Essentials (Mac)

This list is no longer maintained. For an updated version please go to http://dflect.net/essential-applications-mac

# OS X Working Environment

for Mavericks (10.9)

[Updated: 2014-11-18]

The numbers represent essentiality:

1: Absolutely essential; first things that I install on a fresh Mac
2: Nearly indispensable, very useful, best of its kind
3: Quite useful, very good
4: Useful and good application
5: Still useful in some occasions; often an app that lost its former top rating to another app


### Utilities/Tools:

#### File management/manipulation:

2: dupeGuru (configurable duplicate file finder)
2: EasyFind | Find Any File (non-Spotlight file search tools)
2: Hazel (folder actions on steroids)
2: p7zip [via Homebrew] (lzma2 compressor, 7z archiver)
2: Tembo (Spotlight-based search tool; a better Spotlight)
2: The Archive Browser (archive browser/expander)
3: BetterZip Quick Look Generator
3: Espionage 3 (comfortable file encryption via Apple's disk images; alternative: Knox)
3: HoudahSpot (fully-featured Spotlight-based search tool)
3: fseventer (Observes filesystem changes)
4: Name Mangler (flexible batch file renamer)
4: Path Finder (multi-feature file browser)
5: Forklift (file manager, FTP/WebDAV client)
5: DevonSphere (content search tool)
• See also file/folder diff tools under Scripting/Developing


#### Interface/system enhancement:

1: Homebrew (package manager/installer)
1: LaunchBar (launcher, script manager, etc.; best of the bunch)
2: iStat Menus (menu bar monitoring tool); free alternative: Menu Meters
2: BetterTouchTool (flexible trackpad/MagicMouse configurator)
2: Caffeine (sleep preventer)
2: Go2Shell (configurable, context-sensitive terminal launcher)
2: iTerm2 (feature-rich terminal)
2: Little Snitch (firewall for outgoing connections, network monitor)
2: Typinator (text expander)
2: zsh Shell [via Homebrew]
3: Keyboard Maestro (macro environment, launcher, etc.)
3: LaunchControl (GUI tool for launchd agents/daemons)
3: RCDefaultApp 2.1 (Set default apps)
3: Services Manager
3: Skala Color (color picker)
4: HexColorPicker
4: KeyRemap4MacBook (Keyboard configurator, not only for MacBooks)
4: Moom (finder window helper/manager; alternative: Grid)
4: Shortcat (Keyboard instead of mouse)
5: Alfred (launcher, script manager, etc.)
5: DTerm (context-sensitive command line pop-up)
5: KeyCue (integrated shortcuts cheat sheet)
5: printwindow (file listing tool)
5: SteerMouse (driver for 3rd-party mouses)


#### Computer Maintenance:

2: SupaView (graphical disk overview)
3: Keyboard Cleaner (keyboard cleaning helper)
3: Mountain Lion Cache Cleaner | Onyx (“system utilities”)
5: AppCleaner (application uninstall helper)
5: ClamXav (or clamav [via Homebrew]; anti-virus tool)
5: Monolingual (language resource remover)


#### File copying / Backup:

1: rsync [via Homebrew] (indispensable network or local file copying/syncing tool)
1: ChronoSync (very good network or local file copying/syncing tool; 2-way sync, remote agent)
3: SuperDuper! (cloning tool)
5: Syncovery (2-way sync, backup, FTP, etc.; was: SuperFlexibleFileSynchronizer; formerly best of its class but recent Mac versions are bug ridden)
5: Duplicity [via Homebrew] (rsync-based backup tool)
5: BackupLoupe (Time Machine utility)


#### Misc:

3: VMWare Fusion (Windows/Linux virtualization)


### Information/task management / Notes:

1: Things (task management; also on iOS)
1: Simplenote (markdown-capable, synched notes; also for iOS)
1: 1Password (password manager; also on iOS)
3: nvALT (markdown-capable, synched notes app; a Notational Velocity fork; plays well with: on iOS: SimpleNote, on Win: resoph notes)
3: Notebooks (synched file organizer / notebook; also iOS)
4: DevonAgent Express (web searcher)
5: LastPass (password manager; Safari extension; also on iOS)
5: DevonThink Pro Office (document/information manager)
5: Ammonite (tag cloud for DevonThink (and OS X))


