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Alfred 1.4.2
Inferiis
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $7
Alfred is a customizable add-on/plug-in manager for OS X that lets you enable and disable (a la Extensions Manager) preference panes, contextual menus, kernel extensions, screen savers, Services, and many more system add-ons. In addition, drop a plug-in onto the application's icon and Alfred will install it for you—no more having to dig through Library folders. You can also create custom installation rules that automatically move files with specific extensions, types, and creators to specific folders (for example, to automatically move MP3s to your iTunes Music folder, or to move .dmg files to a software archive).
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AliasMenu X 3.0.1
Benoit Widemann
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $25
The long-awaited update of the popular OS 9 utility, AliasMenu generates hierarchical menu bar menus for each folder or folder alias you drop into the AliasMenu folder. By editing the names of files or folders, you can create keyboard shortcuts to items and even make groups of items that are opened all at once. Selecting a clipping file from an AliasMenu menu pastes its contents into the front-most application (and, as a bonus, a clipping named Date automatically pastes the current date). You can also get info on any menu item, or reveal it in the Finder, instead of opening it.
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CandyBar 1.5
Panic
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $13
CandyBar makes it trivial to change the Finder's toolbar icons, folder icons, clipping icons, and even the trash can icon. To change an icon, drag and drop a new icon onto the existing icon in CandyBar. Due to the changes the program makes, you'll be required to enter your administrator's password the first time you drop an icon into a well. If you want to restore things to normal, a Restore Default Icons button makes it easy. The only real downside to CandyBar is that you must restart in order to see the effects of your changes.
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Carbon Copy Cloner 2.1.4
Bombich Software
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free ($5 suggested donation)
Whether you're making a backup or transferring your data from one Mac to another, Carbon Copy Cloner is an essential utility. Under Mac OS 9, it was easy to move your system to a different drive or Mac: you just selected all your files and folders and dragged them across. Mac OS X can't be copied in that way, but Carbon Copy Cloner does the job, providing a simple interface to a series of complex Unix-based scripts. Version 2.1 includes several slick new features, including the ability to synchronize files, schedule backups, and create bootable disk images of your drive.
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ChronoSync 1.1
Econ Technologies
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $20
A flexible backup program, offering numerous options to give you complete control over your backups. You can create rules to filter files based on name, type, modification time, or OS type/creator codes. ChronoSync can be set to run when you launch or terminate it, manually, or on daily or weekly schedules.
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ClearDock 1.2.2
Unsanity
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
ClearDock is a system utility that removes (or changes) the semi-transparent white background behind your dock. ClearDock requires Unsanity's Application Enhancer, which provides the user interface for ClearDock through its System Preferences interface. In addition to removing the background, which makes it look as though your dock icons are simply floating above your desktop picture, you can also specify a color scheme of your own and change the color of the active application indicator triangles. When used with the proper background imagery, the visual impact of a clear dock can be quite stunning.
NOTE: ClearDock requires Unsanity's Application Enhancer.
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Cocoa Gestures 1.1
bitart
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
Cocoa Gestures is an amazing little application that allows you to use mouse movements to perform actions in all Cocoa applications, such as Mail, Safari, Text Edit, and many more. Once installed in your Library folder, you'll find a Cocoa Gestures item in each application's application menu. Activate it, and a screen allows you to define mouse motions and associated actions for each Cocoa application. For example, you could assign Control-click and an up-down-right motion of the mouse to Safari's Show Bookmarks menu item. Or Control-click and down for close window. The possibilities are endless.
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Coffee Break Pro X 2.1.2
Thomas Reed
OS Compatibility: 9, X; Price: $20
If you spend your workday at a computer, you know the feeling(s): sore wrists, tight shoulders, and a crick in your neck. Or worse. No matter how many times we're told that we should take regular breaks, many of us forget. CoffeeBreak Pro X lets you work for a set amount of time and then forces you to rest by blacking out the screen (it displays some suggested stretches for the duration). If you're in the middle of an amazing thought, it even has a snooze button (although the snooze time is taken out of your next work period).
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Déjà Vu 2.3
Propaganda Productions
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $15
which installs as a Preference Pane. You can create multiple backup sets on different schedules. Déjà Vu will run in the background if your computer is on, awake, and the backup volume is mounted. You don't even have to be logged in. Déjà Vu will backup and synchronize, even clone your System disk to a bootable copy, but it won't archive deleted files.
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DocJector 1.0
Monkey Food
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
Since back in OS 9, unmounting removable media buried behind application and Finder windows has been a pain. DocJector is the simple solution you've been waiting for: Click on the DocJector icon in the Dock and you get a menu of all mounted media (CDs, DVDs, disc images, iPods, USB drives, digital memory cards), select a volume and it's immediately unmounted or ejected. DocJector is so simple but useful that you wonder why Apple didn't include this feature in the OS. The only think keeping DocJector from getting five mice is that it can't unmount network volumes.
