Hey, What's This?
If you're familiar with our ebooks, you've probably noticed that this one is different. It was written by our friends at Macworld (some of whom also write for Take Control and TidBITS).
Apple may include a lot of software with every Mac, but there's a vast world of applications and utilities out there that will enhance your Mac experience. The hard part is finding the programs that will make you more productive, or that will simply make using your Mac more enjoyable. Our friends at Macworld have been publishing the Mac Gems column for years, finding and reviewing free and inexpensive programs that you might not have run across on your own. They've now chosen the cream of the crop—more than 240 of the best Leopard-compatible programs—and collected them in this 186-page ebook. Each program receives a capsule review, a link to the full review on Macworld's Web site, and a link to the developer's site, making it easy to scan through for the programs you want.
Foreword
Back in mid-2002, Macworld published a feature called "Mac Software Bargains" that covered 60 inexpensive software titles that stood out from the crowd for their usefulness and value. The article was so popular that by the following spring, we were covering great, inexpensive software every month in a new column called Mac Gems.
It was an appropriate title. While most people are aware of the big-name software titles—Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, and the like—some of the best Mac software is, like so many precious stones, hidden. There are many great products out there that don't get the recognition, or even the awareness, they deserve. And when that happens, Mac users miss out.
That's where we come in. Macworld mines the Web, sifting through inexpensive and lesser-known products from developers big and small to find those gems that are worth your time and hard-drive space. More specifically, we look for inexpensive software that makes your Mac run better, lets you work more efficiently, and helps your Mac do the little things you always wished it could do. It's the software that, once you've tried it, you can't imagine using your Mac without.
The Mac Gems column has been going strong ever since, and we're fast approaching our 1,000th gem. Given how many new software titles are released for Mac OS X every day, we don't plan on stopping there.
But even among the gems we've unearthed over the years, some deserve special recognition, and highlighting the very best of Mac Gems is the purpose of this book. We've picked more than 240 of our favorite Leopard-compatible products and divided them into useful categories. For each program, we give you a brief description of what it does, as well as the URL of our full review and the URL to the developer's site for downloading. Some gems are ones we've recently discovered, whereas others are oldies but goodies. The one thing they all have in common is that each is a standout product that won't break the bank. If you enjoy this collection, don't forget to visit the Mac Gems Weblog to keep up with our latest discoveries.
—Dan Frakes, Senior Editor and Mac gemologist
San Francisco, April 2009
Table of Contents
Communication
- Corral Your Contacts
- Get easier access to your contacts and even turn them into mailing labels.
- Manage Your Inbox
- Let these smart e-mail add-ons help you quickly process your messages and squash spam so you’ll never be overwhelmed by your inbox again.
- Take Charge of Chats
- Boost your online conversation skills with powerful chat, Twitter, and Skype helpers.
- Surf Smarter
- Beefing up your Internet navigation skills is easy. Download our favorite Web gems.
- Organize Bookmarks and RSS Feeds
- Know exactly where you’ve been, where you’re going next, and what’s going on now.
Text
- Writing Tools
- There’s a big world of affordable word processing apps outside of Microsoft Word and Apple Pages.
- Speed Up Routines
- Increase your typing efficiency with shortcuts and a collection of text helpers.
Graphics
- Edit Your Photos
- You don’t need Photoshop to edit and have fun with your photos. These apps can do it all, including creating panoramas, comic strips, and watermarks.
- Get Creative
- Unleash your inner artist with these inspiring utilities.
- Print Your Creations
- Give your images a life outside of your Mac by printing them.
- Publish Photos Online
- Don’t keep all those great shots to yourself. These apps make uploading photos easy.
- Take Screenshots
- There are multiple applications that make capturing the images on your screen a snap.
Audio & Video
- Edit Your Audio
- Alter your audio tracks with affordable alternatives to expensive editing suites.
- Be a Better Listener
- Take control of your music library with this collection of iTunes utilities and streaming tools.
- Handle Podcasts and Other Audio
- Use these creative audio gems to turn anything into a podcast, and tackle out-of-the-box audio formats.
- Enrich Videos
- Rip, burn, transfer, and watch any kind of video file.
Productivity
- Take a Shortcut
- Find an easier and faster way to do almost everything on your Mac.
- Stay on Schedule
- Pump up your scheduling power and never miss an important event.
- Keep Yourself on Task
- Your Mac isn’t the only thing that needs organizing. Get yourself together with these apps.
- Unlock Your Mac
- Expand your Mac’s horizons with a few minor but very useful tweaks.
- De-Stress with Games
- All that productivity can take a toll. Unwind with a few affordable and soothing games.
Organization
- Organize Your Files
- Bring a satisfying sense of order to your system with the top type-A applications.
- Manage Data
- Download helpful tools to corral your information into logical and neat collections.
Customize
- Deck Out the Dock
- Create a custom Dock by changing its appearance and even how it functions.
- Add to the Menu Bar
- The menu bar is small but powerful. Add notifications of every stripe to this coveted piece of screen real estate.
- Enhance the Finder
- Your window to OS X, the Finder is easily tailored to suit your needs.
- Master the Mouse
- Behind the mouse’s and trackpad’s simple exteriors lie powerful tools just waiting to be pumped up.
- Power Up Searches
- When tracking down files, Spotlight is only the beginning. Faster and smarter searches are as easy as installing these great applications.
- Expand System Preferences
- When you want to alter the way your Mac works, take a trip to OS X’s System Preferences pane. But don’t stop there. Use these programs to unlock hidden options and access new settings.
- Get Advanced
- Do you enjoy spending time under OS X’s hood? These programs show more advanced Mac users how to get the most out of their system.
Networking
- Make Smart Connections
- Help your Mac connect to networks, the Internet, and other computers.
- Move and Manage Your Files
- Send files of every size and type over the Internet and across local networks.
Troubleshooting
- Back It Up
- Be prepared for anything by properly backing up all of your files.
- Monitor Your System
- Keep a close eye on potential problem areas on your system and you might just catch trouble before it happens.
- Remedy Common Problems
- You don’t have to be a genius to fix your Mac. Just download these helpful tools.
- Solve iPod and iPhone Issues
- Take control of your iPod and iPhone with these nifty programs that transfer files—including music and video—from your device to your Mac.
