Mac Programs I Recommend

I love learning new computer software, and so I'm always trying out new programs. Every once and a while I come across a little gem that I feel is worth sharing with others. Here are some programs I find useful, maybe you will too.

Free (Open Source)

Quicksilver

This is my absolute must have of launching programs. I only put my most used apps in my Dock to keep it clean and simple. Instead of having a full dock, cluttering up my screen, Quicksilver lets me still have quick access to ALL my programs and much more! To use Quicksilver you just:

1. Hit a keystroke (I set mine to Command–Escape and change Front Row's keystroke to Control-Escape).
2. Start typing the name of the app (or webpage bookmark, address book entry, etc.).
3. Hit Return.

That’s it... the application, webpage, etc. is now launching!

While it took me a little while to break my old habits and start using a program like this, now I can’t live without it. It’s at the top of my all time favorite programs, and it’s really, really fast. There are great plugins adding more functionality, such as a Calculator and multiple Clipboard. This is a program you don’t want to miss.

The project has gone Open Source on Google Code (the original creator is no longer working on the project).
Original Website: http://blacktree.com/?quicksilver
Project Website: http://code.google.com/p/blacktree-alchemy/downloads/list

Free, Donations Welcome

Name Mangler

This is a great app to rename files. You can search and replace for text in file names, sequentially rename files, and much more. This app used to be called FileList.

http://www.manytricks.com/namemangler

Free (Open Source), Donations Welcome

Cyberduck

This is a great FTP program that has an elegant, yet easy to use interface. It’s everything you want an FTP browser to be: simple to understand and use, and importantly it’s fast! For those of you still using Fetch, you really have to try this out. It has the simplicity of good ol’ versions of Fetch, but in a great looking modern app that is free (like Fetch use to be)!

http://cyberduck.ch

Free, Donations Welcome

ExifRenamer

If you’re a digital photographer you know how useless the file names are once you’ve downloaded pics from your camera. This program renames them with the date (year, month, day minute, sec) that the image was taken!

TIP: Go into the Preferences and uncheck Confirm each file.
That really speeds things up.

http://www.qdev.de/?location=mac/exifrenamer

Free Trial Available, $29 for image capture / $69 for image & movie capture

SnapzPro

If you take many screenshots (or video captures of your screen) this is a great program to have. You can choose the exact item (or items) you want to capture and preview the screen shot before you take it! You can even capture a window and SnapzPro will add a clean drop shadow around it to make clean screen captures a breeze. The video demos for all my InDesign scripts were recorded with Snapz.

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/

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