One reason I’m a Mac fanboy is because OS X is the ultimate minimalist operating system and having recently stumbled across minimalmac.com (great blog) I was inspired to share my setup and all the good stuff going on behind the scenes.
Applications
In a future post I’ll cover all the applications I have installed (Update: I’ve done this here and here), but because most of mine have a web development-bias (and not everyone is a web developer) I thought I’d just share the ones that the majority of people will find value in.
Evernote allows you to quickly record thoughts and save stuff you find on the web. This saves you from having text files hanging around your desktop acting as reminders and discourages similar bad habits.
Quicksilver negates the need for the dock by allowing you to launch applications and open files by just hitting a hot key of your choice (ctrl + Space is mine) and typing out the first few letters of its name. I’ve actually uninstalled Quicksilver now and simply use the built in Spotlight functionality. One less app installed without a loss in any functionality that I used.
Mozy takes care of backups and does it completely in the background. Works great and is less intrusive than other backup applications. For local backups I also own a Time Capsule, and the included Time Machine software (installed by default in OS X) handles backups behind the scenes.
Perian is a system preference that beefs up the amount of supported files within Quicktime which saves you from installing a 3rd party video-viewing app like VLC (which is great, but unnecessary for most people).
TextMate has perfected the text editor. It’s very simple upfront but has a mind boggling amount of features and flexibility. Relatively pricey but a must have if you deal with code or just want a damn good text editor.
Best Practices
- Think in less. Always be looking to eliminate applications, files, folders and interface controls. Treat each elimination as a small personal victory and soon you’ll have a distraction-free computing experience.
- Nothing on the desktop. Send downloads to the Downloads folder and documents to the Documents folder. If you have trouble doing this manually then Hazel will help you automate the management of files.
- Follow naming conventions. If you name files and folders in consistent ways they’re easier to find and manage. For example, if I design a blog I save the Photoshop file as “nameofthesite.com blog design.psd” which means searching for that file doesn’t require thought, just an application of the convention.
- Batch declutter. Your Mac will still find a way to clutter itself up over time but that’s easily solved. Every 2-4 weeks dedicate 10 minutes to putting files in their right places, fixing up your naming conventions, cleaning your desktop etc. Nice ‘n simple.
- Stick with the defaults. Use the Documents and Downloads folders for their respective purposes. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just stick with what Apple puts in place and things become a whole lot easier.
- Reformat. Starting from scratch is a great way to kick bad habits and get on track with a minimalist Mac. It’s a good idea to reformat every year, or at least perform a clean install when you upgrade your OS.
- Delegate devices. My Mac is centered around writing and my iPhone handles all the other, usually distraction-causing tasks such as Twitter, blog feeds, Facebook etc. This separation encourages focus and has been working well for me.
Interface Tweaks
- Remove icons from the menu bar. Hold down the CMD button and simply drag them off. They’ll *poof* in a similar way as to dragging icons off of the dock.
- Clean up the Finder. Open the Finder Preferences window. Under General, Sidebar and Advanced there’s plenty of check boxes to play around with to achieve minimalism. Each user will want to have different settings however. I’ve made it so nothing shows up on the Desktop and have removed most items from the Finder’s Sidebar.
- Hide the dock automatically when not in use. CMD+Click on the dock itself and navigate to Dock Preferences. Check the box next to the option that says Automatically show and hide dock.
Are you a Mac user? How do you practice minimalism in computing? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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And this is my blog, Adventures of a Barefoot Geek. I write about a range of topics including how to achieve peace of mind, mobility and simplicity - all mixed in with some good ol' fashioned geekery.
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I was quite pleased to read this article as I’ve just performed a clean install on my MacBook Pro and so far, apart from the OS, iLife, iWork, Aperture and Final Cut Express I’m managing with less than half a dozen extra utilities.
You know what? I’m already getting more done… The whole purpose of this exercise for me was to remove distractions so that I can finally get to grips with Aperture and Final Cut… It’s working so far!
Hey Andy, great to hear!
I’ve been waiting to perform a clean install on my Mac but I figured I may as well wait for the release of Snow Leopard. :-)
While trying to keep my mac minimal I always run into the same problem: there’s no way to uninstall software.
Can I just drag software to the trash? Do I need to use a third party app?
When I right click a file and choose “open with”, a huge list of apps shows up that aren’t even installed on my mac or that I don’t ever want to use. How can I declutter that list?
You’ll want to download the app AppCleaner (I realize the irony in downloading an app to remove apps). Although dragging apps into the trash technically removes them, it doesn’t get every file. Using AppCleaner lets you wipe ever application file at once.
Find AppCleaner at http://www.freemacsoft.net/AppCleaner/
I use an application called Screenshot Helper, not for its intended purpose, but as a screen to block the clutter.
I kind of explain it here: http://andrewburke.110mb.com/mac/sh.htm
Thanks for the resource Andrew. I think another popular choice in terms of blocking out the rest of the screen is Isolator: http://willmore.eu/software/isolator/ :-)
I took your advice and applied it. I now have the most uncluttered desktop I have ever seen. No icons.
@bennie: I use AppZapper to remove apps from my Mac. It cleans out stuff that an app might have littered accross my system.
http://www.appzapper.com/
Good to hear Khürt. Glad to have been of help. And AppZapper is a great app too, I just felt it was a tad pricey for the functionality.
Great site! Love the tips. I also just started using Google Reader, next step is to look into feedrinse (thanks!). 2 questions for you: 1)What browser do you use? I like the idea of using Safari as it’s not “additional” but I still end up back with Firefox. 2) what do you use for your “home page” and what does it consist of?
Thanks!
Hey Mike,
I used Safari for ages for the exact reason you described, but I’m back to Firefox. Although I dislike having the extra program, the addons are just too brilliant to pass up. :-)
what add-ons do you use? And what do you use as your browser homepage? I’m using iGoogle with very little on it other than googlereader and wikipedia
I just use a blank page for my homepage. I’ll post in the future about the add-on’s I use. :-)
Did you post about the add-ons you use for Firefox yet? I can’t seem to find a post about this…
I actually ended up switching back to Safari, so there probably won’t be a post about Firefox add ons anymore. :)
Interesting, I posted something similar recently with http://www.rosshill.com.au/article/minimal-mac-menubar/ – you’ve still got a few menu items lurking there!
Ah, thanks for the kick in the butt. My MacBook Pro doesn’t move around anymore, so I just realised the battery icon is irrelevant. Would love to dump the clock too, but I find it just too useful.
i just found an intersting and really easy tutorial about this: Have a look at this: http://www.thoughtsapp.com/tut-declutter.html. It really helped me;)