July 2008 / July 2008 - Top 10 Mac Productivity Enhancing Applications

 

Once all but written off, Apple has made an extraordinary comeback thanks in no small part to the success of devices such as the iPod and iPhone. But consumer electronics aren’t the only component of their success; the venerable Mac has been making steady inroads into the PC-dominated world of computers. No longer solely the preference of graphic artists and musicians, Macs have started to appear in the offices of companies ranging from financial institutions to law firms. In this month’s Tech Brief we’ll take a look at our top 10 Mac applications that will boost your productivity both at home and in the office.

 

1. Quicksilver

 

What is it?
Quicksilver is a fast launch utility that allows you to quickly perform a variety of actions such as launching applications or sending email. Being both a powerful timesaver as well as free to use, Quicksilver has become one of the most widely used Mac applications.

 

How does it work?
By pressing a configurable hotkey or combination of keys (such as ctrl-space), Quicksilver presents you with a three paneled command window. In the first panel you enter the subject of the command (an application, file, email address, etc.), in the second panel you’ll be presented with an action for the subject (open, print, compose email), and the third panel presents any additional details.

For example, let’s say you want to email a quarterly report to a contact named Mr. Smith. In the first panel you would type in Quarterly Report then select the report from a side window which would appear, in the second panel you would type in email, and in the third panel Mr. Smith to select the recipient. A new email would then be created addressed to Mr. Smith with the Quarterly Report attached.

 

Where can you get it?
You can download Quicksilver for free at http://blacktree.com

 

 

2. Evernote

 

What is it?
Evernote is an application that allows you to capture information from various sources (websites, electronic documents, even printed or handwritten text from images), then organize and share it across devices and platforms.

 

How does it work?
Evernote uses a series of recognizers to make text within the various sources you specify as searchable. It even uses Advanced Image Recognition technology to index text in typed or handwritten notes that are captured and uploaded in images. The text is then uploaded online to Evernote where you can access it from anywhere.

For example: you can take a picture of a flyer you see on the street with your mobile phone, upload the image to Evernote, then return home and access the flyer from your computer by typing in some of the text that was on it. Evernote is great tool for capturing and organizing information.

 

Where can you get it?
Evernote is available as a free download for your computer and select mobile devices at http://www.evernote.com.

 

 

 

3. PocketMac - Blackberry for Mac

What is it?
Mac users are at a disadvantage when it comes to smartphones that can sync with their computer. Naturally the iPhone is an option, but many users (as well as their companies) may prefer for them to use a Blackberry. PocketMac is a Blackberry/Mac application that allows you to load new applications onto your Blackberry as well as synchronize your Mac email, contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes.

 

What applications work with PocketMac?

• Mail.app Email
• Entourage Email, Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes
• Address Book Contacts
• iCal Calendar and Tasks
• Now Contact/Now Up-To-Date Contacts, Calendars & Tasks
• Meeting Maker Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks
• Lotus Notes Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks
• Safari Bookmarks (One-Way sync)

Where can you get it?
PocketMac is available as a free download at http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/productivity_tools/blackberry.html

 

 

4. OpenOffice

What is it?
The de-facto standard for office suite applications is Microsoft Office, which is in fact available on the Mac. But for those users who don’t want to shell out $300 for Microsoft Office or purchase Apple’s iWork (which is incompatible with Office files), there is a free third party solution. Open Office is an open-source office suite that allows you to view, edit, and create a variety of office files including those associated with Microsoft Office. It’s programs are designed to closely mimic those of Office, and while it may take a little getting used to, it’s gaining popularity as an alternative to expensive proprietary software.

 

What Applications are Included?
Writer – a word processor similar to Microsoft Word
Calc – a spreadsheet application similar to Excel
Impress – a presentation program similar to PowerPoint
Base – a database program similar to Access
Draw – a graphics editor and desktop publisher similar to CorealDRAW and Microsoft Publishers

 

Where can you get it?
OpenOffice is available for free at http://www.openoffice.org

 

 

5. Delicious Library

What is it?
Delicious Library is a media cataloging application that allows you to electronically organize your collection of books, movies, music, and games.

 

How does it work?
Delicious library allows you to either manually enter or scan your product’s barcode using a Bluetooth scanner or your iSight camera. The application then looks up the item online and downloads its information. With the product information now stored on your computer you can categorize your media (for example: CDs leant to friends). Delicious Library also syncs with your iPod as well as Amazon.com, allowing you to view items for purchase similar to those in your library.

