The First Applications I Install on Any New Mac
Whenever a new Mac shows up here, or for that matter, whenever I reconfigure a Mac or install a new OS, one of the first things I do is install this base group of 10 applications.
My list of 10 must-have applications doesn't include any of the major productivity applications, such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite, that most users rely on for their daily tasks. I'll install them later, but they're not top priorities.
Instead, the applications and utilities I install first are designed to provide a framework that will make it easier to use and manage my Mac.
To come up with this list, I looked through the applications I've previously installed on all of the Macs here at home and in our office. I then thought about recently purchased Macs, and what I installed first. I actually came up with a long list of applications and utilities, which I whittled back down to the top 10.
Without further ado, here is the top 10 list of applications I install first on a Mac.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: 1Password
1Password is a handy password manager that frees me from having to maintain a list of login data for all of the various sites and services I use daily on my Mac. Besides login information, I also keep application serial numbers in 1Password, which is one reason why its one of the first applications I install.
If I had to install applications without having 1Password available, I would waste a great deal of time running down licenses and serial numbers.
Instead, 1Password puts the information at my fingertips, letting a new install on a Mac go very smoothly.
1Password was a Reader's Choice award runner up in 2010, as well as a Tom's Mac Software Pick in 2009 and 2014. You can find out more about 1Password at the publisher's web site.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: Firefox
I have to say that generally I prefer Apple Safari for day-to-day web browsing. But Firefox also has a place on my Mac, in fact, a very important one. Without Firefox installed, a few of the web sites I need to work with won't function correctly.
Even though I prefer Safari, Firefox is one of the best available browsers for the Mac, and Mozilla is very good at keeping it up to date.
It seems many other Mac users agree that Firefox is indispensable, so much so that Firefox won the Reader's Choice award in 2010 in the web browser category.
If you need Firefox, you can download the Mac version from the Mozilla web site.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: SuperDuper
If there's one thing I'm diligent about, it's backups. Backup, backup, backup. It always must be said at least three times, just for emphasis. It's that important.
I use Apple's Time Machine for my general backup system; it's easy to use and robust. But I also like to have something to fall back on, especially when it comes to computer backups. If you have ever found yourself in the middle of restoring a backup because of a system failure of some type, you know how gut wrenching it is to discover your backup is corrupt and can't be used.
That's why I maintain multiple backups, as well as multiple backup methods. It may seem a bit extreme, but it doesn't hurt to be paranoid, at least when it comes to protecting your computer's data. I use Time Machine and SuperDuper in combination to create a robust backup system for my Macs.
I use SuperDuper to create bootable clones of my startup drive. With SuperDuper I can easily get back to work quickly should a drive fail or important data become corrupt. By just re-booting and setting the SuperDuper clone as the startup drive, I can be back to work in about the time it takes to restart my Mac.
SuperDuper is my personal choice for a clone-making backup application. I like it for its user interface, and ability to schedule the creation of startup clones. But it's not the only choice. Carbon Copy Cloner is another popular backup application with very similar capabilities. No matter which backup application you decide to use, be sure to get it installed and working right away on that new Mac.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: TextWrangler
TextWrangler is a handy text editor. It has some basic features that I tend to need a few times when I'm first configuring a new Mac, including the ability to open hidden files without first using Terminal to make the files visible.
Another TextWrangler feature I use a great deal is its Search/Find/Replace capabilities. You can even use Grep (a command line search and replace tool originally written for various UNIX shells) regular expressions for searching through documents.
I find this especially useful when trying to pick out events in log files while troubleshooting.
Once I have a properly configured Mac, I tend to install other text editors designed more for the type of tasks I perform on a daily basis. But TextWrangler always has a place on my Macs, and I use it often for troubleshooting or to quickly access hidden text files.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: Cocktail
Cocktail is a system utility that provides quick and convenient access to many OS X settings that are normally hidden from users. With Cocktail, you can easily set user interface options such as the number of recent items to display in the 'Open Recent' menu, and where to place scroll bars on a window. One thing I always do with Cocktail is change the screen shot format from PNG to TIFF. I need to use TIFF format for specific work I do, and having it as the default is easier then converting multiple files to the proper format.
Cocktail also provides access to some hidden Time Machine capabilities, such as using Time Machine on non-Apple network drives. You can also use Cocktail to eliminate one of the most annoying dialogs that Time Machine pops up again and again, asking if you want to use a newly connected drive as a Time Machine backup. No, I don't, thank you very much, and quit asking me!
Cocktail also provides a set of maintenance routines that can be run manually or at scheduled intervals.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 14/18/2015
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: VLC
VLC is a media player, much like Apple's QuickTime or DVD Player. VLC understands many audio and video formats; you can also use it as a media converter. One reason I install VLC is because it can play back all of the popular Windows media formats, both video and audio.
