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Toolsets

What the hell, why not. So, here's my version of Justin Williams' "Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List for Mac OS X (2011 Edition)". Prepare to be disappointed.

Computer & Related Hardware

A 17" MacBook Pro, with 8GB of RAM and a third-party 1TB hard drive, that has a 200GB Windows 7 partition. (99.999% of Windows use being for DDO. I play a Monk.)

At "work" I have a 24" Apple Display, (the older DVI model), and that's it. When I use an external pointing device, (mostly for DDO) I use a Razer Naga Epic. 'Tis Awesome. That's it. I try to keep my hardware setup simple, it makes working mobile much easier, and to be honest, I've gotten so used to the built-in trackpad, I don't like using other stuff. Gets in the way.

But a 17" is just too big

That's what she said

In all seriousness, I really like the 17". I don't find it bulky, even on planes, the battery life is amazing, and the extra screen space and better expansion is well-suited to my needs as an IT Director, Podcasting, Writing, and Gaming. I think you're either a 17" person or you are not, and I definitely am. Even the 15" is just cramped to me. As far as bags go, I have a Brenthaven backpack I got in 2003 that is still in amazingly good condition. The computer sleeve velcro is a little wore out on one side, but that's it. The bag is a tank, a big taank, (really. I can fit the 17", an iPad, a bunch of cables, laser pointers, pens, a bottle of water, and a Mini in it, and not overstuff it. My shoulder will wear out before I fill that thing up), and I feel bad, because every time I think about replacing it, even with another Brenthaven, I can't justify it, it's still in too good of shape to justify it. But if I ever replace it, it'll be with another Brenthaven. Harvey, I love you.

OS is "whatever's current", maybe a beta version ahead.

"General" Software

Outlook 2011. Yeah yeah, all the cool kids don't use it. First, screw the cool kids, second, I like Outlook. I like it a lot. I like the fact that unlike Mail, it has an AppleScript dictionary with more function than bugs, (or ANY function compared to iCal and Address Book.) I like how it handles multiple accounts FAR better. I like that everything's integrated. I like that its rules are the best, especially the mailing list manager functionality I wish it supported CalDAV & CardDAV, and dragging attachments into windows wasn't quite so damned twitchy, but other than that, it's my favorite email/calendar/contact client.
iChat. I live with that application, it does what I need it to do, and other than being a bit of a pain in the ass for multipoint audio, it handles my needs perfectly. Well, I can't script account creation. So that's a pain.
Browsers. Yes, I use them. I like Safari, it has integrated RSS. Second choice is Firefox, although of late, they're becoming almost too douchey for me. Chrome only when forced. (Have I mentioned I don't particularly like Google or its products? Yeah.)
Apple Remote Desktop. I'm a sysadmin at heart, and while it is getting weird of late, Apple Remote Desktop is still a heck of a management tool for a primarily Mac network. Nicely scriptable too!
Preview. It's what Adobe Reader should be, and it has a plethora of hidden/not so well known features that make it more than a little useful to me on a daily basis. The perfect application when I'm doing lots of screenshots.
Coda. For the small amount of web site design and administration I have to do, Coda's the bomb. Small, tight, and doesn't get in the way. Also, have you seen Macromedia's UI lately? Guys, Aqua is dead. Let it go.
iWork and Office. Yeah, yeah I know, Office is bloated. Well, one person's bloat is another person's handy feature. I mostly use iWork, but there are times when only Office will do. For example, Word's finer controls over change-tracking is really handy for me, and Numbers is just kind of stupid at importing delimited text files, whereas Excel is just pretty awesome at it. I don't use PowerPoint though, haven't in years, Keynote is just much better. I like working in Pages much better than Word, esp. when it comes to styles. Word still can't make styles easy.
MarsEdit. It's the only blogging tool I'll use, and I find myself using it anytime I have to write something in HTML. I have rather a lot of custom format shortcuts I use, so not using ME is just kind of painful.
Snapz Pro X. Yeah, yeah, I know, all the cool kids use Screenflow. Whatever, I like Snapz a lot. It does what I need it to do, it has awesome keyboard controls and the control it gives me over screenshots is unmatched in my experience. It's the best out there at any price, and it's pretty damned cheap.
Twitteriffic. Since the death of Tweetie, this is the only twitter client worth using on Mac OS, and definitely the only one I'll use on iOS. I pay for it, and I still show the ads, Craig's done a great job of making them not suck.
Sequel Pro. If you have to manage MySQL databases from Mac OS X, and you aren't using Sequel Pro, you're an idiot.

