For the last month or so, I've been running an ongoing experiment: Seeing how long I can use Windows 10 (and only Windows 10) before I give up and go back to my Mac.
So far, so good.
Here are the apps, tools, and utilities I've found to be most useful in making the Mac-to-Windows transition just a little easier.
Unsurprisingly, the feedback they gave me after using a Mac for a few days was the lack of free apps. It’s a bit harsh to say that the Mac store doesn’t have free apps you wish to download. But many developers haven’t added their apps in the store and you will need to visit their site to download the app.
It's worth noting that most of these are actually Windows 7 or 8 apps that run just fine in Windows 10 — Microsoft's Windows Store still hasn't really taken off.
And if you have suggestions for any Windows apps that do the job better than what I'm listing here, send them to me. This is an ongoing experiment.
Pushbullet: Install Pushbullet on your smartphone (including iPhones) and your computer, and you can send files and text snippets across devices lickety-split. It's not quite as quick as Apple's Airdrop, but it works.
Get Pushbullet free here.
Google Chrome: I tried to love Microsoft Edge, the new, superfast browser included in Windows 10. But for all its many strengths, I kept having weird issues running web apps (like Business Insider's own backend), plus it doesn't support browser extensions yet. And, as an added bonus, Google Chrome already remembered all my passwords, making the cross-operating system switch a little easier.
Get Google Chrome here.
Apple iTunes: Windows 10 comes with a 'Phone Companion' that lets you at least see how much memory you're using on your iPhone. But iTunes is still the best (and only official) way to manage an iPhone on a PC (even if it hasn't gotten an upgrade that makes it nice, shiny, and touch-sensitive in Windows 10).
Grab iTunes for Windows here.
Microsoft OneNote: The official Evernote app for Windows 10 kind of stinks, especially if you're using it on a touchscren computer. I'm digging using Microsoft OneNote to take handwritten notes on my laptop's touchscreen, and then having them synced to the iPhone app.
Pro tip: The OneNote app that comes with Windows 10 is actually kind of lackluster. You can grab the much more powerful and full-featured Microsoft OneNote 2013 for free here.
PhraseExpress: I'm a big fan of custom keyboard shortcuts on my Mac. PhraseExpress is a free app that takes autocorrect to the next level: You can set autocorrects that only work in specific apps, and you can set up pre-established blocks of text to use in certain situations.
Get PhraseExpress here.
Pidgin: On the Mac, I was a big fan of Adium, the beautiful, free chat program that worked with Google Chat, AOL Instant Messenger, Facebook Messenger, IRC, and a bunch of other popular messaging services. On Windows, you get Pidgin, which is based on the same technology, but without the same thick gloss of paint.
You can get Pidgin here.
Flux: Another one that I'm glad is on both Mac and Windows. Flux is an app that changes the color palette on your screen when it gets dark out to reduce eye strain and (hypothetically) make it easier to fall asleep. It sounds weird, but it works.
You can grab Flux here.
Microsoft Snip: Apple OS X has a couple of handy keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots. Microsoft Snip, a new beta app for Windows 10, takes it a step further by letting you draw on and annotate your screenshots before sharing them with a simple link. You can even add a voice note. And it sits on the top of the screen for easy access.
You can get the beta of Microsoft Snip here.
Panda Free Antivirus 2015: Macs are famously resistant to viruses and spyware (mostly because Windows is a bigger target). That's why I recommend grabbing Panda Free Antivirus 2015, a top-scoring tool to protect you from the bad guys. Just make sure you uncheck the installation option that makes Yahoo your main search engine.
You can get Panda Free Antivirus here.
VLC: Windows 10 doesn't come with Windows Media Player, and Microsoft's official DVD player app costs $14.99 on the Windows Store (seriously) which means you'll need a little something else to watch movies. VLC is a free media player with a reputation for supporting every kind of media file under the sun.
VLC actually has a Windows Store, touch-enabled version for Windows 10, but it's not as full-featured as the regular, old-school one that you can get here.
App for email unsubscribe mac. Microsoft Outlook Prominent unsubscribe links are also found on and the as well. In the Gmail app for iOS. On the web, it says 'Getting too much email? On Android, tap the vertical three-dot menu ( ) menu; if the sender offers an easy unsubscribe option, the word Unsubscribe will appear on the menu. The easiest option is to block the sender; tap the three dots on the top-right ( ) and select Block.
Cortana: This one's kind of a gimme, since Cortana comes with Windows 10. But she can do everything the Mac Spotlight Search can do, and more, since she's voice-activated and knows my calendar.
Get the latest Microsoft stock price here.
SEE ALSO:There's one glaring flaw in Microsoft's Windows 10 strategy
The OS X menu bar is a great spot to park lightweight apps for easy access. Here are my six favorite menu bar apps that I use each and every day.
It's important to note that the program cannot recognize handwriting. Next you'll see, in real time, the translation appear on your screen. Word Lens is a truly magical application. Word lens app for mac download. The best way to use the application is for menus, posters, signs, and headlines. The text needs to appear as clear as possible to avoid any errors in the translation.
Itsycal
There are more powerful calendar apps than Itsycal, but I prefer Itsycal for its simplicity. It installs an icon in the menu bar that displays the current date. You can click on the Itsycal icon to see the full month. Itsycal also lets you link to the OS X Calendar app and will display upcoming appointments, but you can't schedule appointments with Itsycal, which is fine by me since I like it just to be able to glance at my menu bar to see today's date.
Itsycal is free and available direct from developer Mowglii.
Flux Mac Download
XMenu
I use XMenu for quick access to my folders. The app hasn't been updated in a couple years, but it works well with OS X El Capitan. In XMenu's preferences, you can set it up to display up to six icons for items including your Applications, Documents and Home folders. There is also an option for a custom, user-defined folder. I use it for quick access to my Home folder.
XMenu is free and available from the Mac App Store.
ClipMenu
ClipMenu is a quick-and-easy clipboard manager. Instead of cutting and pasting items individually, ClipMenu holds your clipboard items so you can do all of your cutting and then use ClipMenu to do all of your pasting. Division of labor is a beautiful thing.
ClipMenu is free and available from the developer.
Skip Tunes
Skip Tunes lets you control iTunes, Spotify and Rdio from the menu bar. It places a small control panel in the menu bar at the top of your Mac's display. It provides play/pause and fast-forward buttons, and if you click on the musical note button, a small window opens below the Skip Tunes control panel that shows album art and artist and song information. You also get a larger play/pause and fast-forward buttons, along with a rewind button.
Skip Tunes costs $2.99, £2.29, AU$4.49 in the Mac App Store.
If you are looking for only menu-bar control of iTunes, check out the free BarTunes app.
Flux
If you are enjoying Night Shift on your iPhone, then you'll like Flux for your Mac. It adjusts the color temperature of your Mac's display according to the time of day. So, cooler temperatures during the day when the sun is up, then warmer colors at sunset and even warmer at bedtime.
Flux is free and available from Download.com.
Bartender 2
If you start accumulating menu-bar apps, you'll need an app to keep them organized. Bartender 2 is that app. It basically provides a second menu bar for when your Mac's menu bar starts to feel crowded. For an in-depth look at Bartender 2, read use Bartender to supercharge your Mac's menu bar.
Bartender 2 costs $15 and is available from the developer's site, but you can try it free for four weeks.
For more, get six tips for organizing your Mac's menu bar.
• Replace the default command-tab app switcher with Optimal Layout. Mac app for window management. Features Switch between applications, windows & tabs • Type to search the list of windows or tab through them all. • Tab listing for Safari & Terminal.