After only being a relatively new Mac owner - 7 months or so - I've come to really love some of the apps that enhance my productivity or simply make using a computer a joy. In no real order, I'll jot them down.

Please do comment on your thoughts as I'd be interested to hear your side of things.

1. Without doubt, Quicksilver is a must have. Being able to launch an application through a few quick key strokes saves me an incredible amount of time. Time dragging the mouse to launch a Finder window, sifting through Applications folder and sub-folders and the double click. With Quicksilver, it's a quick finger flick of the hot-key, whilst on the keyboard type the first few letters of the applications' name and Enter - app launched.

2. Skitch - this is a little beauty for image manipulation and annotation. Currently in a beta phase (which it has been for ages) so you need to get an invite for it's use. Release price unknown though it's by the same dudes who do Comic Life so you know there's solid backing.

3. iStat Menus gives me some really simple pleasures and visual displays. Wait, that's not all either - it's also freeware. iStat Menus gives you toolbar graphing on areas including CPU, memory, drives, network, temps, fans, bluetooth as well as Date and Time. You can enable or disable whichever you like - it's up to you.

Other nice things about iStat Menus is each dropdown has the ability to run other applications that you'd think would be associated with that graph. Such as Activity Monitor within the CPU dropdown, iCal under the Date/Time and Network Preferences as well as Network Utility under the Network graphing - you get the idea.

4. Vienna - for RSS feeds so look no further. Powerful and free.

5. For Instant Messaging I use both Adium as well as Skype. There's probably no need to talk further about Skype. Adium is a combo app that allows you to use your ICQ, MSN, Yabber, GTalk and Yahoo contacts all within the same innocuous app.

There's actually quite a few more but I thought I'd start you all off with 5 apps to nab and try. Look at giving them a good try out and I'll post other application reviews shortly.

Technorati Tags: free tools, mac, osx, productivity