Programming Tools

I'm not a programmer/developer per se, most of what I do is for internal utilities. Having said that:

BBEdit. If you're one of those BBEdit haters, I can't even talk to you. Seriously awesome, and they have one of the best GREP references ever built into their online help. I find most complaints about what BBEdit "can't" do to be rather incorrect.
Script Debugger. I write a lot of AppleScripts. A lot. I could not, nor would I even try to do so without Script Debugger. If you're trying to do anything beyond EXTREMELY simple scripting, without this tool, you're a fool. The grownup debugging, and the ability to see what is happening in the dictionary live with the running application? Oh hell yeah. What, you think I figured out that Acrobat 10 had dictionary entries for the menu separators WITHOUT Script Debugger? Ha. Ha. Ha. It's not free, and I so don't care. This is an amazing tool, and it gets better all the time.
Xcode. I'll come out and say it, I dig Xcode 4. But then, I never cared about Xcode much before, because up until Mac OS X 10.6, the only thing Xcode had for me was ASS, AppleScript Studio, and um. No. But with Mac OS X 10.6, I got AppleScriptObjC, and so now Xcode is much more useful, and I didn't have any bad Xcode 3 and earlier habits to unlearn. I like it, although the AppleScriptObjC debugging sucks.
AppleScriptObjC Explored. Technically, it's an ebook, but I use it so much when coding that I can't imagine working without it. Amazing book, worth every penny.

Audio Tools

What I use for Angry Mac Bastards.

WireTap Studio. Yes, they're an AMB sponsor, but I've been using WTS since before AMB. It's classic Ambrosia: does what it's supposed to do, and doesn't get in your way.
GarageBand. Honestly, there's a lot UI-wise that I don't like, and parts of it are just obtuse, but it's really good for my AMB needs, and I know how to make it do what I need it to do.
Levelator. I know, I know, it's not magic, but it's close enough. I drop an audio file with wildly different levels on it, and it spits out an audio file with nicely matched levels. Drag, drop, done. Awesome Sauce.
Transmit. Gotta get those files up on S3 somehow. Really, Transmit is a great application, and I don't care that it's not free. Don't be cheap, buy it, you'll be happy you did.

Other stuff

PDFpen Pro. Use this instead of Acrobat any chance you get. It's great software, has a MUCH better UI, the dev team actually implements customer suggestions from people who DON'T have 30,000 users, and unlike Acrobat, the Smile people love the platform. Besides, just saying the name is infinitely more Smile than you'll EVER get from Acrobat.
Adobe CS Suite. Acrobat sucks, but the rest of the suite is okay, and honestly, I know how they work. I don't think any of them are particularly bloated any more than any other application with that large an audience would be. Also, the CS installer team has made installing it suck SO much less over the years, so really, my primary annoyance with it is gone.
Dropbox. Meh, it's handy. Getting files to people's Dropboxes when you don't have an account sucks, the sharing UI is quite craptacular, and the product is way too impressed with its own cuteness. Using the fat application when you have multiple accounts is just agony, I end up using the web interface most of the time.

If you're surprised I don't have a lot of OS/UI utilities I use, you clearly don't know me very well. Also, I don't care if you don't use/don't like my applications, but seriously, no advocacy wars. Those suck. And yeah, I know most of you don't care what I use, as you shouldn't. But if you were curious, well there it is.

