Updated October 9th, 2019.
This table lists Mac software that I use all the time. Highly recommended. These apps save me time and trouble day after day after day. Several of these have free trial versions– you have nothing to lose, so try them!
 | 1Password: the best way to manage your passwords on your Mac. Also available for Phone and iPad. 1Password keeps the passwords in sync across all your devices and it’s secure as can be. Indispensable. Also available for pc. I wrote about 1Password in this article. |
 | Alfred: nifty launcher app for the Mac. Great for launching apps, looking up phone numbers and addresses, and doing a quick Google search. Gets smarter over time by remembering how you use it. I use it hundreds of times a day. You should give it a try, especially if you like working from the keyboard. Free. |
 | Pixelmator: amazing Photoshop look-alike, for $29.99 at the time of this writing. Looks like Photoshop and acts like Photoshop too. Layers, filters (called “Effects” in Pixelmator), selection tools including Quick Mask mode, and more. Same keyboard shortcuts in many cases. You get so much for so little. It’s what I use here. Learn more at www.pixelmator.com (and get a free trial if you’d like). |
 | Typinator: the best text-expansion utility for the Mac. Type a shortcut and Typinator expands it, saving you lots of typing. Works everywhere. Example 1: In an email, I type “mbp” and Typinator changes it to “MacBook Pro.” Example 2: In Pages, I type “cba” and Typinator changes it to “Christian Boyce and Associates.” When you type as much as I do this kind of expansion really comes in handy. Read my Typinator review here. |
 | Intego Internet Security X9. Latest version of Intego’s Internet Security bundle (includes VirusBarrier X9 and NetBarrier X9). Anti-Virus, Anti-Phishing, easy to set up, updates itself as needed. This is the anti-virus software I use. Recommended. |
 | Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac (formerly AdwareMedic): scans your Mac for various malware and adware. Free. Read my article about adware here. Updated 7-5-2016 to remove the “Backdoor” malware. |
 | TextWrangler: little brother to BBEdit (king of text processors). If you have to do some serious search-and-replace stuff, TextWrangler will do it– and it’s free. Very AppleScript-able. |
 | SigPro (formerly Signature Profiler): a plug-in for Apple’s Mail app. I use it to put a link to my latest blog post into my email signatures. I’ve set it up to show a graphic in the signature without making it look like an attachment. It can do a lot more. Settings get synchronized across your machines, saving you time. 30-day free trial. |
 | Mail Act-On: another plug-in for Apple’s Mail app. Mail Act-On does a lot of nifty things but my favorite is it lets you file emails from the keyboard. Read an email, then tap a key to move that message to an archive, or to file it under “Urgent” or “Must Respond” etc. I use it on my iMac and on my MacBook Pro and it saves me a ton of mousing around. Also, the settings for Mail Act-On synch across the machines, via Dropbox, same as they do for SigPro above. 30-day free trial. |
 | Cocktail: part of my Mac tune-up toolkit. A Swiss Army knife of Mac tools. |
 | Moom: resizes windows to left or right side of the screen, quarter screen, full screen, top half of screen, bottom half of screen– you name it. |
 | Desktop Curtain: throws a blanket over everything except the app you’re using. I wish it worked on my real desk. |
 | DragThing: lets you make your own Mac toolbars and dock. Especially handy for those with large or multiple screens. Simple, beautiful, and deep. |
