Thinking about Buying a Mac. Need Software Recommendations.

[General Zod]

Simply put, yeah, I'm finally thinking of getting a Mac sometime in the next few weeks. Specifically the Mac Mini, as its ultra-small footprint and upped basic 512 mbs of ram are a really big selling point.

But my problem is I simply don't know what kind of software thereis out there for Macs as I'm used to using PCs so much more. So I'm hoping you peeps out there who've been long time users can recommend software that can do what I'm wanting, either freeware and/or paid software. Anyhoo, here's a list of basic software utilities I'm looking for:

*IRC Clients. I tend to use IRC quite a bit, so could use some recommendations in that field for clients.

*MP3 Players. I realize that there's iTunes, but frankly I don't like its interface. So I'm hoping there's more software for this feature out there for Macs.

*Video Players. I'm not entirely sure of Quicktime's compatability, but I need something that can handle Dual Audio OGM files, .AVI, AC3 .AVI, .MKV, and .WMV formats.

*Emulators. I've got quite a few emulators for older console systems, N64, SNES, Neo Geo, etc. But annoyingly almost all the good version of these I've found are Windows exclusive. So recommendation for the emulation software that can run on Macs would be great if possible.

Anyways, that about covers it. So, if any of you Mac users can recommend stuff, give a potential convert a hand.

EDIT: Also, the Mac's hardware compatability bugs me a bit. Can I use just any ol' Monitor/keyboard/mouse with a Mini, or do I need to use specific Apple Certified products for it? I really really don't like Apple's default mice.

[Mr Bean]

Pound wise penny foolish?

Switching OS's to a slightly cheaper price due to cost is not a good idea.
As for your MAC questions I refer it to the Macs onboard.

[General Zod]

Pound wise penny foolish?

Switching OS's to a slightly cheaper price due to cost is not a good idea.
As for your MAC questions I refer it to the Macs onboard.

It's not so much the fact that it's cheaper, per se. (I can buy a full new tower for less than a Mac Mini). It's just that with my present situation and for what I need it for, a Mac Mini would be a major space-saver over a hulking tower. (Plus, as it is most of the software I tend to use is freeware anyways).

[Praxis]

Simply put, yeah, I'm finally thinking of getting a Mac sometime in the next few weeks. Specifically the Mac Mini, as its ultra-small footprint and upped basic 512 mbs of ram are a really big selling point.

But my problem is I simply don't know what kind of software thereis out there for Macs as I'm used to using PCs so much more. So I'm hoping you peeps out there who've been long time users can recommend software that can do what I'm wanting, either freeware and/or paid software. Anyhoo, here's a list of basic software utilities I'm looking for:

*IRC Clients. I tend to use IRC quite a bit, so could use some recommendations in that field for clients.

Cool. I'll do my best.

IRC clients, I know there are plenty, but I don't use IRC personally so I can't help.

*MP3 Players. I realize that there's iTunes, but frankly I don't like its interface. So I'm hoping there's more software for this feature out there for Macs.

*Video Players. I'm not entirely sure of Quicktime's compatability, but I need something that can handle Dual Audio OGM files, .AVI, AC3 .AVI, .MKV, and .WMV formats.

Again, plenty.

I recommend first and formost VLC.

Then there's Windows Media Player Mac Edition (yes, they make that), RealPlayer, etc, etc. All the big ones. And RealPlayer for Mac is not a peice of crap like the Windows version. At least the latest versions.

For just MP3 players,
http://www.mp3-mac.com/Pages/MP3_Players-Mac.html

*Emulators. I've got quite a few emulators for older console systems, N64, SNES, Neo Geo, etc. But annoyingly almost all the good version of these I've found are Windows exclusive. So recommendation for the emulation software that can run on Macs would be great if possible.

Crap, emulation.net just closed Best Mac emulator site.

There's plenty. SNES, NES, N64, PS1, Genesis, MAME, etc, etc.
Okay the free N64 emulators I've found are annoying; they run only in a low resolution unless you pay (I'm talking about Sixty-Force, not sure about Mupen, the performance was bad on my 1 GHz PowerBook); and I haven't tried PS1 emulators on my Mac yet, but Genesis, MAME, SNES, and NES emulators all run great.

Here you go.

http://www.emulator-zone.com/doc.php/mac/

And

http://www.pure-mac.com/emu.html


There's even free x86 emulators like Bochs and QEMU.

