I’ve been using a Mac quite a bit over the past year; so after receiving such a solid response to my article on 12 Free and Fantastic Windows Applications, I decided to compile a similar list of my favorite applications for the Mac.  Like the list of applications I compiled for Windows, these applications are all solid replacements for commercial applications, or offer a lot of value.  They include:

• VirtualBox – With virtualization software, you can run Windows or Linux along-side Mac OS X on your Intel-based Mac.  The most popular apps for this include Parallels and VMware Fusion.  However, they both cost money.  VirtualBox, on the other hand, is freely available virtualization software that’s developed and distributed by Sun Microsystems.
• NeoOffice – The Mac OS X equivalent of OpenOffice.  NeoOffice can be thought of as a replacement for Microsoft Office; and includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, database and drawing application that are compatible with MS Office and other common productivity applications.
• GIMP.app – Sometimes described as a “poor man’s Photoshop”, GIMP is a graphics tool that can be used for common tasks such as retouching photos, and creating and manipulating graphic files in various formats.
• Burn – Open source utility that allows you to burn audio, data, and video disks.
• HandBrake – Open source tool that can “rip” DVDs so you can watch them on other devices, such as iPods or your iPhone.
• iGTD – A full-featured task management application that can be used to help implement the “Getting Things Done” method for time management.
• Adium – Free instant messaging client that supports popular IM protocols including: Yahoo! Messenger, AOL IM, ICQ, MobileMe, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, and more. 
• QuickSilver – An application launcher that can be used to quickly launch applications without having to lift your hands off the keyboard.  This cool little tool is extensible and customizable, so you can tailor it to match your needs.
• Skype – Solid audio quality for voice chats, support for video chats, and completely free when you chat with other Skype users.  What more can I say?
• SuperDuper! – A solid little tool for performing backups on your Mac.  The free version performs a full image dump, whereas the paid version scans and copies over only items that have changed.  While it’s free, I found enough value in it that I eventually bought the full version for about $30.
• smcFanControl – This app is practically a necessity of you have a laptop.  It allows you to tweak the fan speeds on your Mac so it runs cooler. 
• Colloquy -  A very nice IRC client for the Mac.  In fact, it’s the best I’ve found.  ‘Nuf said.
• Firefox – A solid compliment to the Safari browser that is shipped with the Mac.  I usually keep Firefox and Safari running and switch between the two, as certain websites tend to run better with one browser over the other.
• Evernote – Okay, I admit it:  I’m just a fan of Evernote.  It’s a nice little note-taking tool that just happens to have a client available for the Mac.  Do note, however, that your Mac has to have Leopard (10.5) installed in order to use it.  If you don’t, then you’re stuck with the web-based version of the tool.
• iStat – A neat little widget that allows you to keep an eye on system resources, such as RAM and hard drive space.  It allows you to better understand which applications are consuming resources and when you might want to consider a hardware upgrade.
• Pastor – A utility that allows you to store and manage passwords and logins.  Stored data is encrypted and the tool also includes a handy password generator.

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