As seasoned Mac Gems reader have sex , I rarely compensate software sale or promotions in this space , and when I do , it ’s only because one or more of my favorite Mac Gems are being offered at a intercept - learn - now - and - go - buy - it price . The last such promotion I covered wasback in May , when a Productive Macs software package included eight programs for $ 30 , and seven of those computer programme were Mac Gems .
I ’m coveringanother fertile Macs bundletoday , and for much the same grounds : This prison term around , Productive Macs is offering eight productiveness - focused programs for $ 40 . Six of those are Mac Gems , with two among my favorite Gems of all time . ( disavowal : That list of favourite is in demand of an update , though everything on it is still large . ) Another of the apps , while out of the Mac Gems price range , is an an Eddy Award achiever , and the last earned a 4.5 rating in itsMacworldreview .
Here ’s what the latest Productive Macs bundle gets you for a measly $ 40 :
LaunchBar (; usually $ 35):Macworldeditors oftentimes amount to practical blow over which rocket launcher utility is the adept , but while there ’s growing making love for Alfred , the most pop around the office remains LaunchBar . From launch apps to open document to browsing Indian file to controlling iTunes to accessing impinging to execute World Wide Web searches to perform calculations to running scripts to work with multiple clipboards — each of those activity access by typing just a few keystrokes — LaunchBar has become the Swiss Army Knife of our daily Mac use .
Default Folder X (; normally $ 35 ): This systemwide public utility company sum much - needed improvements to OS X ’s Open and Save dialog corner . As the name implies , it lease you specify a default option folder for each app , but it also make it easy to access recently used and favorite files and folders , as well as opened Finder windows , from within Open and Save dialogs . I have n’t review Default Folder X in a while , but it remains one of my favorite OS ex add - ons . ( My most - recentreviewwas back in 2006 , though I did a video recording overview of version 4 more late . )
Fantastical (; normally $ 20 ): We liked this Mac Gem so much that wegave it a 2011 Eddy Award . Through its systemwide menu , Fantastical let you view and blue-pencil your agenda , including make new calendar events using natural speech . It works with any calendar you ’ve set up in Apple ’s iCal , BusyMac ’s BusyCal ( below ) , or Microsoft ’s Entourage or Outlook , as well as with MobileMe , iCloud , Google Calendar , and Yahoo Calendar accounts . For many people , this beautifully designed app can replace a full - blown calendar programme such as iCal .
BusyCal (; normally $ 50 ): Though not a Mac Gem — it ’s price is out of the Gems chain — BusyCal is aMacworldfavorite ( and 2009 Eddy Award winner ) because it ’s what iCal should be , and more . BusyCal is what you ’d get if you took the port of Snow Leopard ’s faux - leather - costless adaptation of iCal , removed many of iCal ’s pain in the ass , added a bunch of requested options and full support for Google Calendar , and ameliorate the sharing and syncing features . It ’s why manyMacworldeditors have n’t open up iCal in months .
Cashculator (; unremarkably $ 30 ): This unique personal - finance program focus not on what you ’ve spent , but on aid you forecast your succeeding income and outgo . Instead of import your bank assertion and credit - card records , you just enter your income and budget expenses to view how the two compare and how they feign your foresighted - term cash balances . you may even bring forth multiple scenarios to see how changing one or more inputs will affect your bottom line .
Tags (; normally $ 15 ): Tags lets you apply a convenient keyboard - shortcut and a file browser app to label Indian file , folders , contact , and more with as many meaningful - to - you keywords as you wish . you could then utilise those tags in Spotlight search and within the program ’s ticket web browser . For model , you could tag all files interrelate to your kids ’ education with aSchooltag and then create a Smart Folder in the Finder name all school day - relate Microsoft Word document .
Home Inventory (; ordinarily $ 29 ): If you ’ve ever want to do a thorough inventory of your home ’s contents — for insurance reasons , or just so you could comfortably identify candidates for give cleansing — Home Inventory makes it wanton to do so than walking around with a pen and a launch pad of paper . For every point you catalog , built - in fields continue data such as brand , model , serial number , and more , and you could create your own customs duty fields . you’re able to append existing photos to record , or use your Mac ’s iSight television camera to take quick shot . you may also track warrant condition , and even import each product ’s original reception to keep it handy .
NoteBook (; usually $ 50 ): Like BusyCal , NoteBook ’s Leontyne Price intend it ’s normally not within the view of Mac Gems , but it ’s nevertheless a gem of a Mac app , helping you unionize notes and other snippets of selective information across multiple pages and practical notepad . In summation to typing your own text edition , you may spell text files , PDFs , movies , vane clip , Address Book card game , and photos . A Mac OS X serve makes it well-situated to grab content from within other applications , basic drawing tools let you make graphics , and you may tot up voice annotations to any bank note Thomas Nelson Page . The app even indexes the contents of your various notebooks to make it easy to get specific information .
Productive Macs is alsohaving a raffleto give away ten copy each of five other programs . Two of those , Printopia ( , a 2011 Eddy winner ) andSoulver ( ) , are Mac Gems ; the others are Hype ( ) , Flow , andDesktopShelves . To be eligible for the raffle , you need to either buy the bundle , follow Productive Macs on Twitter , or like Productive Macs on Facebook .
The generative Macs bundle is available from December 5 to December 19 , 2011 . If you ’ve ever considered examine out some of these apps , it ’s a great deal . Even if you ’ve already purchase a few of the individual apps , you may detect the bundle deserving it to get the others — and you could give your matching permit to a lucky kinsfolk member or acquaintance .
observe 12/21/2011 : When write the original interpretation of this article , I accidentally used an affiliate contact rather than the baseborn Productive Macs Bundle URL . ( I had contract up for an affiliate connection for personal use , and I plain copied and pasted that URL alternatively . ) I ’ve corrected the link , and we ’re donating all the payoff from original affiliate link , regardless of whether or not they were earned through this article , to a local school day .
