Lists of OSX Software

April 15, 2005 1:48 PM

Howdy! Mac OSX folks: What's your favourite source for finding good Macintosh shareware/freeware?

I've regularly used VersionTracker.Com and Download.Com for years, but sometimes they don't have what I need, and I end up slogging about in Google to find unique shareware utilities and whatnot. The slogging itself can be fun and adventurous, but I was wondering if anybody else had favourite websites that are general or semi-general guides to OSX shareware and freeware...

posted by NewGear to Computers & Internet (13 answers total)

Dude, this has been answered in previous questions. Your mantra: search the archives.
posted by quadog at 2:15 PM on April 15, 2005

I want to know where I can download demos of these FPSs for the Mac that I hear so much about. I know that the latest releases of Doom and Quake are available for Mac OS X, and I've heard a lot about this Halo, but I can't track down a demo. I've spent about two hours trying to track down demos of these in the past couple of weeks -- I've found lots of references to the existence of them, but yet to manage to actually download a file.

Can anybody give me any pointers?
posted by waldo at 2:36 PM on April 15, 2005

Response by poster: My apologies, quadog. I *did* search the archives, checking all questions that were tagged "osx" and searching for "mac software guide", and didn't turn up anything. (I didn't find the thread you mentioned because it was tagged "osc" instead of "osx")

I did find a few threads that listed good individual software, but no comprehensive list of updated software lists like Download.Com or VersionTracker.

Thanks for pointing out that particular thread, quadog. I already have the mantra you suggested, but I'll try to make it a stronger mantra in the future.

Still, if anybody has any other sources that aren't listed on quadog's thread, they'd be welcome here now that the question has been asked.
posted by NewGear at 3:32 PM on April 15, 2005

The unanimous decision in all previous threads on this matter has been MacUpdate is the best of a fairly bad bunch.

Game demos are usually best tracked down from the publisher's site, as Macintosh game demo releases are treated with very little fanfare elsewhere.
posted by majick at 3:33 PM on April 15, 2005

Believe me, Majick, I'm no dope: I've looked at the publishers' sites, I've looked at the sites of the companies who have ported the games, I've pawed through FTP archives -- nothin'.
posted by waldo at 3:38 PM on April 15, 2005

Response by poster: Thank you majick, that was a very concise and helpful answer. Exactly what I was hoping for. Your sort of answer is what makes Ask MetaFilter such a pleasant and useful community.
posted by NewGear at 3:58 PM on April 15, 2005

waldo, there aren't a lot of trialware or demos for Mac games. If there ever are any, they'll be at MacUpdate and /or Versiontracker
posted by birdherder at 4:00 PM on April 15, 2005

This is a case, though, where quite a few websites make reference to these demos existing, but their downloads time out or 404.
posted by waldo at 4:09 PM on April 15, 2005

I love the intensely sinful nature Metafilter ascribes to repeat posts, as if a user just bore false witness or killed someone's dog.

I find all my good Mac OS X software on Metafilter threads, to tell you the truth.
posted by inksyndicate at 4:25 PM on April 15, 2005

Hyperjeff is a good alternative to the other too. He concentrates more on Unixy, geeky, programmy stuff and sometimes has programs the other do not.
posted by Mo Nickels at 7:44 PM on April 15, 2005

I used TinyApp and Del.icio.us too.
posted by pwb503 at 9:19 PM on April 15, 2005

There's also Macintouch, which has a "New and updated software" section, and of course widgets often has unique and useful tools.
posted by birdsquared at 10:06 PM on April 15, 2005

For shareware games and game demos, you should check out MacGameFiles. It's somehow related to Inside Mac Games, and is pretty good about having game demos up. Not that there are that many of them, but what's available is pretty reliably there.

(I didn't check quadog's thread, so my apologies if this is a repeat of something in there.)
posted by heresiarch at 8:00 AM on April 16, 2005