11 Important Applications For Pc And Mac

11 Important Applications For Pc And Mac - , Created by in Innovations category.Office software, useful browser extensions, media players ... these are the 11 essential software for my daily workday.
In this article, I take a behind-the-scenes tour of the complete applications I use daily in the office for my productivity and leisure. The list does not include the dozen or so utilities that I keep on hand for specialized tasks. I'm saving this story for another day.
Among the software on this list is some "old-fashioned", which I have been using on Windows PCs for at least a decade. But most are more modern, and designed for a multiplatform world. One thing that surprised me when I put together this list was how many subscription apps and services I use. I know this is a sensitive topic for some readers, who categorically state their distaste for paying monthly or annual fees. But I admit I prefer these predictable costs than a significant cost during a major update.
Of course, this selection reflects my work habits and personal preferences. Your needs are likely different, so your list will likely be different from mine. Feel free to share your favorite software in the comments.

Daily productivity software

1.Microsoft 365, more than just a pack

The four office applications that form the heart of what used to be Microsoft Office are an absolutely essential part of my workday. Since the rebranding in Microsoft 365, it must be admitted that not much has changed. Outlook is the first app I open in the morning, and I can't remember a day when I haven't used Excel and Word. However, I only use PowerPoint a few times a year.
Get equipped with all the products of the Microsoft Office office suite thanks to the Microsoft 365 subscription, and also use the online or mobile tools which are completely free!
• Downloads: 129
• Release date: 03/15/2021
• Author: Microsoft
• License: Commercial License
• Categories: Office
• Operating system: Android - Online service All Internet browsers - Windows - iOS iPhone / iPad - macOS
These applications are available for Windows and MacOS as part of my Microsoft 365 Business Standard (formerly Office 365) subscription, for which I pay $ 150 per year (10.50 euros per month). The plan also includes support for my custom email domain and a terabyte of cloud storage.
At the time, Office was mostly a mark on a bunch of loosely related office software. Today, the applications in the suite are much more connected, especially thanks to OneDrive for Business, which I use for each new document. And if desktop applications are still largely the majority in my daily use, web applications, very powerful, are very useful to me from time to time. To give you an example, I recently needed to check a calculation, done previously from a spreadsheet, while I was at a car dealership. Well, this quick consultation saved me a few hundred dollars.

2.Tweeten, TweetDeck on steroids

The problem with Twitter is that you quickly feel overwhelmed. To get the most out of the social network, you have to follow a lot of accounts. But when you follow hundreds, if not thousands of accounts, the Twitter homepage is meaningless, and no human being can navigate it.
Tweeten is free software that allows you to easily manage your Twitter account from a dedicated and customizable interface on your computer.
• Downloads: 6
• Release date: 12/19/2020
• Author: Mehedi Hassan
• License: Free license
• Categories: Communication
• Operating system: Windows 10 - Windows 64 bits - XP / Vista / 7/8/10 - macOS
That's where Tweeten comes in, based on TweetDeck - which lets you organize accounts into lists, with each list contained in its own column. But Tweeten isn't just a port of TweetDeck. Additional features include filters, support for multiple accounts, scheduling options, and the ability to paste images from the clipboard directly into a tweet.
You can use it as a browser extension for Chrome (or any other browser compatible with Chrome). Personally, I installed the full 64-bit application for Windows or macOS. It's free, but like me you can make an annual donation to the developer, Mehedi Hassan.

3.OneNote, the digital Moleskine

Since at least 2003, my whole life has been contained in OneNote. It's a bit like the digital equivalent of an old Moleskine. But, by some sort of magic, this one is infinitely expandable. OneNote allows you to keep track of receipts, meeting notes, important letters, travel documents, receipts, or even "notes to myself" (there are so many that I lost count ).
Take notes on your PC like on paper.
• Downloads: 7
• Release date: 03/19/2021
• Author: Microsoft Corporation
• License: Free license
• Categories: Office
• Operating system: Android - Online service All Internet browsers - Windows 10 - iOS iPhone / iPad / Apple Watch - macOS
OneNote's superpower is its ability to capture content from anywhere. You can use its browser extension to send all or part of a web page to a notebook, or use its virtual printer to capture a fully formatted document for posterity, or even scan a piece of paper using your smartphone. Even more magical: If that printed or scanned image contains text, OneNote will convert the text to the background and add it to the notepad index, allowing you to search for text in your image.
OneNote is included in Windows 10 and as a desktop app in the Microsoft 365 suite. It's also available as a free web app, and on Macs and mobile devices. However, some features require a Microsoft 365 subscription.

