Macs: Where Everything Costs Money.

[hifive]

I'm still bordering between the windows and apple realms for my next laptop. I've been going through some excellent apple applications, but I've noticed that practically every noticeable app on the mac costs money. Where are my expertly designed freebies? Where are the superb open source programs? On the PC, I have numerous free alternatives. Heck, when did P2P software start to cost money? On windows, I'd immediately assume that to be a scam. Going through the "Essential OSX Apps" thread, I realized that there isn't a single Free FTP Application. So I have to purchase just to use a more powerful FTP program?! Not so in windows. Even notepad-esque apps cost money on Mac!

So I ask, where can I find a list of excellent, free [if any] software programs for the Mac.

Thanks.

[User6060]

I guess if you have a Mac the developers figure you can afford to pay for all your software

[mistical]

Well here is a great free ftp program for Mac: http://cyberduck.ch - I personally bought Transmit and love it but Cyberduck is good and I know people who is it. I wouldn't rely on the "Essential OSX Apps" topic here, since it is not updated that much if I recall and plus there is so much software out there to even be able to constantly list/update. I personally do not mind having to purchase software for my mac but also I have found a lot of freeware programs for mac, so that leads me to think you are really not searching for free alternatives to software you want on the mac. You could also make a topic/ask someone for an alternative to such and such program if you are having a hard time finding one, if exists.

Here's a good site you can go to, to find free mac applications: http://www.versiontracker.com/macosx/ just click on the Updates by Category and look through different programs in there. Make sure to look under Freeware license programs as that site does list Shareware and such program licenses as well.

Edited May 31, 2006 by mistical

[Etc.]

Cabos - free p2p

Cyberduck - free ftp

TextEdit - free notepad

You must have not looked very hard...

[hifive]

Well obviously [then again, not really], I was invoking those as examples. It still remains that most good programs on mac cost money. It's hard to beat something like this.

[+virtorio MVC]

Well obviously [then again, not really], I was invoking those as examples. It still remains that most good programs on mac cost money. It's hard to beat something like this.

I can do just about everything (except for programs that fix Windows problems of course) in that list with either free Applications, Applications Apple includes for free or with functionality built right into Mac OS X. List some things from that list you want to be able to do in OS X.

[hifive]

Oh, I'm sure it can. I'm not bashing functionality. I'm debasing variety.

I do have one question though: How would you organize pictures from two different cameras? For example in windows I just create two different folders, one for each camera, and then upload pictures into their respective folder. How would I go about doing this on the mac? Wouldn't iPhoto pop up automatically syncing both cameras? I want to keep each camera's photos separate.

[Fusion]

There are great free apps for almost any task. If you search for an app at VersionTracker or MacUpdate, they will tell you whether it's free or not right on the search results screen.

But, you are right, there are some very talented people out there that make amazing software and they deserve to get paid for it. Some of us just like to pay a premium to get a premium product.

[macro]

Squibbles, there is more software available for the Windows platform than the Mac. But at the same time, you can do pretty much anything on a Mac once you find the software, and there is almost always a freeware alternative. You just won't find the same amount of options as on Windows but usually what is there is very good quality.

Also, soon you will start seeing that applications will be cross platform without much effort, when Universal builds run on Windows automatically and vice versa. The two platforms are much more compatible now, there is only going to be more and more software coming up I think

[hifive]

Thanks for all the replies.

It's greatly helping in my decision.

Anyways, I still have this question: I do have one question though: How would you organize pictures from two different cameras? For example in windows I just create two different folders, one for each camera, and then upload pictures into their respective folder. How would I go about doing this on the mac? Wouldn't iPhoto pop up automatically syncing both cameras? I want to keep each camera's photos separate.

[michael.b]

Thanks for all the replies.

It's greatly helping in my decision.

