Free Software Is Alive And Well On The Mac. But Why?

Think about the value we get with Mac software these days. iLife is $79. iWork is $79. Microsoft Office can be as low as $150.

How about free software, utilities, and tools? There’s plenty and it works great on the Mac. But why? Don’t developers need to make money? Is there a future for free software?

Free software for the Mac is alive and well. Outside of open source projects and a labor of love, I have a hard time figuring out why Mac developers who create great software do so for free.

Here’s a few examples and some links where you can check for free software.

For managing your do list according to the Getting Things Done methodology, there is not a better tool than iGTD. It’s superb, regularly updated, integrates nicely with other Mac tools, and—it’s free.

How can someone develop such a superb piece of software and continue to do so without compensation?

Even Mozilla’s Firefox, Camino and Thunderbird, though free, have an incentive for continued development. Mozilla reportedly gets money from the Google search results in Firefox—perhaps tens of millions per year. That’s an incentive.

Every day or so I’ll browse through a number of Mac web sites in search of software updates and free tools. There’s the Apple downloads section; always a good location for what’s free and new though not updated every day.

Today I found a new drawing tool—Paintbrush from Michael Schreiber.

Open Source software is often a collaborative affair with a number of Mac software developers who work on a project that turns out surprisingly attractive and useful applications at a fraction of the cost of free. Wait. That would still be free.

Today I came across a new Mac site (new to me, anyway) that’s now in my bookmarks—OpenSourceMac.

Some of what’s on the free list are the standard players—Firefox, Camino, Adium, Thunderbird, Vienna. All superbly designed software for Mac users and it won’t cost you a dime. Or 10-cents. Or the international equivalent of next to nothing.

Seashore looks like a Photoshop, GIMP wannabe. If you’re too cheap to go for Garageband in iLife, try Audacity. It’s an audio recording tool that runs fine on the Mac. Free.

Too cheap to go for iLife’s iWeb? Try Nvu or learn HMTL with Smultron, both free tools that make great web sites. Hate Quicken? Try the free Cashbox.

Even games are free on the Mac, though somewhat watered down when compared to PC games. Still, free is free. OpenSourceMac has what appears to be a sister site, BestMacSoftware.org. The list here is a mix of free and commercial, but categorizes according to quality. There’s no accounting for taste.

The point is, that even though the Mac is selling in record numbers and market share is climbing rapidly, free Mac software abounds. It’s everywhere. It’s good. It competes with commercial offerings, and often fills in niches where a Mac software developer seeking profit may not venture.

Is there a better launch application (for free) for power users than Quicksilver? I like Apple’s iChat, but come on—it only connects with other iChat users. Windows PC AIM users can’t figure out how to set up audio and video.

So, what do I use instead? Skype. It’s everywhere you want someone to be. And free.

I don’t claim to fully understand the motivation behind a Mac developer creating and updating software for free, but I want to acknowledge that their efforts are appreciated. If it’s shareware, and I use it, then I buy it. As to the free software for the Mac, a hearty congratulations to folks behind the code.

Thanks from all of us at Mac360.