OS X Apps

OK, I think this should be my last post on Macs for a while. Here are the “must-have” applications I’ve downloaded for OS X on my MacBook so far:

  • Of course the requisite browsers, Firefox and Opera.
  • Adium for multi-protocol instant messaging, plus Skype, which I use only rarely
  • Textwrangler for code and text editing.
  • In the file transfer arena, Cyberduck for FTP and Fugu for SSH, though I more often just use command-line FTP or the FireFTP plugin.
  • GMail Notifier for Mac puts a notification icon in the menu bar; I don’t use Mail.app at all.
  • KisMAC for passive wireless network sniffing, though the current build seems a bit unstable on Leopard and has crashed several times.
  • Zipeg for the odd unarchiving job.
  • VLC for video playback, and I also upgraded QuickTime to Pro for the extra features.
  • Second Life runs okay on Leopard with the Intel GMA X3100 integrated video but I have experienced more than a few crashes on exit.
  • Just two custom dashboard widgets in addition to what was already installed: iStatPro for insightful system monitoring, and SlothCam for a quick look at the outside.
  • For the “fun” category, I binged on Sudden Motion Sensor apps and games like Skip Checker, LiquidMac, MacSaber, Tunnel, Tilt Scream Pong, and SeisMac.
  • I haven’t tried many free non-tilt games yet, but MicroBop and Armagetron have been pretty fun.

Graphics-wise, much to my dismay, my old licensed copy of Photoshop 7 does not work on Leopard, so I guess I’ll have to save up for a new copy of CS3. Or is Pixelmator any good?

Anything else I should be getting? I especially want to try more Sudden Motion Sensor apps. (And don’t say Bubblegym. Man, that was an annoying one.)