In the computer, all users and professionals end up surrounding yourself with several utility programs, which are those that add value in the day-to-day, arriving some of them to become essential to operating with a computer.
Over time, software programs become essential for each user or computer professional. In this article, I want to define my list of useful applications. This list includes valuable software for computer users, or also for computer professionals; it’s a mixture of professional and amateur worlds. The list is framed within the IBM PC compatible world, which is the area that occupies my profession. This list does not include mobile apps or tablets, as it is a fully focused item on desktop or laptop computing. And I understand that it is not necessary to comment that the list is made up of my personal experiences, which do not have to coincide with those of other users or professionals.
- Notepad++
A full-text editor is essential for any user or professional, as the notepad included in Windows is very short. Notepad++ is a free and very complete free software (open source) editor that provides widely used functionalities. In my case, I use very much the XML file formatting part (Pretty print XML), and the MIME conversions part as the encoding/decoding of text strings in Base64.
- AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition)
Branded desktop computers and laptops usually include a comfortably hidden partition that provides everything you need to reinstall the entire Zero computer, with operating system and drivers, by a single click. But, what happens when a network is clonic, or have we changed the operating system to a more advanced one? For it is necessary to create on our own an image of the installation in its original version and save it somewhere. There is an incredible free application called AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition which, starting from the initial setup, creates a hidden partition with a clone of everything stored at that time on the hard disk, and sets either a selection menu or a function key to call recovery on boot. Such as allows to make a laptop or desktop computer newly purchased in the store.
- The graphic editor GIMP 2
When we want to emulate the famous Photoshop-an incredible graphic tool-with a free free free software application, we can use the GIMP 2 created by the community. It is not Photoshop, but in my case, I consider it fundamental because it solves all the visual aspects that I require.
- The graphics editor Krita
An alternative to GIMP 2, also free and free software, is Krita software, although, in recent years, it has evolved into a specialized application in digital painting.
- Jeta Logo Creator
In the same sense of graphic design, there is a beneficial application for all those who develop many web design projects, the Jeta Logo Creator application. With this application, you can create high-quality logos without complicating your life. It is a free download application that has a payment option that incorporates many more templates. In my case, I started using the free version and ended up buying the payment one -it’s cheap -, and it’s one of the applications I use most today.
- Instant Eyedropper
The free Instant Eyedropper application allows you to obtain the hexadecimal code of any color we have on the screen at any given time. Subsequently, if it is necessary to use the RGB encoding, the Hex to RGB Web page can be used to obtain the RBG code from the hexadecimal. In the web development world, it is reasonable to use a hexadecimal code directly. The Instant application Eyedropper is one of the most used in my day-to-day.
- SOAP UI
In the development of current software, the communication and exchange of information between the different applications via the Internet or local network are fundamental, and the creation of web Services is the order of the day. Among the various protocols of communication via web service, the SOAP stands out, and to carry out the different tests, there is an excellent free application: SOAP UI.
- Access via FTP with WinSCP
Both users and IT professionals need to access an FTP server to upload or download files occasionally. To make connections, there is an excellent free client application called WinSCP.
- DutyManager
Something has to be swept home for the day-to-day in my career as a software developer, the application I use every day is DutyManager 4.0, a software I developed on my own alone intending to meet my own need, and which I released on the Internet for public use as a freeware application. The purpose of the app is to store complete and detailed management of the tasks performed by a computer professional, in addition to managing the work schedule, resources, issuing reports.
- Avast Antivirus
Having a computer connected to the Internet and not having an antivirus is reckless. For a long time, I have been using the reduced (free) version of Avast antivirus, which fully meets my needs for protection against computer viruses and other malware. I’ve been with Avast for many years, and at the moment, I’m not considering looking for an alternative.