At
Anyways, that about covers it. So, if any of you Mac users can recommend stuff, give a potential convert a hand.

EDIT: Also, the Mac's hardware compatability bugs me a bit. Can I use just any ol' Monitor/keyboard/mouse with a Mini, or do I need to use specific Apple Certified products for it? I really really don't like Apple's default mice.

Absolutely. There are no PS/2 ports; so you'll need a USB keyboard and mouse. ANY USB keyboard and mouse will work.

The Mac Mini has a DVI port and a DVI-to-VGA adapter included, so either a DVI or a VGA monitor will work just fine.

No "Apple Certified" stuff required. Any old USB or Bluetooth keyboard and mouse will work.


Any other questions?

[Quadlok]

You can use any old monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Currently I've got a nice ViewSonic 17 in. flatscreen CRT and a Microsoft Optical mouse and they work great. OSX comes with Windows Media Player, Realplayer, and Quicktime standard and also comes with a player called VLC that seems able to play virtually anything that the others don't want to. Hopefully someone else knows the answer to your other questions.

Edit: Damn you Praxis!

[Praxis]

Oh, I don't know if you plan to install Linux on the Mac or not, but if you do:
http://www.maconlinux.org/

Let's you run OS X within Linux. Pretty cool.

[Praxis]

Edit: Damn you Praxis!

Neener neener!

[Praxis]

For IRC on Mac:

http://www.mirc.co.uk/help/mac.html


Google reveals all...
That links to two IRC clients that the mIRC guys recommend for Mac users.

[Seggybop]

Get a small form-factor PC; they're fairly common now. Size is not a justification for getting an Apple machine.

[Mr Bean]

Get a small form-factor PC; they're fairly common now. Size is not a justification for getting an Apple machine.

Yes if the issue was size then a small form factor Shuttle is right up your ally for much the same price.

Plus you can reuse everything. Infact depending on which case/mb combo you buy it might only be a $100 switch(For Shuttle Case/mb and power supply unit)

[General Zod]

Get a small form-factor PC; they're fairly common now. Size is not a justification for getting an Apple machine.

Funny, I wasn't aware I had to list my justification for switching to one in a thread where I'm specifically asking for software recommendations.

[Quadlok]

Get a small form-factor PC; they're fairly common now. Size is not a justification for getting an Apple machine.

Funny, I wasn't aware I had to list my justification for switching to one in a thread where I'm specifically asking for software recommendations.

Don't you know, its because Macs are teh suck because instead of providing endless hours of amusement in swapping out dead or obsolete components and insuring that every little bit of software and firmware is up to date, they just sit there and work.

Sure, you don't get as many games, but you can still play WoW, Halo, C&C Generals, several other big titles, and of course all that console emulator stuff.

[Beowulf]

Mac Minis are about 1/8 the size of a G5 Shuttle SFF. Shuttles are still only 1/3 the size of a tower PC though. It's closer to $200 for switching the case though.

Something to remember is that the Mac Mini is a low end machine. You can't really play any high perfomance games on it.

[General Zod]

Mac Minis are about 1/8 the size of a G5 Shuttle SFF. Shuttles are still only 1/3 the size of a tower PC though. It's closer to $200 for switching the case though.

Something to remember is that the Mac Mini is a low end machine. You can't really play any high perfomance games on it.

Not much of a PC gamer anyways, so that isn't really my main concern with it. Since what I listed above is mainly what I tend to use on a PC, I was wanting to see if I could find programs similar to what I'm used to before deciding whether or not to go with it.

As it is, the Mac Mini's specs are about roughly what I'll need to do what I usually do (I'm not exactly computer illiterate after all). So I'm not too terribly concerned with high-end power houses.

[Jew]

I switched to a Mac mini (away from Mandrake Linux on PC) a few months ago. I have not regretted it. The size factor is great, as is the low noise and low heat emission.

Some software I use:

• Video: Quicktime, and Video Lan Client. Definitely VLC. It handles everything.
• IM: Adium. I use iChat only if I need some advanced features of AIM
• Text editing: SubEthaEdit

I'm sorry I can't help you find an alternative to iTunes. It's not my favorite (amaroK on Linux was better, in my opinion, and the current iTunes doesn't play Ogg files) but it's good enough to satisfy me.

[Durandal]

*IRC Clients. I tend to use IRC quite a bit, so could use some recommendations in that field for clients.

