I review Macs for a living, and I install these 5 apps first on every MacBook

[admin]

Just got a new MacBook Air or Mac mini? Here are some tips on which apps you should install right away and how, from someone who's unboxed dozens of new Apple PCs.

I review Macs for a living, and I install these 5 apps first on every MacBook : Read more

 

[tmmr]

Wow, no security or antivirus apps? My very first two installs are always Little Snitch and Malware Bytes.

After that Firefox, and then in no particular order, come crucial MacOS improvements such as Jumpcut, Bartender, Moom, and Tuxera NTFS.

Then iTerm, Mimestream, BBEdit, Syncthing, openVPN Connect and Google Drive. Gimp is the only one on your list that might crack my first twenty.

 

[dfcloseupman]

"you can't beat GIMP."

Yeah you shouldn't be beating a GIMP!

 

[bkkcanuck8]

Wow, no security or antivirus apps? My very first two installs are always Little Snitch and Malware Bytes.

After that Firefox, and then in no particular order, come crucial MacOS improvements such as Jumpcut, Bartender, Moom, and Tuxera NTFS.

Then iTerm, Mimestream, BBEdit, Syncthing, openVPN Connect and Google Drive. Gimp is the only one on your list that might crack my first twenty.

When I first came over to the Mac I installed an antivirus program thinking it would do something.. (intego -- before all the others arrived)... all it did was cause random kernel panics. I then read what it protected against at the time, and the list was basically a list of things that a person with physical access would have to install on the computer. macOS already has built in anti-virus software for known threats (XProtect). Little Snitch as a monitor/firewall against unwanted information gathering for advertising - is nice though. I also install pretty much only user space software and software from known publishers... though I do have a few terminal apps through homebrew (though they are known sources - not randomly selected ones).

 

[bkkcanuck8]

Wow, no security or antivirus apps? My very first two installs are always Little Snitch and Malware Bytes.

After that Firefox, and then in no particular order, come crucial MacOS improvements such as Jumpcut, Bartender, Moom, and Tuxera NTFS.

Then iTerm, Mimestream, BBEdit, Syncthing, openVPN Connect and Google Drive. Gimp is the only one on your list that might crack my first twenty.

I uninstalled (and cleaned up what I needed in menubar) bartender after it's secret sale and shadiness. I don't think I will need it going forward - especially once apps start migrating / using the control center (currently in beta now)

 

[bkkcanuck8]

Have to say -- that was one of the most boring and disappointing - must install I have ever read.
Some of the apps I install early on is: Keyboard Maestro, TextSniper, Alfred, DevonThink Pro (use it for organizing all my documents and notes etc.), iTerm, Sublime Text, and MacUpdater....

 

[djggettys]

must install apps? This is a really disappointing Article from a site that I still went to more than others for actual technical information. The senior writer who looks about 20 obviously being paid for the sponsoring of these apps? And setting up a new Mac doesn’t always mean it’s a brand new Mac -it might be new to me, but actually 5 to 10 years old.
I am not installing any of these apps on said Mac Until I have fully upgraded to whatever current OS system that mac can handle- Especially for the older ones, a significant amount of space needs to be open, and boot installers might have to be Put into action. This is really a terrible article that turned me and my fairly decent opinion of this site in the other direction.

 

[tmmr]

When I first came over to the Mac I installed an antivirus program thinking it would do something.. (intego -- before all the others arrived)... all it did was cause random kernel panics. I then read what it protected against at the time, and the list was basically a list of things that a person with physical access would have to install on the computer. macOS already has built in anti-virus software for known threats (XProtect). Little Snitch as a monitor/firewall against unwanted information gathering for advertising - is nice though. I also install pretty much only user space software and software from known publishers... though I do have a few terminal apps through homebrew (though they are known sources - not randomly selected ones).

Xprotect is nice, but its signature-based approach still misses polymorphic viruses and other adaptive disguise malware. And while I agree and also implement your best practices, I have clients who are not so responsible...

Little Snitch also does a pretty good job of preventing malware from phoning home as well--or at least alerting you to the attempt. Info stealers (passwords, account numbers, etc.) are the latest trend in malware.