Categories: Mac Matters

Posted by John C. Welch at 20:44 | Permalink

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What the hell, why not. So, here's my version of Justin Williams' \"Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List for Mac OS X (2011 Edition)\". Prepare to be disappointed.\n\nComputer & Related Hardware\n\nA 17\" MacBook Pro, with 8GB of RAM and a third-party 1TB hard drive, that has a 200GB Windows 7 partition. (99.999% of Windows use being for DDO. I play a Monk.)\n\nAt \"work\" I have a 24\" Apple Display, (the older DVI model), and that's it. When I use an external pointing device, (mostly for DDO) I use a Razer Naga Epic. 'Tis Awesome. That's it. I try to keep my hardware setup simple, it makes working mobile much easier, and to be honest, I've gotten so used to the built-in trackpad, I don't like using other stuff. Gets in the way.\n\nBut a 17\" is just too big\n\nThat's what she said\n\nIn all seriousness, I really like the 17\". I don't find it bulky, even on planes, the battery life is amazing, and the extra screen space and better expansion is well-suited to my needs as an IT Director, Podcasting, Writing, and Gaming. I think you're either a 17\" person or you are not, and I definitely am. Even the 15\" is just cramped to me. As far as bags go, I have a Brenthaven backpack I got in 2003 that is still in amazingly good condition. The computer sleeve velcro is a little wore out on one side, but that's it. The bag is a tank, a big taank, (really. I can fit the 17\", an iPad, a bunch of cables, laser pointers, pens, a bottle of water, and a Mini in it, and not overstuff it. My shoulder will wear out before I fill that thing up), and I feel bad, because every time I think about replacing it, even with another Brenthaven, I can't justify it, it's still in too good of shape to justify it. But if I ever replace it, it'll be with another Brenthaven. Harvey, I love you.\n\nOS is \"whatever's current\", maybe a beta version ahead. \n\n\"General\" Software\n\n

Outlook 2011. Yeah yeah, all the cool kids don't use it. First, screw the cool kids, second, I like Outlook. I like it a lot. I like the fact that unlike Mail, it has an AppleScript dictionary with more function than bugs, (or ANY function compared to iCal and Address Book.) I like how it handles multiple accounts FAR better. I like that everything's integrated. I like that its rules are the best, especially the mailing list manager functionality I wish it supported CalDAV & CardDAV, and dragging attachments into windows wasn't quite so damned twitchy, but other than that, it's my favorite email/calendar/contact client.
iChat. I live with that application, it does what I need it to do, and other than being a bit of a pain in the ass for multipoint audio, it handles my needs perfectly. Well, I can't script account creation. So that's a pain.
Browsers. Yes, I use them. I like Safari, it has integrated RSS. Second choice is Firefox, although of late, they're becoming almost too douchey for me. Chrome only when forced. (Have I mentioned I don't particularly like Google or its products? Yeah.)
Apple Remote Desktop. I'm a sysadmin at heart, and while it is getting weird of late, Apple Remote Desktop is still a heck of a management tool for a primarily Mac network. Nicely scriptable too!
Preview. It's what Adobe Reader should be, and it has a plethora of hidden/not so well known features that make it more than a little useful to me on a daily basis. The perfect application when I'm doing lots of screenshots.
Coda. For the small amount of web site design and administration I have to do, Coda's the bomb. Small, tight, and doesn't get in the way. Also, have you seen Macromedia's UI lately? Guys, Aqua is dead. Let it go.
iWork and Office. Yeah, yeah I know, Office is bloated. Well, one person's bloat is another person's handy feature. I mostly use iWork, but there are times when only Office will do. For example, Word's finer controls over change-tracking is really handy for me, and Numbers is just kind of stupid at importing delimited text files, whereas Excel is just pretty awesome at it. I don't use PowerPoint though, haven't in years, Keynote is just much better. I like working in Pages much better than Word, esp. when it comes to styles. Word still can't make styles easy.
MarsEdit. It's the only blogging tool I'll use, and I find myself using it anytime I have to write something in HTML. I have rather a lot of custom format shortcuts I use, so not using ME is just kind of painful.
Snapz Pro X. Yeah, yeah, I know, all the cool kids use Screenflow. Whatever, I like Snapz a lot. It does what I need it to do, it has awesome keyboard controls and the control it gives me over screenshots is unmatched in my experience. It's the best out there at any price, and it's pretty damned cheap.
Twitteriffic. Since the death of Tweetie, this is the only twitter client worth using on Mac OS, and definitely the only one I'll use on iOS. I pay for it, and I still show the ads, Craig's done a great job of making them not suck.
Sequel Pro. If you have to manage MySQL databases from Mac OS X, and you aren't using Sequel Pro, you're an idiot.

