Because on a Mac, Spotlight search is good enough that you’ll rarely have to ever manually hunt for a file or program. It’s still not perfect, and most pro Mac users end up using other search and launcher tools like Alfred. I’ve finally started trying out Alfred this week, and love it so far, but it was Spotlight itself that originally made me realize how useful search could be.

Long-time PC users might think the Dock looks pretty on a Mac, but will quickly be surprised to find there’s no start menu. Spotlight is one of the biggest reasons a start menu isn’t needed. The start menu is hardly an efficient way to find programs, and only in Windows 7 did I start finding it any bit handy since it added decent desktop search. Scrolling through lists of folders and apps with tiny icons isn’t anyone’s definition of fun.

On a Mac, there’s no reason at all to do that. Instead, tap CMD+space or click the ever-present search button, and start typing the app’s name you’re looking for. Hit Enter when it comes up, and your program will launch. Same for files, or contacts, or emails, or most anything else you can think of. It works so good, it’s almost amazing Apple doesn’t focus more marketing on it.

If you’re looking for a file, you really don’t even need to remember where you saved it. Just search, and chances are Spotlight will find it. It even does great searching your emails if you use the built-in Mail app by default. And if you want to, say, add an image to your Photoshop creation, you can search for the image file, the drag-and-drop it from the search results right into Photoshop. That’s an incredibly useful feature, one I use daily.

Then, there’s dictionary integration. The Dictionary app and its integration into OS X, along with system-wide spell check, is already one of my favorite OS X features, but being able to see a definition right in search is very handy. And, you can also preview any other file in Spotlight just by hovering over it.

Finally, the one feature I use the very most: calculator integration. Need to do a quick calculation? Just tap CMD+space, type in your problem, and it’ll be solved instantly. Tap Cmd+c, and the result will be copied to your clipboard. That’s one handy feature.

And while it’s not exactly the same, Macs have another very useful search tool: search inside every app’s Help menu. No matter what app you’re using, you can open the Help menu in your menu bar, and start typing in the feature you’re looking for. Click your down arrow or hover your mouse over the result, and your Mac will show you where that feature’s hiding. When you’re looking for an obscure function in a complex app like Word or Photoshop, that can save you a ton of time, even if you’re already a pro at most of the app’s features (yes, I know, print isn’t a hidden feature: I was just trying to show what I was meaning). Yet another way Macs make your life easier.

Now, Spotlight isn’t perfect. After using Alfred, it even feels a bit slow. But you know what? For a built-in feature that comes free with every Mac, it’s very impressive. I may move on and use other search and launcher tools, but Spotlight will always have a special place. Plus, it’s Spotlight’s search engine that most other Mac search apps leverage, along with Quick Look previews and the other built-in features that make Macs so nice.

So there you have it. Spotlight: the search engine worth buying a new computer to use.

So, here’s the apps I use to keep me productive on my iPad. Each of them are great, in my opinion, and many of them are nicer than their respective counterparts on any other computing platform. Seriously.

