我是Mac OS 的一些默认应用程序的忠实粉丝，(a big fan of some of Mac OS’ default apps)但与其他在线应用程序一样，有一些工具和软件应用程序可以更好、更快、更高效地完成MacOS任务。(MacOS)如果我们没有向您指出它们，我们将非常失职。
与Windows在其操作系统上打包的一些过时软件相比，Mac OS 的等效软件非常好。我的妻子最近买了一台新的Windows笔记本电脑，我们从它卸载Avira防病毒软件非常辛苦。Mac不会出现这些问题。
Mac 的默认应用程序，如Mail、Calendar、Notes等，非常灵活，适合大多数人。但是某个地方的某个人总是会发现缺少他们迫切需要的功能。
如果是这种情况，这里有一些替代方案供您考虑。但是，您无法卸载默认应用程序，因此只需将它们放入文件夹中，如果您不打算使用它们，请忘记它们。
(Replace Mail)用Mozilla Thunderbird替换邮件
我已经很多年没有使用电子邮件客户端了，而是更喜欢基于 Web 的电子邮件的可移植性和灵活性。但是，如果您仍然希望将电子邮件下载到您的计算机上，那么最好使用Mozilla Thunderbird。
Thunderbird为您提供Mail的所有功能，并支持通过Jabber ( XMPP ) 阅读(XMPP)RSS提要和即时消息。您还可以设置邮件列表和事件，并加密您的消息。
用 ItsyCal 替换日历
我在最近的一篇文章中简要提到了ItsyCal，因此我不会通过重新散列所有内容来增加我的字数。我会让你参考另一篇文章。(I’ll refer you to the other article. )但是自从开始使用ItsyCal 之后(ItsyCal)，我就再也(never)不需要使用 Apple 的默认日历了。
只需将您的活动在线添加到Google 日历(Google Calendar)，然后ItsyCal 就会(ItsyCal)与Google 日历(Google Calendar)同步，并在时钟旁边方便的轻量级小部件中显示您的所有活动和约会。
用 Kindle 代替书籍
整个 iBooks 最近都进行了一些油漆工作，但在我看来，Apple已经完全把整件事做了一顿狗的晚餐。您现在无法隐藏 iCloud 书籍，整个界面都非常丑陋。
这对亚马逊(Amazon)来说是个好消息，因为任何喜欢我并且讨厌新Apple Books的人都可以改用亚马逊的 macOS Kindle 应用程序(Amazon’s macOS Kindle app)。Kindle应用程序在眼睛上更加放松，设计更加简约，并且与iOS 设备上的 Kindle 应用程序轻松同步。(Kindle)
但是，如果您在Apple上购买了很多 ePUB 书籍，而这些书籍在(Apple)Kindle上不兼容，那真的很烦人…… 。
用 Skype 取代 FaceTime
如果您的 iPhone 在另一个房间， FaceTime(FaceTime)可以完成工作并且非常方便 - 您可以改为使用FaceTime在(FaceTime)Mac上回复您的电话。但就功能而言，FaceTime有点简陋。这就是为什么我倾向于在其他地方寻找更好的视频会议应用程序。
直到最近，我都会毫不犹豫地推荐Zoom作为替代方案。但随之而来的重磅炸弹是，该公司未经用户许可在用户的 Mac 上运行了一个秘密网络服务器。(secret web server on users’ Macs )这意味着我现在对Skype再次效忠。亲吻圣环，Skype。
用 Mozilla Firefox 替换 Safari
我想这更多是个人喜好，因为那里有很多顽固的Safari粉丝。我更喜欢Mozilla Firefox，因为它有广泛的扩展选择，而且我通常觉得Firefox比Safari更快，更注重隐私。
但是，嘿，如果Safari让你的船漂浮得更多，那就坚持下去。我的妻子喜欢(adores)Safari。
用 WhatsApp 替换消息
除了向其他Mac和 iOS 设备用户发送免费SMS消息外，我从未了解Messages的吸引力。(Messages)我更喜欢跨平台解决方案，无论他们的计算机和手机操作系统如何，我都可以向每个人发送消息。
对于我偏执的戴锡纸帽子的朋友来说，这个解决方案就是Signal，我之前已经多次提到过(which I have referred to many times before)。对于那些愤怒地宣称“I have nothing to hide!”，使用的是WhatsApp，它有一个桌面版本。(has a desktop version.)Signal也有桌面版(also has a desktop version)。
用 LibreOffice 替换页面
由Pages(Pages)领导的 Apple 办公应用套件是我从未真正熟悉的东西。也许我太习惯于使用Microsoft Office或者当我得到我的第一台Mac时，我对使用(Mac)LibreOffice太着迷了。
以惊人的免费总价格，LibreOffice为您提供了 Apple 办公套件的几乎所有功能。此外，它更轻巧，运行速度更快。
您也可以使用LibreOffice(LibreOffice)打开Microsoft Office和Apple Office文档，并将它们保存回相同的格式。
用 VLC 播放器替换 Quicktime
