Software/System
The operating systems and tools that I have used (and mostly still am using)
Contents |
Mac OS X
There are so many reasons why Mac OS X is better than Windows, so I won't even go into that. There are less reasons for why it is better than Linux; those mainly come from the design, both graphical and structural, of the system as well as all of the really good apps available for the Mac (see below).
Some usage notes:
Showing/hiding hidden files: [1]
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE killall Finder
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE killall Finder
Enhancements
- MenuCalendarClock (iCal version) - useful for replacing the time (top-right) with both the date and time, plus an easily accessible calendar.
- Growl is a nice little app that provides notifications from various applications.
- MenuMeters lets you keep track of how much CPU and memory you're using, amongst many other things.
Triple booting
If you want to triple-boot an Intel mac to run Mac OS X, Windows and Linux, then some useful webpages are:
- Apple Boot Camp
- [2] (OS X, Windows XP, Debian)
- [3] (OS X, Fedora, Vista)
Linux ports
Fink is very useful for obtaining and installing linux applications on Mac OS X. Darwin Ports also does something similar.
File transfer between computers
- MacFuse allows alternative filing systems to be mounted, while sshfs provides a filing system that lets you connect via SSH to other computers. Net result: ssh connections can be accessed (both reading and writing) via Finder.
- Transmit
VNC
The Chicken of the VNC lets you connect to VNC servers on other computers, providing you with a virtual desktop on that computer. You just have to ignore the slightly odd name...
Vine Server
Remote control
Salling Clicker lets you remotely control various applications using your phone.
Others
BOINCManager
Stuffit Expander
SuperCal
SynergyKM
TechTool Deluxe
Cisco VPNClient