Incredibly Useful Desktop Tools Thread

Given the sheer volume of information moving around, I was wondering what (if any) desktop tools you guys use to keep your lives organised? This includes search tools, chat amalgamators (GAIM, Trillian etc.), PIMs (Outlook, Lotus etc.) and anything else.

No going "OMG PRGOAM X iS SH1TZ!!!!" or anything to that effect.

My favourites:

• Google Desktop

Incredibly useful for finding documents in the depths of my filing system (Which even I don't understand any more).

• Trillian

Keeps all my contacts together, organises history conversations, and runs my RSS plugin.

• Picasa

If you're like me and have nearly 6000 full-quality photos then this is invaluable in simply seeing what you've got and scrubbing through them. Also works nicely with any digital art.

• Outlook 2003

Runs 24/7, filtering spam, dealing with meeting requests and generally keeps my life in order. Everythign is stored in the PIM files somewhere.

• Microsoft Backup

When your PC looks after this much info, you don't want to run the risk of losing it all. A trial recovery I ran showed that I could be back up and running in 3 hours from a completely dead machine.

So, what are the bits you can't do without?

That's pretty cool. I also like how you can turn back the time on your computer so you can get back things you deleted. It's awesome

Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore

I have Google Desktop and Picasa. They're both really good programs. I'd recommend it to anyone needing more organization in your desktop. The Google Toolbar is also really useful if you want to quickly search something, and it also has a pretty awesome pop-up blocker, for those that go through that when they play games that take up the screen and it lowers it whenever they do show up. It's pretty damn good

realRhapsody, although not much of a desktop tool, is really good when you want to upload as many songs as you want, and it doesn't take up space on your harddrive. They have a huge library, and most of the time, they have what you're looking for. Real.com

Edited by: Karuto

erm..

AveApps [link]
iTunes
Explorer

Edited by: deathmedic3rd

i enjoy hotmail. it's easy, has a massive storage limit (250MB)and it's free. it also has built in McAfee virus scanner for attachments, and scans all email, and it also has a spectacular spam blocker.

Does this last tool come with Windows ?

i run 24/7 :

AIM
Steam
Delta (ps1 emulator)
D-tools (cmon we all got it :-P)
SETI@home (i suggest you all get it)
Google Desktop Search
and Gmail Notifier(beta)
and..zone alarm or something.

This should only be extremely useful DESKTOP tools, people. Does it help out your desktop to have more items on it? I don't think so This is for organizational purposes that makes your desktop more attractive. Opening a Hotmail account does nothing, since I don't know anybody that keeps their mail on their desktop. Outlook is an exception, since it's a Windows program.

My best Desktop Organizer

And whts in tht folder O_O

I'm scared to ask what the bouncy avi's are

I'm also afraid to ask what this "New Folder" contains

Jackson, how do you get an RSS feed with trillian, I happen to have it

Bouncy.avi is a bouncing ball anim and new folder contains a flower sack anim so

Hmm Best tools i have at my disposal
there not what you think they might be for a normal person

[Evolution]
-runs like M$ Outlook, but more stable

[VIM]
-to be more to the point Gvim because i use vim even when i have booted into the dreaded winblows.

[Gaim]
-just like trillian, works even better since its on a better OS

[tar]
-who needs ms backup i can do it with a simple command. since the file system is more stable

--------
although my comments are bias towards linux, there is a good reason they are. since there isn't anything that i own that i can't run in linux

A lengthy list, so i'm not repeating.

I try to make my folder have ONE desktop item

named

"Me shite"

and recycle bin (so two desktop items)

me shite contains all i need

hmm and what i usually have open is : IRC,Opera(web browser), DreamweaverMX for php >:D, PHP Manual, MSN, AIM, YIM, google desktop, tiny keycount, Pulse(key count only), Steam, Bulletproof ftp server, and that about it i guess

may i point to a useful "desktop tool" mentioned earlier

i beleive it was San-J who mentioned it, i downloaded it and was pleased with how easy i could navigate

"Ashton Shell", its a shell, which is kind of a tool :-P

30 day trial though :-/

Karuto wrote: That's pretty cool. I also like how you can turn back the time on your computer so you can get back things you deleted. It's awesome

Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore

I have Google Desktop and Picasa. They're both really good programs. I'd recommend it to anyone needing more organization in your desktop. The Google Toolbar is also really useful if you want to quickly search something, and it also has a pretty awesome pop-up blocker, for those that go through that when they play games that take up the screen and it lowers it whenever they do show up. It's pretty damn good

realRhapsody, although not much of a desktop tool, is really good when you want to upload as many songs as you want, and it doesn't take up space on your harddrive. They have a huge library, and most of the time, they have what you're looking for. Real.com

Except when you have crappy computers like me lol and have to turn it off just to save some extra emory

I wish Mozilla had a IM Client

its got an IRC, isnt that good enough?

yes. . . no. . . IRC is not quite my point, i mean like a thing like Trillan, only mozilla

Heh. I run a couple of neat things.

I replaced my UXtheme.DLL so I can have some sexy themes, but not only that I run these programs nearly 24/7

In fact one of them I highly suggest... The Makelovenotspam Screensaver.( Makelovenotspam.com ) It sends requests to companies that spam your e-mail inbox. therefore, it increases server costs and make sure they run at 100% capacity. with this eventually the expense of running the servers will overcome the profit made from them, and they'll pull the plug. Less spam = happier people

So here's what I run...

Samuraze Notes
Trillian Pro 2.013 (With all my RSS feeds and Weather, etc.)
Wallpaper Calendar 3 (Great since I never look at the calendars around the house)
Gmail notifier
makelovenotspam Screensaver
WinRAR
Eudora
Daemon Tools
Norton Systemworks, AV, and Software firewall
Cygate firewall
and for browsing the net, the lovely and wonderful Mozilla Firefox

I Tried Eudora once, I found it hard to use, now i'm on Thunderbird

i suggest SETI@home over makelovenotspam

i mean, sure spam isn't good.

but SETI@home uses your computer while you are not, and tries to find patterns in data obtained by SETI!

THE SEARCH FOR EXTRA-TERESTRIAL INTELIGENCE

so.. find aliens? or get rid of spam

FIND ALIENS, cant you use both, then you make the world more peaceful in 2 ways

Which one effects us RIGHT now? Spam or Aliens?

SPAM and keep it out of this thread jeez...