我实际上是 QuickTime 的忠实粉丝( a big fan of QuickTime)，但它最大的致命弱点是(Heel)它不能播放所有类型的媒体文件。两个例子是AVI和MKV文件。这使得QuickTime的用处相当有限。
因此，我也被迫在Mac上运行(Mac)VLC Player，它可以在 QuickTime 出现故障时接管。VLC是运行其他应用程序无法运行的媒体文件的鼻祖。
那些(Suggest)我没有费心(Bothered)建议更换的人
- iTunes – 从MacOS Catalina开始（在接下来的几个月内发布），当前形式的 iTunes将在 Mac 上正式不复存在(will officially cease to exist for the Mac)。
- Image Capture – 对于扫描文档，Image Capture的效果出奇的好。您还可以通过“预览(Preview)”或“系统偏好设置”中的“(System Preferences)打印机和扫描仪(Printers & Scanners)”选项访问您的扫描仪。所以没有必要在这里重新发明轮子。
- 照片(Photos)- 不久前，我还提倡使用 Google Picasa(using Google Picasa)，但由于现在已被Google杀死，Apple 的照片(Photos)应用程序同样出色。
- 笔记(Notes)——你可以使用Evernote或Microsoft OneNote，但它们不是免费的。另外，Apple确实改进了他们的 Notes 应用程序。
- 提醒(Reminders)- 这曾经是非常简单的，但在 iOS 13 中，提醒(Reminders)现在是一个绝对的野兽，当您向特定的人发送消息时会弹出提醒。
- Time Machine – 老实说，我不知道备份部门有什么比 Time Machine 更好的(best Time Machine in the backup department)东西。
- 股票(Stocks)和语音备忘录(Voice Memos)——谁诚实地使用它们？
显然“最好”是一个非常主观的术语，所以我认为最好的可能与您的意见不符。但希望这篇文章能让您了解其他一些选项。
Third-Party Tools That Do Better Than Some Of MacOS’ Default Apps
I am a big fan of some of Mac OS’ default apps but like everything else online, there are tools and software apps that can do MacOS tasks better, faster, and more efficiently. We would be extremely remiss if we didn’t point them out to you.
Compared to some of the bloatware that Windows packages on their operating system, MacOS’ equivalents are really good. My wife recently bought a new Windows laptop and we had a hell of a job uninstalling Avira anti-virus from it. You don’t get these issues with a Mac.
Mac’s default apps for things like Mail, Calendar, Notes, and so forth are snappy and do the job for most people. But someone somewhere will always find a feature missing that they urgently need.
If that’s the case, here are some alternatives for you to consider. You can’t uninstall the default apps though so just throw them in a folder and forget about them if you don’t intend to use them.
Replace Mail With Mozilla Thunderbird
I haven’t used an email client for many years, preferring instead the portability and flexibility of web-based email. But if you still prefer to have your email downloaded to your computer, you would do well to use Mozilla Thunderbird.
Thunderbird gives you all of the things Mail does, as well as support for reading RSS feeds and instant messaging over Jabber (XMPP). You can also set up mailing lists and events, and encrypt your messages.
