This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Some Software Suggestions
For the rest of the hour, we look at some applications currently available for Mac OS X. These programs have been selected based on their unique features and immediate availability (either in full or demo form) over the Internet.
Although we recommend the following software, keep in mind that many other fine programs are available and that number grows daily. The following should serve only as a starting point for exploring the possibilities.
Useful Applications
Even before Mac OS X was released, developers were looking forward to exploiting its advanced networking, multitasking, and graphics capabilities. The following sections describe a few interesting applications. Some you might have heard of, whereas others are entirely new to the Mac platform.
Mozilla
Mozilla (http://www.mozilla.org) is a Web browser related to Netscape Communicator—in fact, it's the open source project from which recent versions of Netscape were developed. The Mozilla software developers emphasize standards compliance and stability, and their product includes many new features before they appear in Netscape. (Chimera, a version of Mozilla built especially for Mac OS X, is also available.)
OmniWeb
OmniWeb, by the Omni Group (http://www.omnigroup.com/), is an alternative Web browser with some amazing features. For example, if you've been annoyed by Web sites that spontaneously open lots of new browser windows that fill your screen, you can limit JavaScript's capability to open new windows. In addition, OmniWeb has a top-notch rendering engine that produces crisp pages and is an excellent choice for online presentations.
Games
As you learned in the previous hour, the only game packaged with Mac OS X is Chess, but that doesn't mean you can't download other favorites. If you're looking for recreation, try one of these:
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Burning Monkey Solitaire (http://www.freeverse.com) offers several versions of the Solitaire card game, including Klondike, Freecell, and 52 Card Pick-up, delivered in an interface filled with taunting monkeys, as shown in Figure 4.5.
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Battle Cocoa (eng.osxdev.org/battlecocoa/), which was written especially for Mac OS X using Cocoa, is a smooth-playing Tetris clone with network play capacity.
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Screensavers
Mac OS X comes with several attractive screensavers, but many people delight in finding new and interesting ones. Spice up your system by downloading one of these excellent replacements:
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Mac OS X Screensavers 3.0 (http://www.epicware.com/macosxsavers.html) is a collection of popular screensavers that have been transplanted from another platform. Although several years old, this set is still pleasing to the eye.
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Neko.saver (homepage.mac.com/takashi_hamada/Acti/MacOSX/Neko/index.html) turns one or more animated cats loose on your desktop to play, sleep, and scamper across your screen.
Figure 4.5 Burning Monkey Solitaire offers traditional Solitaire in an untraditional setting.
To install a screensaver, simply place its application file in the system folder Library/Screen Savers or in your own ~/Library/Screen Savers folder, depending on whether you want public or private access. Remember that after you've installed a new screensaver, you still must choose it in the your ScreenEffects Preferences to activate it.