• iA Writer ($0.99) – My favorite native writing app on the iPad and Mac. iCloud and Dropbox integration, a beautiful monospaced font, and extra buttons to make navigation easier seal the deal.
• Pages, Keynote, and Numbers ($9.99 each) – If you need Office on your iPad, then the iWork apps are actually what you need. Don’t even try out other office apps; none others are worth it, and I’ve tried them all. Pages is the app I’ve used the most of the 3, and have written dozens of essays for college that were “required” to be written in Word. Worked perfectly. I use Keynote regularly for giving presentations along with my teaching, and it puts PowerPoint to shame. Numbers … well, you just never know when having a spreadsheet around is handy. Budgets, comparison pricing, stats, you name it, it works great. Simplest spreadsheet you’ve ever touched. Wait: perhaps the only spreadsheet you’ve actually touched.
• 1Password Pro ($14.99) – Keeping all of your passwords and account info everywhere makes working on the go much easier. Best used, of course, in conjunction with iPassword for Mac or Windows on your computer, but if your iPad’s your only computer, it’s still great for storing secure data on your iPad and syncing it with Dropbox. And yes, I said that: for many people, an iPad really could be your only computer.
• iCab Mobile ($1.99) – The best alternate iPad browser, iCab Mobile lets you change your useragent to get desktop sites and web apps, and even lets you upload files and sync downloads with Dropbox. I still use Safari for most browsing, but iCab is where online work gets done, and is easily worth its price just by letting you upload files. That let me use my iPad 100% for college: write essays in Pages, export in Word format or PDF, and then upload to my college’s site via iCab Mobile. Perfect.
• WordPress (Free) – The WordPress app isn’t perfect, but it does make managing WordPress sites on the go much easier. You can only edit posts in HTML mode, but that’s how I prefer to edit posts anyhow. I’ll write in iA Writer, and copy/paste the post into the WordPress app. For more full-featured blogging, check out Blogsy ($4.99).
• OneEdit ($2.99) – If you need to bulk-edit images, such as rotate and resize images for blog posts, this app is indispensable. Before iOS 5 started taking screenshots in the correct orientation always, I used it all the time for bulk-rotating screenshots, and still use it to get them in the size I want for articles.
• Simplenote (Free) – I keep all of my plain text notes in Simplenote, using their web and mobile apps, as well as nvALT on my Mac. Simple, and works perfect.
• Dropbox (free) – Does this even need mentioned? Dropbox is Finder on my iPad, and the only way I could possibly keep up with all of my files on all of my devices so easily. It’s the cloud storage service you should be using. Seriously.
• PDF Expert ($9.99) – It’s my favorite app for reading PDFs, but the PDF editing features are what make it really worth its price. Once you’ve filled out a form, signed it on your iPad, and emailed it to your boss/accountant/whoever, you’ll realize that your iPad just made printing/signing/scanning/shredding an obsolete process. Plus, you can use PDF Expert to access FTP servers, Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, and more, so its a great way to access any files, not just PDFs, on your other storage services. That’s just a little extra bonus.
• OmniOutliner ($19.99) – The Omni Group makes some of the best iOS apps, period. They’re most famous for Omnifocus (which their iPad app is easily their best version … but I personally can’t get away from making plain txt todos in iA Writer, and then managing group projects in Basecamp and Flow for my respective work teams.), but it actually all originally started with OmniOutliner. Suffice it to say, if you need to make outlines or check-off lists, there’s no better way to do it. Actually, since it can add in columns, it might be the best basic spreadsheet-type app for most normal people. OmniOutliner is beautiful and a joy to use. I use it to keep attendance charts for my classes, make outlines for lessons, and keep simple budgets of, among other things, the iOS apps I buy. It’s great.
• Screens ($19.99) – Ever need the power of your Mac or PC, but only want to use your iPad? Screens is an absolutely great VNC app, and using my Mac over VNC from screens feels almost as fast as using it directly. It even supports Lion’s multitouch gestures for switching apps and more. Plus, it’s rather fun to prank people with: let them use your Mac, then go in the other room and use it at the same time from Screens. Oh yeah.
• Kindle (Free) – I often joke that my iOS devices are the best Kindles, since they’re useful for so many other things. I’ve never owned a Kindle device, but only ever purchase eBooks from the Kindle store (unless they’re DRM free, like the A Book Apart books). Here’s why: you can read your books anywhere, so the DRM doesn’t even feel restrictive. And it is productive too: I have more books on writing, business, and InDesign (which I’m trying to learn) than I do just-for-fun books. For DRM free ePub and PDF eBooks, I use iBooks as well. My A Book Apart library looks rather nice in it.
• Instapaper ($4.99) – So, perhaps Instapaper isn’t the most productive app in the world, because you can’t use it to create anything new. But, it’s easily one of the top 10 reasons you should own an iOS device. The Instapaper service does keep me more productive, since I save links I come across online to Instapaper to read later, so I can get on with what I’m working on. And then, the app itself is so great for reading, and I do use it for articles I want to reference in my own writing, so that makes it a bit productive. Plus, since when is reading high quality writing a bad idea?
• Bible+ (Free) – As a Christian, and a missionary in Thailand, studying the Bible is one of those things I do on a daily basis. OliveTree’s Bible+ is the best app for searching through the Bible and other study resources, and with their new companion Mac and PC apps, it might be the best Christian resource on any OS. For just reading the Bible, though, and not in-depth searching and studying, I still like YouVersion’s Bible app better. Plus, it has almost every language you could think of, including Thai, which is crucially important for me!

