Essential Applications for new users to Mac OS X

Essential Applications for Mac OSX

This application list is based on my write up about a Windows user converting to Mac for one week. If you haven’t read it, it’s a good guide to the first week on Mac.

Perian 1.1
This is a codec pack for Quicktime and Frontrow to enable playback of Xvid/Divx and a number of formats used for movies on the internet.
Download Perian 1.1

Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac
If at home or work you have a network with Windows PC’s in it, chance is you will most likely need Remote Desktop. It allows you to log into Windows PC’s remotely. This is a beta build, but the newest “final” build was back in 2004 before Intel Mac’s were around and is really outdated. From my use, this has been very stable and I would recommend it.
Download Remote Desktop Connection for Mac 2.0

Microsoft Messenger 7
This is the Mac version of Windows Live Messenger. Its created by the Mac Business division at Microsoft so serves as both a client to Windows Live and Office Live. If you only use Windows Live Messenger like myself, I’d recommend this client. It features file transfers, buddy icons and emoticons like the Windows version. To top it off, it doesn’t have ANY bloatware, no crappy winks, no adverts or nudges, its perfect and in fact better than its Windows counterpart!
Download Microsoft Messenger 7.0

Adium 1.2.5
This is an all in one instant messaging client, one of the best ones available for Mac. Think of it like a Mac version of Trillian, but better. Its lightweight and does all the protocols you need including Google Talk, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ and AIM. Highly recommend if you use more than one messenger network.
Download Adium 1.2.5

Azureus 2.5.0.4
This is a Bit Torrent client for your Mac. Azureus is a popular multiplatform client built in Java. Sadly its makers have gone commercial and the latest releases contain junk and marketing rubbish all over it. This is the last version before they went commercial and is still updated by community members. Though as soon as uTorrent is released on Mac, I’d recommend replacing this but it is the best client out there until then.
Download Azureus 2.5.0.4 for Mac OSX

Cyberduck 3.0.1
This is a fantastic free FTP client available for your Mac. Its stable, works with the Finder and supports drag and drop around the OS. It’s the most integrated client available, and being free makes it perfect! Though it does have a duck for an icon?
Download Cyberduck 3.0.1

VLC 0.8.6
VLC is clearly in my opionon the best media player out there. Its small and lightweight and has codec’s for almost every format out there! Its available on Mac, Windows and Linux and no matter what OS you use, I would highly recommend having a copy sticking around. If any movie format doesn’t play in your favourite player, it will play in this!
Download VLC 0.8.6 for Mac OSX

UnRarX 2.2
While Mac OSX supports most compressed files, one file type it doesnt support is .rar which is heavily used on big downloads and torrents due to its high level of compression. WinRAR is only available on Mac as a command line application, UnRarX 2.2 has simple GUI. Once installed simply open a RAR file in Finder and it will automatically decompress it into that location. It also supports multi part files.
Download UnRarX 2.2

Others
Other recommendations for a new Mac user is Microsoft Office 2008, you can get the Home edition quite cheap on Amazon or the Apple store. Also if your having problems with websites in safari I’d suggest installing Firefox as it’s the second most used browser and is available for Mac.

 

It's worth noting that Camino is a free web browser for the Mac, based entirely off Firefox, with a nice native Mac OS X look and feel and some speed improvements over the Mac version of Firefox.

 

Just to add to that, NeoOffice is a version of openoffice.org which fits well with the OS X GUI
http://www.neooffice.org

Also there are optmised builds of firefox for OS X intel and PPC which i find are much better than camino and the normal firefox builds.
Firefox: Mac PPC Optimized Builds

For bittorrent if you dont like something heavy like azureus and java, Transmission is a good light weight choice.
Transmission

 

Very good,I planted to use Mac 10.52,but it is said that,there's a Luma QQ for the China QQ users,and where I can get it??

 

Just type into a search bar, you should be able to find something. I would but I cannot read chinese.

 

.