VLC is important to have installed if you will be using your Mac as part of a home entertainment center. VLC can output multi-channel audio (Surround Sound for your movies) via the optical output of your Mac.
With all of the media formats VLC supports, you'll be able to play back just about any audio or video file you come across.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs - Toast
The OS X Finder and Apple's Disk Utilities are capable of burning CDs and DVDs. But Roxio's Toast does it with a much easier to use interface, provides more options, and even burns media types (Blu-ray) that Apple doesn't yet support.
Toast also provides a slew of additional applications as part of the package, including live screen capture that lets you record what is happening on your Mac's display, as well as streaming web capture to record just about any streaming content.
Toast brings such a wide selection of data, audio, and video tools to your Mac that it will easily become your go-to application for burning media.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: Meteorologist
OK, I admit it. Meteorologist brings no must-have capability to your Mac, unless you’re a weather geek. Now I'm not saying I'm a weather geek. I use Meteorologist to keep up with weather warnings, such as thunderstorms, high winds, or tornadoes, that could impact the servers we use here at home and in our home office. It's always nice to know when I should be prepared to shut things down.
Are you buying any of this?
OK, fine! I admit it. I just like seeing the current weather displayed in my Mac's menu, as well as having quick access to local radar and forecasts.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: Google Earth
Xcode is Apple's development environment for creating applications for the Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It is available free as a download from the Apple developer site. Xcode supports a number of development languages, but the newest offering from Swift, Apple's replacement for Objective C, and the new standard for developing for iOS and OS X.
Even if you're not a developer, you may want to install the Xcode environment.
The included editor is handy for any code-related work you might do. The included Plist editor is a fairly good XML editor, although it's geared toward Apple's Plist format.
And once you have Xcode installed, you may get the urge to try your hand at a little bit of programming. Stop by and see David Bolton, About.com Guide to C/C++ C#. He has a beginner tutorial for creating your first iPhone app.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Google Earth; what can I say? This free application from Google is a map lover's dream. You can visit any place on the earth without ever leaving your desk. Depending on where you're visiting, you may be able to zoom in from a sky-high view all the way down to a street-level scene.
Google Earth is just plain fun, but it's also useful. Ever wondered what's just over the hill from you? With Google Earth, you can take a peek without leaving home.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Whenever a new Mac shows up here, or for that matter, whenever I reconfigure a Mac or install a new OS, one of the first things I do is install this base group of 10 applications.
My list of 10 must-have applications doesn't include any of the major productivity applications, such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite, that most users rely on for their daily tasks. I'll install them later, but they're not top priorities.
Instead, the applications and utilities I install first are designed to provide a framework that will make it easier to use and manage my Mac.
To come up with this list, I looked through the applications I've previously installed on all of the Macs here at home and in our office. I then thought about recently purchased Macs, and what I installed first. I actually came up with a long list of applications and utilities, which I whittled back down to the top 10.
Without further ado, here is the top 10 list of applications I install first on a Mac.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: 1Password
1Password is a handy password manager that frees me from having to maintain a list of login data for all of the various sites and services I use daily on my Mac. Besides login information, I also keep application serial numbers in 1Password, which is one reason why its one of the first applications I install.
If I had to install applications without having 1Password available, I would waste a great deal of time running down licenses and serial numbers.
Instead, 1Password puts the information at my fingertips, letting a new install on a Mac go very smoothly.
1Password was a Reader's Choice award runner up in 2010, as well as a Tom's Mac Software Pick in 2009 and 2014. You can find out more about 1Password at the publisher's web site.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: Firefox
I have to say that generally I prefer Apple Safari for day-to-day web browsing. But Firefox also has a place on my Mac, in fact, a very important one. Without Firefox installed, a few of the web sites I need to work with won't function correctly.
Even though I prefer Safari, Firefox is one of the best available browsers for the Mac, and Mozilla is very good at keeping it up to date.
It seems many other Mac users agree that Firefox is indispensable, so much so that Firefox won the Reader's Choice award in 2010 in the web browser category.
If you need Firefox, you can download the Mac version from the Mozilla web site.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: SuperDuper
If there's one thing I'm diligent about, it's backups. Backup, backup, backup. It always must be said at least three times, just for emphasis. It's that important.
I use Apple's Time Machine for my general backup system; it's easy to use and robust. But I also like to have something to fall back on, especially when it comes to computer backups. If you have ever found yourself in the middle of restoring a backup because of a system failure of some type, you know how gut wrenching it is to discover your backup is corrupt and can't be used.
That's why I maintain multiple backups, as well as multiple backup methods. It may seem a bit extreme, but it doesn't hurt to be paranoid, at least when it comes to protecting your computer's data. I use Time Machine and SuperDuper in combination to create a robust backup system for my Macs.