Replace Calendar With ItsyCal
I briefly mentioned ItsyCal in a recent article so I won’t raise my word count by rehashing everything again. I’ll refer you to the other article. But since starting to use ItsyCal, I have never needed to use Apple’s default calendar.
Simply add your events to Google Calendar online, then ItsyCal syncs with Google Calendar and shows all of your events and appointments in the handy little lightweight widget next to your clock.
Replace Books With Kindle
The whole iBooks recently underwent a bit of a paint-job but in my opinion, Apple has totally made a dog’s dinner of the whole thing. You now can’t hide iCloud books and the whole interface is just hideous.
Which is good news for Amazon because whoever feels like me and hates the new Apple Books, can switch to Amazon’s macOS Kindle app instead. The Kindle app is more relaxing on the eyes, has a more minimalist design, and syncs effortlessly with the Kindle app on iOS devices.
It’s just really annoying if you have bought a lot of ePUB books on Apple though, which are incompatible on Kindle….
Replace FaceTime With Skype
FaceTime gets the job done and is really handy if your iPhone is in the other room – you can instead reply to your calls on your Mac with FaceTime. But in terms of features, FaceTime is a bit bare-bones. That is why I tend to look elsewhere for a better video conferencing app.
Until recently, I would have had no hesitation in recommending Zoom as an alternative. But then came the bombshell that the company was running a secret web server on users’ Macs without their permission. This means my allegiance is now back with Skype. Kiss the Holy ring, Skype.
Replace Safari With Mozilla Firefox
I suppose this is more of a personal preference thing as there are lots of diehard Safari fans out there. I prefer Mozilla Firefox more because of its wide selection of extensions and I generally feel that Firefox is faster and more privacy-focused than Safari.
But hey, if Safari floats your boat more, then stick with it. My wife adores Safari.
Replace Messages With WhatsApp
I’ve never understood the attraction of Messages, except to send free SMS messages to other Mac and iOS device users. I prefer a cross-platform solution where I can message everyone, regardless of their computer and phone operating system.
For my paranoid, tinfoil hat-wearing friends, that solution is Signal, which I have referred to many times before. For the others, who indignantly proclaim “I have nothing to hide!”, the one to use is WhatsApp, which has a desktop version. Signal also has a desktop version.
Replace Pages With LibreOffice
Apple’s suite of office apps, led by Pages, was something I never really gelled with. Perhaps I was too used to using Microsoft Office or perhaps by the time I got my first Mac, I was too hypnotized with using LibreOffice.
For the staggering total price of free, LibreOffice gives you pretty much everything Apple’s office suite does. Plus it is more lightweight and faster to run.
You can open Microsoft Office and Apple Office documents with LibreOffice as well, and save them back into the same formats.
Replace Quicktime With VLC Player
I am actually a big fan of QuickTime, but its big Achilles Heel is that it doesn’t play every type of media file out there. Two examples are AVI and MKV files. This makes QuickTime rather limited in its usefulness.
Therefore I am forced to also run VLC Player on the Mac, which can take over when QuickTime stumbles. VLC is the granddaddy of running media files where other apps can’t.
Ones I Haven’t Bothered To Suggest Replacements For
- iTunes – as of MacOS Catalina (due out in the next couple of months), iTunes in its current form will officially cease to exist for the Mac.
- Image Capture – for scanning documents, Image Capture works surprisingly well. You can also access your scanner via Preview or via the Printers & Scanners option in System Preferences. So no need to reinvent the wheel here.
- Photos – not so long ago, I would have advocated using Google Picasa but since that has now been killed by Google, Apple’s Photos app is just as good.
- Notes – you could use Evernote or Microsoft OneNote, but they’re not free. Plus, Apple has really improved their Notes app.
- Reminders – this used to be very bare-bones but with iOS 13, Reminders is now an absolute beast with reminder popups when you message a particular person.
- Time Machine – I honestly don’t know anything which can best Time Machine in the backup department.
- Stocks and Voice Memos – who honestly uses them?
Obviously “the best” is a very subjective term so what I think is best may not match your opinions. But hopefully, this article has made you aware of some of the other options out there.