4.Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, the tool of the inventor of the PDF standard

That's right, there are free PDF readers. But given the amount of time I spend working on PDF files, the capabilities of the full Adobe package (especially the editing and annotation tools) are worth the $ 15 ($ 17.99) per month I pay.
Adobe Acrobat Pro is the benchmark software for creating, editing and sharing your PDF documents with your teams for more efficient collaborative work.
• Downloads: 193
• Release date: 06/25/2019
• Author: Adobe
• License: Commercial License
• Categories: Office
• Operating System: Windows - macOS

I understand that some are opposed to the idea of a subscription, but with the permanent license costing 449 dollars (650 euros), the subscription seems to me a good option. And if you don't need all the features, there is a Standard version for $ 15.59 per month.
I am giving you a money-saving tip that I accidentally discovered about this. To reduce the cost of your Adobe subscription, simply choose the option to cancel your subscription. A reduced price will then be offered to encourage you to stay.

5.Quicken Home and Business, the utility I hate but still use

A billion years ago, a famous brand sold mouthwashes with a slogan that sounded like "You hate the taste, but you use it twice a day". This is, for me, the perfect description of Quicken for Windows. Quicken is software for Mac and Windows that lets you consolidate your financial management in one place. Sync all your bank accounts, create a budget, etc.
• Downloads: 9
• Release date: 03/20/2021
• Author: Quicken
• License: Commercial License
• Categories: Finance
• Operating system: Android - Windows 10 - iOS iPhone / iPad - macOS
While it can be maddening to use, hard to handle at times, and comes guaranteed to give you a really annoying bug at least quarterly, it's still better than any other solution. Believe me, I have tried them all.
The good news is that Quicken's support is responsive and its staff knowledgeable. Plus, the user base is so large that you can quickly find an answer if you run into any of these quarterly bugs.
The browsers and extensions that I use to go on the web every day

6.Microsoft Edge (Chromium), the only browser I need on my workstation

As far as I can remember, I have always used at least two browsers on my PC. If a site didn't load in a browser, I would switch to the other and continue. It all came to a halt last year when Microsoft finally gave up on its dreams of maintaining its old engine and embracing the open-source Chromium standard.
Microsoft Edge is the internet browser developed by Microsoft to replace the iconic Internet Explorer. Based on a Chromium engine (like Chrome), Edge is a modern and powerful browser.
• Downloads: 37
• Release date: 03/19/2021
• Author: Microsoft
• License: Free license
• Categories: Internet
• Operating system: Android - Windows 7/8 / 8.1 / 10 - iOS iPhone / iPad - macOS
The new Microsoft Edge browser is, for most websites, just another instance of Google Chrome, with support for all extensions written for this behemoth. The big difference is that Edge includes tracking prevention features that prevent companies like Facebook and Google, and even Microsoft itself, from building a record of your online trips.
When I set up my current Windows PC almost a year ago, I didn't bother to install Chrome. I still haven't found a reason to do so. I also use Edge on my MacBook Pro and on iOS.

7.1Password everyone needs a password manager

When I set up a new PC, Mac, or mobile device, the first thing I install, bar none, is the 1Password browser extension.
This application allows you to store and manage all your passwords and other sensitive data.
• Downloads: 3
• Release date: 03/09/2021
• Author: AgileBits Inc.
• License: Free license
• Categories: Utilities - Security
• Operating system: Android - Linux - Windows - iOS iPhone / iPad / Apple Watch - macOS
It has all the features one would expect, including a robust password generator, which can create and save truly random and impossible to guess credentials, as well as support for user authentication. two factors.
The plan I chose costs me $ 5 per month and allows me to easily share credentials for online services with my wife. 1Password is also available as an app for iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows and uses the same synchronized and encrypted database for all platforms.

