What’s a great operating system without amazing applications? Well, the answer is obvious, but, thankfully, Mac OS X has no shortages in that regard. Time and time again, I end up downloading a new application that just blows my mind. Not only are there so many great applications, but they are all quality applications as well. I wanted to take this time to share with you all some of my favorites.

These are just a few of the applications I have really enjoyed using over the past three months:

• BBEdit—If you need a clean and efficient text editor that can handle multiple programming languages, BBEdit has you covered.
• CleanApp—Unwanted applications are no more with CleanApp. A great tool for removing all the unwanted files that come with an application.
• Colloquy—One of the best free IRC clients I have ever used, and it is only available for the Mac operating system.
• Cyberduck—Cyberduck is one of the best FTP/SFTP clients available on the Mac operating system. It has received great praise, and I use it on a daily basis. Oh yeah, it is free as well.
• Dictionary—Dictionary is such an amazing application, and as a result, it is included on Mac OS X by default. It is one of my most used programs—you can really tell I am a professional writer.
• Disk Inventory X—It took awhile, but I finally found an application that will display all of a hard drive’s contents as a tree map. Disk Inventory X is free, and it is very useful for finding those huge files that are stuck on your OS.
• ForkLift—ForkLift is a complete file manager and FTP/SFTP client. It is also one of the fastest SFTP clients I have used so far. It isn’t free, but it is well worth it.
• iBank—Who needs Quicken when you have iBank? A great financial management package, and a nice looking one to boot.
• iShowU—Screencasting is becoming a popular thing nowadays. This program allows you to record video from your desktop, and it does it perfectly.
• iTunes—iTunes is one of the best music management application the Mac operating system. It is also installed by default, but it is for good reason.
• Linkinus—This IRC client is not free, but it does have an interface that I enjoy more than Colloquy. It also has an amazing feature that allows you to remain in a chat room even after closing the application.
• Miro—My favorite IPTV application for a long time now. Miro (previously known as “Democracy”) allows you to download video content. Miro also supports high definition content.
• Pixelmator—Although not a complete Photoshop replacement, this is probably one of the most beautiful photo editing applications that I have seen. It is also quite affordable as well. For most, it is more than enough for your photo editing needs.
• Pixen—Got a thing for pixels? Pixen has you covered. This free pixel editor is just what you need to explore pixel art or create beautiful icons.
• Quicksilver—Quicksilver is an application launcher and more. Newer versions of Spotlight reduce this application’s usefulness, but it is still a good application to have.
• Scrivener—The ultimate writing tool for professional writers. If you are going to be writing something that is more than a few paragraphs, Scrivener is absolutely amazing. One of my favorite tools on this list.
• smcFanControl—I’m on a MacBook, and I need to control the speed of the fans. This application allows me to do just that. It is almost a requirement for anyone using a Mac laptop.
• SubEthaEdit—SubEthaEdit is perfect for anyone who wishes to collaborate with others on a document live. That is pretty much all it has going for it, but that feature alone is quite amazing.
  
• Transmission—Hands down, Transmission is the best bittorrent client on the Mac operating system. I use it on a daily basis, and it has not failed me yet.
• VLC—If you are going to be watching video, then you will want to have VLC Media Player. I have not found a media file that VLC hasn’t been able to play, and that is a good thing with all the codecs available.
• VMWare Fusion—Virtualization software has been making great strides since the turn of the century. VMWare Fusion shows us why. If you wish to run a different operating system (including Windows XP or Vista) on your Mac, VMWare Fusion is a great investment.
• WriteRoom—This is the best no-frills text editor that any writer can appreciate. WriteRoom lets the user focus on the most important thing of all—the text.

There are many great applications listed here, and there are sure to be more in the future. Within a few months, I will create another article like this if I find other applications I like on the Mac operating system. With so much great stuff being developed, I don’t believe that will be any problem at all.