Depends on what your goals are.
I'm more on the tech side, so one of the first things I get setup is my terminal environment. I install iterm2, oh-my-zsh, and then homebrew, which I then use to install a lot of my applications (most of these are just better terminal usage, setting up python properly, etc, but I can put the list here of my must have homebrew apps). In fact you can use homebrew to install almost every mac application if you don't want to log into an apple account on a computer.
If it's more just general usage:
- I get the usual installed (favorite browser if you don't want to use safari).
- Password manager
- ICE (unless you bought bartender)
- BetterMouse (if you have a logitech mouse and hate their software)
- Maccy
- RayCast to replace spotlight
- IINA (can play any video type and is very lightweight)
- Dato (I like having a preview in the menu bar of my next meeting and also a quick look at my agenda for the day)
- Docker Desktop and then install "DangerZone" just to be able to test docs I don't trust
- The rest is more just general usage based on how you work like messaging apps, any AI apps, office apps, and/or media editing apps.
Oh I forgot on the first round, for settings in macOS Tahoe here are the tweaks I do first
- I hate the desktop widgets, so I go into "Desktop & Dock" and uncheck "Show Widget" for "on Desktop"
- I also like to be able to just click on my desktop so I change"Click wallpaper to show desktop" to "Only in stage manager
- I set Compact mode in safari tabs
- In finder I go into settings, I set the "New Finder window show" to my home folder for my user, I open foler in tabs instead of new windows.
- In finder window I right click on the toolbar and select customize and drag the path button onto the toolbar (which give you the ability to click and see and/or move to the parent folder(s) of the folder you're in)
- Then I go to view and add show status bar, which gives you contextual info on the current folder and free space available for the drive you're currently on. (If you don't want to add the previous button you can click show path bar and it will give you the path right above the status bar at the bottom of the screen).
