Before there was something called “the internet”, we were expected to go outside, and see if the mail had been delivered. We would organize the mail into three categories: checks/bills, letters, and junk. No matter what system we used to organize the mail, we always knew “what was what” – even before returning home. Upon our arrival, junk was immediately banished to the trash, and the rest would be delt with as soon as possible.

In our modern society, the advent of “the internet” punched holes in our primitive routines. Somewhere along the line, we were encouraged to keep constant tabs on the mail – although this time, the mail in question was email.

Electronic checks and bills are not very hard to imagine, and we will always be able to recognize “junk”. Letters, on the other hand, are not what they used to be. Today we recognize different ways of contacting one another: email, Twitter DMs, FaceBook Messages, IM, SMS, etc. Each “way” encourages a different type of response. I’d like to think the letter evolved into email.

In primary school, we were taught to write letters. I will never forget how the teachers encouraged us to focus on the format of the letter; at the time, it seemed more important than what we were writing. After entering secondary school this changed, but I don’t think any of us could say, “I forgot how to write a proper letter.” Email, on the other hand, was a completely different beast. At first, we were told to write emails like we would a formal letter. Some listened, while others found it “easier” to forgo the formatting and “small talk” nature of the traditional letter. These renegade students adopted instant messaging as their primary form of communication, which encouraged sloppy formatting when it was time to send an email.

Somewhere along the way, we broke the system; ancient formatting does not have a place in the modern world. And, to say “no care” is put into our day-to-day conversations would be an understatement. Here is an example of what I consider an awesome email. It also happens to be how I try to write *every email* that leaves my inbox.

I’ve decided to reemphasize the content here on “Let’s Talk Apple”. If you are wondering what has changed, look no further.

• “Linked posts” should read more like a statement, than an opinion.

• Blockquotes have been downplayed; old-fashioned quotes are utilized more frequently.

• If it’s blue, then it’s a link.

• “Linked posts” are indented (about 40px) on the home page.

• More relevant links within “linked posts” themselves. Here is a good example.

• Capitalization and “word emphasis” play a more important role.

• Finally, how a post looks (visually) is just as important as the (written) content itself.

There is something to be said about writing and curating your own content online. The idea is easy enough, but the application can be a bit more difficult.

I chose to title this website, “Let’s Talk Apple”, in an effort to share my thoughts and opinions on my favorite company. I wanted to write reviews, post links, and most importantly — write my own ’long form’ articles. After one year of curating this website, I can safely say, “writing about Apple is not my cup of tea”.

As I write this, I have more than one-hundred (yes, 100+) articles, written today, sitting in my RSS feed. They all pertain to one thing — Apple. This obsession has to stop somewhere. If you have found my little home on the web, then I am also sure you have visited some of the greats — meaning, losing my little site, won’t matter in the great scheme of things.

What is it you want to do exactly?

I want to share some of my favorite articles, writers, and authors with the people of the internet. Just as Ben Brooks redesigned his website to focus on articles, I want to (not redesign, but) emphasize the linked list on Let’s Talk Apple.

This is not goodbye, but more of a friendly, “Hello!” If you are new, welcome. As for my current readers, you shouldn’t notice a thing.

I couldn’t decide whether I should share my favorite apps, or “the best” apps on the App Store. To support my decision, I decided to follow a few rules:

• The app must be available on the Mac App Store.

• I must launch (and use) the app on a regular basis.

Prefer to trust me? Here is a list of the apps mentioned, without their descriptions…

The Obvious Choices

To start, I wanted to share some of the more obvious options on the App Store – most of which, you should already own.

Sparrow: Sparrow is a re-imagination of what a traditional mail client should look like. Though I do waiver between Sparrow and Apple’s Mail.app, I always seem to find my way back to Sparrow. Writing and responding to email is never fun, but Sparrow makes the process less daunting. Features like “Send & Archive” and “Quick Reply” became exemplary staples in a very short amount of time. [Download, $9.99]

Reeder: I have been a fan of Reeder since its debut on the iPhone a few years back. It’s fast, supports almost every social network & sharing service imaginable, and does not break the bank. I cannot think of a single, more robust, Google Reader (or RSS) client available. [Download, $9.99]