\n\nProgramming Tools\n\nI'm not a programmer/developer per se, most of what I do is for internal utilities. Having said that:\n\n

BBEdit. If you're one of those BBEdit haters, I can't even talk to you. Seriously awesome, and they have one of the best GREP references ever built into their online help. I find most complaints about what BBEdit \"can't\" do to be rather incorrect.
Script Debugger. I write a lot of AppleScripts. A lot. I could not, nor would I even try to do so without Script Debugger. If you're trying to do anything beyond EXTREMELY simple scripting, without this tool, you're a fool. The grownup debugging, and the ability to see what is happening in the dictionary live with the running application? Oh hell yeah. What, you think I figured out that Acrobat 10 had dictionary entries for the menu separators WITHOUT Script Debugger? Ha. Ha. Ha. It's not free, and I so don't care. This is an amazing tool, and it gets better all the time.
Xcode. I'll come out and say it, I dig Xcode 4. But then, I never cared about Xcode much before, because up until Mac OS X 10.6, the only thing Xcode had for me was ASS, AppleScript Studio, and um. No. But with Mac OS X 10.6, I got AppleScriptObjC, and so now Xcode is much more useful, and I didn't have any bad Xcode 3 and earlier habits to unlearn. I like it, although the AppleScriptObjC debugging sucks.
AppleScriptObjC Explored. Technically, it's an ebook, but I use it so much when coding that I can't imagine working without it. Amazing book, worth every penny.

\n\nAudio Tools\n\nWhat I use for Angry Mac Bastards.\n\n

WireTap Studio. Yes, they're an AMB sponsor, but I've been using WTS since before AMB. It's classic Ambrosia: does what it's supposed to do, and doesn't get in your way.
GarageBand. Honestly, there's a lot UI-wise that I don't like, and parts of it are just obtuse, but it's really good for my AMB needs, and I know how to make it do what I need it to do.
Levelator. I know, I know, it's not magic, but it's close enough. I drop an audio file with wildly different levels on it, and it spits out an audio file with nicely matched levels. Drag, drop, done. Awesome Sauce.
Transmit. Gotta get those files up on S3 somehow. Really, Transmit is a great application, and I don't care that it's not free. Don't be cheap, buy it, you'll be happy you did.

\n\nOther stuff\n\n

PDFpen Pro. Use this instead of Acrobat any chance you get. It's great software, has a MUCH better UI, the dev team actually implements customer suggestions from people who DON'T have 30,000 users, and unlike Acrobat, the Smile people love the platform. Besides, just saying the name is infinitely more Smile than you'll EVER get from Acrobat.
Adobe CS Suite. Acrobat sucks, but the rest of the suite is okay, and honestly, I know how they work. I don't think any of them are particularly bloated any more than any other application with that large an audience would be. Also, the CS installer team has made installing it suck SO much less over the years, so really, my primary annoyance with it is gone.
Dropbox. Meh, it's handy. Getting files to people's Dropboxes when you don't have an account sucks, the sharing UI is quite craptacular, and the product is way too impressed with its own cuteness. Using the fat application when you have multiple accounts is just agony, I end up using the web interface most of the time.

\n\nIf you're surprised I don't have a lot of OS/UI utilities I use, you clearly don't know me very well. Also, I don't care if you don't use/don't like my applications, but seriously, no advocacy wars. Those suck. And yeah, I know most of you don't care what I use, as you shouldn't. But if you were curious, well there it is.