Then, there’s a few more apps that make up more of my iPad’s time: the built-in Mail and Calendar apps, which are definitely productivity tools, Tweetbot and Facebook for social networking, which is definitely not productive, and Reeder for RSS feeds, which like all news apps straddles the dangerous line of non-productivity that feels productive. Oh, and Calcbot, because you never know when you’ll need a calculator.

That’s the apps I use regularly on my iPad, and really, most of my iPad time is productive (other than reading, which can go both ways). If I had an iPad 2 or the new iPad, I’d use videochat in Skype as well, but without that, Skype isn’t nearly as useful for me on the iPad. As a writer, perhaps the iPad can be a full computer much easier than it could for other people, but the App Store has so many apps that are great for so many industries, its hard to believe that writers are the only ones who could find the iPad to be a great productivity tool.

Did I miss any great iPad productivity tools? If so, I’d love to hear your favorites, as I always love trying out new apps as well!

Over the past year, my daily workflow has increasingly included a number of apps that do one thing well. Writing apps that have no toolbars or buttons. Email tools that just do email. Browsers with almost no extensions. File sync and backup without having to think about it. Anything to reduce complexity in computing.

But can you take simplicity too far? Can you strip out too many features? That depends on what features you’re removing. The best apps are designed by people who strip a tool down to its most essential elements and only focus on those.

Wren for Mac is that: a Twitter app designed for sending tweets, and just that. You might need to tweet for your job, perhaps posting to multiple Twitter accounts throughout the day. Or you might just want to share a link to the blog post you just wrote, or that witty thought you’ll forget in 5 minutes. Whatever. The last thing you want to do is get distracted from your work. You need to post to Twitter, and get back to what you’re doing.

If you open Twitter.com, or Twitter for Mac, or Tweetbot, or Tweetdeck, or any other standard Twitter app, you’ll end up reading your Twitter stream or seeing what others have @replied you. Just sending that one tweet turned into a 20 minute internet buzzfest. That’s why Wren was designed. Andrew Ramos and Kevin Smith designed it to do one thing well: send tweets. Not distract you, not help you waste time, just send tweets from any of your accounts. It can shorten URLs and auto-complete @names, and even shows you the last thing you tweeted so you won’t repeat yourself. And you can save tweets you want to send later, for those ideas that are too good to tweet at 2AM when no one else will see them. Everything you need to make you great at sending tweets, and nothing else.

It’s beautifully designed, and if you’re using it on OS X Lion or newer, be sure to check out its unique Full Screen Mode implementation. For such a simple app, it’s rather fun to look at. But actually, don’t look at it too long. Because the whole reason its worth buying is to save you time. So you’ll stay socially engaged, but quit being so distracted.

And that’s enough reason to love it.

The more I write, the less I want in my writing apps. It seems crazy at first. Why in the world would you want less features?

Because sometimes, less is more. Less distraction means getting more done. Less features means more focus on the features that are most important. Less UI means more content.

That’s why I’ve fallen in love with focused writing apps, from OmmWriter to iA Writer to Simplenote, over the past few years. They take away the buttons, the settings, the features, and leave you with a space for your thoughts. They, they focus on the features that make a difference in your writing: a calming environment in OmmWriter, brilliant Markdown formatting in iA Writer, and powerful search and publishing in Simplenote.

Between these, I’ve got ways to write in an elegant manner on Windows, OS X, the iPad, and the web. But what about WordPress? WordPress has become increasingly cluttered over the years, and you can easily spend more time tweaking your blog than writing your posts. That’s why I often compose posts in another writing app, then bring them over to WordPress to add formatting and post them.

Not any more. For the past several weeks, I’ve been beta testing a new WordPress plugin that brings simplicity back to blogging: Artsy Editor.

Artsy Editor strips away the extra stuff in WordPress, giving you a focused writing environment right in your blog. Hit F11 to take your browser full-screen, and it’s almost as nice as iA Writer … except in WordPress in your browser. There’s a little bit of UI in Artsy Editor: a post button on the top right which also lets you see the HTML of a post, a settings button in the bottom left, an Upload button in the bottom right, and a close button in the top left. Start typing, though, and all of that disappears, leaving you with your content.

Minimalist UI that fades away

Need formatting? Artsy Editor has you covered, too. You can use all of the standard keyboard shortcuts to add formatting to your text, or just select the text you want to format. A small pop-over editor will appear, similar to the mini-editor in Office 2007 and 2010, with all of the basic text formatting options. You can add any of the headings, and your most recent one will show on the button. Or, add links and check the box to open in another window if you want.