Things: Let me start by saying, everyone has their preference of to-do apps. When looking through the “best-of” articles, you’d find it hard to miss raging war between both Things and OmniFocus. Making a choice between the two, was much easier than you might think; I was not looking at the amount of features, but the integration of these features alongside the app’s design. Things had (and still has) OmniFocus beat — without question. Cultured Code, has two “major” complaints from its customers: (1) no syncing solution, and (2) the team is slow to add features to the app. Neither of these are actual problems; their syncing solution is undergoing beta testing, and I do not want/need superfluous features crowding my to-do list. In fact, Cultured Code reminds me a lot of my favorite company. [Download, $49.99]

Cloud: If you use Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or even Email to share images, videos, links, or documents — you should be using Cloud. The app features a minimal design, and lives in your menubar; the team insists they have created the simplest way of sharing files across the web. There are plans available with different pricing tiers. That said, if I am able to ‘mingle socially’ without one, you should be fine without one as well. [Download, Free]

Pixelmator: If you plan on editing *any* image on your Mac – even if you already own (and use) Photoshop – you should be using Pixelmator. Every time I launch Photoshop, it feels as if Parallels opened – forcing me to use a non-native app. Pixelmator, on the other hand, feels right at home on my desktop. The team is dedicated to OS X, and have already updated Pixelmator to support Lion. Great software, with fast & reliable updates, at a great price – it just can’t be beat. [Download, $29.99]

The Gems of the App Store

They may not look useful, but they are absolutely invaluable.

Alfred: Shawn Blanc teased the listeners of his daily podcast, “Shawn Today”, with his Launchbar Review. For some time, he would waiver between his recommendation for Launchbar and Alfred; he claimed it was difficult to choose between the two. After a few episodes, I couldn’t help but try them both. Shawn uses Launchbar, while my recommendation lies with Alfred. There is something about pressing “alt-space”, and seeing Alfred’s white box (which is customizable) appearing in the middle of the screen (also customizable) that seems right to me. On my 27” iMac, Launchbar was too small for my tastes – though, it does look the most Mac-like. While I use Alfred mainly for launching apps, Alfred can do much more with the Powerpack [Purchase, $19.79]. I did purchase the Powerpack, but I would recommend trying the free version on the Mac App Store first. [Download, Free]

Byword: The best text editor, with support for markdown, on the Mac – period. [Download, $9.99]

Divvy: Before Divvy, I always dreamed of the OS X team stealing this feature from Windows 7. Divvy is easily the best window management app for the Mac. It relies on keyboard shortcuts (in lieu of hot corners or sides), to “divvy-up” the apps on your desktop into proper (and useful) spaces. [Download, $13.99]

Moom: A great companion to Divvy. If you are looking for a cheaper or mouse-friendly option – Moom may be the right choice (or addition) for you. [Download, $4.99]

Hex Color Picker: If you do any sort of design work, you *need* to download HexColor. HexColor “puts an extra tab in the system-wide color panel”, providing access to a color’s hexadecimal color code. Think, web design. [Download, Free]

Notable Contenders

These are good, but not “absolutely necessary” to my workflow.

CalendarBar: To be honest, I rarely open/use this app. That is not the fault of the developer, but the way I use my Mac; I much prefer iCal’s week view. The applet lives in the menu bar, providing quick access to your iCal, Google Calendar and Facebook events. [Download, $4.99]

Todolicious: A simple to-do app for your Mac. If you do not want/need the complexities available in Things or OmniFocus, I would highly recommend Todolicious. Alas, I want/need these complexities, and use Things on a daily basis. [Download, $9.99]

Mental Case: The best app for college students. Ever. For some reason, I have never seen Mental Case featured in any collection of college-specific apps. It may be the price, but I find this app absolutely indispensable for my studies. There are versions for the Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Get them all, and you will not be sorry. [Download, $19.99]

Mars Edit: I love this app. If you write any content online, you need this app. I just finished the 30-day trial, and am absolutely blown-away. Try it, and (if you can afford it) buy it. My purchase is definitely, “coming soon”. [Download, $39.99]

The Incident: If you have played the iPhone or iPad version of the game, you know what you are getting yourself into. This is the *only* game I play on my Mac, and there is a good reason why. [Download, $2.99]