Mac OS X Software Technology

It's no secret that I think the Macintosh is the best computer in the world. In this section, I list some useful Macintosh software that is either free or costs very little.

DownloadMozilla Thunderbird

As much as I love almost all Apple software, I don't think Apple Mail quite cuts it and satisfies all the needs that the regular user needs in an email program. I do believe Mozilla Thunderbird qualifies in this regard. Even though this program is officially in beta production, Thunderbird has far more reliable features than any mail program I have come across so far. It's use of mail and spam filters is enough to download this program alone and to make the switch. This program is supported on all platforms. Free!

DownloadOpen Office

If you are not willing to spend several hundred dollars on buggy software such as Microsoft Office, give Open Office a try. It's free! While this is not a perfect program, it will handle Word documents, excel sheets and any other common features found in MS Office as well as Star Office. The version for Mac OS X recently reached 'final' status, although I would hope that updated versions come in the near future.

DownloadGIMP

If you are not willing to spend close to $1,000 on Adobe Photoshop, consider GIMP, a free open source software program that handles all the major features of Photoshop (ie. layers, filters, plug-ins...etc.). There is no official support for GIMP, and you will have to do some research on Google to find sites that will help you learn the program.

VisitApple.com Downloads Page

In addition to Apple's great software, the Apple.com site has a great downloads page for 3rd party programs. Product pages include screenshots as well as product descriptions and additional information. Programs listed here are freeware, shareware, updates and demos.

VisitVersionTracker.com

VersionTracker.com has a great section dedicated to software for Mac OS X. Programs listed here are freeware, shareware, updates and demos. The site has an effective search function to find the programs you need.