Mac OS X tool kit a must for job

No tradesperson would arrive at a job site without the proper tools. Likewise, I start each computing day with my bag of Mac OS X enhancements and extenders right at hand.

Dropbox, dropbox.com, free/paid versions: Back in February 2009, I first wrote in this column about Dropbox, an Internet-based storage and synchronization system that manages a folder on your computer. Add, change or delete items in the folder, and Dropbox makes the same changes on every other linked computer, while storing backup copies and older versions. Dropbox is free for up to 2 GB of storage, $9.99 per month for 50 GB and $19.99 for 100 GB.

You can also share folders within the main folder with other people into their Dropbox folders to work collaboratively. Because I have multiple computers on which I work, and have colleagues all over the world, Dropbox eliminates my need to manage where files are stored.

This summer, the service became even more useful after the company opened up to outside software developers. Now, dozens of programs I use rely on Dropbox for keeping data in sync or storing files. This is particularly useful for mobile applications; I use Dropbox with several document reading and editing packages on the iPhone and iPad, including Documents To Go, GoodReader and Air Sharing.

1Password, agile.ws, $39.95: No other Mac tool has both improved my efficiency and my sense of well being by the same amount. 1Password is a password generator and safe, and a browser login filler-inner.

When you visit a Web site that requires an account, you can click one button on its custom browser toolbar (available for Safari, Firefox, and more), and it creates a password that you can tailor to the requirements of the site. It stores that password in its safe, and can associate the password with the account name, too.

The next time you browse to that site's login page, you select the login from a pop-up menu, and 1Password fills in the data for you. This lets you choose strong passwords, and different ones for each site. The software can generate and store passwords for other purposes, too.

1Password is now in testing for Windows, and a terrific app version is available for iOS devices.

Launchbar, www.obdev.at, $35: If you're using the Finder or folders to launch applications, stop right now. Download Launchbar. Marvel at it.

Launchbar indexes your Applications folder, iTunes library and a number of other locations and items; you can add other places for it to search.

Then, with a keystroke, you switch to its fill-in bar at the top of the screen, type a few letters to match the name of the song, document, program, or other item, and press Return. I use Launchbar at least a hundred times a day.

TextExpander, smilesoftware.com/TextExpander/, $34.95: Stop typing the same text repetitively. TextExpander is a shortcut-expansion program that comprises snippets, each of which has a unique short trigger you wouldn't normally type for some other purpose.

For instance, I store my home and work street addresses with the shortcuts "haddr" and "waddr." Whenever I type one of those sequences and press the space bar, tab key, or other punctuation, TextExpander replaces the text with the corresponding address.

TextExpander can also substitute the time and date in a snippet, move the cursor around to reposition it, and virtually press certain special keys.

The program also works (via provided snippets) with URL shortening services like bit.ly and is.gd.

The company, Smile, also makes a TextExpander app for iOS that works with a few dozen writing and editing programs, and can sync with its desktop software or exported snippets.

Default Folder, www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/, $34.95: In the ancient days before Mac OS X, I used a program called DiskTop, which more or less replaced the Finder for finding files and navigating folders. Default Folder is the closest surrogate: Instead of navigating with pop-up menus and Command plus up and down arrows, the program snaps you right to what you want.

Default Folder appears as a frame around a normal open or save dialogue in Mac OS X. Keyboard shortcuts work directly within the dialogue. It also optionally previews files using Apple's Quick Look directly below the window. You can save favorite folders to return to, as well, and set keystrokes to jump right to those folders.

When I use a Mac without Default Folder, I feel like I've lost vision in one of my eyes.

Yojimbo, www.barebones.com/products/yojimbo/, $39: I've written about Yojimbo as the place I put information I can't figure out where else to put. The program lets you store PDFs or virtually print PDFs directly to it from any Mac software with a print option. You can create text notes and store images, too.

Yojimbo can handle Web bookmarks, or it can create a Web archive of a page, storing all the components for later offline viewing. Yojimbo can sync using MobileMe; it's only lack is Dropbox syncing and an iOS app to provide access away from a computer.

These tools together save me untold hours each year, stolen away in frustrating increments of a few seconds at a time. They're worth every penny.

Glenn Fleishman writes the Practical Mac column for Personal Technology and about technology in general for The Seattle Times and other publications. Send questions to gfleishman@seattletimes.com. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists