We have got your hands on a new Mac. The first logical way is to populate it with essential applications. Here’s the list of must have Mac apps for first-time Mac users.

Launcher: Alfred                                

It is the most useful apps that we have installed on my Mac is a launcher, and Alfred is perfect for first time Mac users. Mac comes with its launcher-like feature Spotlight, but Alfred is like Spotlight on steroid. Alfred will help to launch anything with a few keystrokes, but it can also define words, do math calculation, search local folders and the internet, find contacts, play iTunes, become clipboard manager, and more. Additionally, we can choose one of the themes to change its appearance. If we upgrade your Alfred with powerpack, we can create custom themes to make Alfred looks the way we need and workflows to cut down the repetitive task.

There are alternative launchers that we can try like Quicksilver (free) and Launchbar (€ 24.00).

Files and Folders Management

‘Finder’ is a files and folders management feature that is built into Mac OS X. But for more advanced files and folders management, we need help from third-party apps. For Finder alternate, we can use Path Finder (US$ 39.95). Other than supporting dual pane window to make copying and moving file easier, Additionally Path Finder provides with full keyboard navigation, ability to batch rename files, compare and sync folders, and more.

Furthermore, Finder alternative, we can also automate file management using Hazel. We set conditions on a folder, and when the conditions are met, Hazel will do a set of actions. For example, each time finish downloading a movie file, the file will be moved to Movies folder automatically.

Note Taking and Synchronizing

Text editor adds the synchronizing twist to the type. There are quite a few of note taking and synchronizing apps in the Mac’s world. If we need a robust text editor, try  Text Wrangler. But if we want a multi-platform note container, the obvious choice is the mammoth Evernote or if we want the lighter options, there are  Simplenote and the beautiful  Letterspace.

writing tools is a minimalist writing app that takes a different approach to the old craft. The editing options will present themselves above the selected text. This app is also a robust blogging tool that supports WordPress, Medium, Blogger, Tumblr, Evernote and even Facebook.

Video Playing and Converting

Many Mac users consume movies on their machines. Among many video players alternatives, there are two that stand out such as VLC and MPlayerX. These two players can play virtually any media files that we throw at them, supports subtitles, and tons of other media playing features. Due to the limitation on Mac App store the apps are not available. We will need to convert media files from one format to another. The most famous media converter is HandBrake. This powerful app has very detailed settings that users can choose the features make it difficult for ordinary users to use it. If we want as simple as drag and drop converting, we can try Permute 2.

Image Editing and Manipulating

Even everyday computer users need to edit and manipulate pictures once in a while. We can do anything with Photoshop, but it’s both huge and expensive for everyday users. The lighter alternative is Pixelmator.

22 Must Have Apps for First Time Mac Users

If we need is a little bit of screen captures here, and a quick image annotations, we could try Evernote’s  Skitch that will quickly snap your screen with a keyword shortcut, and save the result to your Evernote account. To automatically optimize image size, we can use  ImageOptim. Just drag and drop your images into the app’s window.

Alternative Browsers

Mac OS X’s Safari is a very capable browser. It’s fast, light, and does everything that a browser. Maybe we need the same practice anywhere or just we want to open a similar website with different identities.

The best browser alternatives are Chrome and Firefox with others practically non-existent. These alternative browsers also sync your account across devices and can be expanded using browser extensions.

Windows Management

In Mac environment, windows float around the screen. They do full screen, but they don’t “snap”. If we need to recreate that familiar snap in Mac, we can use the help of  Spectacle . The app will allow to move and resize windows quickly and easily using keyboard shortcut combination. For example, we can use Command + Option + F to make the window fill the screen, or Command + Option + Right Arrow to put the window on the right half side of the screen.

But if the Spectacle is not advanced enough for your windows management, we can try Divvy.