What apps do you install on a new Mac?

Software
1

With the new Mac releases, I am guessing many of us will upgrade to a new one.

What apps are you going to install?

Here’s my list:

  • 1Password
  • AdGuard
  • Affinity Photo 2
  • AI apps - Perplexity, Voila
  • Anybox
  • Bartender (Setapp)
  • BetterTouchTool (Setapp)
  • Browsers - Brave, Google Chrome, Firefox, Wavebox
  • CleanShotX
  • CleanMyMac (Setapp)
  • Clop (Setapp)
  • Cursor
  • Dash (Setapp)
  • Droplr
  • Dropover
  • Grammarly
  • Hookmark (Setapp)
  • Keyboard Maestro
  • Klack
  • Logi Options+
  • Microsoft apps - OneDrive, Excel, Word
  • PowerPhotos
  • NotePlan (Setapp)
  • Paste (Setapp)
  • PixelSnap (Setapp)
  • PopClip
  • Raycast
  • Reeder Classic
  • Setapp
  • Screencasting apps - ScreenFlow, Screen Studio
  • Slack
  • Soulver (Setapp)
  • SourceTree
  • Trickster (Setapp)
  • Typinator
1 Like
2

Top 5

Alfred

1Password

Keyboard maestro

Macupdater

Homecam

1 Like
3
  • Endnote
  • Scansnap Home
  • Affinity Publisher
  • Affinity Designer
  • Affinity Photo
  • Express VPN
  • MindNode
  • OmniOutliner
  • Clean my Mac
  • IA Writer
  • 1Writer
  • Chrome
  • Brave browser
  • Bartender
  • Exporter
  • DEVONthink
  • Pixelmator Pro
  • MS Teams (Personal account)
  • 1 Blocker
  • BackBlaze
  • PDFExpert
  • ChatGPT for Mac
  • Zoom
  • Kindle
  • Scrivener
  • Keyboard Maestro
  • Vellum
  • Dropbox
  • Logos
  • Powerpoint
  • Excel
  • Word
  • Drafts
  • Mail
  • Calendar
  • Reminders
  • Numbers
  • Pages
  • Keynote
  • Apple Notes
1 Like
4

1Password
ADHD5 (dictionary)
Backblaze
BBedit
Bear
Brother iPrint & Scan
Calibre
CleanMyMac
Cyberduck
DropBox
EagleFiler
GoodLinks
NetNewsWire
Scrivener
Soulver
TextExpander
VueScan Pro

1 Like
5

My checklist from installation/configuration of my Mac mini M1 will not change very for any new Mac.

  • Power up
  • Set up wifi (have credentials to hand)
  • Setup iCloud (have credentials to hand)
  • Check for macOS updates and install as necessary
  • Preferences: Dock and Menu Bar > turn off Double click a window’s title bar
  • Preferences: Internet Accounts > Google/Mail
    • Also check for iCloud settings including Notes
  • Preferences: Sharing > Computer Name:
  • Finder “user” > View > Show View Options > Show Library Folder
  • Download Firefox and install
  • Pick up web site credentials
  • Install FB Purity, Ghostery, AdBlock Ultimate
    • Check Ghostery preferences
      • Turn on loading of Ads, Trackers, and Annoyances
      • Turn Off Tracker-Tally and Opt-out of everything
      • Turn off General Settings > Blocking stuff
    • Now prefer uBlock Origin to AdBlock Plus
      • Export settings from current Mac
      • Import settings into new Mac
  • Pick up FBP preferences from iCloud
  • Download Dropbox and install
    • Turn off external drive features
  • Setup Mail account
  • Setup sleep times
  • Turn off system sounds System Preferences > Sounds
  • Turn on System Preferences > Accessibility > Zoom
  • Check Firefox settings
    • Set image.animation_mode to none (to prevent Facebook animated GIFs)
    • (Check and) Set autoplay options
      • Set video/audio blocks
      • Ensure streaming services are not blocked
  • Check uBlock Origin prerefences
  • Download and install bash
    • Brew install bash
  • Set bash as default shell
  • Find Scrivener v3.0 licence key (Red flagged in Mail)
  • Download and install Scrivener
    • Set default formatting to “Conventional Text”
    • Point Shared Templates to ~/Dropbox/Scrivener Templates
  • Download and install TeX
  • Download and install BibDesk
  • Download and install python3
  • Download and install LyX
  • Download and install Zotero (and check old setup)
    • Install Firefox add-on
    • Install zot2bib
    • Config editor to set app.update.auto to false
  • Download and install Xcode
  • Download and install terminal line commands
  • Download and install LibreOffice
  • Gimp
  • Blender
  • LancsBox/LancsBox X
  • Scribus
  • Download and install pandoc
  • Download and install MacVim
  • Download and install Firestorm
  • Download and install latest bash
  • Download and install QGIS
  • Setup TimeMachine
    • Copy over required files from previous TM disk

There are a few additions since that list was last used

  • Install Zoom
  • Install Team
  • Install Avenue (GPS display utility)
  • Install DBeaver
  • Install Inkscape
  • Install Aiko
  • Install Anki

Probably a few things I have forgotten.

