If you are a Mac user and never use Keyboard Maestro, my attitude is you are missing big time. it simplifies my life on so many levels that I find it hard to believe that I have spent many years without it.

I felt the same with the Directory Opus when I used to have Windows.


Do you guys have any software/tool/method/trick that you helped you so much that you are under the impression that non-users are missing out?

On Mac:

I agree that Keyboard Maestro is indispensable.

By far the most helpful and valuable software that I use is Tinderbox, which I would recommend to any Mac user who isn't averse to a bit of tinkering.

(I also continue to rely on The Hit List, not so much for tasks, but for quickly recording bits of tagged information. It's implementation of keyboard-centric manipulation of tags and folders is without equal, although searching my large database is quite slow.)

But perhaps more to the point in terms of the question being posed, the most essential 3rd-party utilities for me on Mac are:

-- Something to enable true (Windows-like) maximization of windows. (I have BetterTouchTool configured for this purpose, but there are many other options.)

-- An app launcher that adapts to my work-flow (I'm currently using the free version of Alfred).

-- A browser chooser (I currently use Browser ChooserX, although I'm nostalgic for MultiBrowser).

-- A clipboard history manager (I use CopyLess Lite).

-- AppBeBack (to see a list of most recently closed apps -- useful when I accidentally close the wrong window with the pointer and am not sure which window I closed).

-- Easy Screen OCR (for extracting text from images).

-- Typeeto (used only occasionally -- for typing quickly on iPhone from Mac).

Lucas wrote:

On Mac:


-- A clipboard history manager (I use CopyLess Lite).

After the multi-clipboard app PTH_Pasteboard bit the dust (resurrected by the dev, years later, as PasteBot) I used CopyLess when it had a different name, then was upgraded into the current name/version for free.

But I decided I preferred Copy 'Em Paste and switched to it a couple of years ago. It does everything the full version of CopyLess does and more (like editing of items while in the clipboard, or an extremely useful screenshot-to-RAM utility).

http://apprywhere.com/copy-em-paste.html

The only multiple clipboard app I've seen that matches it is PasteBot.

For utilities, I probably use Typinator and BetterTouchTool more than any other. Copied is a good one too. And Yoink. And SnagIt.

For bigger non-utility software DEVONthink is by far the most useful. Tinderbox is also great.

I really like Agenda but I haven't sorted out the best way to use it yet.

Here's a confession (to myself as much as to you all):

An app that I use and rely upon way more often than I want to admit is Evernote. I keep saying I don't like it -- and that is true. Mostly because the interface is different on every device I use it on: Windows PC, MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone, through the browser. I often find myself staring at the screen trying to figure out how to actually create a new note. However, it is so easy to forward an email or clip text into Evernote on my PC at work or my MacBook at home, that I just keep using it. Also, when someone gives me a business card, I simply snap a picture through Evernote, and the app even parses the data into contact information.

And damn if it isn't easy to find the information months or even years later on whichever device I'm using.

As much as I've tried to wean myself off Evernote, it just hasn't happened.

Signed,
Egg-faced in Vermont

1password is the truly scary app to try replace, I wouldn't want it to fail! I suppose I should back that stuff up somewhere else...
Moom and alfred and hazel. what a combo!

devonthink with ammonite is by far my best whole system search. I suppose it'd be epic if we could search ammonite through alfred... hmmm.,,

My favorite macOS utilities (in no particular order):

1Password
Paste
Typinator
BetterTouchTool
Alfred
Yoink
Hazel
Droplr
DaisyDisk
Easy New File Creator
WordService
Bartender
Amphetamine
PiPifier
PicaText
SecurePDF
Name Mangler 3

UltraRecall
Vueminder Calendar

Total Commander / Directory Opus (have licenses for both, the second is preferable for those who can afford it)

X1 Search
Keepass

Luhmann wrote:

My favorite macOS utilities (in no particular order):

1Password
Paste
Typinator
BetterTouchTool
Alfred
Yoink
Hazel
Droplr
DaisyDisk
Easy New File Creator
WordService
Bartender
Amphetamine
PiPifier
PicaText
SecurePDF
Name Mangler 3

Many of the Usual Mac Suspects Luhmann lists above, plus Ubersicht, PopClip and Workspaces.

Lots of my faves listed above. I'll add

• Default Folder X
• Backblaze
• Snappy (or SnapN Drag Pro, or the full-featured but sometimes frustatingly slower Capto)
• Cookie (auto cookie-killer from SweetP Productions)
• HoudahSpot (supercharged Spotlight searches)
• Carbon Copy Cloner (or SuperDuper!)
• Moom (or Magnet, or Divvy)
• Due (syncs with iOS app)
• Anylist (free, but $7/year gets Mac app access and syncing and sharing lists)

In addition to some of those already mentioned, I rely on Unclutter.

