Got a suggestion? Or want to add your product?! Please if you have any suggestions for best Mac OS apps!
I haven't included any of the default apps that come with Mac OS. All of these apps are actually used by me. Whenever I get a new machine I actually come to this page and download everything! And every so often I go through my apps and see if I regularly use anything that isn't on this list and I update it. Please email me with your suggestions - but I tend to stick with the apps that I have and already use!
BTW, as of Sept 2018 I have never accepted any payment for any app that was included on this list, and I've not used any affiliate links. There are a couple of Google ads on here but that is just to cover the tiny hosting and domain fees. Highly Recommended! The Unarchiver is a small and easy to use program that can unarchive many different kinds of archive files. It will open common formats such as Zip, RAR, 7-zip, Tar, Gzip, and Bzip2. It will also open many older formats, such as StuffIt, DiskDoubler, LZH, ARJ, and ARC.
It will even open other kinds of files, like ISO and BIN disc images, some Windows.EXE installers. The list is actually much longer - see the program homepage for the full list.
The Unarchiver also tries to detect and correctly handle the filename encoding in the archives it opens, allowing you to open files from every part of the world without getting garbled filenames. The Unarchiver aims to be the only unarchiving program you will ever need and to stay out of your way. I use this app most days - it sits at the top of your screen, you click its icon and you can see a full month's calendar.
Don't let the name trick you: it doesn't add an extra day to the year. I've actually been using it since the previous version, however that isn't available on the Mac App Store anymore. If you often finding yourself wanting a quick overview of the current month then this is useful - just click the icon at the top of your screen and a calendar (along with your events) appear. It is a bit pricey at $15 on the Mac App store but it gets quite a bit of usage from me. It is also available for sale on their website.
Ever notice how people texting at night have that eerie blue glow? Or wake up ready to write down the Next Great Idea, and get blinded by your computer screen? During the day, computer screens look good—they're designed to look like the sun. But, at 9 PM, 10 PM, or 3 AM, you probably shouldn't be looking at the sun. F.lux fixes this: it makes the color of your computer's display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day. It's even possible that you're staying up too late because of your computer. You could use f.lux because it makes you sleep better, or you could just use it just because it makes your computer look better.
A simple Mac app designed to make uploading images and screenshots to Imgur quick and effortless, as recommended by someone on Reddit. The application will listen for new screenshots taken by the built-in screenshot functionality of OS X.
In addition, images can be uploaded manually by either dragging and dropping an image on the status bar icon or clicking the 'Select images' option in the status bar menu. As soon as an image is uploaded, the link is copied to your clipboard and a notification pops up. Over 14 million people use Pocket to easily save articles, videos and more for later. With Pocket, all of your content goes to one place, so you can view it anytime, on any device. You can even read articles offline, making Pocket indispensable for subway commutes, flights, or anywhere else you find yourself without mobile data or Wi-Fi. Save articles, videos, recipes, and web pages you find online or from your favorite apps.
If it’s in Pocket, it’s on your phone, tablet or computer, even when you’re offline. Perfect for commutes, traveling, and curling up on your couch. Curb is designed to facilitate emptying the trash from removable media such as USB Keys. When files are deleted on removable media, it is stored in a special trash folder on the media. These files take up room, robbing your drive of free space. Ordinarily to remove these files the user must empty their own trash, which includes files you’ve deleted on the local system.
This is not always desirable. With Curb, emptying trash from a USB key becomes as easy as drag and drop. Drop any number of mounted USB keys onto Curb and each one will have the trash removed, all without losing your local trash. Getting your laptop or your phone stolen sucks, but there is something you can do about it.
Prey is a lightweight theft protection software that lets you keep an eye over them whether in town or abroad, and helps you recover them if ever lost or stolen. After installing the software on your laptop, tablet or phone, Prey will sleep silently in the background awaiting your command. Once remotely triggered from your Prey account, your device will gather and deliver detailed evidence back to you, including a picture of who's using it – often the crucial piece of data that police officers need to take action. Simplenote is an easy way to keep notes, lists, ideas and more. Your notes stay in sync with all your devices for free. The Simplenote experience is all about speed and efficiency. Open it, write some thoughts, and you're done.
As your collection of notes grows, you can search them instantly and keep them organized with tags and pins. You can also share notes and publish them for other people. The best way to learn about Simplenote is to try it. You'll be asked to create an account.
