|
Mac360 Power Search
Click below for advanced search options »
|
What Mac Software Do You Want That Doesn’t Exist Yet?
Not just features. There’s always some feature we want in OS X or in the software we use. What applications or utilities do you want that just don’t exist on the Mac? I’ve been grumbling recently about the total number of applications and utilities on my Macs. Including the major apps that come with OS X Leopard, Mail and Safari, iCal and Address Book, I still have over 100 software titles on my Macs. There’s all the Apple suites-- iWork, iLife, FinalCut Studio, Logic Studio, Aperture. Plus, I’ve just upgraded to Photoshop CS3 (I tend to skip a generation or two). I’ll consider upgrading to Microsoft Mac Office next year. The major software titles and suits, from Apple and other notable publishers, constitute a wide spectrum of software requirements, yet I have dozens of other applications and utilities, some free, most not, that do this or that. Each function is important enough to shell out money and time. The Mac has thousands and thousands of software titles-- some superbly crafter, many are very good, and there’s a few clunkers here and there. But thousands nonetheless. Windows users may have more choices in software, but do they have software that is not available, in function or features, on the Mac?
The original question is easier asked than answered. What Mac software do you want that doesn’t exist yet? The answer requires some serious thought. There’s always a list of features that I want to see added to or modified on a particular piece of Mac software, including Mac OS X. But is there software-- an application or utility-- that we truly want and need, and the functionality just doesn’t exist yet? See if your Mac and requirements are similar to mine. I have a utility which manages all my serial numbers, login ID’s, and passwords. Yet, I have another utility which takes those login ID’s and passwords, and lets me login automatically, beyond the capability of Safari and Keychain. I have a notes taking application, yet a different one to handle all the little pieces of information I want to track each day-- bookmarks, graphics, images, notes, and so on. There’s an application on my Mac which handles project time and invoicing. There’s at least three text editors for programming. I have a couple of backup utilities, though SuperDuper! is used most. My Mac has utilities to rip DVDs for inclusion into iTunes. A utility to measure pixels on my screen. A utility to find files on my Mac and sort them by size, or date, or whatever. There’s utilities that offer more printing options than iPhoto. Others track web site and another tracks domain names.
There’s a couple of RSS readers, though only one I use daily. I have two FTP utilities, and more browsers than I ever thought possible on a Mac (how many do we need?). You see where this is going, right? I have plenty of Mac applications and utilities, probably more than I truly need, but each one provides some feature set or functions not available in OS X or elsewhere. What else do I need? What do I want that just doesn’t exist yet for Mac users? It’s tough to narrow that thought down to a specific application or utility, partly because I already have so much software with so much functionality that it’s scary. What else do I need? Of course, there are probably some specific business applications that are not the domain of normal Mac users, such as some kind of scientific research data modeling software, or software that tracks a company’s employees, and so on. It’s easy for Windows users to say that Windows has more software than the Mac because it’s true. But what software is there that we truly want and need that does not exist on the Mac? And does it even matter? After all, the Mac runs Windows and Linux quite easily, so whatever software applications and utilities run elsewhere, will actually run on the Mac quite well. Take a look at the software on your Mac. Then, ask the same question: ”What Mac software do you want that doesn’t exist yet?” Share your frustrations or insight with other Mac360 readers in the Comments section below. The folks at Mac360 have a few domains for sale. If you've ever dreamed of setting up and running your own site about Apple, the Mac, iPods or the iPhone, this is a great way to get started. Click Here, iPhoneKillerTips, or ChatterMac for a more complete list, which also includes Mac360.com. • Article by Ron McElfresh • Published on Thursday, December 20, 2007
• Category: News & Commentary • 31 Reader comment(s) • Email This • Digg This • Shop Now
« Previously How To Find The Right Software For Your Mac.
Nextly » This Things Is What You Need To Make Mac Life Better.
Talk Back to the folks at Mac360 Bill Forrest says:
One thing lacking for the Mac is a decent statistical analysis program. The last Mac based usable program was StatView which was killed off by SAS or SPSS whichever bought it in the late 90’s. We have to maintain a System 9 setup to run it as there is nothing else out there reasonably priced or as easy to use. R isn’t there yet and the major commercial offerings are piratical in their licensing and windows centric in their interfaces. — Posted on Thu Dec 20 at 3:30 pm by Bill Forrest
JC says:
MICROSOFT ONENOTE FOR MAC...ONENOTE...ONENOTE. Journler is fine...BUT it’s not OneNote. Nothing for the Mac compares. — Posted on Thu Dec 20 at 3:18 pm by JC
jsk says:
Engineering software. There used to be engineering software (CAM, CNC, dynamic modeling, FEA, etc.) available for Systems 7 and 8; disappeared when 9 came out and were never seen again. Ports of UNIX command line apps from the 1960’s aren’t a solution. While there are a couple of excellent (best of class in fact) CAD programs for OSX (I can’t recommend VectorWorks enough), but that’s it. Period. Apart from making CAD drawings, if you want to do REAL engineering work on a Mac, you have to get an Intel Mac and run Windoze on it. Sad. — Posted on Thu Dec 20 at 2:52 pm by jsk
Welles says:
Dragon Naturally Speaking… absolutely the best voice recognition software out there and a primary reason why I use VMWare’s Fusion. GeoControl terrain generating software. Zara 3D and Zara Xtreme (although Illustrator and Photoshop together are greater than Xtreme which is lighter than both and has features combining vectors and bitmaps which Adobe doesn’t quite match). Genetica seamless texture generator par excellance which has no match on Mac. Also I use a half a dozen little interesting and useful 3D programs and utilities which have no Mac equivalent, TopMod, RoadMaker, Spiralizer, Accutrans, Chaoscope, Kaleider etc. None of them are purely ‘necessary’ but I find them useful and some like Xara 3D downright fun. — Posted on Thu Dec 20 at 2:22 pm by Welles
MacOldster says:
Photoshop Elements 6 Universal. (Can you believe that only Elements 4 (!) PPC is available?) Abbyy Finereader OCR software Universal and comparable to their Windows product. OCR choices for OSX are currently pathetic. Interesting fact: Abbyy sells an OCR engine for OSX, but not a front end to it. — Posted on Thu Dec 20 at 2:07 pm by MacOldster
Mark says:
Taskmenubar. Absolutely one of the best classic mac shareware apps ever written. — Posted on Thu Dec 20 at 1:52 pm by Mark
Brad Jordan says:
Wow, it’s easy to think of features that are lacking on software I already have. But, it’s tough to think of a software package I desire. I frequently walk through the PC software section at Fry’s, but rarely do I see anything that I say, “Man, I sure wish I had that for my Mac!” I guess others that are gamers may think differently. I could, however, list many features that are lacking my in most used applications. — Posted on Thu Dec 20 at 1:37 pm by Brad Jordan
∧ Back To Top |
What's in the FORUMS?
Newest Daily Topics
Also in Mac360
Recent Articles
|
|
Home •
About •
Copyright •
Service Terms •
Privacy Policy •
FAQs •
Forums •
Advertising •
Mac360 Store
|
| Copyright © 2004 - 2008 PanGeo Media, Honolulu, Hawaii USA. All Rights Reserved.
Mac360 is published and edited by Ron McElfresh, Honolulu, HI USA. Mac360 is served on an Apple Xserve using Mac OS X Tiger Server. Powered by ExpressionEngine at ServerLogistics. |