i use freeware!

is this a surprise? i've always been a freeware junkie, but in recent years, i haven't been able to indulge that hobby too much, as my computer equipment got a bit long in the tooth.

that all changed when i got a shiny new ibook g4 this past september. mac os x has opened up an whole new world of options. and when freemacware.com sponsored a contest for recommending your favourite freeware, i thought, 'why not?' here are five freebies i wouldn't do without; click on the name of the app to find more information and a link to download:

• camino. this is my current browser of choice; it's quick and elegant — like my mac. honourable mention here is firefox; not quite as elegant, but also based on the gecko rendering engine and ultra-extensible.
  
• quicksilver. it's a launcher and so much more. it's one of those pieces of software that can actually change the way you use your computer.
• stuffit expander. i almost hesitate to include this, as it is so ubiquitous as to be assumed, but i couldn't live without it. it expands all of that compressed free software i download!
• vienna. i never even heard of rss before os x, but i've had fun catching up. this is a stable, well-designed reader.
• textpander. this app allows you to type in an abbreviation (usually for an frequently used bit of text, like your name or address) and expands it. could save a lot of typing.

a couple of favourites not yet on freemacware.com are butler (a quicksilver-like launcher that includes central storage for all of your bookmarks across multiple browsers — we all use at least four browsers, right?) and journler (an excellent personal journal that can handle photos, music, and even upload to your blog).

you may note that there are no games in my list. i simply haven't found many free games that i like for os x, a real change from previous versions of the mac os. if you have some you'd recommend, i'm all ears!