My Current Rig

After months of exploring various permutations and combinations of multiple applications, I have hit upon a group of apps that I believe actually does boost my productivity…for the most part. Here’s a list of the winners I have set to start at Login on my Macbook (both those that help and those that are supposed to help but actually steal my productivity):

• Firefox 3 (helper)
  • I love Firefox for its ease of use and customizability
  • Two great add-ons are Ad Block Plus and Tab Mix Plus (you’ll have to use the dev-build on FF3, but I’ve had no issues at all)
• Apple Mail (helper/stealer)
  • If I didn’t have MailTags this app wouldn’t be nearly so helpful, but with this add on installed, I can use Mail to manage projects very nicely
  • I’ve subscribed to too many digests right now and they’re overflowing my inboxes
• iCal (helper/stealer)
  • I interface with Google Calendar using Spanning Sync, which is bulletproof, so I have access to my calendar no matter where I am
  • I love the ability to create multiple, contextual calendars and subscribe to my Project Management webcals
  • I’m bummed that it struggles with invitations; having to retype them through the Mail Tags function wastes time
• NetNewsWire (STEALER)
  • I downloaded this to be a helper, then subscribed to a bazillion news feeds and personal blogs; now I just READ ALL DAY
  • If I could manage to manage my curiosity, this app would be great, since I get  RSS updates from my Project Management site
• On The Job (helper, could be improved, but that is apparently on the way!)
  • The current version is a nice little time tracker, but it does have it’s shortcomings so I’m excited to see the improvements
• Things (HELPER)
  • The BEST task manager I’ve used, bar none
  • The wireless sync between the iPhone app and the desktop app is MAGIC
• Quicksilver (HELPER)
  • I am one with my movements and therefore unconscious of them
  • I use this helper for about 50% of my desktop movements

These apps make my laptop infinitely more usable, which makes me moderately more productive. I think I might have to ditch NNW, though, if I ever want to get any real work done…

What combination of apps helps you be your most productive? Which one(s) suck the day away?