Favorite applications for OS X, Ubuntu and Windows
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Below is a list of my favorite applications for either OS X, Ubuntu linux, or Windows.
When I moved from windows to Ubuntu I kept looking for software that did what my favorite windows applications did. Similarly when I moved to OS X from Ubuntu I looked for more software that met my needs in Ubuntu or Windows. Although there are generally less options for OS X software, what is out there (or built into the OS) seems to work just as well or better than what I have been used to in my former favorite operating systems.
Here’s a list that I put together based on software that I use & applications that I would recommend for the three operating system types that I have had daily experience with.
| Functionality | OS X | Ubuntu | Windows |
| Audio Backup (create MP3) | iTunes | Audio CD Extractor | FreeRip, iTunes |
| Calendar | iCal | Thunderbird, Evolution | Outlook |
| Data Backup | Time Machine | Time Vault | DataKeeper, Norton Ghost |
| Database Development | MySQL Administrator, SQLDeveloper | MySQL Administrator, SQLDeveloper | MySQL Administrator, SQLDeveloper |
| Drive Manager / Partition | Disk Utility.app | gparted | Partition Magic |
| Drive Usage Mapper | Disk Inventory X.app | Disk Usage Analyzer | Drive Doppler |
| DVD Movie Backup | JackTheRipper | k9copy | DVDShrink, RipIt4Me |
| DVD Player | DVD Player.app | Totem | PowerDVD |
| Mail.app, Entourage | Thunderbird, Evolution | Outlook, Eudora | |
| FTP Client | Transmit | gFTP | FlashFXP, CuteFTP, WS_FTP, Filezilla |
| FTP Server | built in FTP server | built in FTP server | GuildFTP, Serv-U |
| Graphic Manipulation | Gimp, Photoshop | Gimp | Gimp, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro |
| Instant Messaging | Adium, iChat | Pidgin, Gaim | Trillian |
| Media Player | VLC, QuickTime Player.app | VLC, Totem | VLC, MediaPlayerClassic |
| Music Player | iTunes | Totem, Rhythmbox | WinAmp, iTunes |
| Office Suites | Open Office, Microsoft Office | Open Office | Open Office, Microsoft Office |
| PDF Viewer | Preview, Acrobat | Acrobat | Acrobat |
| Peer to Peer / Fileshare | Azureus/VUSE, Acquisition, BitTorrent | Azureus/VUSE, Transmission | Azureus/VUSE, Shareaza, LimeWire |
| Photo Album | iPhoto | F-spot | ACDSee |
| Programmer Text Editor | TextMate, TextEdit | Kate, Komodo, Gedit | UltraEdit, EditPad, Notepad |
| Remote Control | VNC, Screen Sharing.app, CoRD | VNC, Remote Desktop Viewer | VNC, Remote Desktop |
| Terminal Client | Terminal.app | gnome-terminal | Putty |
| Video Editing | iMovie | avidemux | VirtualDub |
| Virtualization | VMware Fusion, VirtualBox | VMware Workstation, VirtualBox | VMware Workstation, VirtualBox |
| Web Browser | Firefox, Safari | Firefox | Firefox, IE |