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DockFun! 3.7
Donelleschi
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $20
DockFun! allows you to have multiple OS X docks, each of which can contain unique collections of apps and documents, and be located at any of the standard dock window locations. A floating window identifies the active dock and makes it easy to switch between docks in your collection. The interface can be confusing at first, but you'll quickly get the hang of adding and removing docks from your collection. DockFun! can help you control the size and complexity of your only dock by offloading work to other docks that are only called upon when needed.
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DropObliter8 1.0
Howard Oakley
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
File permission snafus in OS X can cause a host of mind-numbing problems, and one of the more frustrating ones occurs when your Mac informs you that you don't have permission to delete files from the trash. Other times, you need to get rid of something that the system says is in use, although it obviously is not (this can happen to files after aborted or incomplete FTP downloads, for example). In either case, simply drag problem files or folders to DropObliter8's icon and those pesky rogues will be gone forever without resorting to command-line voodoo—a one-trick pony, to be sure, but a talented one at that.
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ExecutiveSync 1.2
Jason Weber
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $20
If backup worries are keeping you up at night, ExecutiveSync will have you sleeping soundly. Most programs check modification dates to determine which file is newer during synchronization. ExecutiveSync uses TAS (Time And State) synchronization instead, which stores and compares CRC32 bit checksums, a complicated way of detecting any changes to a file. Since modification dates may change for any number of reasons, ExecutiveSync should provide you with the most accurate backup. It will also archive files deleted during synchronization. But be warned: ExecutiveSync is orders of magnitude slower than the other programs in this roundup, and it has no scheduling feature. That means you can't run it unattended when your computer is otherwise idle.
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FileXaminer 1.5.2
Gideon Softworks
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $10
Among the myriad utilities that help you edit file information and permissions, FileXaminer stands out. In addition to an easy-to-use interface for editing file permissions and attributes (including advanced settings like sticky bits), it provides Super Delete and Force Empty Trash functions—accessible from the Dock, Finder contextual menus, or within the app—to get rid of stubborn files, batch mode for working with multiple files simultaneously, Finder integration (command+option+i to get info or +c to copy a file path to the clipboard), and system-wide contextual menu support. It even lets you create and delete user Groups without having to delve into NetInfo Manager.
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HorseMenu 1.5
nimatoad
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $8
If you're the type who needs to know everything about your Mac at the touch of a button, HorseMenu is an amazingly informative utility. It provides a system-wide, customizable menu that includes detailed information about your Mac's hardware, network interfaces, memory use, graphics cards, USB and FireWire devices, mounted volumes, loaded kernel extensions, and even connected UPS devices. It also allows you to control all running processes, including force-quitting misbehaving apps and setting application priorities. Finally, Horse Menu provides quick access to system logs, individual System Preference panes, and common system utilities. One of those utilities is Apple System Profiler, which, ironically, you may never need to open again.
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iAddressX 2.1
MibaSoft
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $8
Need to look up a quick phone number or get an address for a letter? iAddressX displays a list of your Address Book entries in the menu bar, providing a shortcut to this information from any application. It displays entries sorted by groups. You can choose which groups to include and specify what information to show in the menu. Copy phone numbers or addresses to the clipboard or paste them directly into the front most application with a single click.
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iPulse 1.0.2
The Iconfactory
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $10
iPulse is a life monitor for your Mac, displaying all of its vital system information in a colorful, compact (and resizable), multi-purpose, and fully customizable gauge. It displays CPU activity, system load, network activity, memory usage, disk usage, and the current time and date. You could get much the same information by typing the top command in Terminal, but that's like getting a computer printout to read the speedometer and fuel gauge in your car. iPulse displays all of your vital information at a glance. There are other system monitors, but excellent design gives iPulse the edge.
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jEdit 4.1
Slava Pestov
OS Compatibility: 9, X; Price: free
jEdit is a programmer's text editor written in Java. jEdit has a number of great features for programmers, with syntax coloring for over 50 languages (including Java, PHP, and HTML), unlimited levels of undo and redo, auto-indenting of source code, and a fully customizable interface. In addition, an extensible architecture provides features such as alternative themes and tabs for opening multiple documents in one window (similar to Excel) through the use of third-party plug-ins. jEdit's feature set and zero cost make it an excellent alternative to commercial editors.
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Keyboard Maestro 1.2
Michael Kamprath
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $20 (Lite version free)
Keyboard Maestro not only provides you with a much improved keyboard-based application switcher, but also adds the ability to automate virtually anything you can do on your computer via keystrokes. You can open files and folders, launch applications, select menu items, move and click the mouse, run AppleScripts and shell scripts, and even type frequently used text. A keystroke can also trigger any combination and/or sequence of actions. As a bonus, Keyboard Maestro also provides unlimited clipboards, accessible via—you guessed it—keystrokes. (The free Lite version provides the same features, but limits the numbers of hot keys, actions per hot key, and clipboards.)
