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Mac Tricks and Tips, Wallpapers and Applications for Mac Users
50+ Mac Applications with Great Interface
Having used Mac for quite some time, I discover that I deeply fall in love with smooth and sleek interface offered by most of Mac built-in applications.
And the good news is, there are many third-party applications out there developed with more or less the same design standard as those built-in Mac apps. More than fifty sample screenshots of beautiful Mac applications are ready to amaze you after the jump.
Mac Application Updaters
Sometimes, it's difficult to search and update to the latest Mac applications. This may hinder some people in using their Macs. In order to reduce the hassle searching for required applications, we can use application updaters, which will do the information gathering for us.
Some application updaters can be seen after the jump.
Fave Mac App 3. Path Finder 5
Path Finder is an award-winning file browser and management application for Mac OS X. This is achieved by adding on more useful features to the familiar user interface of Finder.
There are several features that I like to use while using Path Finder:
-
Multiple Tabs Browsing
Sometimes we might need to open multiple Finder window to drag-drop or browse around directories. Using Path Finder, we can combine all these opened windows into just a single window with multiple tabs. -
Temporary Stack
Although the drag-drop technique has become my habit in boosting my productivity in handling files. Path Finder enhances this experience by adding temporary stack where we can have a temporary place for drag-drop process. -
Dual Pane File Browsing
Often, we need to view different folders side by side. And the good news is, Path Finder provides the dual pane browsing ability for us. This feature of Path Finder is just too good to be missed. -
Quick Preview
By default, if we want to show information of certain item on Finder, we will reveal the Get Info pane by hitting keystrokes Cmd-Opt-I.
However in Path Finder, we can just toggle on Preview Mode and we can have all important information the item has. -
Recent Applications
Path Finder can also help us keeping track of up to 50 recent applications.
Even though it's quite pricey for an application, I still recommend using Path Finder. Path Finder really helps a lot in enhancing your Mac experience. For your information, there is 30-day trial provided for this application.
Screenshots are provided after the jump.
Homepage | Download Link: Leopard ↓ - Snow Leopard ↓ | License: $39.95
Fave Mac App 2. Adium
Adium is an application that lets you chat with your friends across many chat networks easily at the same time. With Adium, you can connect to Yahoo!, MSN, GTalk, and many others with just one single chat client.
Adding to its value, Adium also provides us with interface to Twitter and Facebook. And if you can't past a single moment without chit-chat with friends, Adium suits you most.
Homepage | Download Link ↓ | License Type: Freeware
Categories:
Applications
Tags:
Application
Fave Mac App 1. Facebook Notifications
Facebook Notifications is an application that alerts you when new activities happen on Facebook and also helps you easily update your status.
If you are one of Facebook active members, this application suits you best.
I personally feel it's quite troublesome to browse into Facebook only to check for new
notifications.
Homepage | Download Link ↓ | License Type: Freeware
Categories:
Applications
Tags:
Application
85 Useful Free Mac Apps for Designers
With many applications emerging one after another, it's not really difficult to find free apps out of the net. Perhaps, those free applications are suitable for us compared to commercial ones.
Knowing there are quite a number of designers out there using a Mac, we compiled free Mac applications for designers. In this compilation, you can find useful Mac applications that can be downloaded and used for free.
Update. Some screenshots are added for readers' convenience.
30 Free System Tools for a Better Mac
It's not an easy task to maintain our Mac system clean, healthy, and appealing with just relying on built-in applications. We will end up scratching our head just to delete some unnecessary binary files to clean our disk.
Therefore, we all here decided to make a good compilation of free system tools for Mac. With many varieties of applications, from system cleaner to system tweaker, from data organizer to system display manager, we have those all collected in this article.
Click on the application title to get to application homepage.
20+ Free Productivity Booster Apps for Mac
Lacking of productivity applications will slow down our workflow and consume more time, even though we've already purchased a Mac. Using only built-in Mac applications, we can neither get the most out of our Mac nor boost our productivity.
In this article, we've compiled several free applications for Mac OS X (including application launcher, easy note-taker application, data backup tool, data sharing utility, etc) that can significantly boost your productivity.
Let us know which one is your favorite!
30+ Free Menubar Applications for Mac
Menubar applications are sometimes more favorable than normal applications because not only these menubar applications can run seamlessly on background but also they can save most of our valuable dock space.
Most importantly, in this article you will see some variations of useful, free menubar applications. Let's try them out!
Mac Apps that Stand Out from the Crowd
There are too many Mac applications readily available which, either directly or indirectly, confuse most Mac users, making them hard to find the best application. On the other side, most application developers also feel really itch-scratching to think of fresh and unique application.
