More and more people are using Macs. Little freeware applications abound for Mac OS but not many new Mac users are familiar with some of the best ones. I’ve put together a short list of some of the more helpful applications I’ve run across.

Adium

Adium is an instant messaging client that combines tabbed chatting with connectivity to a slew of other instant messaging protocols. It sure beats the Hell out of all those iChat windows everywhere.

VLC

Unfortunately, OS X comes with only Quicktime. With more than 95% of the world running on things other than OS X and Quicktime, a solid investment in a third-party media player is necessary. VLC media player has a simple design that will run any video codec or DVD there is, even broken and incomplete files. Windows users should also check this out.

StuffIt

OS X automatically unzips *.zip files with its own extractor, but you’ll need something for those pesky *.rars and *.bins as well. StuffIt Extractor is compatible with *.zip files and 22 other compression formats.

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Colloquy

Colloquy is the best IRC client there is for OS X. As simple as it seems, the fact that Colloquy will notify you with a small sound if your name has been said in chat is worth the download.

Senuti

For every penny there is an overpriced program claiming to transfer music from an iPod to another computer. Why pay for something you can have for free? Senuti seamlessly transmits the library of any iPod onto your computer.

Handbrake

If it’s time to rip a DVD, it’s time to use Handbrake or Mac the Ripper. Just try to ignore the strange and poorly executed icon designs. Handbrake does what the simple user will need in just a few clicks. Mac the Ripper can do the more complex things, like removing the region code from the DVD and enable it to play anywhere. PC users will be happy to hear that of Handbrake is now available on Windows.

ffmpegX

One of the most common reasons Mac users will try DVD ripping programs like Handbrake is to get video files onto their iPods. ffmpegX is the next step after getting your DVD onto your computer this process. ffmpegX convers almost any file format to the iPod video format and so a myriad of others.

Azureus

There are a plethora of torrent clients you could use, but Azureus breaks away from the limitations OS X imposes on advanced users by allowing you to customize every feature of your downloads and creations.

Firefox

Safari is nice, but once you use a program with a tabbed protocol, you’ll never want to go back. Firefox still remains the most dominant multi-platform alternative to Internet Explorer. For users concerned with looks, I would suggest altering the theme so it fits in with OS X more.