Mac Essentials

Ok, since I’ve gotta stay home instead of heading out to Starbucks to gloat over the fact that there’s just been a new Mac switcher… :P (ha ha!) I’ll put down a bunch of stuff that I think are really useful to me (non-design major mac user)

Enhancements

1. QuickSilver I invoke QS more than any other program. It THE command-line interface for a Graphical UI world.

2. VirtueDesktop One screen is not enough. Virtual screens help organize different sets of apps into different “monitors”. Plus the cube effect is just cool.

PIM

1. Address Book: Hook it up to the phone via bluetooth for SMS-bliss. (Need to “Set up bluetooth device” from the bluetooth icon by the clock).
2. iCal: It’s the sweetest calendering software.
3. iSync: Hook everything up so it’s always in sync – phone’s phone book is up-to-date with the Mac’s with the (coming soon) iPod. A PIM’s not useful unless everything’s set up and synced up!

Email I’m thinking hard about this. VERY tempted to say Apple Mail’s the way to go.

Let’s put it this way, because Address Book works with Apple Mail works with iPhoto works with Quicksilver works with Adium works with Spotlight works with…

But I also know moving 700000 emails is no fun. We’ll play this by ear.

1. Apple Mail - An “ok-lah” email program per-se, but its interoperability with other programs in the Mac world makes it one step ahead even of Gmail.
2. Mail Act-On: Kinda like Quicksilver for Mail. Once you get used to it, every other interface is too slow.

Internet

1. Skype (uh.. pretty much an office requirement, isn’t it?). Best part is the iSight works great with Skype.
2. AdiumX: Best IM client for Mac. Copies contact’s display pic to Addrees Book (which then shows in Mail, etc). Also get the plugins to:
   • show Address Book info in Adium
   • AdiumBook to help sync Adium and Address Book contacts
3. Firefox for Mac: I’m still trying to switch to Safari (it’s got really sweet intergration with Address Book), but AdBlocking on Firefox is just too good.

BoringOfficeWork

1. sheeshMicrosoftOfficeLah. :D hehe sorry! :)

Other must-learns

1. Expose, Dashboard etc - work with screen corners
2. Bluetooth 3G access, and Network Locations (most underused but powerful config setting)

Ok the rest I’ll update this post as I go along.