I use SuperDuper to create bootable clones of my startup drive. With SuperDuper I can easily get back to work quickly should a drive fail or important data become corrupt. By just re-booting and setting the SuperDuper clone as the startup drive, I can be back to work in about the time it takes to restart my Mac.
SuperDuper is my personal choice for a clone-making backup application. I like it for its user interface, and ability to schedule the creation of startup clones. But it's not the only choice. Carbon Copy Cloner is another popular backup application with very similar capabilities. No matter which backup application you decide to use, be sure to get it installed and working right away on that new Mac.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: TextWrangler
TextWrangler is a handy text editor. It has some basic features that I tend to need a few times when I'm first configuring a new Mac, including the ability to open hidden files without first using Terminal to make the files visible.
Another TextWrangler feature I use a great deal is its Search/Find/Replace capabilities. You can even use Grep (a command line search and replace tool originally written for various UNIX shells) regular expressions for searching through documents.
I find this especially useful when trying to pick out events in log files while troubleshooting.
Once I have a properly configured Mac, I tend to install other text editors designed more for the type of tasks I perform on a daily basis. But TextWrangler always has a place on my Macs, and I use it often for troubleshooting or to quickly access hidden text files.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: Cocktail
Cocktail is a system utility that provides quick and convenient access to many OS X settings that are normally hidden from users. With Cocktail, you can easily set user interface options such as the number of recent items to display in the 'Open Recent' menu, and where to place scroll bars on a window. One thing I always do with Cocktail is change the screen shot format from PNG to TIFF. I need to use TIFF format for specific work I do, and having it as the default is easier then converting multiple files to the proper format.
Cocktail also provides access to some hidden Time Machine capabilities, such as using Time Machine on non-Apple network drives. You can also use Cocktail to eliminate one of the most annoying dialogs that Time Machine pops up again and again, asking if you want to use a newly connected drive as a Time Machine backup. No, I don't, thank you very much, and quit asking me!
Cocktail also provides a set of maintenance routines that can be run manually or at scheduled intervals.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 14/18/2015
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: VLC
VLC is a media player, much like Apple's QuickTime or DVD Player. VLC understands many audio and video formats; you can also use it as a media converter. One reason I install VLC is because it can play back all of the popular Windows media formats, both video and audio.
VLC is important to have installed if you will be using your Mac as part of a home entertainment center. VLC can output multi-channel audio (Surround Sound for your movies) via the optical output of your Mac.
With all of the media formats VLC supports, you'll be able to play back just about any audio or video file you come across.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs - Toast
The OS X Finder and Apple's Disk Utilities are capable of burning CDs and DVDs. But Roxio's Toast does it with a much easier to use interface, provides more options, and even burns media types (Blu-ray) that Apple doesn't yet support.
Toast also provides a slew of additional applications as part of the package, including live screen capture that lets you record what is happening on your Mac's display, as well as streaming web capture to record just about any streaming content.
Toast brings such a wide selection of data, audio, and video tools to your Mac that it will easily become your go-to application for burning media.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: Meteorologist
OK, I admit it. Meteorologist brings no must-have capability to your Mac, unless you’re a weather geek. Now I'm not saying I'm a weather geek. I use Meteorologist to keep up with weather warnings, such as thunderstorms, high winds, or tornadoes, that could impact the servers we use here at home and in our home office. It's always nice to know when I should be prepared to shut things down.
Are you buying any of this?
OK, fine! I admit it. I just like seeing the current weather displayed in my Mac's menu, as well as having quick access to local radar and forecasts.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Top 10 Applications I Install on My Macs: Google Earth
Xcode is Apple's development environment for creating applications for the Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It is available free as a download from the Apple developer site. Xcode supports a number of development languages, but the newest offering from Swift, Apple's replacement for Objective C, and the new standard for developing for iOS and OS X.
Even if you're not a developer, you may want to install the Xcode environment.
The included editor is handy for any code-related work you might do. The included Plist editor is a fairly good XML editor, although it's geared toward Apple's Plist format.
And once you have Xcode installed, you may get the urge to try your hand at a little bit of programming. Stop by and see David Bolton, About.com Guide to C/C++ C#. He has a beginner tutorial for creating your first iPhone app.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014
Google Earth; what can I say? This free application from Google is a map lover's dream. You can visit any place on the earth without ever leaving your desk. Depending on where you're visiting, you may be able to zoom in from a sky-high view all the way down to a street-level scene.
Google Earth is just plain fun, but it's also useful. Ever wondered what's just over the hill from you? With Google Earth, you can take a peek without leaving home.
Published: 5/20/2010
Updated: 12/30/2014