6 top utilities you must have on your Mac | Reader Comments | PixoBebo by Kate MacKenzie </head> <body id="comments" onload="setupZoom()"> <div id="wrapper_comments"> <a name="top" id="top"></a> <div id="wrapper_header"> <div id="region_header"> <div class="Leaderboard-Top-728x90"> <script type='text/javascript'></script> </div> <div id="logo"> <a href="http://pixobebo.com/" title="PixoBebo Home Page"><img src="http://pixobebo.com/images/logo.png" alt="Logo" /></a> </div> </div> </div> <div id="wrapper_middle"> <div id="region_left"> <div class="region_pad"> </div> </div> <div id="region_main"> <div id="navmenu"><ul> <li class="active" ><a href="http://pixobebo.com/" title="PixoBebo Home Page">Home</a></li> <li><a href="http://pixobebo.com/index.php/pixonomy/news/" title="News & Commentary Links Archive">News Links</a></li> <li><a href="http://pixobebo.com/index.php/pixonomy/archive/" title="PixoBebo Article Archive">Articles</a></li> <li><a href="http://pixobebo.com/index.php/pixonomy/search/" title="Advanced Search">Search</a></li> <li><a href="http://pixobebo.com/index.php/pixonomy/mobile/" title="PixoBebo for iPhone">Mobile</a></li> </ul></div> <div class="region_pad"> <div class="frame_article"> <h1>6 top utilities you must have on your Mac</h1> <div class="date">Friday, May 16, 2008 | Articles | Read or Post Comments</div> <p>Mac users are different. I mean, we’re different from one another, so our software needs are different despite the fact we use Mac OS X. Are there six Mac utilities we can all agree that we all need? Probably not. That said, here’s 6 top utilities that I agree you must have on your Mac (<em>if you’re like me</em>). </p> </div> <a name="read"></a>  <div class="wrapper_comments"> <h3>Reader Comments (17)</h3> <div class="frame_comments_one"> <p><strong>James Eaton</strong> said:</p> <p>While it’s not dramatic, I would add <a href="http://www.inquisitorx.com/safari/">Inquisitor</a> to the list of “must have” Mac utilities. </p> <div class="posted">#1 | Friday, May 16, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_two"> <p><strong>Welles Goodrich</strong> said:</p> <p>I’m going to use a semantic quibble and suggest that Utilities are tools to deal with the hardware and software utility and maintenance of your computer. Picky, picky, I know. However, perhaps my six most relied on utilities are (not in hierarchal order) SuperDuper, DiskWarrior, MenuMeters, Macaroni,, Leopard Cache Cleaner (or Cocktail a toss up) and smcFanControl.app. </p> <div class="posted">#2 | Friday, May 16, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_one"> <p><strong>Lantz Newberry</strong> said:</p> <p>Years ago I used InsiderSoftware’s utility (can’t recall name) to update my apps. I found it invaluable. The one in your list sounds almost identical. I’ll have to give it a try.<br /> One of my all time favorite “utilities” is FinderPop which was recently updated for Leopard. I just love the app, you can do so much with it after a little setup. </p> <div class="posted">#3 | Friday, May 16, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_two"> <p><strong>Cam Turner</strong> said:</p> <p>Good list. 1Password is tops. App Fresh is a remarkable utility considering the price. Free. SuperDuper is everyone’s favorite Mac cloner.</p> <p>The surprise on your list is Together. It’s very much like Yojimbo but less money and easier to figure out.</p> <p>I have so many ‘must have’ utilities on my Mac that I could never squeeze it down to 20, let alone 6. </p> <div class="posted">#4 | Friday, May 16, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_one"> <p><strong>Kate MacKenzie</strong> said:</p> <p>Welles, dictionary definitions aside (broad enough to be OK in this context), you’re probably right about ‘utilities vs. applications.’</p> <p>I remember a thread on <a href="http://mac360.com/">Mac360</a> a few years ago about the difference between Application and Utility. It boiled down to this—Applications create, open, save files for specific purposes (Word, Photoshop, Excel, et al). Utilities perform specific tasks but don’t, in the traditional sense, create files for use. Widgets would be utilities. 1Password would be a utility. Together, NetNewsWire, SuperDuper! would be utilities. Image Tricks was stuck into the utility category because it doesn’t really ‘create’ a file, only alters other files.</p> <p>It’s open to debate. As to ‘tools’ I think that covers a broader spectrum of use. Is Photoshop a tool for graphic designers? Probably. Yet, it has lots of tools—filters, effects, etc. </p> <div class="posted">#5 | Friday, May 16, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_two"> <p><strong>Art</strong> said:</p> <p>I’d add the following, even if not all technically ‘utilities’:</p> <p>Perian - view videos in safari<br /> Flip4Mac WMV - view WMV video files within quicktime<br /> Stuffit Expander - still needed to unstuff stuff<br /> SnapZ ProX2 - screen/video shots<br /> iRecord - quickly create video emails<br /> Onyx - maintenance tool </p> <div class="posted">#6 | Friday, May 16, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_one"> <p><strong>Rob Dern</strong> said:</p> <p>PopChar is the last one (after SuperDuper) that I would give up. There’s something about having a button up in the corner that pops open a window showing every character in the font you are using. You click on the one you want to print or use the key stroke that appears as you move across the letter. You can also change fonts and use a character from that one. Not free, worth the money. Been using it for years. </p> <div class="posted">#7 | Friday, May 16, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_two"> <p><strong>Brian</strong> said:</p> <p>No mention of Quicksilver… The heresy! Really you need it. </p> <div class="posted">#8 | Saturday, May 17, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_one"> <p><strong>Richard Dalziel-Sharpe</strong> said:</p> <p>in no particular order my absolute indispensables are: TypeIt4Me, WindowShade and PopCopy.