For the first time, About.com's Computing Channel will be running a coordinated Reader's Choice Awards. During January 2010, you'll be able to nominate your favorite sites, services and innovations in categories ranging from the best IM client and email service to best Web design and Web browser. Then, in February, check back to see if your favorite nominees made the cut, and cast your vote. Winners will be announced March 1. There's no prize -- just the bragging rights that come with getting recognized by the readers of one of the biggest tech networks on the Web.
Reader's Choice Awards Categories for the Mac:
Best Mac System Utility
The Best Mac System Utility category is for software designed primarily to enhance the capabilities of the OS. This includes applications that allow access to hidden or hard-to-use OS X features, applications that automate or perform system services for the user, and applications that provide features not yet available in OS X.
The Nominees have been chosen.
Vote for the Best Mac System Utility
Best Mac Backup Application
The Best Mac Backup Application category is open to any application that, at a minimum, performs a backup of a user's data. Applications in this category may also provide other services, such as backing up the entire system, creating archives, and creating clones. All nominations in this category should be for applications that perform local backups, either on the user's Mac or on local network resources. You may nominate backup applications that use a server on the Internet, but they must also be capable of local backup and restore functions.
The Nominees have been chosen.
Vote for the Best Mac Backup Software
Best Application for Running Windows
The Best Application for Running Windows category is open to any application or system that allows you to run Windows or Windows applications on a Mac. Many systems in this category can run more than just Windows, but being able to use that 'other' OS is the minimum requirement for nomination.
The Nominees have been chosen.
Vote for the Best Application for Running Windows
Best Mac Consumer Image Editor
The Best Mac Consumer Image Editor category is open to any software that is used for editing static images. No video editing systems in this category, please; they have their own category. We're looking for image editing applications that are geared towards general consumers, not professionals. This doesn't mean the application can't have professional-level features, only that its target audience must be amateurs and hobbyists.
The Nominees have been chosen.
Vote for the Best Mac Consumer Image Editor
Best Mac Consumer Video Editor
The Best Mac Consumer Video Editor category is open to any software that is used for editing video images. We're looking for video editing applications that are geared towards general consumers, not professionals. This doesn't mean the application can't have professional level features, only that its target audience must be amateurs and hobbyists. Products can be single applications or packages that include an application that targets a consumer audience somewhere in the video creation chain.
Best Mac Music Creation Application
The Best Mac Music Creation Application category will accept nominations for any application used to create, edit, or record music. This category is also open to applications designed to teach individuals to read or play music or create musical notation.
Best Mac Word Processor
The Best Mac Word Processor category is open to any application that provides word processing capabilities. This can include stand-alone applications or word processors that are part of a bundled suite of tools. Please don't nominate code editors in this category unless they can also be used for general-purpose word processing.
The Nominees have been chosen.
Vote for the Best Mac Word Processor
Best Mac Office Suite
The Best Mac Office Suite category is open to any software package that, at a minimum, provides word processing and spreadsheet capabilities. The suite may also include additional office applications. Nominations may include office suites that run locally on an individual's Mac, as well as office suites that run from an Internet server.
The Nominees have been chosen.
Vote for the Best Mac Office Suite
Best Mac Browser
The Best Mac Browser category is open to nominations for applications that provide general-purpose web browsing capabilities. Browsers in this category should be able to access any web site, provide bookmark services, support plug-ins, and run basic web applications without issues.
The Nominees have been chosen.
Vote for the Best Mac Browser
Best Mac Email Client
The Best Mac Email Client category is open to any application that provides general-purpose email capabilities. Nominations may include email clients that run on an individual's Mac as well as web-based email clients.
The Nominees have been chosen.
