Mac newbie, what software do i need ?

Pidgin
X-Chat Aqua
Quicktime + Newest Perian (use NicePlayer to set associations with Quicktime X as X won't associate to mkv like 7 would until you open them in niceplayer once...)
Safari all the way...
Fetch
Transmission (same as above on uTorrent- on windows it's better.. but ANYTHING is better than Azureus)
I'd also throw in growl- I'm a fan of it as most modern apps (or apps with plugins) support it for notifications of messages, completed tasks, changes in songs, etc.

 

Thanks for the massive replies everyone, i've got mostly everything running now. Adium is just what i was looking for for my IM needs.

As for video i've been trying between VLC and Quicktime with Perian to see who runs the smoothest and thusfar i'm liking VLC the most.

As for browsing, i ended up going with firefox which seems to run a boatload faster then it did on my windows machine.

Other software i'm still trying out but i think it's going to work out just fine and i'll end up being a very happy mac user. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

Good suggestions - may I add MPlayer OSX Extended? I prefer it to VLC, nicer GUI + feels more Mac integrated... if you now what I mean...

Also, Spirited Away is pretty nifty... and as you're a fellow macbook pro'er, may be worth downloading SMCFanControl at some point!

 

why would i be needing SMCFanControl ? I mean it's a silebt as can be

 

I hear Windows 7 runs quite nicely on a Mac.

-hl718

 

SMC is good if you're doing some intensive stuff and get worried about your expensive laptop running at 80 degrees

 

It really does. The touchpad is still iffy, but it works far better than it did in Vista 64. The whole system seems to be more stable, as well. My games don't randomly crash like they used to, although I still haven't tried System Shock 2 yet.

 

Any of you dickbags used any of these 1-step DVD ripping programs? There's a few that run about $40 each. Wondering how good they are.

 

+1 on Windows. You want functionality, then go with that.

 

/sighh.

 

..not on the Macbook. It runs well, but OS X is tailor-made for the Macbook, whereas Windows 7 has its share of quirks. Battery life also suffers quite a bit. I get about 5 to 5:30 hours in OS X, and maybe three hours in Windows 7 (and that's if I'm lucky).

Besides, what's "not functional" about OS X? (I can hear the can of worms opening..)

HandBrake is free and worked very well the one time I used it. It's probably a few more steps past 1, but I wouldn't say it's difficult to use unless you're illiterate or something. I've used AutoGK in Windows; I don't know how the Handbrake Windows port is as they weren't finished with it when I was still ripping DVDs.

 

software for a mac?

well, bootcamp and windows XP for starters...



I kid I kid

 

MacTheRipper is probably closest to 1-step (free) - loads of nice little features too.

 

I'd also add Quicksilver to the list. In its basic form it's "just" a nifty application launcher but with its various plugins you can control most programs (i.e. iTunes) from one place with keyboard shortcuts.

By the way, I was somewhat surprised to see almost all the recommendations had already ended up installed on my Mac at some point in the past. Quality seems to find its way.

 

Seconded.

ACQlite for P2P
Liquid CD for burning.
UnrarX and Stuffit expander are a must.

Grab the application update widget for dashboard too, very handy piece of kit.

Oh and, cough up $29 for snow leopard, it's rather nice.

 

I didn't see these mentioned. Colloquy for IRC and Cyberduck for FTP.

 

Handbrake is essential.

 

No, it's not, Snow Leopard is shit, I am having to scour the internet for half my applications to find ways to make them work and I am cursed with "Apple Script Overflow" errors every time I quit something. I am about one error away from reloading Leopard from my Time Machine backups and snapping the Snow Leopard DVD.

 

Hand break states (I think) that it doesn't decss the DVD. Did I read that right?

 

Weird, i'm having no issues with it at all, and i'm running a pretty hectic set up.

Only set back was installing Xcode which threw a few errors at me, but then it always does. :shrug: