Utilities for Switching on the Cheap
Pages: 1, 2, 3
Gideon
Gideon, from Gideon Softworks, is a $25 shareware SFTP/FTP client for Mac OS X.
Gideon's default interface is quite a bit different than that of RBrowser. It presents a single-window side-by-side view that former Windows users (especially those using WS_FTP or Secure FS) may find especially comfortable. Like RBrowser, however, it also allows you to drag-and-drop from a Finder window.
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Gideon also lets you open and edit files on the remote host, though it takes a bit more pre-configuring of applications than RBrowser. With Gideon, you can pre-select one graphics editor and one text editor.
In my use, under Mac OS X 10.1.5, Gideon tended to quit unexpectedly every once in a while. In those cases, I was able to simply re-start and continue. To be fair, the Gideon Softworks site does warn: "We would like to remind you that this application is not finished. You may find a bug or two."
All in all, Gideon doesn't quite have the flexibility and power of RBrowser, but it's a very capable, easy-to-use SFTP/FTP client. Since it's free to download and try, it's well worth trying out for yourself. You may prefer its interface to other clients.
MacSFTP Carbon
MacSFTP Carbon is exactly what it sounds like, a no-nonsense SFTP client for OS X. It only supports SFTP. You can't use it to connect to regular FTP clients.
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MacSFTP beats both RBrowser and Gideon in terms of speed. Files upload quickly, and in general it's a pretty snappy application. If you ONLY need to SFTP files, MacSFTP may be the choice for you. But if you also need to connect to servers which support FTP and not SFTP, you'll get more for your money with either RBrowser or Gideon that let you do both in the same environment. I decided to spend my money on RBrowser.
GraphicConverter
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GraphicConverter |
At $600+ for Adobe Photoshop, graphics editing can be a significant hurdle to switching from Windows to a Mac. Adobe won't even let you upgrade between the two platforms. The loyal Windows Photoshop user has to pay full price to move to the Mac. Fortunately, there's a great low-cost alternative: GraphicConverter.
As you would expect, GraphicConverter gives you access to just about any type of graphics files. About 160 different formats can be imported, and you can export to about 45 of those formats. But GraphicConverter does much more, making it a serious contender for its pricey rival. It features a full set of basic image manipulation and optimization tools.
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With GraphicCoverter, you can batch-convert images with a number of options, including rotating and resizing, and you can create "catalog" pages--generated html pages with clickable thumbnail images. You can even use AppleScript to automate routine tasks.
GraphicsConverter probably won't be for you if you need to do lots of image creation. But if your needs are more of the tweak-and-convert variety, it may be just the thing.
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Related Reading Digital Photography Pocket Guide |
PixelNhance
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PixelNhance |
Even though it's more lightweight than the robust GraphicConverter, CaffeineSoft's PixelNhance offers seven valuable image adjustment tools for absolutely free:
- Brightness and contrast
- Levels (Histogram)
- Color
- Saturation
- Tone saturation
- Sharpness
- Noise reduction
Each of these tools works great, and surprisingly, the noise reduction filter is more effective than many included with more expensive packages. The one function that's missing, for some inexplainable reason, is image rotate. But that's not a problem if you're using PixelNhance with iPhoto since you can crop and rotate there before making your other adjustments. In fact, the two applications complement each other very well, and you can't beat their combined price.
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The split-screen view in PixelNhance is a great feature. You compare the effect of your changes to the original image as you work on it. You can even click on the divider to move or rotate it to refine your workspace.
More, more, and more:
The number of good, inexpensive software programs for Mac OS X is ever increasing. If you have the time, it makes sense to try several options for any given task. One of these sites may help you find your own favorite utilities:
- VersionTracker This popular site lists applications as soon as they are released or updated. Although you can search or browse by area of interest, the daily listings often provide wonderful serendipitous finds. Warning: may be addictive.
- The Mac DevCenter Open Source Software Directory was originally built and maintained by Jason McIntosh, production software specialist for O'Reilly and Associates. The directory is now monitored by Derrick Story, managing editor of the Mac DevCenter.
- Native OS X Applications, an easy-to-browse listing from the HyperJeff Network of almost 5000 native OS X software programs.
And whether it's finding the perfect software application or learning the most elegant keyboard shortcuts, the most important way to make a fast switch to OS X is this: find others who are doing the same. I'm incredibly lucky to be in an environment where I'm surrounded by people like Derrick and Rob and Peter There's really no substitute for the friendly guidance of those who have been there. Try a local (or virtual) user group, or perhaps immerse yourself for few days at a conference. You'll be pleasantly surprised how quickly you're dishing out the tips yourself.
