Open source Mac software is something of a novelty, but many of the programs which are featured on Windows Machines often have open source cousins on Mac. If you’re keen on using programs which operate under the open source license on a Mac, here are the top five programs to consider. 1. Adium – iChat is a great program, but it doesn’t offer the functionality of connecting to multiple protocols at once as well as Adium does. In fact, Adium is so well received, it has spawned a Windows clone in Miranda. Adium has tons of customization options and is currently the most robust chat client available on the Mac. 2. Bean – Bean beat out Open Office simply because it isn’t a full featured suite for people who only want to do word processing tasks. With a live word count and a simple to use interface, it’s the best solution for people who do lots of typing. 3. Seashore – Seashore is based on the Gimp, but the big plus is it doesn’t require X11 to run, making it a perfect graphics editing software for anyone who wants to use Gimp functionality on the map. 4. Miro – For media playing and bit torrent downloads, Miro wins out on the Mac as well. It offers high definition functionality with the ability to download and play podcasts, scheduling, and RSS bit torrent scheduling as well. All of this is included in an easy to use package which doesn’t take up much space. 5. Firefox – For open source browsing, nothing beats out Firefox on either platform. With around 2,000 addons and the ability to customize your experience the way you like, you’ll not find anything better in a browser on either the Windows or the Mac platform.