2 Likes
6

Starting from scratch and considering outside the Apple ecosystem, I would install the apps below (and a few others).

  • Code: Spyder, Script Debugger
  • Communication: Panopto, Camtasia, Zoom
  • Cloud: Mountain Duck
  • Databases: Bookends, DevonThink, Obsidian
  • Document Editors: LaTeX, LaTeXiT, Word, BBEdit, PDFExpert
  • Music: myTuner Radio, Spotify
  • Scientific/Engineering Analysis: Igor Pro, Maple, python, Excel, GeoGebra
  • SetApp: BetterTouchTools, CleanShot X, Dropzone, BetterZip, CleanMyMac
  • Utilities: Beyond Compare
  • Others: 1Password, GeekTool, Epic Pen, HandBrake, Keyboard Maestro

–
JJW

1 Like
7

Usually I just use Migration Assistant, but a month ago I set up a new MBA with (in alphabetical order):
1Password (also the first installed)
Alfred (also the second installed)
Netbeans
Arduino IDE
Bartender
BBEdit
CalcService
Coda 2
EazyDraw
ForkLift
iStat Menus
Nisus Writer Pro
Quicken
Resilio Sync
Scapple
Scrivener
Shottr
SuperDuper!
WordService

It’s basically set up only for writing, but for having Quicken.

2 Likes
8

Following is my list in no particular order

  • Dropbox (usually the first as all my data lives here)
  • Microsoft Office 365 + Teams
  • Spark Mail Classic
  • Things
  • Edge Browser - Use exclusively for Google Workspace
  • Evernote
  • SAP Client
  • Day One
  • Roboform
  • Magnet
  • Caffeine
  • PDF Expert free version
  • Spotify
  • WhatsApp
  • Numbers
  • Pages
  • Resilio Sync for some specific LAN sync items
  • Ghostery Plugin for Safari
1 Like
9

My lucky 13:

1Password
TextExpander
Hazel
Fantastical
Omnifocus
Transmit
Airmail
Devonthink
Fiery Feeds
Crossover
iMazing
the Rogue Amoeba Apps
Adobe Creative Cloud

1 Like
10
  • 1Password
  • Magnet
  • VS Code
  • HomeBrew
  • Miniconda
  • Calibre
  • Steam (and Civilization V, I rarely play it anymore but I always install it just in case!)
  • ChatGPT for Mac
2 Likes
11

Sometimes I use migration assistant (more recently) and sometimes I do a fresh install.

I use getting a new Mac as a prompt for me to review all the apps I have installed on my Mac and cull out any that I’m not using.

I’ve ordered a new MacBook Pro to replace both my Mac Studio and my M1 MacBook Pro so in the next couple of weeks I’ll have to decide whether to use migration assistant or fresh install.

Since I’ve done migration assistant the last few times I’ll likely do a fresh install, even though it takes much much longer. Maybe I’m just being paranoid or overly concerned, but I think it’s wise to have a fresh start once every few Macs.

12

The list continues to shrink as I reduce subscriptions and/or Apple “sherlocks” apps. Here’s what I consider essential and install on every new Mac:

  • Alfred
  • Anybox
  • AltTab
  • Backblaze
  • CleanMyMac X
  • MacGPT
  • Swish

Those are mostly utilities. For productivity, I often rely on Affinity, Arc, Heptabase, MacFamilyTree, Paperpile, and PDF Expert.

1 Like
13

I usually do a migrate. But I just did a review of apps and here’s what’s on my machine now that I’d make sure was on any new machine.