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Labels X 1.1
Unsanity
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $10
Labels X is the answer to the What happened to OS 9's file and folder labels? question. Labels X brings back about 95% of the OS 9 label functionality. Using the Labels X preferences panel, you can specify the color and label definition, and applying a label is a simple matter of using the contextual menu, as seen in the screenshot. Labels X will also show (and sort on!) the label values in column-view Finder windows, giving you the ability to sort your Projects folder by priority, for example.
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LiteSwitch X 1.5.2
Proteron
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $15
LiteSwitch X is an application switcher for OS X. Instead of using Command-Tab to switch apps with the dock, use it (or another combo if you prefer) to activate LiteSwitch X. Once activated, there are a number of actions you can apply to any open application, as seen in the screenshot. These options can be applied with the contextual menus as shown, or by using keyboard shortcuts. The switching window's colors, transparency, position, and size are all easily customized, and you use the program to control how windows behave when switching applications (i.e. hide all, hide current, etc.).
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MacJanitor 1.2
Brian Hill
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
MacJanitor takes care of routine system maintenance tasks on your timeline instead of that of the system. OS X tries to run these tasks in the middle of the night, as it assumes the system will always be on. But if you put your machine to sleep overnight, these tasks will never execute. MacJanitor provides an easy-to-use interface with buttons for each task. Just launch MacJanitor when you have a few minutes of free time, and run the task (or All Tasks) of your choice with a simple click of a button.
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people book 4.2
Amar Sagoo
OS Compatibility: 9, X; Price: free
At first glance, people book looks very similar to Address Book, but people book includes some of the most important features that are missing from Apple's application. People book lets you print envelopes, custom labels, and lists. It also lets you dial numbers using your modem, a great time saver if you make a lot of phone calls for work or rounding up your Little League team. Unfortunately, importing requires you to drag your contacts from Address Book one at a time. If you have a large mailing list, use Snail Mail, which accesses Address Book directly.
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Print Window 2.0.2
Searchware Solutions
OS Compatibility: X; Price: donationware
OS X is more advanced than OS 9 in so many ways, yet you still can't print a Finder window. You can drop a folder onto Print Center to get an ugly text listing, but that's about it. Print Window comes to the rescue by allowing you to print the contents of any Finder window via drag and drop, manual selection, a key combination, or the Finder's Services menu. It goes beyond the classic Mac OS by letting you chose whether to print all file information or just filenames, whether to print just the current window's contents or a hierarchical listing of all subfolders, as well, and whether to print icons. You can even include your own custom headers.
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PTHClock 2.3
PTH Consulting
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free (donations accepted)
PTHClock gives you everything Apple's menu bar clock provides, but with a lot more control: time format, date format, and font size, color, and style. You also get a configurable, drop-down calendar, quarter-hourly chime settings, spoken alerts, and a date tool tip (pass the cursor over the time in the menu bar and the date floats over the Desktop). The calendar feature alone is worth a donation, with the additional clock options, this is the best menu bar clock/calendar available. (If you don't want two clocks, just turn off Apple's own clock.)
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PTHPasteboard 3.1.0
PTH Consulting
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free (donations accepted)
PTHPasteboard provides an unlimited number of clipboard entries, but it excels by making them easily accessible. The most recent ten can be pasted at any time via keystrokes, with the rest available by revealing the PTHPasteboard buffer (via keystroke, the menu bar, or the Services menu in any Service-aware application). In addition to multiple clipboards, PTHPasteboard allows you to create multiple customized pasteboards that store frequently used text or graphics. For example, you can create one for personal information (for pasting into correspondence, Web forms, etc.), one for HTML tags, and one for email signatures. Each can contain an unlimited number of items.
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QuickVoice X 1.6 and QuickVoice 1.5
nFinity, Inc.
OS Compatibility: 9, X; Price: $20
This voice recorder lets you quickly record notes, create stickies with voice notes attached, or send recordings as email attachments. Files are saved in the QuickTime format, so they can be played on Macs and PCs. QuickVoice's interface is compact and comes with several attractive skins. You can create up to ten channels, each containing as many as 99 messages of any length (provided you have the disk space). Audio files can be disk hogs, but QuickVoice lets you change the sample rate and choose from several compressors to adjust the size and quality of your files.
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SilverKeeper 1.0.1
LaCie
OS Compatibility: 9, X; Price: free
SilverKeeper is a free, esasy-to-use back up program that, among other things, lets you save multiple backups of the same folder. This lets you keep daily backups without the hassle of cycling separate backup configurations.