### Net/Web/Cloud:

1: Aria2 [via Homebrew] (multi-protocol download utility)
1: Safari Keyword Search (Safari extension)
2: GPG Suite
2: Wuala (secure file cloud)
2: MailHub (“sorting” plugin for Apple Mail)
2: Cyberduck (FTP, WebDAV etc. browser)
2: Transmission (BT client)
3: Web Snapper
4: JDownloader (download manager)
4: iTeleport Connect (Mac remote desktop for iOS)
5: Pocket (offline reader; was: Read It Later)
5: DropBox (file cloud; I don’t like it but lots of applications are using it for syncing)


### Plain text / Markup:

1: BBEdit; Alternative: TextWrangler (BBEdit’s light version)
1: iA Writer (or iA Writer Pro)
1: Marked (markdown previewer for any text file)
1: Multimarkdown Quicklook Generator
1: Multimarkdown [via Homebrew]
2: MacVim [also via Homebrew]
3: Byword (nicely designed markdown/text editor with iCloud sync to iOS)
3: TextMate 2
3: nvALT [see above]
4: Mou (markdown editor)
5: Solarized (theme)
• See also diff tools under “Scripting/Developing”


### Text processing / Office:

1: ConTeXt (powerful typesetting system & macro language for LuaTeX)
2: iWork (Apple’s nice office suite)
3: LibreOffice (a better MS Office)
4: Microsoft Office (sometimes needed for Windows office file compatibility)
4: OmniOutliner (outline/table tool)


### DTP:

2: Adobe Acrobat (versatile PDF tool/editor for pre-print)
2: Adobe Indesign (layout program)
2: BookMaker (affordable PDF imposition tool)
3: Adobe Illustrator (PDF/vector editor)


### Graphics/Photo:

1: Aperture (Apple’s photo manager/tool)
2: Adobe Illustrator (vector drawing program)
2: iDraw (very nice vector drawing program)
2: GraphicConverter (raster image editor/converter/tool)
2: Pixelmator (very nice and affordable raster image editor) or/and: Acorn
3: Adobe Photoshop (versatile raster image editor)
3: Snapheal (easy image retouch/clone/stamp with good results)
5: Back In Focus (image sharpener)


### Video:

1: MP4Box [via Homebrew] (mighty mp4 video tool/converter)
1: Subler (mp4 video tagger/tool)
2: FFmpeg [via Homebrew] (tool/converter for various codecs and containers)
2: Super OTR (all-in-one OTR solution)
3: Atom Inspector (isomedia tool)
3: Handbrake (x264 transcoder)
3: isoViewer (isomedia tool)
3: MPEG Streamclip
4: VLC (error-tolerant player for problematic videos)
5: Quicktime x264-Component


### Audio:

1: XLD (XLosslessDecoder)
1: Yate (ultimate m4a/flac/mp3 tagger)
3: beaTunes (itunes helper, tagger)


### Scripting/Developing

1: AppleScriptObjC Explorer (perfect external editor for AppleScriptObjC and script libraries)
1: BBEdit [other good editors see Plain text / Markup]
1: Dash (Documentation browser and snippet manager)
2: ASObjC Runner (AppleScript helper & extension suite)
2: DeltaWalker (fully-featured text/file/folder comparison/merge tool)
4: Key Codes
4: Unicode Checker
4: Platypus (bundles scripts to app bundles)
4: VisualDiffer (very nice lightweight GUI diff tool, also for folders)
5: Fossil (SCM; via Homebrew)
• See also text editors under Plain text / Markup

### Fun:

5: Cathode (vintage terminal)


### Miscellaneous:

2: OfficeTime (time tracker)
3: Master Key (typing tutor)
4: OmegaT (CAT tool)
5: Calibre (ebook management/sync/editing)


### Miscellaneous settings:

/private/etc/inputrc:
set editing-mode vi
set completion-ignore-case On

---

This is, of course, not an exhaustive list. Essential applications installed by default (Safari, iTunes, iBooks, Time Machine, XCode, etc.) may not be listed.

This list is auto-synced via SimpleNote.
http://goo.gl/BXbfq

Some Windows Essentials are here (probably outdated).