Terrie Miller is an amateur naturalist, citizen scientist, permaculturist and writer from Northern Calfornia. Her personal weblog is TerrieMiller.com.
Read more Switching to Mac OS X columns.
Return to the Mac DevCenter.
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Showing messages 1 through 11 of 11.
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Re: Apple Laptop Keyboards Unsuitable for Unix Users
2002-12-20 09:57:50 anonymous2 [Reply | View]
1. ADB? Wrongo. Very very big error. They're not ADB. Apple hasn't used ADB in years. Catch up.
2. "Broken"? Unless the keys don't actually work, you're just making stuff up. They're designed a certain way and they operate exactly that way. Ergo: not broken. Just not how you (1 person compared to the millions of Mac users) would like them placed.
3. And what about all the thousands of people who use both a Unix system and a Windows or Mac desktop? Linux users, with *nix on a normal, everyday, desktop with a normal, everyday, standard, non-broken, QWERTY keyboards. Somehow they manage to cope. If you can't handle a standard QWERTY keyboard, I think you have big problems.
4. Need? Hardly. You need air, you need water. You need to get over this Control key thing. Admit it, it's an affectation. "I'm a high-powered, advanced Unix user and I don't to slum it". Yes it's a "want". Most definitely a "want". Nobody else has asked for it. I've never heard of anyone complaining about this in the 10 years I've been doing Mac support and development.
5. "Purposely ignoring". That's a load of rubbish if ever I've heard it. I'd even doubt you have been having interactions with an Apple employee in any country, quite frankly, and even if you have, why should they come up with a special keyboard just for you? Apple has been going after Unix developers and users with great gusto. Have a look around Java and Unix conferences some day. iBooks and TiBooks everywhere.
6. Have a look at a typewriter some day. Look where the caps lock key is. Yup, right where it is on Apple's laptops. If you're used to the caps lock being somewhere else, you're used to a non-standard layout.
Have you even spent any real time with a TiBook or iBook? I don't mean 10 minutes, I mean a couple of days. A week?
Control key in the wrong place. Geesh. Find a real problem. All us lowly Mac and Unix users who maintain less-than-God status are perfectly happy with our Control keys where they are. -
Re: Apple Laptop Keyboards Unsuitable for Unix Users
2004-04-02 23:27:30 spike_s [Reply | View]
Actually, I'm formerly with AppleCare Tech Support's Powerbook, PowerMac, and Service Provider support groups, and yes, the current Powerbooks including the Aluminum models all use ADB keyboards, it'd be nice if the design got updated to a USB one like most notebook manufacturers use now on the PC side of things, however USB keyboards are not cheap, even for desktops it seems. I can't find one for under $30, while I can readily find PS/2 ones for like $14 new. The original thread poster was very much in the know. uControl is THE utility for remapping USB keyboards from OS X. What I'd like to see really would be a powerbook with more than one trackpad button, since the circuitry is already there but not being used, it's an off the shelf part. Even putting a texture on the trackpad, like Toshiba has done for the scroll area on the right (which is supported, again, if you have uControl) would be nice. But alas, it's the Steve-effect, insulting us, these are things that are niceties like the etched glowing keycaps on some of the Powerbooks. It really is a shame when anonymous posters go on in threaded discussions like this trying to be condescending. Being able to remap a keyboard isn't about using a non-standard layout at all, it's about being able to use the system your own personal way. I know many Mac users who put everything on their desktop, does OS X support this? Yes, but it gently nudges you towards using the folders in your home directory. Apple just needs some gentle nudging. Steve listened when folks told him that the iMac "hockey-puck" style mouse really wasn't doing it for them, now we have Apple Pro Mouse, in 2 styles and 2 colors. Apple has to see a direct need to modify their product in a way that users will benefit. USB keyboards won't happen on Powerbook and iBook products until they are as cheap as or cheaper than sticking with the current ADB design. Then it's the engineers advantage, not just cost savings for the customer.
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IM Client for OS X
2002-10-03 07:03:00 anonymous2 [Reply | View]
I use Fire for Mac OS X, it does AIM, Yahoo, ICQ, MSN, Jabber, and IRC.
http://www.epicware.com/fire.html
Fire is also GPL.
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Apple Laptop Keyboards Unsuitable for Unix Users
2002-09-28 22:01:13 anonymous2 [Reply | View]
Apple laptops are effectively unusable for unix users.
I am a long-time Unix user. That means I need to have the Ctrl key to the left of the A key. This is a genuine need, not merely a want; it is based upon ergonomics.
The Ctrl key is heavily used in unix, and it must be easily accessable. It cannot be off in the lower left corner of the keyboard where it is difficult to get at, and where it distorts the position of your left hand such that you can't easily type other keys while holding the Ctrl key down.