To my surprise, some developers have amazed me with their applications that came out different than others, such as application to set different Docks on different Spaces, to set different wallpaper on different Spaces, to bring you to cleaning room, and many other creative yet useful functionality.
There are many of them, but here I will mention some that I am currently using.
100+ Free Applications for Mac OS X
Most of the time, Windows users are reluctant to switch to a Mac. One amongst many reasons is that they found it hard to search for free softwares/applications for the Mac. Some of them have already switched to a Mac, but they're still running Windows OS on a Mac.
It's such an irony that actually there are mountains of free Mac applications available for us. After days of working on this, I've come out with list of free and useful Mac applications.
I've categorized and arranged the order of applications so that it will be extremely easy for you to find applications you need for your Mac.
Continue reading and you will see fabulous list of 100+ Free Mac OS X Applications!
Mac Application Launchers
Most Mac users feel that Application launcher is the most essential Application for them to install. Application launcher can save our valuable Dock spaces and assist us in boosting our productivity.
There are several application launchers available on the net. They have their own uniqueness, advantages and disadvantages. I am sure you will stick to one Application launcher, just like other power Mac users.
But for the very first time, you need to choose amongst many Application launchers, which one you love the most.
Basic of Quitting Application
Unlike Windows, we couldn't quit opened Mac application by simply clicking on the cross arrow located at the corner of the window pane. I believe this is meant to help Mac users boost their productivity by saving time used in launching applications that is neglected by Windows.
As I've experienced using Windows before, I used to accidentally killing all opened windows while closing application, which I didn't want to, and that's really stressing me.
So, if you're already switching to Mac, be grateful and …
Undoubtedly Useful Spring Loader
Using Mac for such a long time, there is this very intuitive way to open or move around files - by dragging - makes me feel lucky having a Mac.
Many will say that "Mac sucks because Mac can't perform cut-and-paste". Indeed, cut-and-paste feature isn't implemented on Mac, but this alone doesn't mean that Mac has a poor quality of built-in feature. Actually, there is much more useful built-in feature on Mac, the Spring Loader. What can it do?
Mac Compatible Web Browsers
I love browsing the web. I also love collecting available web browsers for Mac. Below, there are several well-known web browsers, you should have heard. But I think this topic will be practical for Mac switchers, so I bring this up. Hope you can extract the benefit out of this topic.
Safari
This silver-based browser interface looks very simple. Its pleasing view make it match the simplicity of your Mac. Have high rate performance, built-in finder, built-in artificial intelligence to help you fill in forms, good security, easy to access RSS Feedback and flexible text field. I simply love the layout.
Change Default Application
Common Mistake…
Most of the time, the contextual menu labelled Always Open With will be used in order to open file as default application. And this leads to mistake being made most of the time.
Why…?
When a file is set to always be opened with particular application, the change will only apply to that particular file. Let's say there are hundreds files of the same type, changes will be needed for all of those files, what a waste of time!
Solution: Use Info Pane
If the changes are to be made for every single files with the same type (same extension name), Get Info pane will be required. Here are the full and complete steps:
- Select a file
- Open Get Info pane of that file (keystrokes: Command-I)
- Find section with name Open with: and choose appropriate application to open that type of file
- Click on Change All… button
- Finish! That application will now be set as current default application
Categories:
Tips and Tricks
Tags:
Application
10 Handy Mac Preview Application Tricks as Image Editor
Preview is the default image editor for your Mac. Even though it's shipped along with your Mac for free, but it's surprisingly useful for Mac users, especially for those who have upgraded to Mac OS X Leopard.
First, I will guide you to learn the very first and important technique of using Preview application, i.e. opening multiple images at once in one Preview window.
1. Opening Multiple Images at Once
Before you opened many images file with your iPhoto, think first. You will give heavy load to your Mac. It's better for you to open all of those images file with Preview application.
When you're going to open many images at once, don't forget to set your Preview Preferences (Command-Comma) to open all selected images in one window (if not, all images will be opened in separate windows).
22 Useful Lists of Mac Applications
Maybe you will think that Mac applications are more expensive compared to those on Windows. However, it won't be the case if you really know where to download those free applications for your Mac. They're all around the web, the free applications.
Below, you will see 22 sources that will help you find applications that are essential for you.
Most Popular Apple Download
[20 Apps]
You can always check inside Apple official website under Downloads section to see what most of the people download from there.
Take Screenshot of Entire Webpage
There are times when you want to take screenshot of webpages, but obviously you can't use simple print screen which can only take part of the webpage as big as your screen display. So what should you do to capture the whole webpage?
