This Year’s 20 Must-Have Mac OS X Utilities

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Each year I round-up my top list of applications and utilities used the most throughout the year. Without further introduction, here are all the utilities that have been especially useful in enhancing my productivity during 2013.

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1Password ($49.99): After Dropbox, 1Password is the second application I usually install on every new device. The best password manager out there. Simply perfect.

Fantastical ($19.99): Fantastical is, without any doubts, the best calendar utility on Apple devices. Besides its natural language entry method for creating new events, and its design, its simplicity of use makes this software a must-have for everyone.

ClipMenu (free): Copy/Pasting can become a nightmare. ClipMenu helps you manage your clipboard history without any hassle.

aText ($5): A valid alternative to TextExpander. You can specify when specific groups of snippets should expand, and you have the ability to include so many variables that one little snippet could, potentially, create a unique letter or document.

FlexiGlass ($9.99): This utility makes Windows resizing and management painless. It doesn’t overwhelm users with a dozens of keyboard shortcuts, yet it offers a perfect balance between keyboard and trackpad interactivity.

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Bartender ($15): I wonder why Apple hasn’t introduced a menu bar management utility by default. Once you get more than 10 or so apps running up there, your menu bar starts to look crowded, and that’s when Bartender will help you sort things up.

RescueTime (free): One of my favorite utilities, RescueTime helps you understand your daily habits so you can focus and be more productive.

Uberlayer ($3.99): With the Uberlayer app you can put floating images on top of your computer screen.

Alfred (free): Best known as an application launcher, Alfred offers also the ability for users to create powerful automatic workflows that can be launched with an assigned keyboard shortcut.

Renamer ($19.99): Renamer allows you to batch rename multiple files and folders at once.

CleanMyMac 2 ($39.95): To run maintenance on my iMac and MacBook Air, I use this utility. CleanMyMac cleans out user and system cache files, user logs, broken preferences, foreign language files, forgotten system log files, and other stuff that may be taking up memory space.

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Keyboard Maestro ($36): Mac automation program Keyboard Maestro will help you reach productivity Nirvana by automating redundant tasks on your Mac with ease.

Breaktime ($4.99): You need a break. Trust me. BreakTime is a simple utility that’s designed to help you remember to take breaks away from your computer.

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Evernote (free): I use Evernote to store literally everything. Business cards, phone numbers, restaurant menus, sketches, references, etc… It has become the ultimate digital Archive folder in my daily workflow.

Skitch (free): When managing digital projects Skitch helps me manage my WIP screenshots with annotations and markings and share them with my team.

Droplr (free): This utility offers free Cloud file sharing for teams that need privacy & speed.

Google Drive (free): Does it need any introduction? While I prefer Dropbox, Google’s collaboration features makes my workflow rely on it’s services on a daily basis.

Dropbox (free): After years, Dropbox is still the first App I install on a new machine. Quick and reliable, Dropbox is a must for everyone. Dropbox has become a critical back-end component also to many of the apps I use. I Even use Dropbox to sync my 1Password database between my iPhone, iPad, and Mac. I would be lost without it…

This post was originally published on Way Out,
a journal about an elaborated escape from unthoughtful technology
consumption by Tommaso Nervegna, a Milan-based Interaction Designer
and “Digital Solution Architect,” a long title that basically means
“I’ll do anything you ask me to, as long as it’s digital.”
You can follow Tom and his endeavors on Twitter here or on his Facebook Page here.