A recent trend going around the fediverse and blogosphere is showing off what your default software tools are so now it is my turn. In the past, I would try the latest shiny software to see if I could incorporate it into my daily digital workflow. But that got exhausting because there was always a shiny new toy later. Over time, however, I’ve settled on what works and to limit my subscription dollars going out. Therefore, I find that for the most part, Apple’s default software applications are good enough.
What works for you doesn’t always work for me, so don’t come at me with “what about ?” I won’t hear it.
📨 Mail Client: Apple’s Mail on both Mac and iOS.
📮 Mail Server: iCloud.
📝 Notes: I use an home-grown database for everything which I call “FoxOS.” Formerly known as “Grey Matter” and “Pensieve.” Apple’s Notes for collaborating with the missus.
✅ To-Do: Apple’s Reminderd
📷 iPhone Photo Shooting: Apple’s Camera app, usually with ProRAW enabled.
🟦 Photo Management: Apple’s Photos app, and editing in Lightroom
📆 Calendar: Apple Calendar
📁 Cloud File Storage: iCloud Drive
📖 RSS: Feedbin
🙍🏻♂️ Contacts: Apple Contacts
🌐 Browser: Safari on iOS and Mac.
💬 Chat: iMessage
💁🏻♂️Social: N/A
🔖 Bookmarks: Safari
📑 Read It Later: Feedbin and Matter.
📜 Word Processing: The aforementioned FoxOS
📈 Spreadsheets: Numbers.
📊 Presentations: N/A
🛒 Shopping Lists: Apple Reminders
📰 News: RSS and Apple News
🎵 Music: Apple Music
🎤 Podcasts: Apple Podcasts
🔐 Password Management: Apple KeyChain
The Point Of All This
Apple’s apps are pretty darn good for everything I want to accomplish. I’m also a bit of a purist, so I tend to default to defaults, even if they aren’t quite as robust as other options. There was a time in my life when I was a bit more adventurous, but I largely cannot be arsed.
