New Mac for Christmas? Try these 6 apps and games with your new Apple computer

Did your Christmas morning start off with a Mac under the tree? No matter if you unwrapped a new MacBook , iMac, or Mac mini, that hardware is just the beginning of a gift that will keep on giving. In 2025, there are more apps and games for Apple computers than ever. Here are six we recommend taking a look at. Pages Whether you’re a student or a professional who just got a new Mac, one of the most critical apps to have is a word processor. For decades now, the word-processing king, Microsoft Word, has been available on Macs. The problem is that Microsoft Word is now largely a subscription service—meaning that if you use it, you’ll have to pay a monthly fee. [Screenshot: Apple] That annoying subscription model is why every Mac owner should download Apple’s Pages . Apple’s word processor is incredibly powerful and versatile, enabling the easy creation of everything from manuscripts to newsletters. It even lets you create and edit documents in the Word format for cross-platform use. Book Tracker One great thing about the Mac is that there are tons of indie developers creating high-quality apps for nearly any niche use you can think of. One of the best indie apps we’ve found this year is dedicated to helping you track your book library. [Screenshot: Simone Montalto] Book Tracker is an app any book lover will adore. Scan the UPC of any book with your Mac’s camera, and the book will be added to Book Tracker’s library, where you can view information about it, organize it into collections, and add notes. The app also allows you to set and track reading goals, add books to your to-be-read wish list, and easily see all the quotes you’ve decided to jot down from your favorite books. Flighty If you’re a frequent flier, you’ll probably be bringing that new MacBook you just got on any trip you take. But more than just a tool to use on long flights, your MacBook can actually make your travel experience less stressful, thanks to a certain app. That app is Flighty , which allows you to view all kinds of information about your upcoming flight right on your Mac’s desktop. [Screenshot: Flighty LLC] Enter your flight details, and Flighty will instantly display your flight’s itinerary on a beautiful interactive map, along with a detailed timetable of your departure, taxi, and takeoff as well as your landing metrics. The app also alerts you to delays and displays other useful information like the time zone and weather at your destination. Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gaming on the Mac has never been better, and 2025 saw the release of what is probably the most graphically impressive game ever to hit Apple’s platform: Assassin’s Creed Shadows . The AAA game by gaming giant Ubisoft shows that game studios are finally going all-in on Mac gaming, mainly thanks to the Mac’s powerful Apple Silicon chips. [Screenshot: Ubisoft Entertainment] Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the latest installment of...

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