Coming from Linux background I always thought Mac would be a sexy Linux,—and it is.
I always thought Mac would be an answers to all my ndiswrapper, bluez/OBEX connectivity, and WM5 synchronization nightmare,—and it is.
It’s an easy sexy Linux, with a single exception: concept of Free Software seems to be beyond in Mac Community. Every little piece of software that suck less cost me about 15$-25$.
Of course, good deals reside in MacHeist, MacUpdate Promo Bundle, and MacSanta. They do help, yet still from December 2007 to February 2008, 895.85$ had to come out of my pocket to get this 2000$ glorified toaster work just the way I like.
Here’s how. I put MP and MH to indicate application from MacUpdate Promo Bundle (49$) and MacHeist (49$), respectively.
Utilities- 1Password (MH)
- Awaken (MH)
- Caffeine
- AppZapper (MH)
- Chmox
- Disk Inventory X
- Forklift (MP)
- Guidance
- Mark/Space Missing Sync (39.95)
- SimplyBurns
- Snapz Pro X (MH)
- Adium
- NetNewsWire
- Speed Download 4 (MH)
- Transmission
- Xslimmer (MP)
- Yep (MP)
- Cha-Ching (MH)
- iWork ‘08 (79$)
- NeoOffice
- OmniGiraffe (149.95$)
- CoverSutra (MH)
- GimmeSomeTune
- PixelMator (MH)
- Screen Mimic 2.0 (MP)
- Vector Designer (MH)
- VLC
- CSSEdit
- IntelliJ IDEA 7 (Upgrade 149$. I’m a happy IDEA user)
- JarInspector
- Mysql 5
- PostgreSQL
- pgAdmin3
- Power Architect
- RapidSVN
- TextMate (57.5)$
- iGTD Can’t live without it, can’t breathe without it.
- OmniOutliner 69.95$
- TaskPaper (MH)
- Merlin2 (213.5$)
- xMind (MP)
- Yojimbo (39$)
It just doesn’t stop right there. In Linux, I just simply run “apt-get upgrade” or “zypper update” to update all installed application without hassle and no worry. In Mac, if you’re lucky, upgrade will cost you nothing but bandwidth. If that’s not the case, like my Speed Downloader 4, 15$ would be the upgrade price into version 5.
I believe in some time near future, some updates, would require my 16 numbers Credit Card again. Like pinky easter bunny from hell, it just keep goin’ and goin’ and goin’....
ps. I drag Speed Downloader to Thrash Icon/AppZapper Icon, and start continue using wget and curl just like my old Linux days. To make my life easier, I wrote drag n’ drop Automator script to monitor clipboard and send particular file “kind” to wget. MacPort rocks. Automator rocks.
