Mac Help and Tutorials

Mac Help and Tutorials is another source of information for Mac users.

“Did you just get an iMac, iBook, Power Mac G5 or new to the Mac OS?

Need some help getting comfortable with your Mac?

Are you an experienced Mac user just looking for a trick you never knew or trying to understand what these OS9 features are all about? Now I’ve even begun an OSX tutorial.

From original tutorials to articles to links across the web.”

Simplify Media – Connect Your Music

Simplify Media is freeware which lets you play your music in iTunes, Front Row, Winamp, Windows Media Player 11, or Linux’s Rhythmbox.

It’s file streaming software for Windows/Mac/Linux systems as well as iPhone/iPod Touch.

ThreatFire AntiVirus is free

ThreatFire AntiVirus – Behavioral Virus and Spyware Protection is freeware (with a fancier pay version also available) with a high rating for protecting your system.  There’s also a free anti-virus for Macs!

This site also offers Spyware Doctor and Firewall Plus.

Clean Up and Revive Your Bloated, Sluggish Mac

Lifehacker has post on how to Clean Up and Revive Your Bloated, Sluggish Mac for Mac OS X system.

Mac4Lin Gives Linux the Complete Mac Look

Lifehacker has a post about how Mac4Lin Gives Linux Desktops the Complete Mac Look.

Now here’s an identity crisis — you have Linux (because you like to save money?) but you want a Mac (which costs more money) so you simulate the look of a Mac on a Linux computer.

Mac4Lin is the freeware answer.

13 Great Free Backup Programs for Windows, Mac, and Linux

Download Squad has 13 Great Free Backup Programs for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Pick your operating system and find a backup program for it — and use it!

60 Open Source and Free Mac Apps

AppStorm suggests 60 Open Source and Free Mac Apps.

“If you’re on a budget, you’ll be pleased to know that a variety of great OS X software is available free. Applications are broken down into various categories, with each one containing a ‘featured’ app and several other free solutions.”

Alternative software for Windows, Mac, Linux

AlternativeTo.net helps you find alternative software for other operating systems.

What’s comparable to Microsoft Office on a Mac?  Or Linux? Find alternatives to your favorite software even running other systems.  Or just find alternatives.

SpeedCrunch – fast and usable calculator

SpeedCrunch is a fast and usable calculator which is available for Windows, Linux, and Apple Mac OS X.

Overview

• history and results on a scrollable display
• up to 50 decimal precisions
• unlimited variable storage
• intelligent automatic completion
• fully usable from the keyboard
• more than 50 built-in math functions
• optional virtual keypad to be used with a mouse
• on-the-fly and selection calculation
• customizable appearance
• syntax highlighting and parentheses matching

This is recommended by a number of sites (links available on this site).

Manage Files On Any Machine With MuCommander

Lifehacker’s Featured Download: Manage Files On Any Machine With MuCommander is for Windows/Mac/Linux: If you’re not a fan of your system’s tools for managing files on your computer, check out MuCommander. The free, open source download will run on nearly any operating system, including Windows, Mac OS X and your favorite flavor of Linux, and in 21 different languages. Drag and drop between two panes visually, or hack away in the command shell. It also supports most network file transfer protocols, such as FTP, and will even let you browse the contents of archives like ZIP and disk images like ISO without having to uncompress or mount them, respectively. Pictured is an image file viewed directly from an SFTP server — handy! MuCommander is a free download for all platforms.”

AppDonkey: Directory of Free Software for Mac

MakeUseOf has a post about AppDonkey: Directory of Free Software for Mac

“AppDonkey is directory where you can find and download free applications for your Mac. You can either search for a software or browse AppDonkey database by category such as Audio & Multimedia, Communication, System Utilities, Grphics, Security, File Sharing etc.

AppDonkey has one really useful feature, while browsing the site you can keep adding programs you like to the virtual tray and then download all of them at once in a single .tar file.”

Features

• Directory of free mac applications.
• Search and browse apps by category.
• Currently lists over 500 handpicked free apps for Mac OS X.
• Download multiple programs at once.
• No signup or registration needed.

AppDonkey

Mac users can get into Windows files

Lockergnome’s Chris Pirillo has freeware for Mac users to read Windows files.  He even includes a video about them.

OpenOffice for Macs = NeoOffice

While OpenOffice is the open source answer to Microsoft Office on Windows, for Macs you can use the alternative NeoOffice.

“NeoOffice is a full-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, and database programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

Released as free, open source software under the GNU General Public License (GPL), NeoOffice is fully functional and stable enough for everyday use. The software is actively developed, so improvements and small updates are made available on a regular basis.”

Glide for uploading and managing data by computer or phone

Glide lets you upload and manage your data, as well as use online software. “Glide Welcomes PC, Mac, Linux, RIM BlackBerry, Palm, Windows Mobile, Symbian and iPhone Users.” Up to 2GB free, more with monthly or annual billing.