How to Find Macintosh Applications

So you've got a Mac - the best computer on the market. Unfortunately, your local computer store's selection of Mac software is probably pitiful. What to do?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adobe Illustrator
• Amorphium (Mac)
• AppleWorks (Mac)
• Art Explosion (Mac)
• Avid Cinema (Mac)
• Bookshelf (Mac)
• Canvas Pro (Mac)
• Carrara (Mac)
• Code Warrior (Mac)
• Corel Mega Gallery (Mac)
• Design Your Own Home (Mac)
• Dreamweaver (Mac)
• Encarta (Mac)
• FileMaker Pro (Mac)
• Font Pack (Mac)
• Font Reserve (Mac)
• Fontographer (Macromedia)
• FrontPage (Mac)
• GoLive (Mac)
• Hard Disk Toolkit (Mac)
• Mac OS 9.0
• MacLinkPlus (Mac)
• MasterClips (Mac)
• Microsoft Office (Mac)
• Microsoft Powerpoint (for Mac)
• Microsoft Word (for Mac)
• MiniCAD VectorWorks (Mac)
• NisusWriter (Mac)
• Norton AntiVirus (Mac)
• Norton Utilities For Macintosh
• OmniPage Pro (Mac)
• PageMaker (Mac)
• Painter (Mac)
• PhotoShop (Mac)
• PowerCADD (Mac)
• Premiere (Mac)
• QuarkImmedia (Mac)
• QuarkXPress (Mac)
• QuickTime VR Authoring Studio (Mac)
• Quicken (Mac)
• SoftWindows 98 (Mac)
• SoundJam MP (Mac)
• StuffIt Deluxe (Mac)
• TechTool Pro (Mac)
• TextBridge Pro (Mac)
• Virex (Mac)
• Virtual PC (Mac)
• WordPerfect Office (Mac)
• WordPerfect For Mac
• Encyclopædia Britannica (Mac)

1. Determine what you want your Mac to do for you first. Buy software based on your needs; don't buy software if you're not sure what you'll do with it.

2. Look for a Mac-specific software or computer store in your area. Check your Yellow Pages. If the store doesn't have a large selection of software, ask the personnel for their favorite online and mail-order sources.

3. Call a Macintosh software mail-order house, such as Club Mac, [phone]; Mac Zone, [phone]; MacMall, [phone], and MacWarehouse, [phone]. Ask them to send you a catalog.

4. The mail-order houses all have online branches; point your browser to Club Mac (http://www.clubmac.com/ma), Mac Zone (http://www.zones.com), MacMall (http://www.macmall.com) or MacWarehouse (http://www.warehouse.com/macwarehouse/).

5. Try going to a large chain computer store, such as CompUSA or Egghead; however, computer stores usually have a poor selection of Mac software and few experts on staff.

6. Point your browser at these Internet-based general software vendors, such as Cyberian Outpost (http://www.cyberianoutpost.com/), Value America (http://www.valueamerica.com:80/), eCost (http://www.ecost.com/), Beyond.com (http://www.Beyond.com/), barnesandnoble.com (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/) and Egghead (http://www.egghead.com/).

Tips & Warnings

• You will pay a higher price for software at a computer store, because they buy merchandise in smaller quantities and have higher overhead than mail-order houses. The only reason to go to a computer store is for service and expertise; if those are not available, you are better off buying by mail order or online.
• All of the mail-order software houses have secure Web sites from which you can order by credit card. They usually have lower prices on their software and occasionally have someone on staff to tell you about their software.