Desktop Calendar for Mac is an application that helps you add, edit, and modify events, reminders, tasks directly from your Mac menu. In addition, the program gives a new personalized view of events, to-do tasks, and reminders. Popular Alternatives to Active Desktop Calendar for Mac. Explore 9 Mac apps like. Free Open Source Mac Windows Linux Thunderbird SeaMonkey.
MacOS does come with a fully-featured calendar app, but it’s possible that you may not like it and are looking for a better alternative. If you’re one of those users who aren’t satisfied with the default Calendar app, here are some alternatives for you. These apps will help you keep your tasks and events organized, as that’s what they are for.
1. Fantastical 2
Flexibits’ calendar app Fantastical really lives up to its name, offering an experience that arguably beats out even Apple’s own Calendar app. It lets you connect all your accounts easily – iCloud, Google, Yahoo, obscure ones like CalDAV, you name it – then see them all elegantly organized into the stylish flat interface.
It does a great job of putting all the info under one roof and has Google-like features, such as automatically slotting things into your calendar based on things you type (“Dentist appointment next Thursday at 2pm”, for example). It’s received some good updates over the years, too, such as an ‘at a glance’ daily view and toggling various calendars on and off. In many ways it’s like an independent version of the next app on this list.
You can get Fantastical for $24.99.
2. Google Calendar
Perhaps the reason you want to leave Apple’s Calendar app is not to be tied into the big corporate machine, in which case Google Calendar might not be for you. But with one of the most user-friendly interfaces around and plenty of quality-of-life features, like the option to quickly type appointments and toggle calendars, Google’s free offering may tempt you. It’s easy to export data and collaborate on your Calendar with other people and is smooth to sync up with Apple’s iCloud services.
There’s no actual desktop app for Google Calendar. It’s all browser-based and syncs up with the corresponding app on iOS and Android, but it’s free, and there’s a good chance you don’t want any third-party software clogging up your system. That being the case, this one’s a winner for those with Google accounts.
3. BusyCal
If you’re looking for a professional calendar app that does it all for you, BusyCal is something you should try. This app integrates all of the features that you expect from a calendar app. From the ability to add events using natural language to getting multiple calendars together, it can do everything for you. It is fully customizable and works the way you want it to. You can have it show only the things that you think are important and hide the unnecessary ones.
The app costs $49.99 and you can download it from the Mac App Store.
4. Blotter
Blotter claims to be an unforgettable calendar, and it does live up to its hype. What Blotter does for you is convert your whole calendar into a wallpaper and lets you view it right on your desktop. It looks so beautiful that you will fall in love with it once you install it. The app lets you specify what tools you’d like to see and what tools to be hidden. This lets you keep your desktop clutter-free.
You can download this beautiful app for $9.99 from the Mac App Store.
Conclusion
If you don’t like the default calendar app on your Mac or if you’re fed-up of using it, the above alternatives should help you with your schedules using the best most beautiful technologies. Happy calendaring!
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When you have a lot of appointments and other items on your company’s schedule that you want to keep on top of with your Mac, you can display a calendar on the desktop. All new Macs come with Apple’s free Calendar application already installed. You can view the calendar in full-screen mode, and if you want to use it as your desktop image, you can use Apple’s native screenshot application to save a picture of the calendar, enabling you to see your appointments even if you aren’t running the Calendar application.
1.
Click “Calendar” on the Dock of your Mac to launch Apple’s native calendar application.
2.
Click the “Month” tab at the top of the Calendar window to view the entire month.
3.
Click the green button at the upper left of the application window to expand the calendar to fill the Mac’s entire display.
4.
Click “Applications” on the Dock of your Mac, followed by “Utilities.” Click “Grab” to launch Apple’s native screen grab application.
5.
Click “Capture” from the Grab menu, and choose “Screen.” Click anywhere on the screen to take a screenshot of your calendar page.
6.
Click “File” from the Grab menu and then click “Save” to display a dialog box. Click a folder where you want to save the screenshot and type a name for the image, such as “Calendar for Desktop.” Click “Save.”
7.
Click the Apple logo at the top left of the display and select “System Preferences.” Click “Desktop & Screen Saver” and then click “Desktop” to display a list of folders in the left pane of the System Preferences window. Click the name of the folder where you saved the screenshot that you made with Grab. If your folder does not appear in the left pane, click the “Plus” sign at the bottom of the pane. Navigate to the folder and click it to select it. Thumbnail images appear for all the pictures in the folder.
8.
Click the thumbnail of the calendar screenshot to select it as your Mac’s desktop image.
Tip
Before the release of OS X Mountain Lion in 2012, 'Calendar' was named 'iCal.'
References (3)
About the Author
Julius Vandersteen has been a freelance writer since 1999. His work has appeared in “The Los Angeles Times,” “Wired” and “S.F. Weekly.” Vandersteen has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Francisco State University.
Photo Credits
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images
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Vandersteen, Julius. 'How to Display a Calendar on a Mac Desktop.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/display-calendar-mac-desktop-52974.html. Accessed 20 December 2019.
Vandersteen, Julius. (n.d.). How to Display a Calendar on a Mac Desktop. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/display-calendar-mac-desktop-52974.html
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