<br /> TypeIt4Me enables me to save thousands of keystrokes a week. WindowShade allows me to have lots of open windows on my desktop all shrunk to the size of an icon or window title bar and Pop Copy gives me as many clipboards as i want and doesn’t lose any of them when i shutdown.<br /> I have and use some others mentioned but all of these add much to the ease of use and productivity. </p> <div class="posted">#9 | Saturday, May 17, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_two"> <p><strong>Scott</strong> said:</p> <p>Thanks for the pointers. I’ve downloaded the trial versions of Image Tricks and 1Password.</p> <p>My personal favorite is DragThing. The Dock is shoved off to the side - and avoided whenever possible. </p> <div class="posted">#10 | Saturday, May 17, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_one"> <p><strong>Otis of Mayberry</strong> said:</p> <p>Brian, haven’t you heard? Quicksilver is dead. No more development. Frankly, that’s a good thing, Yes, it was loaded with ‘power user’ features that only the geeks would love, but it was buggy as Windows Vista, more arcane than Outlook, and not worthy to be Mac software with a long life. Kate, you did everyone a service by not including Quicksilver. Your list is good, not geeky. </p> <div class="posted">#11 | Saturday, May 17, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_two"> <p><strong>Brian</strong> said:</p> <p>Otis—i disagree. It is free, and works flawlessly as a simple application launcher (something not mentioned here). Something which will make your life so much easier! Anyway—I am sending my Merlin Mann robot to your house to show you what is what. </p> <div class="posted">#12 | Saturday, May 17, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_one"> <p><strong>Jan Onik</strong> said:</p> <p>No, no, no. No Quicksilver zealots, please. It’s a purely a power user, nerdy, geeky utility, not for the masses of Mac users. All the utilities on this list are to be used by mere mortals, not the kind of Mac user who invites pain and suffering, which often accompanies Quicksilver. </p> <p>I used QS for over a year on two Macs, both of which it would crash or hang with regularity. There was always something wrong with QS which required frequent updates. Then, the QS development team <a href="http://lifehacker.com/software/exclusive-lifehacker-interview/quicksilvers-creator-on-the-future-of-qs-330548.php"> threw in the towel</a> and shoved it off to open source, the elephant graveyard for utilities (mostly) that can’t make it in the real world.</p> <p>QS is a dream that never came true, a utility for Mac users who use their keyboards 27 hours a day.</p> <p>Kate, your list is spot on. All worthy Mac utilities that most of the rest of us can manage. </p> <div class="posted">#13 | Saturday, May 17, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_two"> <p><strong>George W.</strong> said:</p> <p>It’s gotta be close to impossible to trim the number of ‘must have’ utilities to less than a dozen. That’s no offense to those on your list. All are capable, and certainly useful for nearly everyone. So is Flip4Mac, the only Mac add-on that lets us view Windows Media Video in Safari. I’m not so sure Stuffit is a ‘must have’ anymore. Its’ day is over. TypeIt4Me is good, too, but one I find completely indispensable is PTHPasteboard, for multiple clipboards. That’s a ‘must have.’ </p> <div class="posted">#14 | Saturday, May 17, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_one"> <p><strong>Thomas Benner</strong> said:</p> <p>MainMenu is a must have. Simple to use, yet extremely powerful and practical. </p> <div class="posted">#15 | Monday, May 19, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_two"> <p><strong>computer components</strong> said:</p> <p>you got that right, mac users are different than windows users. whoever uses mac will never go back to (or start using) windows </p> <div class="posted">#16 | Wednesday, June 11, 2008</div> </div> <div class="frame_comments_one"> <p><strong>connectionfailure</strong> said:</p> <p>Instead of QuickSilver try ManyTricks’ “Butler”.<br /> For fixing what’s broke in theOpen/Save dialog box you can’t go past “DefaultFolder”<br /> If you work in an office with Windows users you’ll love WinShortCutter and BlueHarvest (stops those pesky .DS_Store files)<br /> Get as many QuickLook plugins as you can. Some are free.<br /> “aLunch” is a nice free menubar launcher. </p> <div class="posted">#17 | Wednesday, January 13, 2010</div> </div> <div class="paginate"> </div> </div> <a name="post"></a> <form id='comment_form' method="post" action="http://pixobebo.com/index.php/pixonomy/comments/6_top_utilities_you_must_have_on_your_mac/" > <div class='hiddenFields'> <input type="hidden" name="ACT" value="1" /> <input type="hidden" name="RET" value="http://pixobebo.com/index.php/pixonomy/comments/6_top_utilities_you_must_have_on_your_mac/" /> <input type="hidden" name="URI" value="/pixonomy/comments/6_top_utilities_you_must_have_on_your_mac/" /> <input type="hidden" name="PRV" value="pixonomy/preview" /> <input type="hidden" name="XID" value="85a1263db8df4d67a06db414ee5bbd465a14e053" /> <input type="hidden" name="entry_id" value="104" /> <input type="hidden" name="site_id" value="1" /> </div> <h3>Add A Comment</h3> <div class="frame_comments"> <p>Your name:</p> <input type="text" id="name" name="name" value="" size="40" /> <p>Your email address (required):</p> <input type="text" id="email" name="email" value="" size="40" /> <p>Your location:</p> <input type="text" id="location" name="location" value="" size="40" /> <p>Your home page:</p> <input type="text" id="url" name="url" value="http://" size="40" /> <p>Add your comment below:</p> <textarea name="comment" cols="60" rows="10"></textarea> <p><input type="checkbox" class="buttons" name="save_info" value="yes" /> Remember my personal information! 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