Anyways, I still have this question: I do have one question though: How would you organize pictures from two different cameras? For example in windows I just create two different folders, one for each camera, and then upload pictures into their respective folder. How would I go about doing this on the mac? Wouldn't iPhoto pop up automatically syncing both cameras? I want to keep each camera's photos separate.

Just Create Two Seperate Smart Albums in your Source Screen in iPhoto. A list should appear that houses all the previously connected models. From there, after created the denoted albums, you not only have one big library, but two folders that'll not only organize them by roll, but by which camera they came from.

File > New Smart Album > Sort by Camera Model

Just Like This

Edited May 31, 2006 by varekai2

[Syphonic]

My two cents:

All the mac software I've used is well worth paying for. All the Panic apps for example just feel so well made.

[.Neo]

How is it so different from Windows? Most high-quality and feature rich Windows applications aren't free either.

[[idkfa]]

You can also use lots of Linux apps thanks to Fink and Darwinports (or just compile yourself).

[hifive]

Just Create Two Seperate Smart Albums in your Source Screen in iPhoto. A list should appear that houses all the previously connected models. From there, after created the denoted albums, you not only have one big library, but two folders that'll not only organize them by roll, but by which camera they came from.

File > New Smart Album > Sort by Camera Model

Just Like This

And then is it possible to burn only one camera's pictures onto a CD?

[Etc.]

Thanks for all the replies.

It's greatly helping in my decision.

Anyways, I still have this question: I do have one question though: How would you organize pictures from two different cameras? For example in windows I just create two different folders, one for each camera, and then upload pictures into their respective folder. How would I go about doing this on the mac? Wouldn't iPhoto pop up automatically syncing both cameras? I want to keep each camera's photos separate.

I would actually just recommend using the Image Capture application (comes with OS X) and selecting the photos you want to download off of the given camera and then telling it where to place them. No iPhoto involved at all.

[Fusion]

And then is it possible to burn only one camera's pictures onto a CD?

Yes you can.

If you want to do iPhoto, that is the best method, and it's pretty slick.

But if you don't want to use iPhoto at all and just organize your pictures into folders as you did on Windows, then ImageCapture will work great for you. It's actually a really nice app.

As for your original question as well, if you just mention here in the thread what tasks you are specifically looking to do, we can all suggest good free alternatives.

[vip]

I got my mac in January 05, when I first started looking for things I was shocked, everything I had to pay for. So, like you I started looking for free alternatives ... I used cyberduck ... and used Transmit. I bought Transmit, nothing compares to it. Though, Cyberduck is nice. I tried a bunch of RSS readers, and ended up buying NewsFire, nothing else worked quite like it did. I think I've spent more money on anything computer related since I got my mac, and I feel good about it. Maybe we will keep getting these quality apps if people continue to support the devs.

[hifive]

I was wondering. Why do Engineering firms never use Mac?

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

AFAIK CAD software only tends to be available for more well known UNIX type systems such as Solaris / SGI IRIX or Windows NT/2000 - certainly in my limited experience with Pro/ENGINEER that was the case! Windows or UNIX only!

[michael.b]

And then is it possible to burn only one camera's pictures onto a CD?

Another Way I find easier:

Within iPhoto -

First select your smart folder with the pictures that relate to your camera of choice.

From there, you can go to the Share tab on the Menu Bar and select "Burn".

This will burn to your media of choice.

[furry_goat]

I think you'd be pleasantly surprised by the number of high-quality free and/or open-source apps available for Mac.

As mentioned, VersionTracker and MacUpdate are incredibly handy websites for Mac users that will reveal many apps available for OS X.

Most of the apps on my system, aside from Apple?made/bundeled ones, are free and/or open-source.

[aristotle-dude]

Others have mentioned Versiontracker and macupdate already. There is also Apple Mac OS X Downloads. You can look through freshmeat if you want.

[Slacker]

check out www.opensourcemac.org, or www.freemacware.com They have some free suggestions.

[hifive]

Is there a free alternative to Candybar? If I get a mac, I'd want to customize the icons.