At Olde Time Mac we are always looking for ways to help our clients save money. We not only sell fantastic Apple pre-owned systems at great prices but we also spend time “behind the scenes” responding to client questions and advising our clients on tools and apps to help “Make the most out of your Mac – FOR LESS.” We thought a good focus for a blog would be to round up some of the most popular Apps we recommend when our clients ask us for direction on how to open a specific media file or what options Macs have to edit photos or create professional documents without breaking the bank on expensive paid or subscription apps.
Check out some of our teams top picks below:
VLC Media Player
https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html
Website description:
VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols.
OTM’s thoughts:
VLC is an excellent Media player, this is a great solution for someone who has a massive media collection with all kinds of different file types. VLC takes care of the leg work reading and opening files of all types. This saves time and hassle trying to line up the right media player for each different file type. VLC also has a great iOS App that allows you to load your media directly to the iOS App from iTunes. A great way to keep media files in sync on the go!
Spotify
Website description:
With Spotify, it’s easy to find the right music or podcast for every moment – on your phone, your computer, your tablet and more. There are millions of tracks and episodes on Spotify. So whether you’re behind the wheel, working out, partying or relaxing, the right music or podcast is always at your fingertips. Choose what you want to listen to, or let Spotify surprise you.
OTM’s thoughts:
Spotify is an excellent cross platform music streaming option, working on Mac, PC and phones. This is a great way to keep playlists in sync across different devices and operating systems. Spotify is free to use but users have the option to subscribe for ad free music browsing, family sharing plans are also available. Spotify also works with popular smart home devices such as the Amazon Echo speakers.
Open Office
Website description:
Apache OpenOffice is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.
OTM’s Thoughts:
With so many different ways to open documents these days it is easy to get mixed up between programs. Open Office offers a strong starting point to get you up and running in a professional work environment. Other popular options include Apple’s own Pages, Numbers and Keynote Apps as well as the popular (paid) Microsoft Office Word, Excel and Powerpoint programs. We recommend clients try are few different options and pick what works best fro them. Open office is a solid place to start!
Gimp
The Free & Open Source Image Editor
GIMP is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows and more operating systems. It is free software, you can change its source code and distribute your changes. Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or scientist, GIMP provides you with sophisticated tools to get your job done. You can further enhance your productivity with GIMP thanks to many customization options and 3rd party plugins.
OTM’s Thoughts:
Macs have always been an industry leader when it comes to professional Graphic Design and Photography. For most professional Graphic Designers and Photographers Adobe Photoshop is the Pro Industry App of choice. But what about regular everyday users? For many users Apple Apps such as Photos (iPhoto on older systems) work great for basic editing and organization or some quick corrections but don’t offer a lot of editing options outside of quick changes. Many users assume they need to jump up to Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom and pay a monthly subscription to use these Adobe Apps. This is where Gimp comes in as a free alternative to the paid editing apps mentioned. We recommend users give Gimp a try and see what it can do to help with your photo editing projects. Some users will find this app is perfect for their needs while others will use it as a stepping stone to “grow into” the professional Adobe Apps when they feel the need. Lots of great Gimp editing tutorials are only a google search away!
Avast Antivirus
Website description:
Your Mac is not immune to threats — yet. Our free Mac antivirus protects on 3 fronts. Malware isn’t the only threat to your Mac. Malicious websites and vulnerable Wi-Fi networks can also jeopardize your safety. Avast Security provides essential free protection against all 3 threats, and our new Premium version goes the extra mile to expose Wi-Fi intruders and stop ransomware.
OTM’s Thoughts:
Now more then ever users need to stay safe and keep their data protected. Avast Antivirus is a great tool for users who want to make sure they are protected online. Avast offers a wide ranger of scanning and cleaning tools in its free version and for users with higher end security needs they offer a Pro version of their App as well. We recommend all mac users use some kind an antivirus protection and Avast is an excellent option to look into. Don’t let malware get the jump on you!
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We hope you have found this blog helpful and invite you to give these apps a try. It is worth mentioning that this is simply a guide showcasing a few excellent apps. The Apple online App Store store offers a massive collection of all sorts of exciting and unique apps to help you make the most out of your Apple computer. Please feel free to reach out with your own recommendations for our team to try out – we are always looking for feedback from our community! If you have any specific questions about what apps are right for your computer needs please feel free to touch base with our team via our contact page!
Thanks for stopping by to read our Blog!
All the best,
The Olde Time Mac Team
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