If, like me, your main work machine is a Mac, you need it to be ready for all that life and work can bring to it. That means having the right applications and utilities for performance, security, and productivity.
Disclosure: ZDNet may earn an affiliate commission on some of the products featured on this page. ZDNet and the author were not paid for this independent review.
The ultimate screen capture tool
My job is to take countless screenshots every week, and of all the tools and utilities I have tried – even the tools built into macOS – nothing comes close to the power and flexibility of SnagIt.
Not only does this tool allow me to capture all kinds of screenshots – from simple captures to complex things like scrolling windows and the like – it also has powerful editing tools to help me prepare these screenshots for publish them on the web or put them online. publications.
$ 24 at TechSmith
All-in-one solution with more than 30 tools for macOS (and Windows 10)
Parallels Toolbox is a suite of easy-to-use tools that streamline all of the routine IT tasks that you perform multiple times a day and turn them into actions that you can perform in a click or two, massively increasing productivity.
This suite of tools allows you to perform a variety of tasks, from creating animated GIFs from videos to resizing images in batches.
$ 19 at Parallels
Still my favorite browser
Best Mac browser. Yes, it consumes a lot of system resources, but it’s solid even with dozens of tabs open, and the ability to expand its capabilities with the help of extensions makes it a powerful web browsing platform.
See now on Google
Secure your Internet connection
Browsing the web without a VPN leaves a digital footprint that others can use to find you. A VPN can allow you to cross the geographic barriers that some people wish to surround with content. On top of that, a good VPN can protect you when you access the web using wired and wireless networks that are not under your control.
After testing many VPN offers, I settled on Freedome because it offered good security and a high level of reliability at a reasonable price.
$ 34 at F-Secure
Simplified cloud backup
While Time Machine is good for doing local backups, it’s also a good idea to have an up-to-date offsite backup, and I’ve found that Backblaze offers the best combination of value, storage space and performances.
$ 6 at Backblaze
Find out what’s going on with your Mac
I love this application because it allows me to discover a huge amount of system information!
iStat Menus is an advanced system monitor for Mac, covering a wide range of statistics, from system temperature to processor performance.
The iStat menus provide you with a wealth of important and useful information.
$ 11 at Bjango
The little app that does important work
Amphetamine is a small application that resides in your menu bar and allows you to quickly and easily change your energy saver settings and keep your Mac awake.
If you need a simple on / off switch for power settings, this is your app. Need more control over energy saving features? It is also your application!
See now on the Mac App Store
Quick, simple and reliable remote access tool
After trying many different solutions, Parallels Access is my preferred method for accessing my systems remotely. With Parallels Access, I can connect to my Mac (or PC) from almost any device, and work with applications and files on that system as if I were sitting on it.
This has been an absolute lifeline for the times when I left an important file on my home or office computer.
$ 19 at Parallels
Simplified file compression and decompression
While the built-in tool in macOS can do a reasonable job with some compressed file archives, the Unarchiver has got you covered no matter what crazy file format you have to deal with.
It will open common formats such as Zip, RAR, 7-zip, Tar, Gzip and Bzip2, more obscure formats such as StuffIt, DiskDoubler, LZH, ARJ and ARC, and can extract ISO and BIN image files.
It can also extract files from certain Windows .EXE files.
It’s a great tool that I use regularly!
See now on the Mac App Store