[nlmiller]

If it's only one app, then it would have to be 1Password. That's the app I miss most often when I'm working in the Windows world. Things would probably be a close second, at least on my productive days.

[mballai]

Bean a lot like a modern version of WriteNow

[6555]

Instapaper for web and iPhone.

[6555]

Wish you had gone into more detail about how you use the app as a writer. I do freelance writing but BBEdit seems little like overkill. But hey I might be missing something.

[skiptraj]

you know, a few years ago this would have been a really tough question... but now??? EVERNOTE, hands down the most versatile and useful app I know of!!! I could do anything with it - write, read, remember the good times (before the shipwreck)! man, what would I do without my little green elephant buddy?!?!

[DKroot]

I like many of the apps mentioned in the thread: 1Password, Firefox, etc. However, I have to go with an Orthodox File Manager - a program from that class would save you a lot of time in everyday file manipulations. A nicely implemented OFM fulfills a need in an archiver, FTP client, file comparison and synchronization utilities and much more. My current OFM of choice is ForkLift, but there are others available.

[shades]

Probably Scrivener for general writing/organizing.

But overall, one app: NeoOffice

[mkappy4054]

Since I don't have a laptop I would take my iphone, weather channel app, several game apps and Solar recharger.

[wintom]

My knee jerk reaction was to choose between Excel or Photoshop but then I remembered how much I use the utilities like LaunchBar, QuicKeys & CopyPaste. I looked over in the dock to confirm I wasn't overlooking anything and realized I had overlooked my one indispensable third party app: Quicken
Interestingly, when you end up on the desert island you will probably just have the contents of your pockets or a small bag. If you are like me, you may have your backup thumb drive in your pocket or bag. What 3rd party app or file do you keep in that small emergency format? Put another way, if you had to make an emergency evacuation on short notice, what files will you be bringing to the relocation center hoping to find a 3rd party app that will open it.

[lturek]

Skype.

Not an OSX application.

In fact, I find many of the Apple-promoted proprietary applications (eg iTunes, iPhoto, as repeatedly and, again, recently rejected candidates in our workflow) too totalitarian to like.

[night33]

For me the ultimate app is FileMaker Pro.
With this app you can do just about everything; database, spreadsheet, letters, emails. On and on it goes,
FileMaker is just about the most flexible app you could possibly have, Followed closely by Bento

[SimpleBeep]

I would say Pages? but that's not third party. I love pages, it should be included for free, it's decades ahead of Word, etc.

So, then, Photoshop is my Desert Island Application. You know, monopoly is not the only reason it costs so much! It is absolutely fantastic for so many purposes.

A very close second on my list is Quicksilver. So useful.

[PommeSalon]

My Desert Island App is FileMaker 10. That way I could log all the plants that I ate that made me sick, the results, how long I was passed out, how I made it through. It would be searchable, editable, and plus....I could easily export it into Microsoft Word, PDF, or whatever. That way when they found me they would know exactly what I was doing, no matter what laptop they had, up to the point that I........well good night!

[brainimager]

OsiriX for OS. I can't live without this application. The CDs that come off medical imaging devices lack any reasonable standard for embedded viewers. OsiriX provides a robust interface to DICOM formatted images.