Saft Safari Plugin
Recently, I've found this nice Safari plugin called Saft, which is a Shareware. Saft gives you ability to have a screenshot of entire webpage and save it as a PDF file with a single click.
Impressive Safari Plugins
Safari has been optimized for Mac and because of that, it becomes the best browser for running on Mac. However, with Firefox empowered by plenty of plugins, it's confusing to determine which one to choose: Safari or Firefox?
After searching around the web, I found several impressive plugins for Safari, such as del.icio.us bookmark, StumbleUpon toolbar, Tab Exposé, Greasemonkey script customizer, and many others. Interested?
Mac Tablet Computing
Axiotron ModBook
Axiotron Modbook is a tablet Mac which is retrieved by modifying MacBook. The ModBook is not designed for the masses, but that’s precisely why Apple hasn’t made a tablet Mac. Axiotron is authorized Apple solution provider. Apple is approving, even though it's not actually supporting. Maybe sooner or later, Apple will take part in the good market share for this kind of niche product solution, who knows?. You can read the forum to find out more about this cool device.
Skype - Get Hidden Emoticons
Playing around with Skype recently drawing out my curiosity to discover more and more of its emoticons.
Visible Emoticons
At first, I think Skype's emoticons are limited only to 72 default emoticons. Who knows that Skype actually has more hidden in depth.
Shown above : 72 Skype default visible emoticons.
Fluid - Convert Web into Applications
Everyday in your working days, you probably need to check all the same e-mail, news, website or maybe favorite blog site. You should try using Fluid.
Distinguishable Icons
With Fluid, you can convert all of them into each separate applications, which are easily distinguishable. And you will find that you won't need to cycle all your opened web browser tabs in order to find particular site. The icon is customizable and you can put it on your Dock.
Productivity Tricks : Open Files
As far as I know, there are five effective ways to open our files with an application.
Open from Application
This way is usually used by not only Mac users but also Mac switchers where it helps you focusing on what you're aiming for and what kind of files you're going to process instead of pushing you down with pile of choices. Keystrokes used for this action is Command-O by default (yes, you can set it. Feel free to refer back here for reviewing on "How to Edit Existing Application Shortcuts").
Killer Leopard Trick - Finder Screen Sharing
Talking about Screen Sharing, the reflection of iChat shouldn't be far away from your mind. Actually, the Screen Sharing itself is provided in your Finder.
Screen Sharing Whereabouts
Just now I told you that Screen Sharing is separated from iChat. To prove that, you could go to Mac HD ▸ System ▸ Library ▸ CoreServices which Mac HD is your hard drive name. Inside there, you will definitely find Screen Sharing.
Get Various Leopard Enhancements for Free
Even though the released of Leopard has killed many 3rd party apps, we still got many of the survivals which have their own specialties.
Note : Clicking the title will refer you to the specified app's homepage.
Watch Video with VLC
I think that this VLC media player is well known amongst Mac user. In that case, I will try to share what I know about this Application.
VLC can be used to show various audio and video formats, such as MPEG-1, mp3, wmv, and for detailed features, click here.
Download VLC
This Application is shared by VideoLAN and you can download it via its website here.
Inside VLC
While not in full screen mode, two parts of VLC media player, i.e. one controller and one screen, can be easily spotted. While in full screen mode Command-F, the controller can be seen only when we move our mouse.
Useful Toolbar, Direct Jump to Terminal
OpenTerminalHere, one of the toolbar script for Mac OS X, is created to help Terminal user to instantly jump to current opened directory in its Terminal. It's a time saver as we don't need to type in many cds to go to our working directory.
This application (AppleScript to be more specific) can be downloaded at OpenTerminalHere AppleScript Projects.
Let's discuss about attaching and removing this Application to and from Finder toolbar.
Software Paradise - Mac It
Mac Firework - Let's Party
People like party. People also like firework's party. So in conclusion, people will also like this mouse trail. It is called Startrail.
Now, you can watch such wonderful firework party with your parents, your girlfriend, or even with your gramps instantly from your Mac.
Mac the Great Chef - Yummy!
YummySoup! provides you with all delicious, yummy foods' recipes to make you easier to catch your stomach's attention.
Tasty Reminder - Mac iCal
Now you do not have to fear of your boss. You will always come on time, either to your office or to some extremely important meetings. iCal makes sure you to alert you of those things. iCal also provide you to look for specific time. You can make schedule for month, week, and even a day. You can group your event into categories, like for work purpose or for home needs. And also you can label your categories with colors.
Monthly Schedule
