Free Mac software anyone?  In most cases it's true that you get exactly what you pay for. However it's not so true in the case of the Internet and the vast amount of free Mac software available.  It is possible to not spend a dime and make it through your entire day using free Mac software.

Before digging in and feasting on this smorgasbord of free Mac software, keep in mind the free not only means "cost-free" but often also means "free from support". There is also freeware that is actually "donationware", which comes from developers hoping that happy users will make donations to help him or her continue to improve their efforts.

I've compiled a list of my favorite free Mac software, but there are thousands more to choose from. Check out VersionTracker, MacUpdate, and FreeMacSoftware.com to find more.

Looking for business software for your Mac check out "How To Use Mac Computers In Everyday Business - The Ultimate Guide".

Free Productivity Software

You want a new Mac so you need to convince yourself (and sometimes others) that you can be productive on the one you have. Use these tools when you need to stop wasting time and push the petal to the metal.

Quicksilver Launcher on steroids...and LSD  GET IT: www.blacktree.com You NEED: Mac OS 10.4 or later

At first glance, Quicksilver is a launcher. When opened, it will create a catalog of applications and some frequently used folders and documents. Activate it, and you can search for and open anything in its catalog instantly. The search is adaptive, so Quicksilver will recognize which items you are searching for based on previous experience. It also supports abbreviations, so you can type entire words, or just fragments of each. When not in use, Quicksilver vanishes, waiting for the next time you summon it.

NeoOffice Replaces Microsoft Office for FREE  GET IT: www.neooffice.org You NEED: Mac OS 10.3 or later

NeoOffice is a full-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

TextWrangler BBEdit's little brother  GET IT: www.barebones.com You NEED: Mac OS 10.3.5 or later

TextWrangler is the powerful general purpose text editor, and Unix and server administrator's tool.

At its most basic, a text editor is a tool for simply editing text. You can use a text editor for a wide variety of tasks from cleaning up data, to editing configuration files on your Mac or server, to writing HTML or coding.

Free web-based word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation tool which allow you share and collaborate online.

Free Internet Software

If you're serious about having fun you'll have your Mac connected to the Internet and these free applications will help you surf the net smooth and in style.

Firefox Award-winning Web browser from Mozilla is fast, secure, and totally customizable. GET IT: www.mozilla.com You Need: a computer connected to the Internet and a web browser to get to the site

Enjoyed by tens of millions of people worldwide, and has re-ignited innovation and competition on the Web.

Cyberduck Mac-friendly FTP utility, GET IT: http://cyberduck.ch YOU NEED: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

Sure, Mac OS X comes out of the box with built-in methods for FTP, but not one will be as easy to use as Cyberduck. Cyberduck speaks the Mac language from Bonjour support to Spotlight integration.

Chicken of the VNC Remote desktop control GET IT: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cotvnc/ YOU NEED: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

Do you need to control another Mac located across the country (or even across the room) but you don't want to spring for the $299 (10 system) or $499 (unlimited systems) for Apple Remote Desktop? Well, by enabling Remote Desktop in your system preferences and downloading Chicken of the VNC, you can do it all without dropping one dime.

Free Google Stuff

Doc's & Spreadsheets

Why buy any word processor or spreadsheet when you can use Google's for free? Doc & Spreadsheets (http://docs.google.com) lets you edit files right in your web browser. Start from scratch or upload your existing Word or Exel files. You can also collaborate with other folks on a singe document, and it tracks revisions better than Word itself.

Gmail

Yes, you can use .Mac but it ain't free. And Gmail is super slick. Arguably the best Web interface around, nearly 3GB of storage per account, and Google Search to pore through it all, Gmail is one of the best finds of the free-stuff-on-the-Web; check it out at www.gmail.com.

Google Earth

Possibly the coolest way to waste time ever. Google Earth (www.google.com/earth) puts the world's geographic information at your fingertips. Take yourself on a tour of basically anywhere on the planet. Simply type in an address or even the name of your favorite restaurant, and through the combined power of Google's search engine, satellite images, and maps, you'll be taken there.