8.Workona, the cleanest way to organize your tabs

My favorite solution for keeping browser tabs under control is a browser extension called Workona. It allows me to organize the tabs into groups called workspaces, sync these workspaces saved on my different devices, share them with other team members and connect cloud-based work apps. for instant access.
Workona is a platform that allows your teams to easily organize their project management. You can create as many projects as you want and share them with the relevant collaborators.
• Downloads: 7
• Release date: 03/23/2021
• Author: Workona
• License: Free license
• Categories: Productivity
• Operating system: Online service All Internet browsers
I use it on Microsoft Edge, but it's also available on Chrome and Firefox on all major desktop platforms, with versions for Safari (MacOS and iOS) coming soon.
Workona is currently free, because in preview. After its official release later this year, I will absolutely pay the $ 6 per month to upgrade to the Pro version.
The media content management software to use every day

9.Spotify, everything for music

In terms of music, we are living through the worst and the best of times. I have tried all free and paid music streaming services (for more, read our guide to the best music streaming services ).
Free music listening service
• Downloads: 47
• Release date: 03/19/2021
• Author: Spotify AB
• License: Free license
• Categories: Music
• Operating system: Android - Linux - Online service All Internet browsers - Windows XP / Vista / 7/8/10 - iOS iPhone / iPad / Apple Watch - macOS
In the end, I chose Spotify, which I consider the best. No streaming service is perfect. There are others (like Tidal and Qobuz) that offer higher quality downloads, and I cringe every time I try to remember how to download an album from my personal collection to Spotify's servers. To be fair, I even ended up bookmarking the official Spotify instructions.
In the end, Spotify has earned its place on the home of my devices thanks to its impressive automatic playlists and its huge catalog. I'm paying $ 10 per month ($ 9.99 per month) for a premium subscription that eliminates annoying ads and allows maximum control over reading options. Its only real competitor is Apple Music, which has a great mobile app, but still requires iTunes (ugh) to run properly on a Windows PC.

10.VLC Media Player, the player that reads everything

This free and open-source tool has been around forever. I wrote an article about it almost 10 years ago, when it was the best free alternative DVD player on the market.
Multiplatform, VLC media player is the benchmark free open source multimedia player, standalone, versatile and powerful, which allows you to watch videos, listen to music, follow a channel in streaming and much more. • Downloads: 45
• Release date: 20/01/2021
• Author: VideoLAN
• License: Free Software
• Categories: Audio - Multimedia - Video
• Operating system: Android - Linux - Windows 32 bits - XP / Vista / 7/8/10 - Windows 64 bits - XP / Vista / 7/8/10 - Windows Portable - XP / Vista / 7/8/10 - iOS iPhone / iPad - macOS
It plays pretty much any media format (including Blu-ray), doesn't require you to download questionable codec packs, and works on every platform imaginable. On Windows 10, be sure to install the full Windows bundle , not the limited-feature version offered in the Windows Store. 11.MediaMonkey, the Swiss army knife of digital media Despite the ease with which songs can be streamed from Spotify's servers, I still have a large collection of personal music in digital format. Some of the titles in this collection are ripped copies of old CDs that are not available on any streaming service. Others are live recordings, obtained directly from the artist or from legal online services and also not available on Spotify. A few are lossless recordings of my favorite albums that I occasionally want to listen to in all their uncompressed sonic glory.
MediaMonkey is a music manager and a jukebox for music lovers which also allows you to synchronize and back up your mobile devices (iPod, iPhone, Android, etc.).
• Downloads: 4
• Release date: 02/10/2021
• Author: Ventis Media
• License: Demonstration
• Categories: Audio
• Operating System: Windows
For all these songs, MediaMonkey for Windows is an indispensable tool. Its built-in player handles virtually all audio and video files, including lossless music tracks in FLAC and ALAC formats. It can rip CDs, stream music to external devices, automatically tag MP3 files and add album art, and even sync tracks with my iPhone and Android devices. The free version is perfectly useful, but I don't regret the $ 25 upgrade I paid years ago, which has kept me getting regular and free upgrades ever since.