Mac newcommer here.. A few questions.

[Moramartin]

Oi people
Just received my shiny new Mini Mac a few days ago. I am completely new to mac by so far the experience has been nothing but pleasant. I abandoned Windows years ago and moved to Linux instead (atleast at home, work still require me to use it).

Anyway, I have a few random questions that I hope someone here can answer.

Where do I do to look for software? A friend recommended versiontracker.com which seems fairly nice. Any other place you would recommend?

I have tried to find an alternative to the native filehandler (Finder, right?), but have yet to find one. I'm used to "commander"-like filehandlers (Krusader on linux for example). Are there any alternatives for Mac?

I would also like to find a nice text-editor. I love UltraEdit on windows and I use Quantra or BlueFish on linux (if that says anything to you ;). Shortly, a texteditor that can handle code highlighting that I can use for HTML, Perl, shellscript or whatever...

I tried "Fire" as IM, but I'm not completely satisfied with it yet. Maybe it will sink in eventually. What are you using? I need both ICQ and MSN (though not necessarily in the same application).

Thanks
/Mora
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/Mora

[jase]

For software, Versiontracker seems to be the best place I've found so far. Freshmeat.net has some OS X open source projects on it as well.

I can't help you with the text editor or the file manager. You could install Fink, and see if some of the Linux apps you're used to are available. That might allow for a smooth transition.

For an IM client, try AdiumX. It handles almost everything, and runs very nicely. It's free, which is a nice bonus.

[LouieMacGoo]

I have always liked download.com for finding programs. As for a Finder replacements Here are a few that i have heard good things about but I have never really used them

Cocoatech's Path Finder,( http://www.cocoatech.com/ )a Finder replacement that practically gives your fingertips superpowers.

A versatile alternative

Path Finder upgrades several Finder features. Here's a list of improvements, but this doesn't even cover everything Path Finder has to offer.

Faster results for file searches
A built-in FTP client
The ability to burn discs and create disc images
Screen-capture capabilities
Integrated command-line terminal
Advanced file info and previews
An innovative Drop Stack feature that simplifies drag-and-drop operations
A utility that lists all running processes and applications


Path Finder is not free. You get a free 21-day trial period, but if you want to keep it you'll need to pay $34.

Other options to look at:

Super Get Info (shareware, $20): Meant as an alternative to the Mac OS X Finder's Get Info command, Super Get Info allows you to view and change the type and creator codes of files, among other settings. This software is available for download from:
http://www.barebones.com/products/super/index.shtml

FileInfo (freeware): FileInfo allows you to change the file type and creator codes of a file, as well as a few other parameters. You can download it from: http://www.panix.com/~shopsinm/

For Text Editors BBEdit is one of the long time Mac Favorites and one of the best out therefor HTML and other coding. Here is a list of test editors that includes BBEdit: http://tinyurl.com/53d7j

Good Luck and Welcome home to Mac!

[idave]

Good stuff! TextWrangler from Barbones is free.
http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/index.shtml
_________________
14" 1.25GHz G4 iBook (died)
1.42GHz Mac mini (almost dead)
1.66GHz Core Duo Mac mini (sold)
2.0GHz Core 2 Duo Mac mini '09 (sold)
2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 Mac mini

[Moramartin]

Thanks for your answers!
Will have a look at these when I find some time.
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/Mora

[iMav]