Opensource Essentials for the Apple Mac

Roughly ten years ago the terms freeware and free software were regularly used for software that was free to install but then frequently had an annual license, or renewal fee after a certain number of uses. Over recent years the Open Source community has really started to thrive.

Why is Open source so popular? "Open Source" refers to software where the source code is available to the public for use free of charge, i.e., open. Open source code is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers improve upon the code and share the changes within the community. Free and open-source software is good for you and good for the world.

Jo from Monocreative asked for a list of Apple Utilities that she could use on her home MAC.... so here is a list of the best ones I could find:

Web Browsing
	Mozilla Firefox Browser The premier free, open-source browser. Firefox 2 delivers helpful new features to make your online experience more productive. Tabs, pop-up blocking, themes, and extensions. Lots of addins and useful gadgets (spell checker, ebay tools, etc..) Considered by many to be the world's best browser.
	The Camino web browser is powerful, secure, and ready to meet the needs of all users while remaining simple and elegant in its design. It's built around the same engine that drives Firefox and combines the awesome visual and behavioural experience that has been central to the Macintosh philosophy with the powerful web-browsing capabilities of the Gecko rendering engine. Built and tested by thousands of volunteers, Mozilla’s Gecko brings cutting-edge innovations and capabilities to users in a standards-friendly and socially responsible form.
Video Player / Video Podcasting
	Miro Beautiful interface. Plays any video type (much more than quicktime). Subscribe to video RSS, download, and watch all in one. Torrent support. Search and download from YouTube and others.
Instant Messaging
	AdiumConnect to multiple IM accounts simultaneously in a single app, including: AOL IM, MSN, and Jabber. Beautiful, themable interface. Download Page
Email
	Mozilla Thunderbird Powerful spam filtering, solid interface, and all the features you need. Will also import your existing messages from Outlook. Thunderbird 2 features many new enhancements to help you better manage your unruly inbox, and stay informed.
RSS
	RSSOwlSolid cross-platform RSS client. Download Page
Peer-to-Peer Filesharing
	CabosA simple, easy to use filesharing program. Gnutella network. Download Page
	Transmission Very nice torrent downloader. Download Page
	Tomato Torrent Download torrents. Nice and simple. Download Page Also see: Poisoned - Azureus
Running Windows Software on Macs
	Q EmulatorRun Windows programs on your Intel Mac at near native speed. Works on G4 / G5 Macs too, but much slower. Download Page
Podcasting
	JuiceSolid podcasting client. Download Page
Video Playback
	VLCPlays more video files than most players: Quicktime, AVI, DIVX, OGG, and more. Pretty good interface. Download Page
	MPlayerThe interface and buttons are not as nice or as Mac-like in feel, but it may play even more video files than VLC. Download Page
	PerianA plugin that allows quicktime to play additional video formats. (Included in Democracy Player.) Download Page
iPod Ripping
	SenutiGet music off of your iPod onto any computer. Download Page
	iPodDiskCopy music off your iPod in the finder, like a regular disk drive. Download Pag
DVD Rippin
	HandbrakeDVD ripper and MPEG-4 / H.264 encoding. Very simple to use. Download Pag
CD / DVD Burning
	BurnCD and DVD Burner. Download Page
Privacy
	VidaliaThis TOR frontend keeps you anonymous on the web using military-grade techniques. For use with Firefox see: TorButton. Download Page
Word Processing / Office Suites
	BeanVery fast and easy to use word processor. Live word count, autosaving, more. Download Page
	NeoOfficeBuilt on OpenOffice.org. Big, full featured suite of tools for word processing and spreadsheets. Compatible with Microsoft Word documents and OpenDocument Format. Download Pag
	AbiWordA word processor. Leaner and quicker than OpenOffice. Compatible with Microsoft Word documents and OpenDocument Format. Download Page
Wifi Scanning
	KisMacThe best wireless scanner for Mac. Find wireless access when you're on the go. Download Page
Sound Recording
	AudacitySimple sound recording tool. Download Page
Graphics, Photo, Publishing
	SeashoreBased on Gimp, but doesn't require X11. Download Page
	XeeFast image viewer and image browser. Download Page
	Gimp.appPhoto editing application that rivals Photoshop in features (requires X11). Download Page
	InkscapeVector graphics application (requires X11). Download Page
	ScribusDesktop publishing. Complicated install, but a nice app. Download Page
FTP / SFTP
	CyberduckVery good all-around ftp program. Download Page
	OneButton FTPSimple, fast FTP, with a focus on "advanced queuing". Download Page
	FuguNot as polished as Cyberduck, but has a side by side interface showing your files and the remote files. Download Page
HTML / Text Editing
	SmultronText / html editor. Integrates with Cyberduck for editing websites. Download Page
	NvuVisual tool for making websites (WYSIWYG html editor), comparable to Dreamweaver. Download Page
IRC
	ColloquyGreat IRC client. Download Pag
Media Center
	Centerstage Full-screen interface for playing audio, video, and photos. Connect it to your TV. Download Page
Note Taking
	Freemind An innovative application for note taking and outlining. Takes time to get used to, but some people swear by it. Download Page
Personal Finance
	Cashbox Simple, easy to use application for managing personal finances. Download Page
	Buddi A personal finance and budgeting program, aimed at those who have little or no financial background. Download Page
MSN Chat
	Opensource messenger client that connects to Windows / LIVE MEssenger AMSN Messenger
PDF Viewer
	Skim PDF viewer. Download Page
3D Graphics and Modeling
	Blender Powerful 3D Modeling software. Download Page Also see: Persistence of Vision Raytracer - Art of Illusion - Wings 3D - Quesa - Open Media Toolkit
MP3 Management
	iEatBrainz Fills in the correct metadata (title, artist, etc) for MP3s in your collection. Download Page
Planetariums and Outer Space
	Celestia Open-source 3D planetarium software. Akin to traveling through space (outer space). Download Pag
	Stellarium "Renders realistic skys in realtime." See what you would see if your city wasn't so light-polluted. Used in real planetariums. Download Page see: macORSA - Orbit Reconstruction, Simulation, and Analysis
Comic Viewer
	Jomic Read digital comics. Download Page