The apps I’d reinstall first on a new laptop. Most are Mac-first; each one says where it runs.
Mac · Windows
A launcher that replaces Spotlight. Press a shortcut, type, and open apps, search files, do math, convert units, or run a command without touching the mouse.
How I use it: launcher, clipboard history, and the front door to a dozen small scripts.
Mac
Screenshots and screen recordings, with annotation, blur, scrolling capture, and a shareable link in one step.
How I use it: I send screenshots to AI constantly. When something looks wrong, or I want Claude to see what I see, I grab it with CleanShot and paste it straight into the chat. Faster and clearer than describing it.
Mac · Windows · Linux · iPhone · Android
A notes app that stores everything as plain text files on your own computer, linked together like a personal wiki.
How I use it: the vault for everything AI. My agents’ instructions, memory, and output all live here as plain files they can read and write. Craft is for me; Obsidian is for the machines.
Mac · Windows · iPhone · iPad · Android
A writing and notes app with daily notes, tasks, and good-looking documents you can share as a web page.
How I use it: it’s mine. Daily notes, journaling, and my to-do list. The AI work stays in Obsidian.
Mac · Linux
A fast, modern terminal app. It’s where Claude Code and Codex run, so it’s the other half of the advanced guide.
How I use it: the terminal. Native, fast, and stays out of the way.
Mac · Windows coming soon
A web browser from The Browser Company (the makers of Arc) with an AI assistant built in that can read and work across your open tabs.
Mac · Windows · iPhone · Android · web
The desktop app for Claude. Its Code tab runs Claude Code without a terminal, which makes it the easy way into the advanced guide.
Mac · Windows · iPhone · Android
Takes notes during meetings from your computer’s audio, no bot joining the call, then writes up the summary.
How I use it: meeting notes that write themselves.
Mac · Windows · Linux · iPhone · Android
A password manager: one strong password unlocks the rest, and it fills them in for you.
How I use it: passwords, and the secrets my agents read while they work.
Web · iPhone · Android
A read-later app for articles, newsletters, and PDFs, with highlighting that syncs everywhere.
How I use it: read-later and highlights. A weekly digest of them lands on my Kindle.