These are free applications that I have tried and liked. This list is updated as needed.
Key:
X11: requires Apple’s X11
OSS: Open Source Software
Ltd: Limited version of a commercial app
Word processors and text editors
- NeoOffice - Native OS X version of OpenOffice.org (word processor, spreadsheet program, drawing program, presentation program and equation editor) [OSS]
- OpenOffice.org - OpenOffice.org for OS X (not a native OS X application) [OSS, X11]
- VooDooPad Lite - A notepad application that supports multiple linked pages within a document and has outlining feautres. Exports to DOC and RTFD [Ltd]
- TextWrangler - The lite version of BBEdit, a very advanced editor [Ltd]
- Smultron - A simple, powerful editor [OSS]
- Aquamacs - An Aqua version of the classic and extensible Emacs text editor [OSS]
Utilities
- ClamXav - A free virus scanner [OSS]
- CominePDFs - Merge pdf files into one large document [OSS]
- PDFLab - Merge and combine pdf files
- DesInstaller - Reads package receipts and removes every file installed by a pkg file
- DropCompress - Drag and drop to zip or tar.gz files [OSS]
- YemuZip - Create zip files
- UnRarX - Rar extractor
- OnyX - An OS X system preferences adjustor and system optimizer
- Quicksilver - An advanced file and application launcher with many plugins
- Butler - A file, application, etc. launcher
- Fink - Tools for installing Linux applications (apt-get style) [OSS, some require x11]
- Himmelbar - An application launcher
- Tigerlaunch - An application launcher
- iScroll - Adds two-finger scrolling to pre-2005 iBooks and PowerBooks [OSS]
Web and graphics
- Firefox and Thunderbird - Duh [OSS]
- Camino - The OS X native browser from Mozilla with slightly better OS X integration [OSS]
- Opera - Another browser with advanced features
- Shiira - A native browser based on Web Kit, has an integrated RSS reader [OSS]
- Shrook - A feature-packed RSS reader
- NetNewsWire Lite - An RSS reader [Ltd]
- Vienna - An open-source RSS reader [OSS]
- Nvu - Graphical XHTML and CSS editor (creates standards-compliant XHTML, based on Mozilla composer) [OSS]
- Taco - An XHTML editor
- Bleezer - Desktop blog editor
- Qumana - Desktop blog editor
- Cyberduck - Graphical FTP client [OSS]
- OneButton FTP - FTP client [OSS]
- Seashore - A native Mac OS X image editor, based on Gimp [OSS]
- Gimp.app - Gnu Image Manipulation Program for OS X [OSS, X11]. Also see: GIMPshop, the same code, but with Photoshop style menues [OSS, X11]
- ImageWell - Basic image editor
- Inkscape - A vector drawing app [OSS, X11]
- Google Earth - Satellite imaging tool
Academic and research
- R - The statistical programming environment based on the S language [OSS]
- Gretl - Gnu Regression, Econometrics and Time Series Library, a graphical econometrics and statistics application [OSS, X11]
- MacTeX - A packaged LaTeX distribution for OS X that includes gwTeX, TeXShop, BibDesk, i-Installer, additional fonts and other utilities [OSS]
- i-Installer/gwTeX - The i-Installer application, which allows easily downloading and installing gwTeX and other LaTeX utilities for the Mac [OSS]
- TeXShop - Frontend for LaTeX on OS X [OSS]
- iTeXMac - Another LaTeX frontend for OX S [OSS]
- TeXMaker - Another LaTeX frontend for OS X [OSS]
- LyX - A graphical (what you see is what you mean) frontend to LaTeX (works with gwTeX/MacTeX or teTeX via Fink) [OSS]
- BibDesk - A graphical BibTeX database manager [OSS]
- Plot - A native 2D plotting utility
Music
- Finale Notepad - Simple sheet music composition [Ltd]
- Senuti - An application that allows you to download music from your iPod to your Mac [OSS]
Resources for more
- del.icio.us/tag/osx
- Super OS X menubar items
- Must have software for OS X
- Native OS X Applications (Hyperjeff)
- OpenSourceMac.org
- Free OpenSource Software Mac Users Group
- opensourcemac [nothickmanuals]
I hope you enjoyed reading this article. You may now subscribe to my RSS Feed, scroll down to leave a comment, or get back to the homepage.
No User Comments Yet. In This Post
Subscribe To This Post Comment Rss Or TrackBack URL