FREE Mac Software - The Ultimate Guide

Free Mac software anyone?  In most cases it's true that you get exactly what

you pay for. However it's not so true in the case of the Internet and

the vast amount of free Mac software available.  It is possible to not

spend a dime and make it through your entire day using free Mac

software.

Before digging in and feasting on this smorgasbord of free Mac software, keep in mind the free not only means "cost-free" but often also means "free from support". There is also freeware that is actually "donationware", which comes from developers hoping that happy users will make donations to help him or her continue to improve their efforts.

I've compiled a list of my favorite free Mac software, but there are thousands more to choose from. Check out VersionTracker, MacUpdate, and FreeMacSoftware.com to find more.

Looking for business software for your Mac check out "How To Use Mac Computers In Everyday Business - The Ultimate Guide".

Free Productivity Software

You want a new Mac so you need to convince yourself (and sometimes others) that you can be productive on the one you have. Use these tools when you need to stop wasting time and push the petal to the metal.

Quicksilver Launcher on steroids...and LSD  GET IT: www.blacktree.com You NEED: Mac OS 10.4 or later

At first glance, Quicksilver is a launcher. When opened, it will create a catalog of applications and some frequently used folders and documents. Activate it, and you can search for and open anything in its catalog instantly. The search is adaptive, so Quicksilver will recognize which items you are searching for based on previous experience. It also supports abbreviations, so you can type entire words, or just fragments of each. When not in use, Quicksilver vanishes, waiting for the next time you summon it.

NeoOffice Replaces Microsoft Office for FREE  GET IT: www.neooffice.org You NEED: Mac OS 10.3 or later

NeoOffice is a full-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

TextWrangler BBEdit's little brother  GET IT: www.barebones.com You NEED: Mac OS 10.3.5 or later

TextWrangler is the powerful general purpose text editor, and Unix and server administrator's tool.

At its most basic, a text editor is a tool for simply editing text. You can use a text editor for a wide variety of tasks from cleaning up data, to editing configuration files on your Mac or server, to writing HTML or coding.

Free web-based word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation tool which allow you share and collaborate online.

Read the entire 'Free Mac Software -Ultimate Guide' here.