At the end of last year all the cool kids – inspired by episode 97 of the Hemispheric Views podcast – posted a list of the default computer apps they were using. Robb Knight is maintaining a list of people who have joined in.

I really liked seeing people’s lists flow past my RSS at the time they were first going around the blogosphere. They are a window into peoples computer experience and an interesting snapshot on ones digital life.

My default apps for Summer 2024 are below. It’ll be interesting to re-visit this in a few years and see how things have changed.

Default Apps 2024

• 📨 Mail Service: Google Workspace
• 📮 Mail Client: Gmail WebClient
• 📝 Notes: DayOne, Notion
• ✅ To-Do: Todoist
• 📆 Calendar: Google Calendar
• 🙍🏻‍♂️ Contacts: Google Calendar
• 📖 RSS Reader: Feedly
• 🌎 Blogging: WordPress
• ⌨️ Launcher: Alfred 5
• ☁️ Cloud storage: Google Drive
• 🌅 Photo Library: Google Photos + External HD Backup
• 🌐 Web Browser: Brave (Desktop & Phone)
• 💬 Chat: Beeper (Telegram, Signal, SMS, Discord, LinkedIn DMs, Instagram DM’s, Twitter DMs, Slack DM’s), KeyBase
• 🔖 Bookmarks: Pinboard.in
• 📚 Reading: Kindle Paperwhite 11
• 📜 Word Processing: Google Docs, Hemmingway Editor, Written (Beta Testing)
• 📈 Spreadsheets: Google Sheets
• 📊 Presentations: Google Slides
• 🛒 Shopping Lists: Todoist
• 🍴 Meal Planning: Whiteboard on Fridge
• 💰 Personal Finance: Google Sheets
• 📰 News: Feedly
• 🎵 Music: Spotify, VLC
• 🎤 Podcasts: PocketCasts
• 🤦‍♂️ Social Media: Slack, Discord, Tumblr, Instagram, Warpcast, Twitter, Mastodon
• 🌤️ Weather: Met Office app
• 🔎 Search: Brave
• 🧮 Code Editor: Xcode + Sunset Code

Bonus Software

• 📓 Journal Diary: DayOne
• 🎙️ Podcasting Tools: Descript + SquadCast
• 🎶 Music Production Tools: Renoise
• 🎨 Design + Publishing Tools: Affinity Suite: Photo, Publisher, Designer
• 🕹️ 3D Tools: Blender, Godot, Unreal Engine (In order that I’m comfortable using)
• 🎥 Video Tools: DaVinci resolve
• 🔊 Audio Tools: SoundSource, Audacity, AudioHijack, GarageBand
• 🖥️ Screen Tools: Flux, Monitor Control, Hidden Bar (Menu Bar), Bluesnooze
• 🚷 Productivity Tools: Freedom.to
• 🤖 AI Tools: ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion Local (Automatic 1111)

Hardware

• 👨‍💻 Laptop: Macbook Pro 14″ M2 Max
• 📱 Phone: Pixel 6
• 🖱️ Seenda Ergonomic Mouse
• 🎙️ Microphone: Rode NT USB Gen 1
• 📷 Digital Camera: Pixel 6, Sony ZV-1
• 🎞️ Film Camera: Olympus Pen EE
• 🕹️ Gaming: Nintendo Switch, Acer Nitro 5 Laptop

• ⌚ CASIO A168WA-1WDF

Rock ‘n Roll Equipment

• 🔊 Bass Amp: Trace Elliot AH150 SMC (Bass Head),
• 🔊 Guitar Amp: N/A – But use Orange Crush Pro 120 @ rehearsal space
• 🎸 Bass Guitars: Tanglewood Rebel 4k, Honor B2A V
• 🎸 Electric Guitars: Gibson SG 120th Anniversary Ed, Washburn Maverick BT-4
• 🎛️ Pedals: BOSS – TU-3 Chromatic Tuner Pedal
• 🔌 Cables: Ernie Ball Cables

Look at the list written out all in one place, its pretty clear that i’m locked into the Google eco-system. As a hardcore Android user this is something thats crept up on me over the years, and something I should consider. I added some stuff to the usual list like bonus software, and the equipment I’m using in my band, because i’m interesting in how they are going to change over time.