REGEX

I find this tool extremely useful to manipulate texts.

I use PicPick on a daily basis

I find the ability to screen capture and then basic but powerful editing to be very fast and effective

Cope and paste the edited screen shot in the body of an email and your ability to explain the issue at hand is increased
( I am in construction engineering industry so a lot of discussions are around drawing details )

The screen capture is quick and easy and the editing is quick, powerful and very easy

http://ngwin.com/picpick

If you miss the Gnome 2 UI on Linux, you're gonna love True Launch Bar for Windows. That's because it *perfectly* mimics the best UI ever developed for a personal computer. In addition to simply launching programs, like its inspiration it offers all manner of other utilities -- clipboard manager, weather forecast, RSS reader, window manager & updated system utilities -- all conveniently available on a task bar that can either replace or supplement the windows task bar.

For more than a decade, it's the first thing I install on a new PC. There are other launch managers, of course, but none that can compete with True Launch Bar.

marlowe wrote:

In addition to some of those already mentioned, I rely on Unclutter.

I know three people who use Unclutter and love it, but it seems to duplicate the functionality of three of my favorite apps - Yoink, Curiota, Copy 'Em Paste - but doesn't do what they do nearly as powerfully (albeit on one screen).

satis wrote:

marlowe wrote:
In addition to some of those already mentioned, I rely on Unclutter.

I know three people who use Unclutter and love it, but it seems to
duplicate the functionality of three of my favorite apps - Yoink,
Curiota, Copy 'Em Paste - but doesn't do what they do nearly as
powerfully (albeit on one screen).

My criticism of it too. In particular, it lacks an iOS app for its notes - which is I think an essential if you use an iPhone or iPad alongside your Mac.

Unclutter does lack an iOS app, true, but it's easy enough to set its home folder to iCloud/Dropbox and then use the text editor of your choice.

I've done exactly that - which is why I'd love to see Markdown support, since all my favourite iOS text editors also support Markdown.

Curiota could also do with an iOS app, although I use Readdle's Documents to act as a kind of substitute. Not ideal, though.

This Chrome extension was released 4 years ago, but I just learned about it today. Very useful!

Google Drive Can Now Open Files Directly in Your Desktop Apps
https://lifehacker.com/google-drive-can-now-open-files-directly-in-your-deskto-1655019365

Other Chrome extensions I depend on are:

1Password
Pocket
Mercury Reader (like readability)
Perapera Chinese Popup Dictionary
Bear
2Do
Evernote
Paperpile
Pinboard
Todoist
Create Link (copy link as Markdown text)
Bearclaw (for posting to micro.blog)
Manage Extensions
Don't Add Custom Search Engines
Click to subscribe (for RSS feeds)
uBlock Origin
Wikipedia Interlink (to switch Wikipedia languages)
Create Gmail quicklink (replaces quick search feature removed from Gmail Labs)

- rock

+ fire

over @ http://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/8257

Luhmann wrote:

Other Chrome extensions I depend on are:

Interesting list. I haven't heard of many of them! The main extensions I have turned on in Chrome are

• 1Password
• Allow Right-Click
• AutoMute
• Autopagerize
• BehindTheOverlay
• Dark Reader
• Decentraleyes
• Disable HTML5 Autoplay
• EXIF Viewer
• Flashcontrol
• Fontanello
• Google Voice
• Imagus
• ImprovedTube for YouTube
• Just Read
• OneTab
• PhishProtect Beta
• Reddit Enhancement Suite
• RSS Subscription Extension
• Save to Pocket
• Stylish
• The Camelizer
• TubeG
• uBlock
• Wayback Machine
• Windows Defender Browser Protection

And I periodically turn on some extensions when occasionally needed, like AnyList Recipe Import, or Full Page Screen Capture, or Image Downloader, or DotPUB (which converts any webpage into an ePUB), or Ebates (and/or Honey) when shopping.

MadaboutDana wrote:

Unclutter does lack an iOS app, true, but it's easy enough to set its
home folder to iCloud/Dropbox and then use the text editor of your
choice.

I've done exactly that - which is why I'd love to see Markdown support,
since all my favourite iOS text editors also support Markdown.

Curiota could also do with an iOS app, although I use Readdle's
Documents to act as a kind of substitute. Not ideal, though.

Thanks for the pointers, Bill.