<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"The Mac App Store launched at the beginning of 2011 and has already surpassed 100 million downloads. The Mac App Store isn't the only place for users to get Mac apps \u2014 and not all apps (or publishers) are in the Mac App Store \u2014 but the uptake amongst developers and users has been swift.\nAs 2011 comes to a close, we wanted to look at 10 of our favorite Mac App Store apps from its first year of existence.\n\n\nThe 10 Best Mac Apps of 2011\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOS X Lion\n\nApple's OS X Lion is a major overhaul of Mac OS X, fusing the best parts of iOS with the features that make OS X great.\nAt $29.99, it's a worthy update -- provided you aren't using any legacy pre-Intel apps. It isn't perfect and some power users might complain about the steps Apple has taken to \"streamline\" the OS, but it's a solid upgrade with lots of promise.\nI believe we will come to see OS X Lion as a transitionary release for Apple, bridging the old world of the traditional Mac with the new world of the iPad and iPad-like devices.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFantastical\n\nAs someone who lives and dies by her calendar, Flexibits's Fantastical has become one of my \"can't live without\" Mac apps. \nAt $19.99, it would be easy to confuse Fantastical with a glorified menubar calendar utility. Instead, the app acts as a quick way to not only monitor and make edits to your calendar (with support for iCal, Google Calendar and BusyCal), but also create new entries using real language, as well as from within emails or other text-based options.\nIf you frequently use, update, or reference several calendars, you need to check Fantastical out.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFlare and Analog\n\nThe photo filtering frenzy isn't just happening on mobile devices, it's on the desktop too.\nA pair of Mac apps have taken the challenge of of offering one-click, non-destructive photo filters to images from your phone, DSLR, point-and-shoot or just sitting on the desktop. The apps are similar in scope and in price, but differ a bit on execution. \nThe Iconfactory's Flare (which is $9.99 from the Mac App Store) allows more photo filter customization, including the ability to mix, match and create new filters.\nRealmac Software's Analog ($7.99 in the Mac App Store) is more one-click and go, but it has more robust sharing options and outputs higher quality files with default settings.\nBoth apps are a great way to bring an Instagram obsession to photos NOT on your phone.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPixelmator\n\nApple named Pixelmator 2.0 its Mac App of the Year. Frankly, we're not surprised by the choice.\nPixelmator 2.0 is an excellent upgrade to an already excellent low-cost image editor. For $29.99 (Pixelmator's introductory price), users get an app that does 90% of what you can do with more expensive apps like Photoshop.\nThe app is super fast, even when dealing with larger files, and supports lots of different file types and Automator Actions.\nOther low-cost Mac image editors are available -- including Flying Meat's excellent Acorn 3 -- but Pixelmator 2 manages to be powerful, easy to use and beautiful to look at.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlfred\n\nApplication launchers are a dime a dozen and most are just poor man's versions of the dearly departed QuickSilver. On the paid app side, LaunchBar 5 has long been the gold standard of application launchers for power users -- and it continues to be a great app.\nUpstart Alfred recently hit version 1.0 and is free (you can buy the very useful Powerpack to extend its features).\nIf you have been looking for an updated, fully-Lion compatible QuickSilver replacement with a very dedicated development team, give Alfred a try. It probably won't be long before you're reaching out for the Powerpack.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReeder\n\nThe best Google Reader app for the iPhone and iPad is also now on the Mac. \nReeder is a great looking RSS client that syncs with Google Reader, as well as integrating with Readability.com and offering support for Instapaper Mobilizer and Google Mobilizer.\nMy favorite aspect of Reeder is its ease of use in sharing and syncing feeds with other services. Reeder makes it easy to save a feed or link to Instapaper, Delicious, Pinboard, ReadItLater, Evernote and Zootool. It also makes it easy to post links to Twitter.\nAt $9.99, Reeder is a must for any hardcore RSS/Google Reader addict.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMarked\n\nI'm utterly obsessed with the lightweight markup language, Markdown. With the exception of email, nearly everything I write is written using Markdown (or to be more specific, MultiMarkdown) and I find that it is the easiest way to format my thoughts and add links, images and code to my writing without losing myself in the flow.\nMarked is a cool Mac utility that allows users to instantly preview their Markdown files from any text editor as that file will appear in formatted HTML. It even lets users copy HTML, export to PDF or print, directly from the real-time preview window.\nFor instance, while composing this entry, I was able to use Marked to make sure that the text and formatting were as I wanted it to be for this gallery. \nThis $3.99 app isn't for everyone -- but if you use the Markdown or MultiMarkdown syntaxes for your own project, you might just find it useful. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCamtasia 2\n\nThe race for \"best screen capture Mac app\" got a lot more stiff with the release of TechSmith's Camtasia 2 for Mac. At $99.99, the app goes head-to-had with Telestream's excellent ScreenFlow 3.\nThe apps share a number of similar features -- including built-in editing, annotations, motion and tilting options and the ability to add call-outs and emphasize cursor movements.\nCamtasia 2 for Mac features a new device framing feature that makes it easy to showcase how an even would look running on an iPhone or iPad. That, coupled with some of the new closed-captioning features just edge out ScreenFlow 3 in our tests for screen captures.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClarify\n\nClarify from Blue Mango Learning is a great app for individuals that frequently need to create and annotate documentation using screenshots or photographs.\nIn other words, it's a tool that lets you explain a problem, outline a procedure or showcase a technique.\nLike it's older brother ScreenSteps Desktop, Clarify is easy to use and has powerful built-in annotation and resizing tools. \nThe difference is that Clarify also makes it super simple to share quick references or screen grabs or documentation bits with others, either by copying the HTML or posting directly to a hosted address on the web.\nAt $29.99, Clarify is a great app for anyone that frequently finds themselves trying to lay out a process step-by-step.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCloudApp\n\nCloudApp remains one of my most-used Mac applications (especially for quickly sharing screenshots or uploading files) and it's a great addition to the Mac App Store.\nFor the unfamiliar: CloudApp makes it easy to drag and drop or use keyboard shortcuts to upload a file, block of text, screenshot or folder to the cloud. Then the app copies to URL pointing to that file directly to your clipboard. The net result it that taking a screenshot or uploading a zip file of images can take place easily and a link to those files can be pasted into an IM or Campfire window with ease.\nOne of my favorite CloudApp features is that it auto-uploads screenshots as soon as they are taken. It also integrates with Chrome, Photoshop and Finder.\nCloudApp is free for 10 uploads a day and a maximum file size of 25MB. For less than $5 a month, users can upload to unlimited daily drops, file sizes of 250MB and even custom domains.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMac App Store rules and sandboxing policies preclude some worthy apps (namely Parallels Desktop 7) from this list. Additionally, we tried to include apps that had launched in 2011 (or had significant updates in 2011).\nThere are thousands and thousands of apps in the Mac App Store, and we just aren't able to highlight each app we love \u2014 so feel free to share your favorites in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2011/12/12/top-mac-app-store-apps-2011/>