You all now know how I communicate-but what do I use to get real work done?
Yes, I am a Mac user. However, lots of this is cross-platform.
(Left to right)
Finder-Every Mac has this, and it rarely gets clicked on.
GDocs Uploader: Neat little script that lets me drag something here, and its uploaded to Google Docs (more on this later)
iTunes: I like music
Last.fm: I really like music
Evernote: Central note taker/dumptruck. I clip websites, images, notes, and anything into here, and since it syncs to my phone, allows to easily do all those “note to self” moments
iCal: Desktop calendar, has my Google Calendar in it, as well as my Facebook Events in it.
Safari: My main browser
Firefox: I do quite a bit of web work, and its amazing how often I need multiple browsers. There is also Chrome and Flock lurking on this computer.
Skitch: How I take screen captures-VERY powerful, and also VERY simple
Tweetdeck: I twitter
Mailplane: Manages my Gmail and Google apps for domains, gets the best of both webmail and desktop mail. With 5 google accounts, this is the only way to easily handle all the email.
Google Voice: From this app on are SSB’s (site specific browsers) that are made in Fluid.app. I use Google Voice daily, and this lets me get notifications, and leave it open, so that browsers closing and tabs crashing dont mess with this site. Userscripts to add visual notifications and a dock badge.
My Blog: A SSB for my website, so that it stays open, pings me with new comments, and allows for fast access
Facebook: Also an SSB, with notifications for chat, messages, and comments
GDocs: I do all my office-type work in google docs. Having it in an SSB is VERY useful.
Google Reader: Also an SSB, with a script for an unread count. This is how I get all my news.
ZCL: An SSB for Zen College Life, exactly the same as the one for my site.
App Stack: Quick access to all my other apps
Trash Can: I don’t recycle.
What are your top apps? Leave a comment below and share your best tools!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Boy, this makes me want a Mac.
Maybe someday…
Wow ! there is everything which i required by anybody. Impressive.
It seems like Mac narrows down the basic functions that computers need while also offering cool and savvy applications like “tweetdeck” and “evernote.” My next laptop might just have to be a Mac…
Tweetdeck and Evernote are both cross-platform.
I'll list some of my apps:
Acquisition – to quickly download a few mp3's
Address Book – I use this because I can sync it with everything using Soocial
Adium – for all my IM
Colloquy – for the rare occasion that I still need IRC
Cooliris – this saves a lot of time when watching photo's
CoverSutra – most awesome iTunes controller and Last.FM scrobbler
Cyberduck – FTP stuff
Dropbox – can't live without this anymore
Dropzone – has potential, don't realy use it (yet) though
Evernote – smash any note in it
Firefox – for when Safari is too good for the web
Google Notifier – Thinking of switching this to MailPlane after reading your post
Google Quick Search Box – the legendary QuickSilver got replaced!
iCal – uses Google Calendar
iTunes – cause it rocks
iWork '09 – no word for me
NetNewsWire – best RSS reader I've found
PS3 Media Server – still trying to get this working
QuickTime Player X – I use this for everything it can open
SABnzbd+ – usenet downloading, simplyfied
Safari – my main browser
SongGenie – get the right tags for my mp3's
The Unarchiver – just unzip wasn't enough
Things – GTD works for me
Tweetie – my Twitter client
VLC – for everything QT can't open
VMware Fusion – sadly my school forces me to use Windows apps sometimes
Wakoopa Tracker – to find out about cool new apps, I'm sort of an app-aholic
That’s a lot of apps!
I use many of the ones you have listed, although some more than others.
Do you actually find the time to actively use every one of those tools consistently, or do you use some a lot more than others?
I do. Some get used more than others, but with my workflow, it is rare that one of them goes unused. I prefer to have something as an app over using my browser-I usually have a TON of tabs open, and it sucks to close the wrong one.