Here’s a summary of last week’s Mac Freeware & Free & Open Source Software (F/FOSS) from my personal blog. If you have freeware or Open Source software to recommend for Mac users, please post it in a response here (or email the information to me if you prefer to remain anonymous).
Freeciv (Clone of Sid Meier’s Civilization for multiple OSes)
I mentioned in an earlier post that I was once addicted to games like Sid Meier’s Civilization.
Open Source supporters may find it interesting to know that there is a clone of it that runs on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows.
Freeciv 2.0.8 (released March 6, 2006)
GIMP and Gimpshop
The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is a powerful bitmap image manipulation application that is available for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows through the magic of the Open Source community.
GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program
But, despite its power, what if its multiple disconnected windows interface throws you for GUI loop? It does take a while to get comfortable with that interface and you might now want to have the time. No problem. Head over to take a look at…
Plastic Bugs Gimpshop
Adium Multi-IM Protocol Client for Mac OS X
I’m not much of a IM user, but if you are and you use a Mac, I’m told that…
Adium
…is the free Open Source IM client to try out. It documentation says that you can use it to IM users of AIM, Jabber, MSN (now Live) Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and more.
It has been available as a Universal Binary since version 0.88 (current version is 0.89.1).
Flip4Mac: Play Windows Media Files on your Mac
The Mac is known for its multimedia capabilities. But, one of the things I noticed when I got my first Mac (a Mac mini) back in 2005 was that it couldn’t play the Windows Media audio and video files commonly used by many sites like NPR (National Public Radio). Microsoft had not pulled support for its Mac version of Windows Media Player yet. So, all was not lost. But, Microsoft soon after pulled that version out of production. Shortly after it licensed…
Flip4Mac
…to let Windows Media files play in QuickTime. I’m using it on an Intel-based MacBook (1st generation with a mere Core Duo :-).
I know it's not the first week for this, so you may have done these, but if not some ideas:
NetNewsWire Lite (I've got the full version myself, but I used to use Lite and it has most of the functions)
http://www.newsgator.com/NGOLProduct.aspx?ProdId=NetNewsWire&ProdView=lite
TinkerTool (Gives GUI access to some of the defaults options, and unlike a lot of similar utilities it is actually written in Objective-C, not AppleScript)
http://www.bresink.de/osx/TinkerTool.html
Cog (Vincent Spader's media player - can play more unusual formats, like Ogg Vorbis and FLAC)
http://cogosx.sourceforge.net/
There's also a Japanese guy who does a free and open-source compression utility. It will tar and do bzip and gzip - I haven't used it myself, since I tend to do that from the command line, but sounds cool:
http://www.sopht.jp/cleanarchiver/
Hey, Nick: All the Mac FFOSS you mentioned is news to me. Many thanks!...todd
Company who makes Flip4Mac has a new DVD imaging app called Drive In. It's free in beta now. Check it out HERE Also my blogblurb about it HERE