2024-11-04_Mac_Apps

  • A Better Finder Attributes 7.app
  • A Better Finder Rename 12.app
  • ABBYY FineReader for ScanSnap
  • Actions For Obsidian.app
  • Actions.app
  • Adobe Lightroom Classic
  • Adobe Photoshop 2024
  • Android File Transfer.app
  • Android Studio_Hedgehog.app
  • Android Studio.app
  • BatchCrop.app
  • calibre.app
  • Carbon Copy Cloner.app
  • CleanMyMac.app
  • DB Browser for SQLite.app
  • Epson Software
  • ExactScan Pro.app
  • Fetch.app
  • Find My.app
  • Firefox 3.app
  • FLIR Tools.app
  • Font Book.app
  • GitKraken.app
  • Goodnotes.app
  • Google Chrome.app
  • Google Docs.app
  • Google Drive.app
  • Google Earth Pro.app
  • Google Sheets.app
  • Google Slides.app
  • Hazel.app
  • Highlights.app
  • iMazing.app
  • JetBrains Toolbox.app
  • Keyboard Maestro.app
  • LibreOffice.app
  • NameChanger.app
  • Obsidian.app
  • PDF Expert.app
  • PhotoSync Companion.app
  • PyCharm.app
  • Python 2.7
  • Python 3.7
  • Python 3.8
  • Python 3.9
  • Python 3.10
  • Python 3.12
  • Reunion 13.app
  • ScanSnap
  • ScanSnap Manuals
  • ScanSnap Online Update
  • Shortcuts.app
  • Silhouette Studio.app
  • SlideSnap Pro Auto Cropper.app
  • SpamSieve.app
  • Strongbox.app
  • Syncthing.app
  • Thunderbird.app
  • TimeTable 3.app
  • Type Fu.app
  • Typinator.app
  • VLC.app
  • VueScan.app
  • Xcode.app
  • zoom.us.app
  • Zotero 6.app
2 Likes
14
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Backblaze
  • Bartender
  • CleanShot X
  • Devonthink
  • iA Writer
  • Loom
  • Microsoft Office
  • Rectangle
  • Scrivener
  • Tinderbox
  • Typinator
  • Zoom
1 Like
15

Here’s my list, pretty basic for this forum I think:

  • 1Password
  • BBEdit
  • Backblaze
  • DEVONthink 3
  • Day One
  • Debit & Credit
  • Hazel
  • Keyboard Maestro
  • NetNewsWire
  • Numbers
  • OmniFocus
  • OmniGraffle
  • OmniOutliner
  • Pages
  • Pastebot
  • ScanSnap Home
  • Soulver 3
  • SuperDuper!
  • Transmit
  • Wipr
1 Like
16
  • 1Password
  • Alfred
  • Backblaze
  • Bartender (SetApp)
  • BusyCal (SetApp)
  • CleanShotX (SetApp)
  • Hookmark (SetApp)
  • PathFinder (SetApp)
  • Default Folder X (SetApp)
  • iStatMenus (SetApp)
  • Affinity Designer 2
  • Affinity Photo 2
  • Affinity Publisher 2
  • Obsidian
  • Things 3
  • PhpStorm
  • Sublime Text
  • GitKraken
  • Transmit
  • HomeBrew
  • Arc Browser
  • Zen Browser
  • Friendly Streaming Browser
  • Zoom
1 Like
17

I’ve been migrating since 2011. If I had to start fresh, I would install the following.

From the App Store:

  • DaisyDisk
  • ESV Bible
  • Final Cut Pro/Motion
  • forScore
  • Goodnotes
  • iA Writer
  • Logic Pro/MainStage
  • Microsoft Office
  • Pandan
  • Pastebot
  • Pixelmater Pro
  • Reeder
  • Vinegar

Via Homebrew casks or manually:

  • Alfred
  • Audacity
  • BetterMouse
  • Blender
  • Handbrake
  • ImageOpt
  • Itsycal
  • Nova
  • Raspberry Pi Imager
  • Rectangle
  • Scriptable
  • Sketch
  • Swifter
  • Transmit
  • Teams, Webex and Zoom, I suppose
2 Likes
18

How do you like Zen browser?

19

I’ll step in: Zen shows a lot of promise but it’s stil in its early stages. It feels more modern than vanilla Firefox, though. I could be using it for driving my daily browsing for sure, but for heavy browsing I would need vertical tab trees and native profiles. Yes, these capabilities are in Firefox through extensions and containers but making it as easy as in Arc is a monumental task!

1 Like
20

I had forgotten all about homebrew programs. There are a slew of them I use regularly:

a68g
coreutils
csvkit
diction
emacs
fortune
gawk
gcc
gnu-sed
groff
imagemagick
m4
octave
plotutils
readline
sqlite (*)

(*) Yes I know that macOS has sqlite3 pre-installed but I need the latest version. The same for readline as it provides a command history for sqlite3.

I am somewhat undecised about duckdb. It is needed by a record linkage system that has some value for a project of mine but duckdb’s limitation do not make for everyday usage.

Probably still a few things I have overlooked but they are minor and easily found in hoebrew.sh or direct from the producer.