Tom’s Budget Software Picks

Quality Software, Extraordinary Value

There are many password managers available for the Mac. Apple even includes its own built-in system, Keychain, with OS X. But when it comes to really useful, easy-to-use, and secure password managers, 1Password always rises to the top of the list.

1Password can operate in two distinct methods: as a stand-alone application or as a password manager that's integrated with your browser. You can also use it in both forms at the same time. Browser integration is one of the reasons I prefer 1Password over all the other password managers available.

iPaste from IGG Software is a clipboard utility that lets you keep clippings you reuse frequently close at hand. iPaste can store text, images, PDFs, and more. Clippings are stored in "wells"; each well can be assigned to multiple clip sets. This allows you to organize your clipping collection in just about any way you wish, such as by type (image), by subject (pets), or by use (web pages).

Default Folder X gives you quick access to folders you use often from within any Open or Save dialog box. You can assign a default folder for each application, so your work is always saved in the same place. You can also use a list of your favorite locations, recently used locations, or all currently open Finder windows, on the assumption that one of them is likely to be where the document you are currently working on is stored.

Default Folder X is a real time saver; the latest version is now compatible with Snow Leopard.

Snowtape 1.3 lets you listen to your favorite Internet radio stations. Of course, you can do that with just a web browser, but Snowtape also lets you record radio stations, edit recordings, and export recordings to iTunes.

Snowtape has a large database of Internet radio stations, so you can quickly find a station by genre, bandwidth, or country. You can also create your own list of favorite stations by adding the URL of each station's audio stream.

Nisus Writer Pro is a word processor with a clean, smooth interface that lets you concentrate on writing. The interface is a cinch to customize, but after trying out the various possibilities for extensive customization, I found the default interface very much to my liking.

One of my favorite features is the style sheet editor. Nisus Writer Pro includes enough style sheets to satisfy most individuals, but the way it lets you easily and visually customize a style sheet sets it apart from many other word processors.

MP3-Info is a Finder plug-in that works with Leopard and Snow Leopard. It is capable of displaying MP3 tags for any audio file, whether you select it in the Finder or in iTunes.

MP3-Info can display cover art as well as the usual MP3 tags, including duration, bitrate, title, album, artist, track, composer, year, genre, comment, and encoder, all in one tidy window.

NetNewsWire is an RSS reader that offers features and services well beyond those found in Apple’s Mail or Safari web browser. NetNewsWire lets me browse news feeds I’ve subscribed to, read stories, and keep up to date with the daily goings-on in the Mac community. It’s one of my not-so-secret weapons for staying up to date.

Hydra from Creaceed is one of the easiest-to-use HDR (High Dynamic Range) image rendering applications I have seen for the Mac.

HDR images combine multiple images, each taken with a different exposure, into a single image that has a color and exposure range that is very close to what the human eye sees. For example, have you ever taken a picture of the interior of your home that included a view out a window? Chances are the window in your picture was nothing but blown-out highlights, just a whitish smear. An HDR image of the same scene would render the interior of the room and the window view with equal clarity, the same way that you see it in real life.