Windows + Linux guy, switching to OSX

3 minute read Published:


I have recently switched to Mac full-time, coming from a Windows/Linux background.

Here are some general (easy to install/use) applications you might find useful.  (advanced notice might come out in a bit)

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Jing – free / can pay for extra features (multi-platform)

  <ul>
    <li>
      Take Screenshots: Capture an image of what you see on your computer screen
    </li>
    <li>
      Record Screencasts: Record up to 5 minutes of onscreen video + audio
    </li>
  </ul>

  <div>
    <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html">http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html</a> /<br /> <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/jing-features.html">http://www.techsmith.com/jing-features.html</a>
  </div>

  <div>
    <img src="http://content.screencast.com/users/alanblount/folders/Jing/media/fc0ef87d-f0b2-4b6b-90db-603d581c837a/00000089.png" alt="Inline image 2" /></p>

    <p>
      <img src="http://content.screencast.com/users/alanblount/folders/Jing/media/e92b706f-dda9-405e-a2a3-ac346423ffe4/00000090.png" alt="Inline image 3" /></div>

      <div>
        <span style="font-size: x-large;">Alfred &#8211; free / can pay for extra features</span>
      </div>

      <ul>
        <li>
          Increase your productivity<br /> by launching apps with shortcuts
        </li>
        <li>
          Instant access to<br /> web searches, bookmarks<br /> & more
        </li>
        <li>
          Browse and play music from your<br /> iTunes library<br /> quickly
        </li>
        <li>
          Perform actions<br /> =96 copy, move & email files & folders
        </li>
        <li>
          Ward off RSI<br /> =96 skip using the mouse with easy shortcuts
        </li>
      </ul>

      <div>
        <a href="http://www.alfredapp.com/">http://www.alfredapp.com/</a>
      </div>

      <div>
        <img src="http://content.screencast.com/users/alanblount/folders/Jing/media/093914f9-d0f3-487a-a289-3b39ba637c02/00000091.png" alt="Inline image 4" />
      </div>

      <div>
        note: I paid for the &#8220;powerpack&#8221; upgrade for things like global hotkeys.
      </div>

      <div>
        <img src="http://content.screencast.com/users/alanblount/folders/Jing/media/982ead0c-6f7e-4ace-9593-9cd3cb072530/00000092.png" alt="Inline image 5" width="420" height="315" />
      </div>

      <div>
        <span style="font-size: x-large;">SoundSource &#8211; free</span>
      </div>

      <p>
        SoundSource is a tiny application for Mac OS X enabling you to switch your audio input and output sources with a single click, and even adjust their volume settings.
      </p>

      <p>
        <a href="https://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/">https://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/</a>
      </p>

      <p>
        <img src="http://content.screencast.com/users/alanblount/folders/Jing/media/dadf1bcf-932b-46a3-b646-0b17312ce246/00000088.png" alt="Inline image 1" />
      </p>

      <div>
      </div>

      <div>
        <span style="font-size: x-large;">Growl &#8211; $1.99</span>
      </div>

      <div>
        <span style="font-size: medium;">(Excellent System/Application Notifications)</span>
      </div>

      <div>
        Skype&#8217;s internal notifications are annoying and worthless, upgrading to Growl and setting it as your notification system for skype will allow you to never miss a Skype message.<br /> <em>(now that I&#8217;ve made that statement, I&#8217;d better be more quickly<br /> responsive, eh?)</em>
      </div>

      <div>
        <a href="http://growl.info/">http://growl.info/</a> |</p>

        <p>
          <a href="http://growl.info/screenshots">http://growl.info/screenshots</a></div>

          <div>
            <img src="http://content.screencast.com/users/alanblount/folders/Jing/media/3e932110-c86b-45fc-81f4-8c9152591499/00000095.png" alt="Inline image 9" width="420" height="327" />
          </div>

          <div>
            <img src="http://content.screencast.com/users/alanblount/folders/Jing/media/8cefb5ee-c1d4-4f69-863c-0088a7af301a/00000093.png" alt="Inline image 6" width="420" height="222" />
          </div>

          <div>
            <em>(Yes, even though I&#8217;m cheap, I paid for it and happy I did)</em>
          </div>

          <div>
            <span style="font-size: x-large;">Caffeine &#8211; free<br /> </span>
          </div>

          <div>
            <span style="font-size: medium;">(great for presentations, watching a meeting, etc)</span>
          </div>

          <p>
            Caffeine is a tiny program that puts an icon in the right side of your menu bar. Click it to prevent your Mac from automatically going to sleep, dimming the screen or starting screen savers. Click it again to go back.
          </p>

          <div>
          </div>

          <div>
            <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/caffeine/id411246225?mt=12">http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/caffeine/id411246225?mt=12</a>
          </div>

          <div>
            <img src="http://content.screencast.com/users/alanblount/folders/Jing/media/d69dd27e-1b9b-4066-ba49-1745dcf87d49/00000094.png" alt="Inline image 7" />
          </div>

          <div>
            <span style="font-size: x-large;">Adium &#8211; free</span>
          </div>

          <div>
            Great multi-support IM client&#8230; covers just about everything but skype <img src="http://zeroasterisk.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" class="wp-smiley" />
          </div>

          <div>
            <a href="http://adium.im/">http://adium.im/</a> |<br /> <a href="http://adium.im/screenshots/">http://adium.im/screenshots/</a>
          </div>

          <div>
            <img src="http://adium.im/screenshots/images/overview.jpg" alt="Inline image 8" width="420" height="315" />
          </div>

          <div>
            <span style="font-size: x-large;">Synergy &#8211; free (multi-platform)</span>
          </div>

          <div>
            This one only barely makes the &#8220;easy&#8221; list&#8230; but if you have multiple computers+monitors sitting side-by-side, you can use this application to share a keyboard and mouse across them.<br /> If this sounds good to you, read up on it and we might be able to help you set it up&#8230; if not, ignore this one.
          </div>

          <div>
            <a href="http://synergy-foss.org/">http://synergy-foss.org/</a>
          </div>

          <div>
            <img src="http://content.screencast.com/users/alanblount/folders/Jing/media/357d1348-c3fd-4633-a489-3d14439eb724/00000096.png" alt="Inline image 10" />
          </div></div> </div> </div>

Published by in geek using 562 words.

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