This allows your notes to be backed up online and synchronized automatically. The #1 Desktop Blog Editor for the Mac - The best way to write, preview, and publish your blog.
Works with WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, TypePad, Movable Type and dozens more through standard MetaWeblog and AtomPub interfaces. Work offline with local drafts on your Mac, preview the formatting and content of your posts, and publish when you're ready to share with the world. Easily browse for a photo from your iPhoto, Aperture, or Lightroom libraries, and embed it for automatic upload with your blog post. Perfect for professional bloggers and casual writers who don't want to mess around with clunky web-based interfaces. If you're lucky enough to have a Mac, nothing is more powerful or more elegant than MarsEdit. Enhance and perfect your photography anywhere.
With Lightroom, your photography goes where you go. Organize, edit and share your photos from anywhere. Your photos don’t always match the scene the way you remember it. But with Lightroom, you have all the tools you need to bring out the best in your photography. Punch up colors, make dull-looking shots vibrant, remove distracting objects and straighten skewed shots. Plus, the latest release includes powerful new ways to adjust atmospheric haze, create incredible HDR images and panoramas, import and edit faster and so much more. GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program.
It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc.
GIMP is expandable and extensible. It is designed to be augmented with plug-ins and extensions to do just about anything. The advanced scripting interface allows everything from the simplest task to the most complex image manipulation procedures to be easily scripted. With Spotify, it’s easy to find the right music for every moment – on your phone, your computer, your tablet and more. There are millions of tracks on Spotify. So whether you’re working out, partying or relaxing, the right music is always at your fingertips. Choose what you want to listen to, or let Spotify surprise you.
You can also browse through the music collections of friends, artists and celebrities, or create a radio station and just sit back. Soundtrack your life with Spotify. Subscribe or listen for free. Xee is a streamlined and convenient image viewer and browser. It is similar to Mac OS X's Preview.app, but lets you easily browse the entire contents of folders and archives, move and copy image files quickly, and supports many more image formats. It also shows animation for formats which support this.
It is designed to take full advantage of touch controls, allowing you to swipe through images in a folder one by one. You can of course also zoom and rotate files using multi-touch gestures.
Xee can also display huge amounts of metadata from image files. Loading images directly from archive files is also possible, and Xee works very well as a comic book reader. BTW you can find the older, open source versions on Github.
BBEdit a professional HTML and text editor for the Macintosh. Specifically crafted in response to the needs of Web authors and software developers, this award-winning product provides an abundance of high-performance features for editing, searching, and manipulation of text. An intelligent interface provides easy access to BBEdit’s best-of-class features, including grep pattern matching, search and replace across multiple files, project definition tools, function navigation and syntax coloring for numerous source code languages, code folding, FTP and SFTP open and save, AppleScript, Mac OS X Unix scripting support, text and code completion, and of course a complete set of robust HTML markup tools.
I am sometimes asked ‘What writing apps do you use?' And ‘What's the best writing software?' Now, I'm both an author and blogger, and I enjoy testing the latest and greatest writing apps and software as well as blogging tools. So, on this regularly updated page, you can find a list of writing apps and software as well as blogging tools I rely on. These are all tools I like, recommend, and most importantly, trust. Everything here will help you become a better, smarter and a more productive writer.
Ati hd2400 xt drivers for mac. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability.
Just remember, while today's writing software is useful and powerful, you should always put doing creative work first and that means spending time in the chair and writing your articles, books or stories! When you're done, you can tinker with the latest writing apps as a reward. Contents. Please note this page contains some affiliate links meaning I get a commission if you sign up via this page. The Best Apps and Software For Writing Today So, do you want to know what are the best writing apps and software that you can use to write articles, stories or even books? Well, remember that pen and paper worked just fine for William Shakespeare, and you should always put your craft ahead of any tool. That said, there are several great writing apps and tools that can help you write faster.
Here are the apps and software I've tried, tested and recommend to new writers: Scrivener I can’t recommend Scrivener enough as a writing app for longer-form works. I use this book writing software to write feature articles for newspapers, long-form content, reports, books and more. In the past, I used. These days, I use it mostly for long-form writing. Scrivener goes far beyond a regular word processor such as Microsoft Word.
This app makes it easier for writers as well as students to organise their ideas and manage more complicated writing projects, using both the desktop tool and mobile writing app. It's also available on iPad. Scrivener also has plenty of keyboard shortcuts to speed up the writing process. If you need help, you can learn how to use this book writing software faster by taking. Use for: writing books and longer-form works IA Writer IA Writer is my favourite distraction-free writing app for short blog posts and articles.
