Wok's must-have Apps
I was asked today about any particular non-standard apps that I usually install on my machines, so I decided to put it into a blog post.
Non-standard apps that have makes things easier: AKA Wok's must-have app list
Ninite: Multi-app installer/updater. Not an app, but a place to get them. Go to the website, select which apps you want to update/install, grab and run the installer then let it do the rest of the work. Most of the apps in this list are available through Ninite. https://ninite.com
f.lux: Simple app that changes the colour temperature of the monitors, depending on what time of day it is (and to some extent, your geographic location). This makes things a lot easier on the eyes, as it makes the monitor gradually get warmer in colour as the sun goes down. https://justgetflux.com/
Evertything: Basic but powerful file search app. Set it up, let it index everything (ie, leave it going overnight if need be) and now you have instant searches for files on your PC. https://www.voidtools.com/
VirtuaWin: This one replicates the multiple desktop system from some of Linux desktop managers. This one is useful for splitting say work and entertainment, and you can set it up to switch between them with keyboard combos. http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/
ShareX: This one was originally installed for screenshotting, but it can do so much more. I've got it set up so that when it takes a screenshot, it uploads it to my OwnCloud, creates a share link in OwnCloud, shortens the url, then puts the shortened url into the clipboard. It takes a little bit of time for configuration but it's well worth it. https://getsharex.com/
Notepad++: A heaps better version of the default notepad. Includes syntax highlighting, macros, regex searching, plus a bundle more things through the many plugins available. https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
7zip: A compression/decompression utility. Think WinZip but a boatload better. Has it's own compression format (7z) which has an insane compression ratio. Also natively supports Linux compression formats (tar, gz, bz2). http://www.7-zip.org/
WinDirStat: Nifty tool to see where all your disk space is going. You're able to select either a full drive or a folder to scan. Really handy for me with my SSD as a system drive to do cleanups. https://windirstat.net/
CCCP (Combined Community Codec Pack): Install this one to save you time looking for codecs for videos downloaded off the internet, as it supports (nearly) ALL the formats. Also has a version of Media Player Classic. http://www.cccp-project.net/
qBittorrent: The best (IMHO) torrent client there is. Takes a bit of tweaking depending on your connection speed, but is rock solid and all business (ie, no ads etc). https://www.qbittorrent.org/
GOOGLE CHROME EXTENSIONS: You can find these in the Chrome App Store (Menu->Settings->Extensions->Get More Extensions):
uBlock Origin: This seems to be the only adblock that I've had any sort of continuous success with. Also works for YouTube ads.
uBlock Origin Extra: A companion extension to uBlock Origin: to gain ability to foil early hostile anti-user mechanisms working around content blockers.
h264ify: Makes YouTube play x264 videos instead of VP8/VP9 videos. In other words, if your PC has issues with stuttering YT vids because of processing power, install this and see how you go.
Session Buddy: Ever wanted to save your tabs for later? This extension has you covered.
Full Page Screen Capture: Makes a screenshot of the full webpage you activate it on.
Quick Javascript Switcher: Enable/disable Javascript for the page that you're on. Right-click disabled? Crappy popups? Flick the switch and all will (read: should) be fixed.