After I purchased my 15.4″ Macbook Pro I ended up spending a considerable amount of time hunting for software online to do a variety of tasks and that was also in universal binary format. Ultimately I did manage to find several programs that not only do what they claim, but do so very well. So in the interests of passing along the wealth I have compiled a short list of the most useful Mac applications I have found so far. Some are free, others are commercial but often the price is very reasonable for what the application does. For the most part the applications I use are geared toward the light business user and students.

Commercial Applications

Parallels Desktop for Mac (Download)
Bar none, this is one piece of software I simply cannot live without. Having been a user since the early beta I can say that Parallels for Mac has come a long way. The latest version runs Windows XP, Windows Vista, and most versions of Linux smoothly and without any hiccups. I use it currently for running both work-related software and also for my own personal programming tasks using Visual Studio and have never had any problems with either the performance or compatibility. The $79 price tag is well worth it for just about anyone who needs to run non-native Mac software.

SOHO Notes (Download)
Since I currently spend a considerable amount of time in the classroom I needed something that would allow me to take notes, save web pages, and in general be more organized. SOHO Notes not only handles these tasks but does so much more. Featuring full drag-and-drop support and a easily searched database this program makes an excellent companion to anything who needs to keep track of digital resources.

Devon Agent (Download)
One of the often neglected aspects of research today is the ability to find what you are looking for using online resources. Although the art of “googling” for something is well documented, this ability does not always result in good information for those who are researching something for more than personal pleasure. That’s where Devon Agent becomes very useful. The software allows you to conduct documented and elaborate searches online using multiple sources. It allows you to better focus your efforts and to accurately document the results.

iWork (More Information)
Although iWork only includes three applications, Pages, Keynote and Numbers, don’t underestimate what you can using these programs. I feel in love with Page from the first moment I realized that it allows me to format both text and graphics through simple drag and drop actions. The real power of Pages is realized when you have to complete a report or document at the last minute and really want things to look good. Pages makes formating text and graphics not just simple but also very professional. You can create slick looking results in record time! Keynote is simply the best presentation software you can buy right now. The ease at which you can import and enhance Microsoft Powerpoint presentations is noteworthy. I often like to use Keynote on my Macbook simply for the awesome integration with the tiny Apple Remote. For only $79 the iWork package is a steal! (Note: iWork is included as a trial application on default Macbook installations). UPDATE: iWork is now up on the Apple App Store ($19.95 ea).

Hyperspaces (Download)
If you have ever used spaces in Mac OSX then you will love this little gem. It turnes the built in Spaces feature into something far more useful and just plain more fun to use. Want to change your background based on which space you are using? No problem, you can even assign hotkeys to each Space while labeling them! For those of you using your Mac to work on many tasks at once you just can’t beat Hyperspaces as a quick and cost effective productivity booster!

Free/Open Source Applications

Gimp (Download)
Wish you had the money for Adobe Photoshop? Try The Gimp, it gives you just about everything you get with Photoshop but minus the cost. I love using this program to touch up photos and to create my own art for web projects. One of the Gimp’s best features is the fact that it is cross-platform, meaning you can learn it on Mac and use it in Linux or Windows with no learning curve.

Cyberduck (Download)
Simple, free and easy to use, Cyberduck is a great FTP and SFTP client for the Mac. On the Windows platform there are tons of FTP clients to choose from, but on the Mac there are only a handful of decent clients and my own experience so far has led me to conclude that Cyberduck is definitely one of the best.

OpenOffice (Download)
Imagine getting all of the functionality of Microsoft Office for free! Yes, the new version of OpenOffice is that good. Rock solid compatibility with even the newest versions of both Microsoft Office for PC and Mac make this a must-have for students looking to open up those .docx files from the professor.

Apple X11 (Included on System Restore CD)
This extra add-in for Mac OSX is one of those little jewels that most people overlook but find out about much later. I quickly discovered that you can run hundreds of Unix programs using Apple’s version of X11 including The Gimp (see above).

Google Notifier (Download)
Use Gmail or Google Calendar? Then you need this program. It keeps you up to date on all your latest email and appointments without getting in your way. Highly recommended for Google users!

iAlertU (Download)
Ever want to leave your notebook in a semi-public place while you run for a snack, or have you had a call of nature just when you were right in the middle of a download? Well, now you can take care of business without fear that your prized possession will grow legs using iAlertU. This awesome program lets you use the Apple Remote like a car alarm. If someone moves your Macbook even a tiny bit a very annoying alarm will sound and the onboard camera takes their photo! Great for keeping the roommate away from your “collection”

Xmarks Firefox Bookmark Extension (Download)
If you have Firefox then you should also download this very useful browser extension! This extension allows you to sync all your bookmarks to your Foxmarks account and other copies of Firefox. Very cool, easy to use, and works like a charm for those who have to use multiple systems at work or home. (Great replacement for the Google version which has now been discontinued)

Flip4Mac (Download)
If you like watching video clips from sites like MSNBC then you are going to need some way to play Windows Media format video files. Flip4Mac lets you do just that, and even plays the latest WMV formats. Thanks to Microsoft for making this software free!

rDesktop (Download)
Need to access Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP machines using terminal services (Remote Desktop)? I use this program daily at work and find it to be the fastest and most reliable RDP client for Mac. A nice bonus is the ability to recompile it very easily for my Intel MacBook Pro.

SecondBar (Download)
Have two monitors? Then you know exactly what I mean when I say that having your menu bar on one monitor for an application you are running on another is seriously annoying to say the least. Good thing there is a fix! Just grab this fantastic free tool and like magic your menubar problems will be a thing of the past.

Online Resources/Applications

Google Gmail Email Service (Check it out)
Just about everyone knows about Gmail now, and since it is no longer beta, you should give it a try. I could go on all day about which features I think are cool but the only one that most people need to know about is the 2+gb storage limits. Gmail simply offers far more space to store old email than any other service I am aware of. Integration with Google’s other services make this a must-have to anyone needing email services.

Google Calendar (Check it out)
I simply cannot say enough good things about Google Calendar. After having used Microsoft Outlook for years Google Calendar was a refreshing change. I originally started using it just for personal appointments but now I have managed to get it to sync with my Outlook/Exchange system at work. The integration does not stop there, I also use Google Calendar to remind me of upcoming events on my Blackberry, which incidentally also integrates very well with my Gmail account.

Google Spreadsheets (Check it out)
Although this service does not come close to supporting the sheer number of features found in dedicated spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft Excel or even Open Office but it does serve a useful purpose. If you need to do only simple spreadsheet tasks and would also like to have others view and possibly contribute to your efforts then Google Spreadsheets might be for you.

Remember the Milk Task Management (Check it out)
If you have even a modestly busy schedule you are just going to love this online task management service! Remember the Milk sounds silly but there is nothing silly about the way it makes managing complex workloads easy. Just create a list, add some tasks and you can RSS feed them into just about anything. They even have a great widget for iGoogle that lets you view and edit your tasks right from your Google home page.