 

Where can you get it?
Delicious Library is available for $40 at http://www.delicious-monster.com

 

 

6. Novamind

 

What is it?
Novamind is a mind mapping application (similar to Microsoft Visio) that allows you to create a visual representation of your thinking process. For example if you have a project lined up, you'd be able to use Novamind to illustrate to your staff the various resources at your disposal and the tasks that need to be done. You'd then be able to draw connecting lines between them to show how it will all work together. This has been shown to help the thinking process and induce several benefits in terms of creativity, marketing, and presentation.

 

What are some it its benefits?

• Increased productivity through streamlining your thought process
• Enhances brainstorming sessions
• Allows you to create easier to understand presentations

 

Where can you get it?
Novamind is available for purchase at http://www.novamind.com

 

 

7. Adium

 

What is it?
There’s no question that instant messaging has become a technology staple of many offices. The ability to quickly send and receive notes is a great time saver. Unfortunately though there are a lot of different instant messaging applications and it can be confusing when you’re trying to keep track of who uses what program. Adium remedies this by providing a single application which supports multiple instant messaging programs. Now instead of clogging up your desktop with multiple instant messaging programs, you can just open Adium and access them in one window. Best of all, it’s free.

 

What Instant Messaging Applications are Supported?

• AOL Instant Messanger
• ICQ
• Yahoo! Messanger
• MSN Messenger
• Bonjour
• Myspace IM
• Jabber
• Google Talk
• Lotus Sometime
• Novell Groupwise

 

Where can you get it?
Adium is available as a free download at http://www.adiumx.com

 

 

8. Spaces

 

What is it?
Unlike the other applications we’ve listed here which need to be installed on your computer, Spaces is already included in Mac OS X Leopard. Spaces is a virtual desktop application that allows you to create multiple desktops (or spaces) without having to create new accounts.

 

Why is it useful?
How many times have you found yourself sifting through multiple open applications that are clogging your desktop? Spaces reduces the clutter by letting you assign applications to dedicated spaces such as “news”, “office work”, or “web browsing”. Virtual desktops are also great for testing out new applications before committing them permanently to your computer. There are almost unlimited uses depending on your needs.

 

Where can you get it?

As stated before, Spaces comes included with Mac OS X Leopard. If you don’t have Leopard there are third party desktop virtualization applications available such as Parallels (http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/)

 

 

9. Microsoft Entourage

 

What is it?
Entourage is an email client and personal information manager that is bundled for the Mac in the Microsoft Office suite. Although some will be quick to think of Entourage as a Mac version of Outlook, Microsoft is quick to point out that Entourage is a unique application intended “to address an entirely different audience.” While some Mac users are content to use OS X’s Mail, Address Book, and iCal features, users in corporate environments with an Exchange server will find Entourage to be a superior solution.

 

What are some of its features?

• Support for technologies such as Spotlight and Applescript
• Enhanced junk mail folder with frequent filter updates from Microsoft
• Anti-phishing component that automatically blocks a long list potentially malevolent file attachments
• My Day companion application that displays your upcoming calendar events and To Do items even when Entourage isn’t running

 

Where can you get it?

Entourage is available as part of the Microsoft Office Suite. More information can be found by clicking here.

 

 

10. SubEthaEdit

 

What is it?
At its most basic SubEthaEdit is a text editor, but where it really shines is its ability to let multiple users collaboratively edit in real-time over a local network or the Internet. Using a combination of Apple’s Bonjour software and its own internal engine, SubEthaEdit creates a zero-latency editing environment where text can be continuously edited without sections being locked out.

 

Why is it useful?
It should first be noted that a text editor is used to edit plain text files (usually configuration files and programming language source code), not document files such as those created by word processors like Microsoft Word. This means that SubEthaEdit is most useful for editing configuration files and programming language source code – text files that often demand teams of developers work on them at the same time. With SubEthaEdit developers can work together from separate computers to make changes, and in the case with html even see live-updated previews of their rendered code.

But its usefulness is not just limited to code writing. Many people use SubEthaEdit for collaborative note taking for conferences, meetings, or in the classroom. It’s even found use as a tool for collaborative screenplay and book writing.

 

Where can you get it?
You can download a free 30 day trial of SubEthaEdit from http://www.codingmonkeys.de/subethaedit. The full version retails for 29€.

 

Although this list is just the top of iceberg when it comes to productivity-enhancing Mac applications, using any one of these programs should make your computing experience at home or the office a little easier. If you have any questions about any of the applications we’ve discussed today, please feel free to contact us. Staples Network Services has many Mac engineers that can answer your questions about these products or offer suggestions for others which you may find useful.