Live data from Hacker News

Must-Have Windows Programs (or Windows Programs that I use)

catonmat.net

41–50 of 73 posts

Re: Must-Have Windows Programs (or Windows Programs that I use)

#43
Is there a "Must-Have" file backup utility for Windows?

I've really grown to like TimeMachine on the Mac, although I don't really need the eye candy; I just want something that dependably backs up my data to my NAS, stays in the background and does it's work without killing my pc's performance.

Re: Must-Have Windows Programs (or Windows Programs that I use)

#44
A Windows desktop box is kept around mainly for gaming. (all on the road, kitchen, and sofa activity has moved to a MacBook Pro that has Ubuntu in a VM, but no flavor of Windows for now - don't want to pirate it, and won't pay for it). I would litterbox Windows in a VM on the desktop box, but for gaming the video driver situation is better booting directly into it. VirtualBox is used for speedy access to Ubuntu (where all email access and routine net browsing is done for safety). VLC is the default media viewer. Handbrake and FFMPEG seem to run better within Ubuntu, but the Windows versions are installed too. Firefox with NoScript and Adblock Plus is there mostly for updates to Virtual Box and as a backup in case of problems with it.

MS Windows Security Essentials seems to work decently, so AVG has finally been retired. It's surprising it took MS so long to provide these tools considering that Windows is pretty much unusable online without something. Better late than never, even if the only net access is for games, updates, and the VM.

Re: Must-Have Windows Programs (or Windows Programs that I use)

#46

Snagit v9 (photo editing, screen capturing) Tableau (hands down the best analytics tool for web traffic) Balsamiq Mockups (great wireframe software, just like paper/pencil!)

For screen capture stuff I tend to use http://jingproject.com

Re: Must-Have Windows Programs (or Windows Programs that I use)

#47
post #11

Why is VMWare and Beyond Compare listed as shareware? VMWare Player is free, but not Workstation. And I doubt Server is either (haven't looked). Beyond Compare is great, but it costs $30.

$30 for as many machines as you own, work or personal, for your own individual use.

Probably the best $30 I ever spent on software, given how many many times I use it per day.

Re: Must-Have Windows Programs (or Windows Programs that I use)

#48
post #37

must-haves for whom? I can't think of any identifiable group of users for whom this list can be the list of must-haves..

yeah a lot of the entries are garbage. windows media player classic is, according to him, the best video program on windows. what.

Media Player Classic and especially its Home Cinema variant is excellent video player. It isn't really related to Windows Media Player in any way.

Re: Must-Have Windows Programs (or Windows Programs that I use)

#50

Is there a "Must-Have" file backup utility for Windows? I've really grown to like TimeMachine on the Mac, although I don't really need the eye candy; I just want something that dependably backs up my data to my NAS, stays in the background and does it's work without killing my pc's performance.

I've found Acronis TrueImage (Home edition) to be as unobtrusive as it gets on Windows. It starts and stops when told, and so far plays nice with other disk IO. That's not a formal review -- I just haven't noticed it running the way I've noticed backup utils I've used before.
Post reply on HN