Sunday, November 1, 2009

Mac free software list

Having updated to Snow Leopard this weekend, I once more downloaded and installed the latest version of all the free applications I use. Almost all of them were compatible with Snow Leopard, a thing I checked beforehand for only a few of them. Here's a careful selection of the apps I couldn't live without:

Internet related:
  • Adium
    The multi-protocol instant messaging client for the Mac. Handy if you have MSN, ICQ, and Google Talk accounts (like me).
  • GlimmerBlocker
    The only adblocker for Safari that isn't implemented as a hack -- this one is actually a proxy that filters out the stuff you don't want to see.
  • Transmission
    Simply the best torrent client for OS X.
  • Google Notifier + Google + Growl
    A menu bar app that notifies you when there's new mail in you Gmail inbox. The Google + Growl utility makes sure the notifications are Growl compliant.
LaTeX:
  • BasicTex
    A TeX distribution that's small (54mb) but still has all you need.
  • LaTeXiT
    Unmissable app if you quickly want to typeset formulas and paste them into, say, Keynote.
  • TeXlipse
    A plugin for Eclipse that turns it into one of the most powerful LaTeX editors around.
System tools:
  • Growl
    A notification system for Mac OS X. Many programs are capable of using it, and it's a functionality that's lacking by default in OS X.
  • USB Overdrive
    The default mouse acceleration is really crappy on OS X. USB Overdrive lets you change it according to your own tastes.
  • CDto
    CDto adds a button to Finder that opens a Terminal window and changes its active directory to the Finder directory.
Media:
  • Plex
    Plex is a home theatre app that is much more versatile than Front Row. Amongst other things, it can pull content directly from the internet to your TV.
  • Perian
    Perian adds playback support to QuickTime for a whole range of media format.
  • Flip4Mac
    Adds WMV support to QuickTime.
  • ScrobblePod
    If you've got a Last.FM account, this little app is for you. It scrobbles all your plays in iTunes.
Other:
  • Jin
    Jin is the only chess client that runs on a Mac and supports the Free Internet Chess Server. So if you're a cheap bastard like me and enjoy a game of chess, Jin is the way to go.