Apps for the New Mac User

Finally, my mother is coming over from the Dark Side. She's ditching her two PCs and just bought a MacBook Air. Not only am I excited that she finally saw the light and switched to Apple, it'll also be pretty cool to have an Air in the house.

Looking through the apps on my computer, I decided to come up with a list of applications that I feel any Mac user shouldn't be without. These are the main ones I'm recommending to her as she begins her happy relationship with her Mac. I've used them all for quite some time now and I thoroughly enjoy them.

1Password ($35) = All in one password, secure note, and sensitive data vault. Excellent browser integration. In addition to the desktop app, there is an application for the iPhone available.

AppZapper ($13) = An uninstaller that deletes not only the app, but also all the miscellaneous files that the app installed across your hard drive, excellent for comprehensive housecleaning.

ImageTool (Free) = Very simply utility to resize images, allows export in numerous formats.

HandBrake (Free) = Invaluable utility that allows you to rip DVDs to your hard drive.

TubeTV (Free) = Grabs videos off of YouTube and other video sharing sites and saves them to your hard drive.

iSquint (Free) = Converts numerous video file formats into MP4, the format most compatible with iPods/iPhones.

Flip4Mac (Free) = Installs a plug-in for Quicktime that allows you to play Windows Media files.

So there you have it, the essentials for any new Mac user. In a later post, I'll give a list of applications more suited for the experienced Mac-user.