Ask HN: Must have tools for a new MacBook

Hey HN,

What apps should your new Mac have.

I will go first:

- sublime text

- tunnel blick

- thunder bird

- vlc

  • $ brew list -1

      ==> Formulae
      bash
      bash-completion
      bat
      flyctl
      kubectx
      kubernetes-cli
      mosh
      ripgrep   # way better grep
      starship  # awesome terminal prompt
      wget
      
      ==> Casks
      aldente   # stop your mac from charging beyond a configurable charge level
      bitwarden
      brave-browser
      ears      # switch audio source/output quickly
      kitty     # awesome terminal
      raycast   # spotlight/alfred replacement
      rectangle # window manager (successor to the unmaintained spectacle)
      shottr    # screenshotting app
      signal
      spotify
      stats     # hardware stats in the menu bar
      visual-studio-code
      vlc
      zoom
    https://github.com/jaywcjlove/awesome-mac is a list of all the cool stuff you could need on a new mac organized by category.

  • Homebrew Package Manager

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_(package_manager)

    Maybe XCode Developer Tools

    https://mac.install.guide/commandlinetools/index.html

    Also for me: Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Office, Latex

  • My two cents:

    - Alfred (super charged application launcher)

    - Dash (API Documentation Browser)

    - Karabiner (key remapping)

    - Keyboard Maestro (Automation tool)

    - SizeUp (window manager)

    - iTerm2

    - 1Password (Password manager)

    Inspiration:

    [1] https://works-for-me.github.io/

    [2] https://usesthis.com/

    [3] https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/my-mac-os

  • These are the ones I use the most

    -Notion for note taking

    -TickTick for to-do (though I'm currently developing my own to-do app)

    -Fig for autocomplete in the terminal

    -iTerm with zsh and ohmyzsh

    -f.lux for eye care

    -Hazel to dim windows other than the current active

    -Alfred as spotlight replacement

    -CleanShotX for screenshots and recording

    -CommandQ to have a timer if you accidentally hit Cmd + Q

    -1Password as password manager

    -aText for text shorcuts

    -Menuwhere to get the menu of the current app with a shortcut

    -Hookshot for window management

    -ColorSlurp as color picker

    -EasyFind to search for files and folder

    -Calibre to read epub and ebooks and manage books library

    -Contexts as window switcher (Cmd + Tab replacement)

    -DaisyDisk as disk space usage calculator

    -Fork as git client (Tower and GitKraken are pretty good too)

    -Postman as http client

    -Rocket for easy emoji access

    -TinkerTool modify macOS preferences not visible in user preferences

    -VLC as video player

    -VOX as music player

    -VS Code and JetBrains Rider for development

  • Applet to keep your screen awake, owly is what I use: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/owly-prevent-display-sleep/id8...

    Magnet for window management

    Iterm2 for terminal

    Zsh and oh-my-zsh for nice looking terminal and easy ways to change theming etc.

    Here’s the list from when I got mine:

    Things installed on new MacBook:

    - Spotify

    - Xcode tools

    - Vs code

    - iterm2

    - Home-brew

    - Zsh and ohmyzsh

    - Emacs (mainly for org mode)

    - Firefox

    - Chrome

    - Node

    - Steam

    - Python 3.10

    - R language

  • There’s a simple thing called “Show Desktop.app” which does as the name suggests. I created a shortcut on the desktop in the far right corner with an invisible icon and Unicode whitespace name, so that now I have a “show desktop” button in the bottom right corner of my screen just like windows. Can’t live without it.

  • Karabiner for key remapping, and Goku for making it nerdy and text based rather than GUI and XML:

    https://www.swyx.io/karabiner_lindquist

  • Just set up a new M1 last week.

    IntelliJ, git (and Xcode tools), VS Code, Wireshark, KeyStore Explorer, Divvy, Homebrew, fish shell, maven/gradle, Parallels.

    Usually iTerm2 but trying to give Terminal.app another chance.

  • Better touch tools is a must. My computer feels broken without it. https://folivora.ai/

    The same with Alfred.

  • Some of the apps I download on a fresh mac.

    ==> Casks

    1password

    anki

    bartender

    bitwarden

    brave-browser

    calibre

    cryptomator

    deepl

    docker

    exifcleaner # Cleans images metadata

    fantastical

    firefox

    flux

    freetube # Privacy respecting youtube client

    imageoptim

    karabiner-elements

    keka

    knockknock

    libreoffice

    little-snitch

    microsoft-teams

    obsidian

    oversight

    postman

    protonmail-bridge

    protonvpn

    raycast

    rectangle

    shottr

    signal

    slack

    spotify

    tableplus

    thunderbird

    tor-browser

    transmission

    tresorit

    vlc

    vscodium # Microsoft-free VSCode

    I maintain my mac's configs in a dotfile repo, feel free to check it out for more configurations: https://github.com/mansour-ahmed/dotfiles

  • Flycut as a light weight clipboard manager: https://github.com/TermiT/Flycut

    Figterm for terminal command autocomplete with interactive drop downs: https://fig.io/

  • - As few additional apps as possible, since any additional software introduces security, maintenance and cognitive burden.

  • I wouldn’t use iTerm2 instead of the default terminal because it’s a lot slower.

  • A window manager. I use Moom.

  • Rectangle (It's a window manager)

    Chrome

    Firefox

    VSCode

    My extensions for various web browsers

    Homebrew

    Other then that it's just what I end up needing in the course of work.

  • - Rectangle Pro

    - Alfred or Raycast (both have also awesome clipboard management as bonus)

    - iTerm or Warp terminal

    - Chrome

    - Bitwarden

    - VSCode

    - 50 bash scripts on $HOME/bin

  • yabai for keyboard driven window management.

    https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai

  • just set up a new m1 this week:

    apple command line tools, emacs for os x, warp, rosetta terminal (for installing intel stuff), homebrew, the silver searcher, keyboard maestro, alfred, rescue time, docker, bartender, paw, tableplus, hopper disassembler, proxyman, textual, dash, nordvpn

  • I use:

    Istat, Bartender, AltTab, Paste, 1Password, The Clock, Hammerspoon, Tripmode, DaisyDisk, Charles, TinkerTool.

  • Brew was the first thing to go on mine

  • Here is my list:

    - Xcode and commandline tools,

    - iTerm2,

    - Emacs,

    - Tiles,

    - AppCleaner,

    - VLC,

    - Firefox plus Dev. Edition,

    - Vivaldi,

    - MacPass,

    - Hush,

    - Wipr,

    - The Unarchiver,

    - Pages, Numbers, Keynote,

    - GarageBand and iMovie,

    - Iosevka fonts.