Today everyone is running the race to be more productive. To discover smart hacks or shortcuts to save time. And since most people spend a large amount of their time staring into a computer screen, that’s a good place to start.
Mobile phones might be winning the overall battle against the desktops. According to Google, more searches are done via mobile platforms than desktops. But as much as mobile phones might be booming, they got nothing on desktops when it comes to work.
Most of the workforce around the globe still depend on a Mac, Windows or Linux machine to do most if not all of their daily grunt work.
And if you’re anything like me, you’re always on a lookout for some kickass software to increase your productivity or make your work easier and enjoyable.
In my quest to find such software over the last couple of years, I’ve come across some amazing ones. Below is a list of my favourite software which can be a good addition to your arsenal:
1. Notepad++
(Text Editor)
Simple and robust, text editors don’t come better than this. If Window’s notepad was a Pokemon and it evolved, Notepad++ is what it would become.
This lightweight application provides multi-tab support, allowing you to edit and browse multiple files at the same time. Notepad++ also helps you code with its syntax highlighting and auto-completion. It also features find and replace feature.
A worthy upgrade on Notepad.
[Works on Windows]
Download from the official page.
2. Visual Studio Code
(Source code editor)
In a world of Sublime and Atom, Microsoft Visual Studio Code is fast making a reputation for itself. VS Code is a great example of Microsoft’s recent shift towards open-source projects.
VS Code supports Windows, Linux and macOS. It includes support for debugging, embedded Git control, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion (IntelliSense), snippets and code refactoring. VS code supports a wide range of programming languages via its marketplace.
VS Code also makes it easier for users switching from other Code Editors like Sublime or Atom, with customisations such as the ability to install their keyboard shortcuts and settings.
[Works on Windows, macOS & Linux]
Download from the official page.
3. ShareX
(screenshot utility)
How often do you need to screenshot something to share or reference in the future? Windows ships with Snipping Tools to make taking the screenshots easier. But ShareX does the same better.
This open-source screenshot and screencast utility makes it easier to take capture your screen and share it.
But the true strength of ShareX lies in its customisations. You can control what happens after a screen is captured or uploaded. You can also set ShareX up to automatically upload captured screenshots and GIFs to your Imgur account.
ShareX also ships with various inbuilt utilities like an image editor, screen colour picker and a QR Code creator/decoder.
[Works on Windows, macOS & Linux]
Download from the official page.
4. ClipClip
(Clipboard manager)
This is a software I just started using a few months ago. I’m used to copying a lot of stuff off the internet such as code snippets, etc for temporary purposes.
Earlier I used to paste them in Notepad++ tabs, but this was difficult to manage and time-consuming. Enter ClipClip.
This clipboard manager saves your copied clips so you can easily view and use them in future. You can organise these clips in various folders and sync them across devices using Google Drive integration. ClipClip also allows you to search the clips and even auto translate them on the go.
Say yes to copying, not to pasting.
[Works on Windows, macOS & Linux]
Download from the official page.
5. Slack
(Communication tool)
Slack has gained a reputation for being a top-notch professional communication tool. It helps to interact and collaborate with colleagues easily via ‘channels’. Slack is to professional life what Whatsapp is to the personal life.
You can also share channels with your clients and outside partners. Slack supports drag-and-drop file sharing and integrations such as Google Drive, Trello, etc. Also, did I mention all the chats are searchable?
Depending upon whether you are on free or the paid plan, you also get features like group video calling and no limit on stored messages (free plan stores the last 10k messages across the channel).
[Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS]
Download from the official page.
6. Trello
(Project management)
Trello is a visual project management tool (based in Kanban system) which makes it easy for you to collaborate and be on top of things.
Trello allows you to manage your tasks and ideas via boards, lists and cards. A card usually denotes an individual task, a List a group of tasks and a board defines the overall theme/workspace. You can move your cards across lists, label them or edit them.
The Boards auto-sync across all the devices in real time. Multiple people can share and work on the same Trello Board and cards can be assigned to individuals. You can also add checklists and attachment to cards. Trello also supports integrations like Google Drive, Github, Slack, etc.
Trello is also great for personal management. For example, I use it to keep track of the books I read and their main points. While my friend Clifford Lawrence uses it to manage his writing ideas.
[Works on Web, Windows, macOS, Android & iOS]Download from the official page.
Conclusion
Some of the above software (Slack & Trello) also have paid plans which you can check out according to your needs. These software have worked well for me, they may also make your life easier.
What are your favorite software? Which software makes your life easier? Share them in the comments below!
Nitin Sharma
