New to Mac? Here are the top five (basic) applications and software programs you should be taking advantage of.
iPhoto – This easy-to-use photo-library and management tool comes as part of Mac’s OS X; it works with most digital cameras and offers a rich variety of basic features perfect for organizing and managing all your digital photos.
Preview – Also free as part of the OS X, Preview is Mac’s PDF and image viewer. While it’s not as versatile as Adobe’s Acrobat, it can handle pretty much everything home users would need from a PDF viewer.
iCal – This (free) calendaring tool is a simple yet effective way to organize your schedule and share it among small workgroups or other family members. It also integrates with a handful of other Mac apps.
Mozy Mac Backup – Mozy for Mac offers users an unlimited online backup service that integrates with Mac OS X (10.4 and 10.5) or OS X Server (10.4 and 10.5). It’s the best and most affordable Mac backup software to protect all your music, photos, and important documents.
Adium – Adium is a free instant-messaging client that supports several other popular IM networks including AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, and more.