Settling in on the new Mac

I think I have my list of front-line apps settled — at least for the most part — in my quest to get more things done. As anyone knows who decides to fiddle with these things, much time (and some money) can be spent in researching apps, downloading and trying apps, comparing apps, and so on. That in itself is a threat to genuine productivity. But as I’ve said, I think it is a risk worth taking. In fact, any move, transition, or transformation in life will demand time (and probably money) devoted to the change itself instead of to that at which the change is aimed. 

So what are some of the apps?

• Quick notes (mac): nvAlt & Simplenote

• Quick notes (iPad): Drafts an Simplenote

• Longer writing (non-web; mac): Scrivener & Word

• Longer writing (non-web; iPad): Scrivener/Simplenote integration

• Blogging (mac): MarsEdit

• Blogging (iPad): Posts or BlogPadPro (still not decided)

• To Do: Todoist

• Lists: Wunderlist

• Calendar: Fantastical

• Screen capture: Snagit

• Screen casts: Camtasia

• Research organization: Devonthink Pro Office & Evernote

• Referencing/Footnoting: Bookends

• eBook library: Calibre

• Presentations: Powerpoint

• Spreadsheet: Excel

• Twitter: TweetDeck & Buffer

• PDF reading/annotating (mac): Skim

• PDF reading/annotating (iPad): (undecided between Good Reader, iAnnotate, and PDF Expert)

• RSS reader (mac): Leaf

• RSS reader (iPad): (undecided)

• Passwords: 1Password

• Automation: Text Expander, Hazel, Keyboard Maestro

• Markdown editor (mac): (undecided…Mou, Lightpaper, Multimarkdown Composer, Byword…?)

• Markdown editor (iPad): (undecided, but I like Editorial)

• Cloud: Dropbox (just drastically lowered their price; I do use other services — Box, Google Drive, One Drive, etc. — for specific purposes)

• Notebook: Circus Ponies Notebook 4

 

NOTE: apps that don’t specifically identify mac vs. iPad are cross-platform and synced.

I’ll try to add some notes on these apps as I go along.

What are you using and why?

Getting in Gear

School has started up again, and I’m in full swing already. But I’m still coming into the modern age of mac applications, workflows, and productivity. It’s a little frustrating, I admit, having to try to zoom up the learning curve of a good number of apps that are new to me, but my hope is that the effort will be well-worth it (as a number of solid mac-academic blogs and “get things done” sites claim).

There is this danger, of course, that I’ll spend more time on getting ready to work instead of actually working, but it’s a risk I think I have to take at the moment to get out from under years of disorganization and counter-productive habits.

The point is to use these apps effectively.