Adium
Simply the best messenger client available for MacOSX. You can create multiple messenger accounts: Yahoo!, MSN, GoogleTalk, Facebook, even Lotus Sametime. (there are still some other options, but I don't use them, such as AOL, etc) In some of the older version, Adium has also tried to offer Twitter account as an option, but it's not available anymore. I remembered it was not very stable, so that's probably the reason why it's no longer available.
Adium also offer many customisation option, such as message template, emoticon sets, even apps icons (you can change it into an animated icon)
I also enjoy it's option to save all chat log, into searchable entries.
The only major issue i kept experiencing are file transfer is very unreliable and frequently failed to send or receive. Another issue that's quite annoying although not as major the file transfer problem is the character limit when you chat. I am not sure how many is the limit, but it's quite annoying when you want to copy a bunch of message to find that it cannot be sent because it's over the message limit.
However, in conclusion, for a FREE apps (yes, it's free), Adium is definitely the best messenger client for MacOSX.
(Not available for Windows)
Things
Keeping track of what you had to do is very important and Things helps you with it. You can create an to-do entry from Mail to link your to-do task with a particular email, and you can also add a file attachment if necessary. Then, you can set a deadline for every to-do list that you have created.
You can also tag each entry and then group it based on the tag. Or you can also group the entries into a project. When in the project mode, you can then see list of the to-do entries belonged to the project.
You can also create a scheduled to-do list to remind you of a certain task you need to do every so often.
The beauty of Things is that it's very simple with a smart user interface. It's very easy to use.
The only drawback is probably because you have to pay to use Things. And the price is not cheap either at $49.95
(Not available for Windows)
http://culturedcode.com/things/
MacOSX is equipped with a very good search capability in Spotlight. However, Spotlight is designed to look for everything inside your Mac. And the search results could be quite useless, especially when you actually know what you're looking for, you just need to find and open it fast.
If speed is what you need, then LaunchBar is definitely the right choice.
LaunchBar helps you to find and open files, apps, etc based on your search entry. It will then record and memorize your search entry and the files/apps that you open when you type the search entry. So the next time you search for it again, it will immediately display it at the top of the search result. Pretty neat, right!
Another useful feature of LaunchBar is it also record your clipboard entry (that's the entry recorded every time you copy something in your system - text, files, etc). And it will create a history of it.
The only drawback I can think of when using this system is it doesn't offer an option to hide the LauncBar icon from your dock. Another drawback is probably because LaunchBar is a paid application. You need to pay $24 for a single license.
(Not available for Windows)
http://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar/index.html
MarsEdit
Posting a blog entry has never been easier with MarsEdit. It has the option to create a blog entry in HTML code or Rich Text Format. The later is very useful for non-computer geeks. You can also save your draft entry for later.
Configure MarsEdit to link with your preferred blog is almost without an effort. You just enter set where your blog is located and enter your username and password. That's if you're using one of the most popular blog sites, such as blogspot.com or wordpress.com
You can also access your media, either in your Mac or Flickr.
The only issue I found so far is you cannot directly access your video. You need to upload it to external site first, such as youtube.com, then you can insert the video using the embedded code.
Another drawback is probably the price. Since you have to pay to use it at $39.95
(Not available for Windows)
http://www.red-sweater.com/marsedit/
Watts
For a notebook, battery is its life, without it, it's pretty much useless.
So taking care of the battery is extremely important.
Watts helps you managing your battery by monitoring your battery health.
In Mac-based notebooks, the battery comes with a factory setting to count the number of cycle a battery has been used, usually the limit is 1000.
But every so often, the battery needs to be calibrated so it can count the cycle correctly. And that's where Watts is most useful.
It helps you by reminding when you should do the calibration and also notify you the steps to do the calibration correctly.
Some people might argue that you don't actually need an app to remind you of the calibration process because it's already well-known how to do so.
But a little help wouldn't hurt, right?
The only drawback is probably the price. At $6.95, some might say it's too pricey for a simple app, but if it helps you from buying a new battery too soon, then why not!
(Not available for Windows)
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