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Let's take a field trip to VersionTracker land boys and girls, and see what we find. Please follow along in your browsers.
Hmm, at this point in time, I see webcam software, de-archiving utilities, cross-platform remote control utilities, email applications, interface modification utilities, printer drivers, white sound programs, and a web server.
But let's take a closer look, as these are admittedly some gearhead - level applications. Let's look alphabetically by category, shall we?
Audio: Napster clients, MP3 Players, MP3 Streaming servers, CD-ROM audio applications, Sound coversion utilities
Business: Flowcharting, shipping optimization tools, Time and Billing apps, Publishing apps, Scheduling apps, calendars, graphs, spreadsheets, databas query tools.
Developer Tools: Databases, CVS, Java, network classes, UML applications, a connector to allow AppleScript to talk to Unix Shells, Python, NetSprockets, SSL tools, programming management tools, X Window systems.
Drivers: Printer drivers, CPU card drivers, ethernet drivers, SCSI drivers, touch screen drivers
DTP/Prepress: EPS => PDF utilities, OPI apps, groupware, LaTex => PDF utilities, color conversion tools
Finance: Stock Tickers, Euro calculators, Stock trackers
System Utilites: Archival tools, password management, UI modification tools, a virtual workspace dockling, docks galore, screensaver modules, antivirus tools, NFS tools, load monitoring tools, temperature monitoring tools, gamma tools, tools to change who you are when launching apps, clocks, audio drivers, control strips, Themes, Launchers.
Font Tools: Font managers, font information utilites, apps to give you a list of your fonts in the proper typefaces.
Games: Arcade, kids, gambling, board, 1st person shooters, Quake, pool
Graphics: 2D illustration, 3D software, terrain generators, PDF viewers, an Etch-A-Sketch simulator, PDF tools, slideshow tools, color tools, HTML conversion tools
HTML Tools: Image Slicers, javascript graphics generators, thumbnail tools.
Internet Utilites: IRC, FTP, AIM, PPP, email, WebCams, LiveJournal, Web Browsers, non-AIM IM, URL managers, Gnutella, VNC, SMS, dictionaries, PGP, Hotline, News clients, RC5, Scour, Javascript plugins, PDF plugins
Math/Scientific: Ecological Modeling, Calulators for everything, Geometry apps, Chemistry apps, RPN calculators, Base number converters, 3 and 4D modelers, Laser Optics calculation apps, fractal apps
Multimedia: Audio CD apps, iMovie 2.1, video editing apps, morphing apps, image management apps
Network/Admin: Apache, Intermapper, SMB tools, databas tools, Network directory tools, SSH tools, iTools, firewalls, email servers, JSP tools, streaming servers, Secure web servers, virtual world servers, Telnet apps, Squid tools, OPI tools, EtherShare, chat tools, router monitoring tools, BIND, PPtp, Lasso, Analog, News Servers, X WIndow System tools, Unicenter.
Utilities: Security, Interface enhancers, clocks, clocks, and MORE clocks, Dock modifiers, GS view, Labeling tools, language translators, browsers, a golf score tracker, SETI@Home, genealogy software, not pads, File COnverters, MissionStatementGenerator, Weather Service apps, terminal emulators, a Mister Hankey simulator.
Word Processing: Text editors galore, including EMACS, AppleWorks, text indexers, ASCII Art apps.
Get the picture by now? The apps are there, the just have new labels. And I'm GLAD for this. I'd pretty much stopped using shareware and a lot of system utilites. The ability for them to hose my system was too great. But now, I don't have to worry as much. I'm using apps from people I've never heard of. As an example, I'd completely stopped using AppleWorks until OS X. I was astounded at just how good a product this became while I wasn't looking. But it's only because Office wasn't ready yet, that I even looked at AppleWorks. This is a great time to decide if you are using a given Classic app for its unique functionality, or because it's just "what I'm used to".
This is not to say that there aren't reasons to wait. If you *need* Photoshop, Quark, etc., then that is a serious factor to consider. But it's not because there are no native apps. That's as silly as Adobe's declaration that the MacOS 'won't let them' integrate Acrobat 5 with Office 2001. (But it does sound better than "We don't want to.")
The applications are there, and they are getting better and more numerous by the day. So don't listen to the misguided or ignorant persons telling you that OS X is a wasteland of an OS. There are more apps now than you will ever use. So check out VersionTracker, and make up your OWN mind.
John C. Welch is a Mac/PC Administrator for AER Inc. as well as a columnist for MacTech Magazine. He's also a contributing editor for MacFixIt. John is the co-author of the "Administrator's Guide to MacOS X Server", for Prima Publishing, a regular presenter of networking sessions at MacWorld Expo, and member of the MacWorld Expo Conference Advisory Commitee. He's been supporting Macs since the Lisa, and every System version therein, in addition to many Unixen, AS/400s, and all forms of Windows. Networking experience includes Networking experience includes SNA, APPN, APPC, TCP/IP, NetBEUI, some Netware, AppleTalk, AppleShareIP, NFS, SMB, Lantastic, and others.
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