Mac Software Worth Paying For

Parallels Desktop - run windows applications easily and without having to reboot your computer into bootcamp.  Great for running some obscure Windows programs,  Windows-only DVD burning applications, and Internet Explorer browser testing for website development.  Version 7 allows an automated virtual machine setup for Windows XP after your license key is entered.  Once up and running you can create a snapshot of your virtual machine to completely backup it's state at any time.  This will protect your VM should a virus, malware, or anything else compromise it.  Parallels 5 recevied a 4/5 review from Macworld.
[$66, Amazon | $80 direct]

1Password - This is a must have if you are a web developer, project manager, or if you need a way to manage a plethora of web logins.  With extensions for Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari (Chrome?), it allows you to save many logins under one "master password" and then login to a website such as online banking, email, ebay, etc., with just a few clicks and no need to remember each unique login. This tool can save you an incredible amount of time when juggling many, many website accounts.
[$50, AgileBits]

Screenflow - demonstrate how to do something on your mac with this slick screen capture and editing application.  After recording you can add pan, zoom, and other effects and also record new audio tracks to polish your screencast. Many of the recent mac screen casts on Youtube were created with Screenflow.
[$99, TeleStream]

TextExpander - this text-replacement utility runs in the mac menu bar and allows you to save personal "snippets" of text so you don't have to type them repeatedly.  Since I started using this app in 2008, I almost never have to type my email address, or mailing address unless I'm on someone else's computer.  If you're a web developer, you can save snippets of HTML, CSS, or any other string of text.  Secretaries might find it handy for repetitive typing, such as unique email signatures for different clients.
[$35, Smile Software]

Audio Hijack Pro - this app, like its name, will hijack the audio from any application on your system and allow you to record it to a variety of audio formats.  Some great uses for Audio Hijack are:

- record music from streaming sites such as Grooveshark, Pandora, Slacker, or Last.FM
- record Skype conversations
- record webcasts
- record DVD audio
[$32, Rogue Amoeba]


Transmit - an excellent, intuitive FTP application for mac.  Dual panes make this a much faster and more effective than most other FTP apps for mac.  You can also drag files from the finder to a server to transfer them.  If you're a graphic designer, web developer, or in some other position where you frequently make FTP transfers, Transmit will simplify the process.
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Mouseposé - an indispensable tool for presentations, screencasts, and web conferencing, this app puts a spotlight around your cursor so that an audience can easily follow what you're demonstrating.  It also features appearance changes for mouse clicks so those can also be followed.  Watch a video of Mousepose in action.