I named this 1st addition because I am sure that these will be evolving and changing every year. But I wanted to share the apps that I use the most and how they help me. I have always loved these types of posts when others make them because I like to stay up on what apps are best out there. So I figured that I would share mine.
These are not in any particular order just as I thought of them.
1. Gmail
I recently switched from Outlook to Gmail. Outlook was just giving me way too many errors. This was a big deal for me since I have used Outlook for so long and have always loved it. I thought there was no way that Gmail and Google Calendar could take it’s place. Well, Outlook had me on edge and then crashed again one day and that pushed me over. I migrated all of my accounts into Gmail and copied all of my emails over.
I have actually been more productive since doing so. Gmail just seems to do a much better job of organizing with labels than Outlook did with folders. It has also made it much easier to deal with important emails than Outlook did. I have also found that the star feature works better than Outlooks flag system. Oh and I highly recommend the multiple inbox feature in labs.
Since I used Outlook for email and calendar I am listing Google Calendar with this. I again was very surprised at how well Google Calendar works and how productive I have been with it. The tasks are far easier to use and schedule than Outlook.
And the fact that there are offline versions of both is a nice bonus.
2. Evernote
Evernote lets you type or speak notes and stores them online, so you can access them from any computer. They also have a great mobile app to take notes on the run.
I must admit that at first I was not sure that I would get much use out of Evernote but I definitely have. It is a much better way to take notes since they are kept online and can be accessed anywhere, this is a big plus. I can go through the day taking notes and then the Evernote websites is one of the first things I look at in the morning and see all my notes.
I also use it for bookmarking sites that I wish to take some action on. For instance if I find a blog with a nice feature I want I will bookmark it in Evernote and place it in my blog folder. That way I know to attend to it. For more long term stuff I use Delicious and maybe mark it as a tutorial etc..
I use the audio feature a lot because I can be out driving and see something I wish to blog about, instead of having to write it down or hope that I remember it, I can just speak it into Evernote and it will be on my home pc when I get home to handle. Audio is also much better since I can say more than I would write and you can sense emotion in audio.
3. TweetDeck
If you are using Twitter, TweetDeck is the best app I have found to keep up with tweets, organize your groups and even handle multiple accounts. Out of all of the Twitter apps I have tried this has been the best for me. Without it I would definitely not be so active on Twitter. If you are not on Twitter get with it and get an account.
4. Windows Live Writer
Windows live Writer has made writing my blog posts so much easier. It has great options in it that help me make the posts look nicer as well. I can also use multiple blogs with it and switch back and forth from them.
It is much easier than logging into WordPress to make a post. Especially if you do not have internet access at the time. I am actually using it right now to write this post while my wife is driving.
5. Digsby
I have a lot of contacts on instant messenger. Digsby is a great way to put all my accounts into one. I use to use Trillian but they got real outdated and took forever to release their new version which catches them up with Digsby. But it was too late and I already got use to Digsby and see no reason to change.
6. Skype
Skype has been a great app for IM and voice chat. I use it on more of a professional level than my other IM’s. It’s become my business IM service. The audio and video features are great for conferencing.
You can also use it as a phone service but I use Magic Jack for that.
7. Camtasia
If you are doing video blogging or video editing this is a great app. It is not as expensive as others and it definitely gets the job done. All of my videos are edited on Camtasia. I also use their screen capture feature a lot to do tutorials or case studies. Very simple program to use and it does quite a bit.
8. Dreamweaver
Dreamweaver is hands down the best app for building websites. I use this constantly for building my sites. The only exception would be that sometimes I will use Xsite Pro which has some nice features for quick site building.
9. RoboForm
What an amazing app this is. RoboForm has saved me so much time and made my passwords more secure, as it has a feature to generate a password for you. And since you do not have to remember them they can be really secure.
I use to use the same password for everything so I would remember it. It will also open WebPages for you and login automatically for you. So if I need to get into the admin section of my blogs I just click on them and it opens the login page and logs in.
It will also fill forms for you. I highly recommend this app. It is also password protected so no one can get into your passwords.
10. Dropbox
I am actually pretty new to Dropbox but I already love it. It has been great to share my files on all pc’s and mobile devices. That has been something I struggled with for a long time.
Only downside is that the files must be in one folder for sharing so if you wanted something like all of the contents in your documents folder you would have to move them all there.
Right now I use the free 2g account but have a feeling I will be upgrading very soon.
There are a few more great apps that I just don’t have time to list.
What are your favorite apps?
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