Quick and simple HTML formatting

Then, there’s one thing that always bugs me with WordPress: adding images. It just takes too long to add images with the Upload button. Artsy Editor solves this by letting you upload pictures to your post just by dragging and dropping them into your browser. Simple and easy. You can then move or resize the image right in the post, or scale the image by holding Shift down while resizing. It works just like you’d expect.

Drag and drop photo upload is awesome

The black text on white color scheme isn’t for everyone, but you don’t have to settle for just that. You can pick from 5 color schemes in Artsy Editor, including darker and pastel color schemes. You can also choose from several popular fonts such as Helvetica and Georgia. Plus, if your favorite choice isn’t available, you can always change the code if you want!

Simple writing, your way

Artsy Editor was just released today, and it has already improved a ton over the past couple weeks. There are still a few small quirks: the upload button is cut off on the edge in Windows, and there’s not an option to add captions to images. Still, Stephen Ou, Artsy Editor’s amazing developer, has been quick to fix bugs and answer questions, and has worked hard to make Artsy Editor a great solution for writing in WordPress.

If you’re usually writing short articles or articles that take a lot of HTML formatting, Artsy Editor might not be for you. But if you enjoy writing long-form pieces in WordPress, Artsy Editor might be the tool you need to make writing in WordPress enjoyable again.

I’m currently using it to write the bulk of my articles, only jumping to the HTML mode to add my final tweaking. I’d been doing my main writing in other apps and copying it into WordPress before, but now, I’m writing more in the browser. That’s one less step to blogging, and it’s made my daily workflow that much simpler. Plus, I’ve wanted drag-and-drop image uploads for some time now!

$ Purchase a copy of Artsy Editor | Starting at $19

The iPad is one of the best devices ever for reading online. When it was initially unveiled to the public in 2010Steve Jobs said it was like holding the web in your hands. That’s not too far off. It feels like the perfect way to catch up with the news, check your email, and more, without a keyboard and mouse.

The only problem is, Safari on iPad isn’t as robust as most desktop browsers. We’ve grown to rely on tabs and extensions to get the most out of our browsing experience. Safari on iOS uses a multi-page interface that makes it rather difficult to switch between sites.

If we could actually choose any browser on iPad, many of us would choose Chrome. Google’s kept Chrome one of the fastest browsers around, and the unified search and address bar makes using a separate search box seem odd. However, it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see Chrome on the iPad, as Apple doesn’t allow 3rd party Javascript engines, and Chrome’s V8 engine is its main difference.

The team at Diigo has created a new alternative for Chrome on the iPad: iChromy. This new browser app tries to bring the best of Chrome’s interface and speed to the iPad, while still working with Apple’s rendering policies. It’s an interesting alternate browser, and if you’ve wished you could get Chrome on your iPad, it might be the browser you’ve been waiting for.

A streamlined iOS browsing experience

iChromy’s interface looks extremely similar to Chrome, with tabs on top, a streamlined address and search bar, and even a new tab button that moves as you add more tabs. Still, it feels unique enough to provide a nice experience that’s tailored for the iPad. The address box doubles as a search box, just as in Chrome, and it searches your bookmarks and history as you’re typing in an address or search query. The only problem I had was that the virtual keyboard does not include the .com button as it does in Safari, and would love to see that changed.

Unified search and address box ... just like Chrome

iChromy tries to get out of your way as much as possible. The address bar automatically hides as you scroll down pages, giving you more viewing room. You can still quickly switch between tabs, and can open links in new tabs directly from the context menu. Safari on iOS tends to reload your sites if you have too many open, but I was able to open 8 sites including Gmail and several graphically rich sites in separate tabs without iChromy reloading anything. In fact, it felt faster switching tabs than iCab, my previous favorite iOS browser.

Disappearing address bar gives more space for reading

Even thought iChromy is made by Diigo, an online bookmarking service, it still includes integration with a variety of popular bookmarking services and more like most iOS browsers. You can save sites you visit to Diigo, Evernote, or Pinboard, share them on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, subscribe to them in Google Reader, or save them to read later in Instapaper or Read It Later. I use Pinboard and Instapaper all the time, so this worked especially nice for me. Once you’ve selected a service, it’ll show up in the send menu on the far right of the toolbar, so you can quickly get to your favorite services.

