Sen No Sen

Amongst the manifold burdens of daily life, the problem of choice is to be welcomed - especially when it comes to selecting from the amazing amount of Mac software and where to find it.

Contrary to popular belief, there has always been a large range of Mac software available. Back in the early days the main repository used to be the InfoMac Archive with a vast array of both shareware and freeware apps and utilities. With the advance of the web, new resources, like Download.com and tucows, with huge Mac sections, brought us more features and flexibility in finding and downloading Mac apps. At the time, however, Apple itself was ailing and the common adjective used when referring to the company was “beleaguered”.

Then came the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the release of OS X. VersionTracker quickly became the most comprehensive and effective resource for finding and keeping track of the blossoming Mac software market.

As time passed and spring changed into summer, MacUpdate rose to the challenge. Both services came to offer a number of matching and rivaling features like advanced search, newsletter subscriptions, editor’s picks, user reviews and ratings, as well as RSS feeds. The premium Versiontracker PLUS, “for just $19.95 (normally $24.95),” has additional features including customizable display options (filters and views), while MacUpdate’s free registration option offers custom and keyword watch lists, custom layouts, download history, web advertisement blocking, default OS listings and shareware payment records.

Now there’s a new kid on the block called Sofotex: a serious looking service with a newly launched Mac section of 4,000+ categorized freeware and shareware titles. Besides their search by categories and license type, multiple RSS feeds organized by categories, and a highly granular review/rating system, they’re currently awarding a weekly giveaway prize of an 512 MB iPod Shuffle! for the best software reviews.

Of course, that’s not all either. Mac OS Apps, a community driven directory with user based submissions and reviews, deserves special attention too - as does HyperJeff’s valuable contribution!

With so many high-quality alternative services out there, each vying hard for your patronage, deciding which one to use is not easy.

On top of that, Apple also offers RSS feeds of hot downloads, and then there are still countless other users’ lists of indispensable, recommended, and favorite apps to go by.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a boatload of X11 applications ported to either Fink or DarwinPorts - but that requires a separate article altogether!

After this years MacWorld, Summer has given Autumn and Winter a miss and gone straight on into Spring…and never has there been a more favorable time to own a Mac. It just keeps getting better all the time too.

(via MacSlash with apologies to Monty Python)

Blog Myths and Facts

MYTH: Bloggers are a bunch of ankle-biters to the mainstream media.
FACT: Our effect to the MSM is more akin to a strong kick to the groin

:-0