I bought my new MacBook-AL a few weeks back and spent the last few days kitting it out, tweaking it to my liking. Since I figured there might be some switchers, you might like to see what I went and blew a bundle of money on for software and accessories with it along with some useful sites.
Software:
CandyBar from www.panic.com for $29 - skin dock, change system icons, manage icons
Firefox, natch with Adblock Plus, Tab Mix Plus, NoScript, FlashGot, Perian from www.perian.org VLC from www.videolan.org
MenuCalendarClock from http://www.objectpark.net/mcc.html
Carbon Copy Cloner from http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html for backup
SuperDuper ($28) for easier to use shareware from www.shirtpocketsoftware.com
Butler from the king of Mac shareware http://www.petermaurer.de/butler/ I also bought Leech (download manager) by him, and Witch, a Windows-like Alt-Tabber on steroids
CyberDuck from www.cyberduck.ch for FTP
Delicious Library for OCD DVD/game cataloging
Handbrake for DVD video conversion to iPhone/iPod
TextWrangler - free text editor from barebonesoftware.com
1Password from agilewebsolutions.com
Journler from www.journler.com <-there are a TON of these info/personal/data management like Caboodle, Mori, Circus Ponies Notebook, DevonThink, SOHONotes, Yojimbo for Mac
UnRARX (free)
http://www.blacktree.com/ for Quicksilver (be sure to remove the ctl-space trigger for butler if you want to use quicksilver)
Mac Office for $30 through Microsoft HUP program if you qualify VMWare Fusion (I bought when it was onsale for half price at $40)
Plex from www.plexapp.com - awesome media center software
Bean, light word processor from www.bean-osx.com
TheUnarchiver from http://wakaba.c3.cx/s/apps/unarchiver.html
IMG viewer called Xee for pr0n from wakaba.c3.cx/s/apps/xee.html
If you use Logitech mice/kb, do NOT install their shitty LCC drivers. Get Steermice for $20 from http://plentycom.jp/ for finer control. I use it for my VX Nano
For full joystick/gamepad/othercontroller/keyboard remapping get http://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/ for $15
RemoteBuddy for $30 from http://www.iospirit.com/ to support your BT phone, BT PS3 remote etc fully in OSX
Mac deal sites:
www.macheist.com <-free software during xmas
www.maczot.com <-bundle on now
www.mupromo.com
Mac sw update sites:
www.macupdate.com
www.versiontracker.com
Mac blogs I read:
www.theappleblog.com
www.applematters.com
www.ehmac.ca
www.mac360.com
www.macapper.com
Accessories:
I bought a Tucano SecondSkin Microfiber Script sleeve ($30-40)along with the best vertical bag for it the STM Small Alley ($40-50)
Rain Design iLap stand
DO NOT buy the Incase sleeve, which claims on the packaging that it fits the new MB, it doesn’t–about an inch extra room
Bought the Mini displayport to DVI adapter from apple and a DVI to HDMI cable from monoprice
(sorry for the mess, rambling/typing this out free-form)
I’ll clean it up later.