workstation 0.1 beta
At my office I just got a beefy new HP workstation - a quad-core Xeon 3ghz beast that's built like a server. That meant I would need to setup a new OS and install + configure all the apps I use on a daily basis. *sigh* Time to roll up the sleeves and get to clicking! Here's what I consider my software essentials - I've got the same software installed at home and consider these to be essential to doing my job, playing online, or communicating with others. If you haven't heard of some of these apps, IMO they're worth checking out.
The workstation came preloaded with XP and had the Vista (32-bit) Restore Disk, but I opted to go with a fresh install of Vista 64-bit from my MSDN library. The first thing installed with Firefox, and I went from there...
Firefox + Addons
- LastPass - syncs passwords across multiple PCs
- FoxMarks - syncs bookmarks across multiple PCs
- FireBug - the ultimate web developers tool
- Web Developer - another invaluable Firefox development tool
- Delicious - where I share my links of interest online
- PicLens - full-screen 3D "wall" photo browsing that'll blow you away
Licensed Software
- Office 2007
- Sharepoint Designer 2007
- Visual Studio 2008
- Visual SourceSafe 2005
- SQL 2005 Developer Edition (also turn on IIS)
Free/Open Source Apps
- iTunes - I keep a backup of my home iTunes folder on a USB drive at work, so I've essentially got my music mirrored in two locations
- Live Mesh - syncs files between work and home
- Vista Codec Package - helps my PC play every video file type out there
- FileZilla - FTP client (had to export/import configuration between PCs)
- Digsby - single IM client that handles all my accounts (gTalk, Yahoo, MSN, AIM)
- Display Fusion - helps manage a dual-monitor setup
- FWink - uploads webcam photos to my site via FTP on a timer (only my wife knows the link)
- Foxit Reader - lightweight PDF reader
- 7-Zip - all-in-one compression app
- Notepad++ - mostly use it to View Source in IE with color code and expand/collapse, but it's got a lot more to it
- Crap Cleaner - does what it says - it's a system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool
Am I missing anything that you've found essential to your PC setup? I'm always looking for tools that make my life easier.