16 Best Free Apps for Mac OS X

Developed by Apple, Mac OS X has offered much promise to users since 2002. Just like its other electronic products, there are many useful free and/or open source apps available for Mac OS X users. This list showcases some of the best ones that are available for download.

1. OpenOffice.org

Because Microsoft Office is not exactly available to Mac OS X, there is an alternative that actually has more features available to it. Additionally, free is a much better price than the investment MS Office requires.

2. The Unarchiver

For the most part, Max OS X is good with extracting archived files, but there are still a few that it does not recognize when it comes fresh out of the box. To fill in the missing gaps, there is the Unarchiver.

3. Anxiety

This is a robust checklist that serves to subside its namesake. Never worry about whether or not the laundry was picked up.

4. Firefox

Not even Windows users enjoy Internet Explorer these days, and the best secure and customizable alternative is Mozilla Firefox, a handy multiplatform Web browser.

5. CyberDuck

With a convenient drag and drop user interface, this is simply the best FTP program from which a Mac OS X user could ultimately benefit.

6. MAMP

Those interested in Web site development would greatly benefit from testing it before actually letting it go live. After all, what if there is a fatal syntax error?

7. Transmission

Common on operating systems outside of Windows, Transmission makes for an excellent bittorrent client.

8. NetNewsWire

This app requires a free account on NewsGator, though once that is out of the way, it will allow for multiple RSS streams in one convenient location.

9. smcFanControl

As the name suggests, this allows for total control over the fans in the Mac. Use this to change the speed when they run too quickly or not quick enough.

10. GIMP

Though not quite as feature-packed as its competitor, the $600 Photoshop, it is the best alternative with many of its own, as well as the ultimate price tag: free.

11. Flickr Uploadr

Photography hobbyists will enjoy a quick and convenient way to mass-upload their works of still art to Flickr, where their work can reach a very wide audience of enthusiasts.

12. Audacity

Newer versions of Mac OS X come shipped with iLife, which has GarageBand included. However, for those that do not, there is an equally capable free alternative for recording audio.

13. Adium

When iChat does not suffice, there is Adium. It offers just about any instant messaging system imaginable in it, including AIM, MSN, YIM, ICQ, MySpace IM, Google Talk, Bonjour, Facebook Chat and much more.

14. TinyAlarm

Those who do not have an iPhone to use as an alarm may want to try this handy little application, which allows the Mac to function as an effective alarm.

15. VLC

This useful app is the most capable of media players on the Internet. If the format exists, it can probably play it well.

James is an Apple aficionado, tech writer and resident analyst at a leading online printer ink supplier where he comprehensively reviews myriad products such as the popular HP 351 ink cartridge.