome. Thanks! I'll include it on my Web page.

Mac Source Ports has a whole range of classic Intel Mac games all ported for ARM Macs.

That's very exciting! Unfortunately I can't include these games on my page, because they require some amount of assembly, and I can't recommend programs to ordinary Mac users that aren't turnkey.

 

[MacBiter]

If one is looking for old (or *really old*) Macintosh software, there are a bunch of sources:

I bookmarked this post (though never having bookmarked before it was very easy to do!) ... but ... where is the 'saved bookmarks' menu option? I don't see one.

 

[RadDave]

I bookmarked this post (though never having bookmarked before it was very easy to do!) ... but ... where is the 'saved bookmarks' menu option? I don't see one.

Just hit your forum name in the menu bar - see arrow below - Dave
.

 

[MacBiter]

Just hit your forum name in the menu bar - see arrow below - Dave
.

OMG, how unobservant am I! I'd read absolutely everything on the Your Account page, yet didn't notice the word 'Bookmarks' next to it...

 

[IWT]

Join the club MacBiter.

Ian

 

[Rod]

Unfortunately I can't include these games on my page, because they require some amount of assembly, and I can't recommend programs to ordinary Mac users that aren't turnkey.

Some do but not all Randy, Marathon for example is a single download, comes with an installer, you only need put it into the applications folder for which a alias is provided. In my case it was automatically put into the Applications > Games folder and works with Apple's new Game Mode in full screen.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Some do but not all Randy, Marathon for example is a single download, comes with an installer, you only need put it into the applications folder for which a alias is provided. In my case it was automatically put into the Applications > Games folder and works with Apple's new Game Mode in full screen.

Yes...and it's already on my Web page!

Thanks!

 

[Rod]

Thank you

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I mildly updated the page last night. I took down five programs that were discontinued or no longer free, and added several new ones.

 

[Backlighting]

I mildly updated the page last night. I took down five programs that were discontinued or no longer free, and added several new ones.

When you update it next time perhaps you could identify any new software listing in red or with an asterisk before the title. This would negate having to read thru the entire listing looking for new additions, but instead one could quickly go thru the pages & find the new software which is highlighted.
Thank you