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SmallScreenX 2.2
LBSoftware
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
SmallScreenX displays resizable borders to simulate different screen resolutions, a handy tool for Web designers who want to get a quick look at how a page will look on different monitors. You can drag the border to resize it, or type in exact dimensions, then lock it in place. A menu lets you select any open application and automatically resize the application window to the SmallScreenX dimensions. You can save SmallScreenX borders as separate document files. This is a handy, stable, and simple utility. Plus, it's free. If you need even more control over your screen measurements, try charlieX Screen Rulers.
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Snail Mail 0.2.8
Nixanz
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
Snail Mail is a simple program designed to do one thing—print envelopes from your Address Book. It reads the Address Book database directly, so there's no importing your entries (as you must do with the more full-featured people book). It will display the contacts, sort them into groups, or let you filter them by typing a few letters in a search box. You can print a single envelope or envelopes for all of the entries in a group. Snail Mail lets you format the envelope, showing or hiding specific fields (like title or company), changing the fonts and margins, even pasting in a custom logo.
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Snard 1.6.1
Gideon Softworks
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $10
Snard combines the utility of OS 9's Apple Menu with a launcher and Root Runner (the GUI equivalent of the Unix utility sudo)to provide a flexible do-it-all menu. Available from the Dock, the menu bar, and via hotkey, the Snard menu allows you to quickly access files, folders, and applications using hierarchical menus (including listing System Preference panes individually, like the old Control Panels menu). It also includes submenus for accessing recently used items, mounting favorite and recent servers, and launching worksets—groups of items that open simultaneously with one click. Finally, you can easily open any application as root by option-selecting it from the Snard menu or by choosing the Open App As Root menu item.
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SwordfishExpress 1.0.2
buyolympia.com
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
The US Postal Service Web site allows you to generate mailing labels, but it's a bit of a hassle. SwordfishExpress takes the mailing and return address you enter and generates USPS labels for Priority, First Class, or Media Mail. If you want Delivery or Signature Confirmation, it also connects to the USPS Web site, obtains the appropriate tracking numbers, and then generates the required bar codes. Finally, if you highlight a USPS tracking number and select the Confirm in Browser item from the Services menu in any Services-aware app, your browser will provide the tracking information. SwordfishExpress saves you time (no filling out forms at the Post Office) and money (the US Postal Service charges less for electronic labels). A nice feature addition would be the ability to save frequently used addresses, the developers promise Address Book integration in a future version.
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SynkX 4.0
Raja Software
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
Synk does a reliable job of backing up and synchronizing files. It's easy to use and includes full documentation. Plus, it's faster than SilverKeeper and lets you preview your backup.
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TransparentDock 2.0.2
Free Range Mac
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $8
TransparentDock lets you customize the color and translucency of pretty much every aspect of the Dock and change the animation that occurs when you remove a Dock item. But it really shines at enhancing the Dock's functionality: you can choose the Dock minimizing effect and speed, change the placement and pinning, show background-only apps, disable Dock floating (so that the Dock no longer floats above other windows), enable single-application mode (clicking on an application hides all others), enable unlimited hierarchical Dock menus, and add Hide/Hide Others items to application Dock menus and a Quit option to the Dock's own options menu. Finally, if you just can't decide which features to use, you can create preference themes and alternate between them.
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WindowShade X 2.1
Unsanity
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $10
WindowShade X brings back OS 9's ability to convert any window into just its title bar, with some additional punch thanks to the OS X's Aqua technology. Using WindowShade X, you can make a double-click in a window's title bar remove the window (as it did in OS 9), or you can have the window turn semi-transparent (based on a transparency level you set). You can also replace the minimize button's behavior with window shading behavior. If you use the semi-transparent mode, you can even continue working in the window in it's semi-see-through state.
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Xbench 1.0
Spiny
OS Compatibility: X; Price: free
Xbench is the first complete OS X benchmarking utility. The main interface is a simple window that asks which of seven tests (CPU, threads, memory, disk, Quartz graphics, OpenGL graphics, and user interface) you'd like to run. Select the tests you're want and hit Start. A few minutes later, you'll have a screen full of individual test results and an overall score. At the top of the window, a Submit button sends your score and comments off to an Xbench website, where you can see how your machine ranks against others that have been tested.
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Xounds 1.4
Unsanity
OS Compatibility: X; Price: $10
Xounds brings an end to the silent era for OS X. Xounds allows you to import old OS 9 sound sets (a link on the Unsanity web page leads to a sizable collection). Once a sound set has been imported, you control which actions will generate sound effects, and at what volume level the sounds will play. You can also create an exclude list, so that any listed applications will not have sound effects. While it doesn't give you all the options of OS 9's sound sets, Xounds does a great job of bringing back nearly the same functionality.
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