Save sites to a wide variety of popular services

Convenient Offline reading

You can also save sites to read later right in iChromy. Just tap the glasses icon in the address bar, or select Add to Reading List from the context menu when selecting a link. Then, your pages will be saved so you can read them anytime, no matter where you are. iChromy saves the full pages, not just the text of articles, and worked great for me.

The offline reading tool caches the full page, not just the article text

A too much color

The only major problem I have with iChromy is its splashscreen and icon. While I may just be too picky, I feel the splashscreen takes away from the overall feel of the browser, and makes it feel slower loading. Many apps include their basic app layout as the launch screen to make it feel faster loading, but iChromy uses a bright splashscreen that makes it feel more like a game or children’s app. That’s a small complaint, though, for an otherwise solid alternate browser.

The launch splash-screen takes away from iChromy's clean and minimalist feel

Not Chrome … but almost

Interestingly enough, both Chrome and Safari are powered by Webkit, which is Apple’s open source project behind Safari. So, in some ways, iChromy is more similar to Chrome than it would otherwise appear. It’s not Chrome on your iPad, but it’s still one of the nicer 3rd party browsers I’ve used on iOS. In fact, the only other alternate browser I’ve stuck with is iCab Mobile, but iChromy felt faster than it for normal browsing.

With fast tab switching, Pinboard and Instapaper integration, combined search and address bar, and brilliant offline page support, it’s definitely worth checking out. If you give iChromy a try, be sure to let us know what you think of it in the comments below!

Download iChromy for iPad | Free

If you’ve used Windows PCs for any length of time, you’re almost guaranteed to have had problems with application incompatibilities and messy uninstalls. Over time, your computer can get increasingly junked up with fragments of programs you’ve uninstalled. Then, if you have multiple computers or, say, use a home computer and a work machine, there’s no way to have all of your programs synced between your computers. You’ll have to install and setup all of your programs on each of your computers individually. Even in 2011, we’re still tied down with ’90′s limitations on our computers.

This problem is only extrapolated in enterprise settings. Managing applications installed on hundreds or thousands of computers can be terribly difficult. Then, keeping each employee’s files and settings on their machine even if they get a new computer, and making sure everything stays cost effective, all together makes for a complex situation. That’s where Microsoft’s Application Virtualization, App-V, comes in. It lets you created virtualized, self-contained copies of programs that can be streamed from the server and run on client machines without being installed. Everything work the same, no matter what computer you’re on. This is what I hope the future of computing looks like, and based on rumors, Windows 8 may include similar technology for standard users, but for now, this can be a reality in the enterprise.

Author Augusto Alvarez explores this interesting part of Microsoft’s enterprise solutions in his new book Getting Started With Microsoft Application Virtualization. I’ve recently been reading over the book after the publisher asked if I could review it, and have found it interesting to learn more about how App-V works. He takes you through every step of creating a virtual application envoronment for your firm, with screenshots and command prompts you’ll need to enter. Unfortunately, App-V isn’t fool-proof right now, and just creating a virtualized instance of Office 2010 can require some grueling legwork. Alvarez takes you though ever step, though, keeping the process as simple as enterprise computing can be.

Through the book, you’ll learn how to prepare an App-V environment on Windows Server, and how to get your virtualized apps running on your client Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers. The book then goes on to step you through creating fairly complex virtualized environments, including running a virtualized copy of Office 2010 on a computer that already has Office 2003 or 2007 installed natively. This is one great use of App-V; you can let users keep their older apps while still maintaining compatibility with the newer programs used in the rest of the firm. Finally, you’ll learn how to administer, compress, and secure your virtualized apps, keeping everything running swift and smooth.

Unfortunately, since Application Virtualization is an enterprise-only solution for now, this book is not for everyone. If you’re a normal Windows home user, there’s little you’ll be able to do from the book. On the other hand, it’s a great resource for anyone considering deploying App-V in their enterprise environment. If your business, college, or other larger organization is already using App-V, or you’d like to learn more about it to be prepared for future use, this is a great resource to learn more about creating virtualized applications. Plus, it’s a neat peak at what could be the future for standard Windows applications… at least I hope!

