Essential OSX applications?

eric.

Hey all, so I recently purchased a Macbook Pro (recent being two hours ago), and am currently looking into some programs and stuff to get me started. Can anyone recommend some decent apps, widgets, and other stuff? I'm namely looking for an MSN Messenger client, but I'm open to try out any sort of application you guys can throw at me.

Suggest away!

Interpreter

Well, for a Messenger client, I suggest Adium - http://adium.im/ - I use it and it's quite good IMO. Not as fully featured as a real Messenger client made by MS for Windows, but it does the job(the actual Messenger for OSX made by MS is many versions behind, and quite possibly has less features than Adium).

I also recommend getting Little Snitch - http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html - It will stop programs from connecting out if you don't want them to. Good if your browser suddenly tells you it is connecting off to some random site you've never heard of on a port nobody uses and you didn't initiate the connection.

Gafoto

Adium is awesome and free, I second that.

Little Snitch is awesome and not free as I recall. To be honest the only reason you'll probably need Little Snitch is so you can prevent programs from validating themselves.

Transmission is a good Bittorrent client, has everything you need without much bloat.

I prefer Picasa to iPhoto, it runs quicker for me.

The office suite Appleworks is great, except for any time you want to graph something in Numbers. That will make you want to die.

I'm not sure it's applicable to 10.5, but I use the Slimbatterymonitor to just feed me a percentage on the top right bar.

iStatpro is the only widget I ever find myself using.

Lewisham

We had a good list of apps before the thread got shut down.

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=72479&highlight=thread

corcorigan

iStat Menus is awesome. Adium also has my vote.

RUNN1NGMAN

Make sure you download Flip4Mac and Perian so that you can play all the video formats that for some inexplicable reason Quicktime doesn't play out of the box.

eric.

Thank you for the Adium suggestion; it works wonderfully! I only wish it could support the webcam built in. Other than that, it's great.

Everywhereasign

Quicksilver. Minimally it's a lightning fast program launcher shortcut. Once you learn how to use it, there is a huge list of things it will make really easy.

Very difficult to describe, but I can't live without it now.