“Got a favorite Mac software title? Tell me about it. I might like it, too. Or not.”
The Swiss Army Knife of graphic utilities. Something of a poor man’s Photoshop but the claim to fame is batch conversion of file formats and a tool for everything. Cumbersome and cluttered interface but it works.
GraphicConverter is an all-purpose image editing program that can import 200 different graphic-based formats, edit the image, and export it out of 80 file available file formats. The high-end editing tools are perfect for graphic manipulation as well as the ability to use Photoshop-compatible plug-ins. It offers batch-conversion capabilities, a slide show window, and so much more.
9WR - GraphicConverter: Swiss Army Knife utility for graphic images and photographs.
The ultimate Mac shortcut utility. Assign a keyboard shortcut to open files, folders, documents, applications, whatever. A good way to test your memory, too, trying to remember all those shortcuts.
AliasKeys lets you assign keystrokes to open files and folders. Any item that the Finder can open may be dragged to the list of AliasKeys and assigned a combination of keys, to open it without touching your mouse. You can use AliasKeys for applications, documents, folders, aliases, preference panels, servers, scripts… even web pages!
9WR - AliasKeys: Assign specific keystrokes to open files, folders, applications, utilities.
Handy one-trick pony to figure aspect ratios, typically for editing movies. One click delivers horizontal and vertical aspect ratio. Also has reverse mode for targeted ratio.
aspectRatio is a simple self contained application that calculates both fixed and custom aspect ratio conversions. Conversions can be triggered using your mouse or with keyboard commands.
9WR - aspectRatio: Utility figures screen aspect ratios. Click, enter target ratio.
Interesting tool that does what it says—counts words. Total number of words, total instances of words in a document, gives a sortable summary of words. The only drawback is the constant need to drop the words into Word Counter.
Text can be typed, pasted, or dragged into the window. Word Counter can automatically update the count based on a user-defined time interval. It can show the progress achieved towards a set goal for the total number of words and characters. It also can perform bulk counts on multiple files and folders simply by dropping them onto the window. Word Counter can count the number of times a particular word appears in a document.
9WR - Word Counter: Counts total words, instances of words, creates summary table.
Our favorite free non-iChat audio, video, and chat utility. Good for VoIP phone calls, decent video and audio, good chat sessions. Live and talk dangerously with the new Skype; for Mac, Windows, and iPhone.
Talk to friends, family and co-workers across the internet without long distance telephone charges. It works by using P2P technology for the data transmission, meaning there is no central server as a middle manager.
9WR - Skype: iChat-like VoIP utility for audio, video, chat, free phone calls.
Popular bibliographic references manager. Integrates with TeX, creates citations and, duh, bibliographies. Lots of drag and drop and cut and paste.
BibDesk is designed to help organize and use bibliographic databases in BibTeX .bib format. In addition to manual typing, drag & drop or cut & paste .bib files into the bibliographic database and automatically opens files downloaded from PubMed. Also keeps track of electronic copies of literature on your computer.
9WR - BibDesk: Bibliographic reference manager, creates citations, bibliographies, features drag, drop.
Popular writer’s tool. If there’s a book inside you waiting to get out, try Jer’s Novel Writer. Elegant but with plenty of useful writing features.
Jer’s Novel Writer is a relatively simple word processor with extra features to support large creative writing projects. This program is all about momentum, and reducing the number of things that break the flow when I am writing. Jer’s Novel Writer is designed to help me keep writing when the creative juices are flowing, and then find all the things I need to go over again when I am more in a nitty-gritty mood.
9WR - Jer’s Novel Writer: Writer’s tool; margin notes, auto outlining, full screen, database.
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