While Scrivener is great for managing large writing projects, this writing app is perfect for smaller ones. This writing app for iPad, iPhone and Mac helps writers overcome distractions through a feature called the Focus Mode. The writing tool also has a full-screen mode that highlights the line you are currently typing and fades out everything else on the document. This is one of the most ingenious features I have come across for focusing your mind on the current point, which is rather useful especially in creative writing projects. I use IA Writer on my laptop, desktop and mobile. It's an elegant, easy-to-use word processor and it syncs my writing across all of my devices.
Other minimalist writing app alternatives include Byword and WriteRoom. Use for: writing articles and blog posts A Plain Text Editor That's right, if you're writer on a budget, you don't need to spend any money buying expensive writing software or apps. Instead, you can use the text editor that comes free with your operating system. Just open up Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on a Mac. I like plain text editors for writing something short quickly and easily, without thinking much about it. I wrote a blog post about the benefits of using plain text editors as writing software. Use for: writing whatever, wherever Ulysses Ulysses is a more feature-rich alternative writing app to IA Writer.
For instance, it has features such as Markup-Based Text Editor, keyboard shortcuts so that writers can be faster, a library to organise all notes and documents, set writing goals, publish directly to WordPress and Medium, and so on. It includes mobile and tablet writing apps.
Arguably, it's not quite as distraction-free as IA Writer, but it helps you organise both small writing projects (like a blog post) and large ones (like a book). Use for: writing articles and blog posts Google Docs Google Docs writing templates I use Google Docs (part of GSuite) as a writing app to collaborate with other writers and editors. Well, Google Docs comes part of G Suite and as a word-processing software goes, it's easy to use and works anywhere.
I also use the rather generous Google Drive cloud storage to back up my writing, notes, source files, images, writing prompts and more. And, I can access my writing on the go (and update my Google docs) using the mobile app. Also enables me to send and receive emails from the ‘BecomeAWriterToday.com’ domain (bryanatBecomeAWriterToday.com) using the Gmail interface and also gives you additional storage for your images, files and more. The biggest advantage of Google Docs over Microsoft Word as a writing tool is its easy-to-use collaboration features. Everyone who has access to the file can work on it simultaneously.
Each user can leave comments on the document which is great for making clarifications or requesting changes during the writing process. Google Docs allows you to see the entire document history and the specific changes each user has made to the doc. Use for: collaborating with other writers or editors Final Draft Final Draft is the default app of choice for screenwriters. I don't write screenplays but I've experimented with Final Draft and it strikes me as an example of powerful writing software with a small learning curve. Use for: screen-writing Day One A snapshot from how I use the Day One writing app I'm a big believer in the power of journal writing for finding new ideas and conquering issues like writer's block. I use the writing app Day One every morning to write a short entry about what I'm struggling with and areas to focus on.
It syncs across all of my devices and supports pictures and markdown too. Use for: journal writing Evernote I use Evernote for writing outlines I use to record ideas for blog posts and book chapters during the day. Jotting down notes immediately when ideas come to you is a fantastic way of capturing random moments of inspiration as well as overcoming writer’s block. So this is certainly a note-taking app worth exploring. I also save articles and writing prompts I like into Evernote as part of my personal swipe file using the mobile app.
This tool also has several other features worth exploring such as dictation mode which will easily allow you to transcribe your voice notes as text, integrations, team collaboration and more. You can read about how I take charge of Evernote in. Bear is a popular alternative to Evernote. Use for: outlining Grammarly The Grammarly dashboard I use this application to check my blog posts and book chapters for typos and spelling mistakes. The premium version of Grammarly has powerful features that also help you to improve your writing skills.
It provides several editing recommendations such as avoiding passive voice, using shorter sentences, alternative word suggestions for using a broader vocabulary, and so on. Many of these features are also invaluable when you need to trim your word count. You can find out why I like this premium grammar checker in my. Use for: checking your work for grammar mistakes Ginger Software Ginger grammar checker Ginger software is an affordable alternative to Grammarly. I recommend the Ginger software writers who don’t consider english their primary language. It enables you to translate documents written in Spanish, french, german and more into english and check for grammar errors. Use for: checking your work for grammar mistakes ProWritingAid ProWritingAid is another proofreading and grammar checker writing app that will help you improve your writing and refine the art of the self-editing.
