Must–have for your Mac
Boost your Mac’s toolset without spending a single cent
Whether you’ve just bought your first Mac or are just looking for new apps, there are plenty that won’t make even the smallest dent in your bank account; they’re completely free. In order to be included in our list, apps have to be not just free to download but free to use as well. That doesn’t preclude them from having additional features that can be purchased as an option, but the core functions must be cost–free.
5 Inkscape inkscape.org
Often used in conjunction with Scribus, Inkscape is an open–source vector drawing tool that uses scalable vector graphics (SVG) as its native file format. It has all the tools and features you’d expect of a good vector drawing app, including pen, pencil, shape, and text tools. You can transform objects, either manually or by typing exact values, group them, and work in layers. It even has a version of Illustrator’s Live Trace tool.
When it comes to importing files, Inkscape can handle Illustrator files, PDFs and EPS. And it can output to those formats plus PNG.
6 Scribus scribus.net
If you think free means lacking in professional features, Scribus is the app to change your mind. This open–source desktop publishing tool has color separations, CMYK and spot colors support, ICC color profiles, and lots of control over PDF generation. There are plenty of import modules to pull in documents from other tools, and a thriving community makes for frequent updates.
There’s support for Open Type, True Type and PostScript Level 3 fonts, and well over 100 color palettes, many of them donated by commercial organizations and including several government and scientific standards.
7 > Be Focused xwavesoft.com
Be Focused is based on a simple premise: concentrating is hard. As such, this neat little app allows you to break your big goals down into smaller tasks and set a timer for each one. Start a task by pressing Play and the timer counts down, motivating you to stay focused on what you’re doing until it hits zero.
8 > Alfred alfredapp.com
Alfred is best thought of as a Spotlight alternative. As well as launching apps and searching, though, you can also use this efficient little helper for system commands like emptying the Trash, and you can create custom searches. You can also drag files straight from Alfred to the Finder or another app.
9 > EasyRes easyresapp.com
EasyRes is a nifty app that allows you to view all the available resolutions for displays connected to your Mac from the menu bar, grouped by Retina, non– Retina, and TV resolutions. Better still, it shows you a live animated preview of each before you decide which one to select. Switching resolution has never been so easy.
10 > GIF Brewery 3 gifbrewery.com
GIF Brewery allows you to create and share GIFs from videos. You can make a screen recording within the app or import a video. You can then crop and resize the video, set the frame rate or total number of frames, apply filters, and add captions or overlay images. Once you’re done, you can upload GIFs to Gyfcat to share with friends.