Here at About: Macs, I look at new or updated Mac applications almost every day. Over the course of a week, there are usually some pretty good apps that I think deserve a bit of notoriety, as well as a few that, well, to be polite about it, aren't quite ready for real-world use.
When I find a well-designed, well-executed Mac app, I add it to my list of potential candidates for Tom's Mac Software Picks. My picks are all quality apps that also offer exceptional value, and cover many categories, including utilities, graphics, education, productivity, games, and development.
Each software pick is first announced on a Saturday in my daily blog, but since blog posts tend to slip down into oblivion, I also include a brief description of each pick in this list.
The lists are organized by the year the software was first mentioned in my Saturday blog. This list covers 2013, but you can find more picks in the following lists:
Tom's Mac Software Picks 2008 - 2010
By the way, if you have a favorite Mac app that you think deserves to make the list, please stop by and submit your Software Nomination for Tom's Mac Software Picks 2013.
Unclutter
Courtesy of Software Ambience Corp.
Unclutter is a virtual pocket that holds files, folders, notes, and the current contents of your Mac’s clipboard, all in handy panels that hide in the menu bar. Unclutter is easy to use. It’s out of the way when you don’t need it, and quickly accessible when you do.
PhotoSweeper
Courtesy of Overmacs Team
PhotoSweeper is a utility that can find duplicate or similar images stored on your Mac. With support for iPhoto, Aperture, and Lightroom libraries, as well as photos stored in folders, PhotoSweeper may just be the cleanup tool you need to get a handle on your photos.
Delicious Library 3
Courtesy of Delicious Monster
Delicious Library 3 is a very cool cataloging app that can help you keep track of all of your books, videos, music, and just about any other type of media. With support for barcode scanners, webcams, and iOS devices, Delicious Library 3 almost makes the cataloging process fun.
Audio Hijack Pro
Courtesy of Rogue Amoeba
Audio Hijack Pro allows you to record audio from your Mac and save it as an audio file in one of many formats. You can record audio from almost any source your Mac can play, such as iTunes, DVD Player, YouTube, Messenger, Safari, or Skype.
Pathways Into Darkness
© Bungie, Inc
Pathways Into Darkness is a nostalgic trip back to the days of 1993, System 7, and one of the original 3D first-person shooters for the Mac. The current version was rewritten for OS X, but plays and feels just like the original.
TinkerTool System Release 2
TinkerTool System Release 2 is a handy system utility for diagnosing, repairing, and fiddling around with your Mac's OS to get it working just the way you like it. TinkerTool System also includes an emergency tool that can be used with the Mac's Single User startup mode to easily repair drives, files, and user account information.
Xcode 4
Xcode is the go-to development environment for Macs and iOS devices. Xcode has everything you need, including code editors, UI development tools, and debugging and profiling tools, and is by far the preferred environment for developing the next great app.
Feedly
Feedly is one of the best RSS replacements for Google Reader, which is enough of a reason to check it out. But even if you never used Google Reader, Feedly is one of the best RSS readers available for the Mac. It features an easy-to-use interface, a pleasing visual layout, and it's easy to customize. Feedly can keep RSS feeds on all of your devices, including Macs, iOS, and Android devices, in sync.
Email Archiver
Courtesy of Keaten House, Ltd.
Email Archiver allows you to create PDF copies of Apple Mail or Outlook for Mac emails. Email Archiver doesn't make any changes to your existing email system; it simply creates PDF versions of each email and stores them in a folder you choose. This is a great way to ensure that you will always be able to access your email messages, now and in the far future.
Name Mangler
Courtesy of Many Tricks
Name Mangler is one of the handiest file renaming utilities available, with two features that set it apart from many of its competitors. Name Mangler can work with a very large number of files quickly. It also has an easy-to-use interface that allows you to create simple or complex rules to perform file renaming.
