! Check this page in my blog for more essential-free-mac-osx-apps

Hello,

on of my main problems after changing from linux and windows to macintosh and OS X was to find some suitable software which could substitude the apps i was known to due my last years with computers.

Basicly we have to devide between apps brought to us by apple directly with OS X and third-party applications. As i really prefer free software for personal usage the following links are mostly out of that corner.

a) usefull apple applications:

• DVD Player – A really well working DVD-Software which offers most function you will ever need to play a DVD
• iMovie – If u ever want to make a small video clip yourself, i.e. using your iSight camera, try this application
• iPhoto – Archive your pics, create slideshows with music and nice effects
• iTunes – well known music or media player. Personally i dont like it cause of the strange storage system
• Mail – an easy eMail client
• Photo Booth – Make pictures with your iSight camera. Includes some really funny effects
• Stickies – Create notes on your desktop and / or dashboard

As those applications are all delivered with your mac, you can just enjoy them without any search and installation work.

If u are searching third-party software for your mac, i really can recommend the following pages:

• VersionTracker
• MacUpdate

b) usefull third party applications:

• A
  • Adium – Free multi-messenger client
  • Azureus – Java BitTorrent Client
• B
  • BitTorrent – Free Torrent Client
  • Burn – Free burn application
• C
  • Camino – Browser alternative
  • Carboon Copy Cloner – Create and Backup Disk Images
  • CoCoNutWIFI – Displays wireless networks and their crypt method
  • Cog – Free and really basic mp3 player
  • Cyberduck – FTP and SFTP brower
  • Cronnix – Frontend for Cron
  • Crossover – Run Windows Apps on OSX
  • Chicken of the VNC – free VNC Client
  • clamXAV – Clam AV (anti virus) for OSX
• D
  • Disk Inventory X – Shows disk-usage
  • Dockless – Manage if an app is visible or not in your Dock
  • Doublecommand – Key remapping app
• E
• F
  • Firefox – Free brower, if safari is not yours
  • Fire – Multi-Messenger
  • Flock - Browser
• G
  • Gimp – Free graphic application
  • Google Earth – any comments needed ?
  • GrandPerspective – show disk usage graphically (like Disk Inventory X)
  • Growl – notification system
• H
  • Handbrake – multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter
• I
• J
• K
  • KisMAC - free stumbler application
  • KoolClip – Enlarge Clipboard
• L
  • Lab Tick – backlight control for powerbooks and macbooks
  • Lingon – control, edit, create launchd configuration files
• M
  
  • MainMenu – System Management tool like tinker tool etc…
    
  • MacTheRipper – DVD extractor for Mac OS X
  • MacFUSE – A FUSE-compliant file system implementation mechanism for Mac OSX
  • MacFusion – GUI for MacFUSE
  • MAMP – If the implemented MySQL and PHP solution is not enough for you
  • Marco Polo – context-aware computing for your portable Mac computer
  • Max – Free and easy audio ripper
  • MenuMeters – Hardware Monitor
  • Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection – To control Windows Clients remotly
  • MuCommander – MC like finder alternative
  • Monolingual – Delete unused languages
  • Musorg – MP3 Tagger and renamer
  • MPlayer – Video Player
  • MP3 Trimmer – Edit MP3 files
  • MagiCal – Calendar & Clock enhancement
• N
  • Namely – Application quick starter
  • NewsFire – RSS feeder
  • NeoOffice – OS X native port of OpenOffice.org without X11
• O
  
  • Onyx – Administration tool
  • OpenOffice – full-featured office productivity suite
• P
  
  • Parallels – Commercial Operating system virtualisation
  • Perian – AVI- and DivX-Support for QuickTime
• Q
  • QuickSilver – Quick Launcher
  • Q / Qemu – open source CPU emulator
• R
  • RsBrowser – FTP Client
  • RCDefaultApp – Define default applications for file extensions
• S
  • SetalphaValue – Add transparency to cocoa apps
  • Service Scrubber – Reconfigure Service Menu
  • SiteSucker – Mirror entire webpages
  • SharePoints – SMB & AFP Share-Application
  • Skim – Nicefeatured PDF viewer
  • Skype – p2p telephone client
  • Smultron – Free text editor
  • Son of Fugu – secure file transfer programm
• T
  • The Unarchiver – unarchiver for zip, tar, rar, 7-zip, stuffit & more
  • Thunderbird – Free Mail application
  • Transmission – Good & free Torrent client
  • TinkerTool – System Administration
  • Todos – display all your applications as icons in one window
  • Tomato Torrent – Free Torrent Client
  • Toast Titanium – Commercial burning tool
• U
  • UnRarX – GUI to expand RAR archives
  • UnAceX – Unarchive ACE files
• V
  • Vine Server – free VNC Server
  • Virtue – Virtual Desktops
  • VLC – Free media player
  • Vienna – RSS Reader
• W
  • Waterroof – Firewall Frontend
  • Wizzard – toggle between show/hide hidden files
  • WhatSize – Space measurement tool
• X
  • XChat Aqua – Free IRC Client
  • Xee – Free image viewer
  • Xfolders – alternative Finder Application (MC-Like)
  • Xspinner – System utility / maintenance
  • XMenu – Customize your menubar
• Y
• Z

Somethings missing ? Feel free to contact me

3rd party lists:

• http://osx.iusethis.com/top
• http://www.ajaxflakes.com/open-source/top-100-best-open-source-mac-software/
• http://macspecialist.org/content/articles/essential_apps/
• http://lifehacker.com/software/mac-os-x/rebuild-your-mac-with-20-useful-downloads-315981.php
• http://rangit.com/operating-systems/top-40-most-useful-free-mac-os-x-softwares/

EDIT:

I do list my favorite apps here:

Tags: 10.4, 10.5, best mac apps, essential mac applications, iusethis, usefull applications