Essential Apps for the Casual User - Week 1

Here is a list of essential Applications for the Mac which I couldn't live without. Well, I could, but it just wouldn't be a very good life. In fact, I would probably commit suicide if I didn't have these Apps installed. 

1. VLC (VideoLAN Client)

This is the only media player you will ever need, and it's freeware. It supports almost every media format in existence, it plays DVDs and VCDs, it can stream media live over the internet or any local area network, it plays the Tuba in the National Youth Orchestra... no, wait, scratch that one.

2. Visualhub

Now discontinued, this is a fantastic little application that will convert from and to all of the popular video formats, as well as quite a few of the more obscure ones. Oh, and in half the time that Quicktime does it. Visualhub can still be obtained if you google it and look for a working mirror (the developer has removed the link from his website, although he has stuck the source code on there with some interesting GUI modifications, and no license restrictions). 

3. Screenflow

Okay, I'll just start by saying that this is not freeware (there is a free trial), but it is worth every penny of the $99 it costs to download. Basically this can record from your desktop in full resolution, as well as an iSight or other external video camera simultaneously, both with audio (you can even use the line input instead). 

But that's not all people, Screenflow also doubles as a fully-fledged video editor. You can edit your glorious HD recordings (or any quicktime-supported video file, for that matter), and add effects and the like. Personally, if you are after simplicity, I prefer this to iMovie. 

More will be posted in weeks to come. 

 - Tommey.