Colloquoy is nice, but there are plenty of options.

*MP3 Players. I realize that there's iTunes, but frankly I don't like its interface. So I'm hoping there's more software for this feature out there for Macs.

Honestly, iTunes is the best. I'd give it a shot within the context of Mac OS X before dismissing it.

*Video Players. I'm not entirely sure of Quicktime's compatability, but I need something that can handle Dual Audio OGM files, .AVI, AC3 .AVI, .MKV, and .WMV formats.

QuickTime with DivX 5.2.1 installed will play most AVIs just fine. If you're looking for Ogg and MKV (people actually use that?), VLC is, regrettably, your best option.

For WMV, you might want to spend $10 on the Flip4Mac WMV component for QuickTime. It's made Windows Media actually tolerable. Windows Media Player for Mac OS X is a god-awful mess, and I avoid VLC and MPlayer at all costs.

*Emulators. I've got quite a few emulators for older console systems, N64, SNES, Neo Geo, etc. But annoyingly almost all the good version of these I've found are Windows exclusive. So recommendation for the emulation software that can run on Macs would be great if possible.

www.emulation.net

EDIT: Woah, what the fuck happened to that site? It used to be a giant database of Mac emulators.

EDIT: Also, the Mac's hardware compatability bugs me a bit. Can I use just any ol' Monitor/keyboard/mouse with a Mini, or do I need to use specific Apple Certified products for it? I really really don't like Apple's default mice.

Any USB keyboard and mouse will work. Any VGA or DVI monitor will work.

[General Zod]

Excellent. Sans a few emulators (which the linux-on-mac should take care of), it seems like there's plenty of software out there to finalize my decision. Looks like I'll be getting a mini in the next couple weeks.

[Praxis]

Cool, post any other questions to come across.

[RedImperator]

Get a small form-factor PC; they're fairly common now. Size is not a justification for getting an Apple machine.

Not putting up with all the bullshit that comes with PCs thanks to their shitty operating system, however, is a justification for switching. The size of the Mac Mini is just a bonus.

[Vohu Manah]

*IRC Clients. I tend to use IRC quite a bit, so could use some recommendations in that field for clients.

I use Ircle. It is not free though, but I like it.

*MP3 Players. I realize that there's iTunes, but frankly I don't like its interface. So I'm hoping there's more software for this feature out there for Macs.

I second the vote to give the new (V5) iTunes a try before considering another option. In fact, I don't know of any alternatives to iTunes.

*Video Players. I'm not entirely sure of Quicktime's compatability, but I need something that can handle Dual Audio OGM files, .AVI, AC3 .AVI, .MKV, and .WMV formats.

I use VLC for everything except WMV (I keep a copy of the craptastic Windows Media Player for the Mac for those). Most of my movies are in MP4 though, so Quicktime can do in a pinch.

*Emulators. I've got quite a few emulators for older console systems, N64, SNES, Neo Geo, etc. But annoyingly almost all the good version of these I've found are Windows exclusive. So recommendation for the emulation software that can run on Macs would be great if possible.

Emuscene is where I go for my emulators.

Anyways, that about covers it. So, if any of you Mac users can recommend stuff, give a potential convert a hand.

EDIT: Also, the Mac's hardware compatability bugs me a bit. Can I use just any ol' Monitor/keyboard/mouse with a Mini, or do I need to use specific Apple Certified products for it? I really really don't like Apple's default mice.

Although I use a Apple Pro Keyboard, I picked up a Logitech MX1000 mouse. I wouldn't return to a one-button mouse either. The trick is obviously that everything needs to have a USB connection.

[Praxis]

I found where emulation.net has moved to.

http://emulation.victoly.com/

[General Brock]

You might find this useful:

http://macscan.securemac.com/ (Mac anti-spyware)

[Praxis]

You might find this useful:

http://macscan.securemac.com/ (Mac anti-spyware)

BWAHAHA, what does it do?

[Crossroads Inc.]

*sniggers* Why would anyone NEED anti-Spyware for MAC? I don't think they MAKE spyware for Mac

[Praxis]

There is yet to be a reported case.

I love the "Spyware List" on their site.

Spyware List:

Macintosh Spyware

Coming soon is a complete list of spyware for the Macintosh that MacScan detects.

EDIT: Reading the about page, it looks llike it looks for stuff that act like keyloggers and spyware in case someone ever writes one