Top Applications for Mac OS X

Top Applications for Mac OS X

Apple’s Mac App store was released just a few months ago alongside their OS X 10.6.6 update. Since then, things got a lot easier for those who want to get new software for their Macs from the comfort of their home. The Mac App store uses your iTunes account, which means buying apps is simply a click away. If you already own an iOS device, the act of purchasing apps should be very familiar. This month, we check out a selection of the best Mac Os X apps you can find in the store for under US$10.

Desktop Facebook
Type: Social Networking
Price: FREE
Desktop Facebook puts a icon in the menu bar that you can access for your Facebook updates. The idea is simple enough, it seems to render the mobile version of the site, which may or may not be suitable for your needs. That said, it’s unobtrusive and fuss-free.

Store News
Type: Productivity
Price: FREE
As meta as this may sound, Store News Mac OS X app is basically an app about the Mac App Store, and at its heart, it’s an mac app that monitors the App Store prices and lets you know when an app has a discount or goes free. A free app to help you get paid apps that are now free? Sign me up!

Full Deck Solitaire
Type: Games
Price: FREE
If you’re a recent switcher to Mac OS X from Windows, then you may already be missing spending your time with the free Solitaire game. Fret not, as Full Deck Solitaire is here to help you idle the day with over 22 variants of Solitaire bundled. You get Windows classics like Free Cell, Spider Solitaire and a few others like Gaps and Montana that we’ve never even heard of before.

Stuffit Expander
Type: Utilities
Price: FREE
OS X’s default Archive Utility doesn’t handle RAR file extensions at all, so you’ll need something else to help with that. Stuffit Expander opens a huge range of formats and the drag and drop interface is pretty simple to use. Note that you can only unpack files, but not create archives with this.

Angry Birds and Angry Birds Rio
Price: US$4,99
The popular bird tossing, pig hitting game is now playable on your Mac, and there are currently two versions in the store, one’s the original game (we’re suspecting it’s a port of the iPad version) and the other one is a movie tie in for the upcoming movie Rio. Which version you get doesn’t really matter, but if you already have the original game on your iOS devices, then grab Angry Birds Rio instead.

Sparrow
Type: Productivity
Price: US$9.99
Stretching our budget allowance to the maximum is Sparrow, an email client that goes for a minimalist feel and does away with all the frills. Everything is made to be accessible with just a click and the app supports multi-touch gestures too. Think Twitter as email, and you have Sparrow.

FaceTime
Type: Social Networking
Price: US$0.99
There’s FaceTime for the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2, so it makes sense to have FaceTime for your Mac too. It works exactly like the iOS versions so you can either call up your friends using their mobile number or a registered email address for some face-to-face chatting.

CalendarBar
Type: Utilities
Price: US$1.99
If you rely on iCal or Google Calendar for your appointments, then CalendarBar is handy Mac OS X app that rests on your menu bar and shows you at a glance just what’s happening next. The app also supports Growl notifications, so you’re never missing an important date again. Remember to bring flowers.

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