It works similarly to Grammarly and Ginger but it's more affordable. If you're unsure about this writing software and how it compares to the apps above, I recently published a detailed review and video comparison. Use for: self-editing Hemingway App Ernest Hemingway famously said: “If I started to write elaborately, or like someone introducing or presenting something, I found that I could cut that scrollwork or ornament out and throw it away and start with the first true simple declarative sentence I had written.” That's easier said than done.
Best Mac Apps For Writers
So they created a writing app with him in mind! The good news is writers can use Hemingway Editor to improve their writing and self-editing skills. Paste your text into the application and it will provide suggestions for removing an unnecessary word here and there such as adverbs or tautology. It also suggests reframing specific sentences from passive voice to active voice and much more.
Hemingway is quite useful when you wish to reduce your word-count without leaving out any essential points from your article. Use for: self-editing iMindMap A mindmap created with iMindMap I use iMindMap to create mind maps for articles and book chapters. This writing app enables me to finish articles faster. I recommend outlining as a way of working for non-fiction writers who want to increase their daily word-count.
This approach works particularly well if you then dictate your mindmaps as articles. IMindMap is the most advanced mind mapping tool available today but cheap alternatives include MindNode and MindMeister. Use for: outlining your non-fiction articles and chapters Dragon Dictate or Dragon Naturally Speaking I use dictation writing software to write 1,000s of words per hour when up against a deadline, something I just couldn’t pull off with a word processor. Dictation is not like typing, but it's a skill worth learning. For exploring this writing tool to write faster and converting, check out my guide to how I use the writing tool. If you're on a budget, you can try dictation by using the inbuilt software in Windows or Mac.
Use for: dictation Olympus WS-852 Dictaphone My dictaphone of choice Ok, so technically this isn't a writing app but a voice recorder or dictaphone can work well with writing software. I sometimes outline articles in advance in Evernote, print out my notes and then dictate these articles into this device. When finished dictating, I upload the file to Dragon Naturally speaking and transcribe it. This workflow enables me to write while away from my desk or while walking. It's also faster than typing and a break from sitting down in front of a screen. Use for: dictation Rev Rev is another useful dictation app for writers. Using the iPhone or Android app, you can dictate a draft into your phone and then upload to Rev for transcription by a human at $1 a minute.
Alternatively, if you interview someone for writing better non-fiction articles, you can save time by transcribing these interviews. It's more accurate than using a dictaphone but at a cost. Use for: transcriptions and dictation Got Questions About These Writing Apps? If you're still wondering what are good writing apps, I recorded this short video that reveals my 7 favourite apps based on the above list and how I use them. The Best Self-Publishing Tools (And Services) Once, you've written your book, it's time to self-publish it. To do that, you'll need a book cover, an editor and a great title. You'll also need a book that looks great on all devices.
These self-publishing tools (and services) can help you do all of those things. KDP Rocket KDP Rocket is an easy to use tool for researching keywords and popular books on the Amazon story. I, the creator of this tool, and he told me “marketing and writing should go hand in hand”.
KindleSpy is a great tool that will help you see which books are selling on Amazon and how much they earn. Then, you can use this information to increase sales of your book.
99 Designs I used to find a designer for the cover of my book: A Handbook for the Productive Writer, and I was delighted with the results. Vellum I love Vellum. One of the trickiest parts of self-publishing is creating a book that looks good. Or at least it was.
With Vellum, you can create beautiful looking e-books and print books in minutes. I prepare all my books for self-publishing with Vellum, and it's a delight to use. Pickfu Your book title is just as important as the cover.
If you need help coming up with a title for your book, check out. For a small cost, you can test various titles and get real-world feedback on what works and what doesn’t. Reedsy If you want to find a book editor, proof-reader or cover designer, Reedsy takes all the hassle out of it. When you sign up, you get access to a community of self-publishing professionals that are ready to work with you and on your book. The Best Blogging Tools So you want to start a blog.
Or perhaps you're wondering what are the best blogging tools? In short, start your blog using WordPress and self-host it on a domain you own. Then, you can worry about tools. Now, here's what I use: Siteground If you’re starting a self-hosted WordPress blog, consider for your web-hosting needs. They’re reliable and secure, and they will take care of all your technical queries. Studiopress Themes To save time, buy a premium WordPress theme that gives your blog a professional look and feel. I use Eleven40 Pro.