Apple desktop keyboards are now all USB. They are all OK. The CapsLock key can be re-mapped into a Ctrl key.
Unfortunately, even in this modern age, all Apple laptops have built-in ADB keyboards. The ADB keyboard is broken-by-design. It is, in
general, not possible to remap the CapsLock key into a Ctrl key.
There are some exceptions, but they are horrible kludges. They are
horrible kludges because the original design of the ADB keyboard was a horrible
kludge. The correct solution would be for Apple to re-design their laptop motherboards to use built-in USB keyboards. This hasn't happened yet. If you run Linux, use Debian's solution. For Mac OS X users, uControl works. There are no solutions (that I know of) for either NetBSD or OpenBSD. Please note once again that the "solutions" above are in fact kludges, because of the original bad design of the ADB keyboard.
Apple is (currently) ignoring Unix users! This is not merely speculation on my part. In an on-going email exchange I am having with an Apple employee (whom I won't name) in their marketing department, the Apple marketing person directly stated to me that Apple was catering to their historic Mac customers, and is purposely ignoring the Unix market. He also claimed that Apple would soon start paying more attention to the Unix market. I won't hold my breath. Apple has been ignoring Unix users for more than 12 years. I expect that trend to continue. (Also note that my Apple contact indicated that Macs would never ship with a 3-button mouse, even though Apple intended to port almost all X-window software and deliver it either on a CD/DVD or installed directly on each Mac's hard drive. How Unix friendly is a 1-button mouse with X programs that often require 3 buttons?)
Apple has now lost two opportunities to sell me hardware. I really wanted an Apple laptop for their superior battery life, and for the PowerPC with Altivec CPU. (The Altivec is vastly superior to the
x86 line for DSP.) Because I can't live with the broken-by-design built-in ADB keyboard in all Apple laptops, Sony and IBM sold me laptops instead. If Apple fixes this problem, they will sell me a PowerBook next year; if they don't, I'll still be running OpenBSD on
x86 hardware, and wishing I could use a Mac.
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Adobe Swtiching Policy
2002-09-25 14:30:55 anonymous2 [Reply | View]
When I called Adobe they said that I could move platforms, all they would do is expire my old serial numbers and then give me new serial numbers for the Mac versions and send me the applications (although I would have to pay for shipping).
Unfortunately as far as I can tell Macromedia will not do the same. -
Adobe Swtiching Policy
2002-09-27 08:05:47 Terrie Miller | [Reply | View]
Wow, really? That's got to be really helpful information for a lot of people; the Adobe web site just says "To install upgrade successfully, you will need a serial number and a previous version of this product on the same platform as this purchase." -- it would never occur to me to call them and ask for a different serial number!
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 is worth a mention also -- at $99 it might be a good solution for folks who need a bit more power but not the full-blown Photoshop. I've been hearing good things about it.
Thanks for your post!
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Another Mac OS X native SFTP client
2002-09-24 17:58:56 tychay [Reply | View]
Another one worth considering is UMich's FUGU http://rsug.itd.umich.edu/software/fugu/ which is a Cocoa open-source free(beer) SFTP client. Also, you gotta love the blowfish icon.
terry -
Another Mac OS X native SFTP client
2003-11-06 05:36:19 anonymous2 [Reply | View]
This is a pretty rockin' sftp client. i couldn't be happier! -
Another Mac OS X native SFTP client
2002-09-25 06:17:58 Terrie Miller | [Reply | View]
Thanks for the tips!
I was hoping that Fetch would add SFTP support before the article published, but unfortunately that hasn't been the case.
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Another Mac OS X native SFTP client
2002-09-25 01:49:00 charlesa1 [Reply | View]
Lest we forget the two FTP powerhouses from the pre-OS X days, Interarchy (interarchy.com), $45, and Fetch (fetchsoftworks.com), $25, will both provide SFTP support.
The current version - 5.x - of Interarchy supports ftp tunneled over ssh. Version 6 - now in private testing - will add SFTP support.
https://www.panic.com/
There is a scathing review of some of the current crop of FTP clients here:
http://rixstep.com/4/2/ftp,00.html
His conclusion is that Transmit (or version 2 of it: it's now gone to 3) is the best of the bunch, and even so not as good as it could be.
Actually, I think the Mac world could do with a little more of this reviewer's "curmudgeonry". I can't think how many times I have seen people suggesting that one should use Onyx. It is a "rainmaker" - a bloated AppleScript wrapper for stuff that Unix does anyway. He takes it apart very ably:
http://rixstep.com/4/2/onyx141,00.html
Other utilities I like are Rixstep's own ACP:
http://rixstep.com/4/0/
And it is probably worth having Pacifist:
http://www.charlessoft.com/