Copyright 2006, 2008 Claire J Rottenberg

If you are like me, you enjoy using good free software on your Macintosh computer. But where do you find this software?

Download Sites

There are several good download sites for Mac software and you may already be familiar with the most popular ones - VersionTracker and MacUpdate. Of the two, I prefer MacUpdate because of its easy-to-use interface. But how can you find the best free programs from the thousands listed on the site? Fortunately, MacUpdate has a few features that can make this task a little easier. First, you can sort any list of files by "license" and then all free programs will be listed together. You'll find a short description of each program next to the program's name. If you click the program's name, you'll see a screen with information on the program including a link to the developer's site ("More information" link). If you scroll down the page, you'll find reviews of the software submitted by readers/users. This feature can be useful for determining the quality of a program, especially when reviewers seem to be in agreement on the strengths and weaknesses of a program.

VersionTracker's features are similar to those on MacUpdate, and, like MacUpdate, the VersionTracker site lists thousands of programs. There are, however, other download sites that list far fewer programs and that use screening methods so they will only list "better" programs. Two of these sites are Softpedia and Pure Mac. Apple's website also has a Mac OS X downloads section with descriptions of programs. However, no evaluations or reviews are given on Apple's site.

Open Source Software

Another excellent source for good software for Mac OS X 10.5 & 10.4 is an open source software site. Some of the best free software programs - like NeoOffice or the Gimp - are open source programs. Two good sites for downloading quality open source software are Open Source Mac and FreeSMUG. Here you'll find some of the highest quality software programs available for Mac OS X, including programs that emulate the most expensive commercial software for the Mac. For example, the Gimp is a Photoshop-like advanced photo editing program and NeoOffice is a free version of an office suite similar to Microsoft Office. Note that some open source programs require that you first install X11 (on the Mac OS X Leopard and Tiger install disks) and some will not yet work on Intel Macs or with Mac OS X 10.5.

Mac Magazines

Another source for good free software actually requires a small investment of money. Several of the top Macintosh magazines include a disk full of software with the magazine. Most of the freeware programs can be downloaded from the previously mentioned websites, but if you don't have a fast Internet connection, the small cost of a magazine may be a good alternative for you. Also, at least two of the UK magazines, MacFormat and MacWorld UK, often include full free versions of top quality commercial software. Usually the programs are not the latest versions of the software, but some run fine on Mac OS X 10.5, and, in many cases, the older versions of quality commercial programs serve the needs of most home users very well. The programs offered sometimes cost several hundred dollars when originally sold so the small cost of the magazine may be worthwhile for programs that meet your needs. In addition to the free programs, you usually get special offers for upgrading the programs as well as a quality magazine with excellent and interesting articles.

With the information in this article you should now be able to acquire most of the quality software you need - for free.

Disclaimer: All trademarks and products mentioned in this article are assumed to be the property of their owners and no infringement of rights is intended through mention of the products in this article.