If you don't like it, Studiopress also offer a number of other quality WordPress themes for your blog. Sumo I sometimes get asked ‘ What tools do you use to market your blog posts successfully? When you evaluate apps for writers, you should also think about how to market what you write. Is an all-in-one tool that enables me to gather email addresses, set up a share bar on the side of my blog posts and also track how shares, likes and tweets. ConvertKit is an email service built for writers and bloggers. You can use it to create email courses based on your book and to send educational and sales emails to the right readers at the right time.
Unlike a lot of other email services, it’s easy to use, and ConvertKit even supports marketing automation. I reveal more in. LeadPages LeadPages is a drag-and-drop software tool that you can use to create landing pages and more for your blog.
It will also help you grow your email list faster. And, as blogging tools go, it's easy-to-use. I wrote a detailed explaining how I use this blogging tool. Canva Canva is a design tool for non-designers. If you're a blogger or author on a tight budget, you can create images for your posts and even book covers for free or for just a few dollars. It takes the headache out of design.
MeetEdgar Blogging is time-consuming, and so is using social media to promote your work. With MeetEdgar, you can automate some of your social media work and spend more time writing. It will help you build up a library of and schedule social media posts in advance. I use this tool to promote new and old blog posts, videos and also to share updates with readers. MeetEdgar also helps me drive traffic to this blog. Other Apps and Tools I use these tools and apps for research, to become more productive and, well, to hit my deadlines. Audible As a writer or blogger, research is part of your job.
I spend at least an hour a day listening to great audiobooks on my smartphone that I purchased from, and I listen to two audiobooks a month. If you sign up, they’ll give you your first two audiobooks for free. (Don't forget to check out my list of ) Trello Trello is a powerful project management tool that will help you collaborate with others and get things done.
I use this free app to manage my writing, to work with an editor and also to take charge of to-do lists on various blogging projects. Head over to the app store to install the free iPhone or iPad app and keep track of your projects on the go. Trello has a free Android app too. In-app purchase options allow you to access premium features.
Zoom Zoom is a great conferencing tool, but why do you need it? Well, when you want to talk to blog readers or interview subjects for your book, this simplifies all that. You can even record your video calls and host group calls and online meetings.
You might also want to Zoom has features that also enable you to record your video calls and host group calls and online meetings with readers or blog subscribers. There are plenty of similar tools, but Zoom’s voice quality is far superior than most free apps and you can clearly hear every word people say during the call. Freedom If you keep getting distracted while writing, use the app. It helps manage one of the biggest distractions that writers face- the internet! It will disable your internet access for a pre-determined period, allowing you to focus on writing and not on cat videos!
This app comes recommended by everyone from Tim Ferriss to Oprah. Writing Courses Steve Martin's Comedy Masterclass Is Masterclass worth it? Yes, the various courses are taught by top-rate professionals, it's affordable and you get life-time access to your materials alongside useful lesson notes. I highly recommend Steve Martins' course to help you develop your comedic writing skills. In 25 video lessons, teaches you everything from finding your voice to nailing your act. I've taken this class and it's perfect if you want to inject more colour into your writing.
Best Writing Software For Mac
Masterclass also provides a number of other writing courses from the likes of. If you want to write comedy, this course is for you. Guest Blogging Ok, ok this isn't a tool but is the fastest way to grow your blog.
If you want to get published on quality websites like Fast Company or Copyblogger, I can’t recommend Jon Morrow’s course Guest Blogging highly enough. Jon Morrow is the former editor of Copyblogger and KISSMetrics. In this premium course for non-fiction writers and bloggers, Jon and his team will teach you how to come up with quality blog post ideas every time.
And Jon will show you how to rise about crowd with your ideas and your writing. His team will help you pitch editors, get published and turn your new readers into raving fans. A Final Word on Writing Apps and Blogging Tools There are thousands of writing apps and blogging tools, some of which are free, some of which are expensive, and all of which look promising. I’ve spent a lot of time testing and using these writing apps and blogging tools. I dumped the tools that added no value to this site, and I paid for ones that helped me grow an audience and write better articles and stories. As you can see there are many blogging tools and writing apps, and each will solve specific problems for you, but your craft should always come first.
Pick a tool or app from this list if it solves a problem for you and then get back to what counts. Filling the blank page and building lasting relationships with your readers.