Interesting article at Quartz by writer who has decided it’s folly to try to get by with only a couple of productivity apps. He gives his top 11 apps and concludes:
I’ve realized that the more I give each app a clear role, and I stick to that role, my work flows stay smooth and unambiguous. With discipline, the sheer number of apps stops becoming a factor. Information appears manageable, and I use my limited mental capacity to tick off tasks one after the other.
Some pointers when choosing apps:
- Store one thing in one place. Besides backups of course.Multi-platform is nice to have.
- Apps that remind you of stuff can be more useful than apps that store things nicely.
- The more frequently you use an app, the lighter, more user-friendly, and clutter-free it should be.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with new apps.
- Apps that can be activated via email are nice.
- It must be easy to tell apart things with deadlines and things without.
- What is the most important activity in your work flow? Invest the most in apps that help in that activity.
- Remember only what you have to. Dump the rest in an app. Of course.