$ Purchase Getting Started With Microsoft Application Virtualization from Packt Publishing ($49 paper/ $37 PDF eBook)

$ Purchase Getting Started With Microsoft Application Virtualization from Amazon.com ($48)

Computers are supposed to help us be more productive. That’s how we justify huge investments into computers, office software, desks, and more. Yet all too often we find ourselves frittering time away, checking the latest RSS feeds, social network updates, Google Analytics stats … oh, and someone just popped up on IM to say Hi.

That’s not exactly a productive environment.

OmmWriter is an app that seeks to bring concentration back to computing, or at least to writing on a computer. It’s been a popular app on Macs for the past year, and now it’s finally been released for Windows 7. PC users can now write in one of the few distraction free writing apps available on Windows.

In the tradition of WriteRoom and the many plain text editors on iOS such as iA Writer, OmmWriter offers a full-screen, distraction free environment to help you concentrate on your writing. Unlike these other writing apps, however, OmmWriter also includes calm background wallpapers, soundtracks, and typing sounds to accompany your writing. As its splash-screen says, OmmWriter is best enjoyed with headphones.

For the most part, OmmWriter doesn’t have a traditional program interface. There are some tools on the side, and an iOS style scroll bar on the right. You can change the font, chosing from a serif, sans-serif, script, or monospaced font, as well as choose from 3 font sizes. On the bottom, you’ll be able to save your file in plain text format or open a new document.

The main thing is the rectangle where you can type in text. As you start typing, the rectangle itself will fade away, leaving you only with your text, the background you’ve selected, and the soundtrack keeping you motivated in your headphones. Elegance, meet writing. Move your mouse, and the box and tools reappear, along with a word count on the bottom. Again, simple and easy; all you need to think about is your text.

But wait … wouldn’t the background sounds make it distracting? Actually, I’ve personally always found that I write the best with an instrumental soundtrack playing in the background. OmmWriter’s soundtracks are great background music to write with, and the keyboard sounds help keep you focused on writing. It’s the best possible combination in my opinion, but if you’re not a fan, you can always turn them off or select another sound combination that suites your tastes best on the side options that appear when you move your mouse. And, the included backgrounds range from a paper-like texture to plain white, so you can choose one that works best for your writing style, too.

Of all things, OmmWriter does actually still include a file menu, though you’ll almost never need to use it. If you’d like to reset the interface to the defaults, or export your document as a PDF, just hover over the top right edge of the program and the file menu will appear. Alternately, all standard keyboard shortcuts work as normal; press Ctrl+S to save the file, Ctrl+N to start a new document, etc.

Best of all, OmmWriter is yet another new Mac app that’s now available for Windows, joining the ranks of CloudApp, 1Password, Droplr, Backblaze, and more. It can be frustrating as a PC user to see most of the innovative and creative new apps coming out only on Macs, and is very refreshing to see some coming now to Windows. OmmWriter Dana is available in 2 editions for Windows and Mac: a free version with 3 backgrounds and soundtracks, or a paid version with 8 backgrounds and 7 soundtracks. I’d suggest trying the free version, and if you like it, strongly consider buying the pro version to let the developers know you appreciate their effort. The app starts at $4.11, though you can pay more if you’d like. Once you’ve purchased a pro copy, you’ll need to uninstall your free version and install the new OmmWriter Dana II and activate it with your key.

OmmWriter is a truly impressive and immersive app. Its my new favorite writing app on Windows, and I’m sure many of my upcoming essays, articles, and book chapters will be typed in it. It’s forcing me to concentrate on what I’m writing, and only what I’m writing, and that’s a refreshing experience. The only thing I need now is a way to disable Alt-Tab so I don’t switch away to other programs!

After all, the world won’t end if you miss that next tweet.

Written in OmmWriter Dana II for Windows with background #3, soundtrack #4, and keyboard sound #1.

Download OmmWriter Dana for Windows or Mac OS X

In the years since its original publishing, The Elements of Style has been updated numerous times, and in 1935 E. B. White contributed to the updating, causing the book to generally be known as Strunk and White. You can still purchase the most up-to-date version as a paper book from Amazon today, though oddly enough the latest editions are not available as eBooks. Both the Kindle Store and iBooks include copies of The Elements of Style, but they’re actually just reformatted copies of the original edition from others.

Since the original was published in 1918, though, the original Elements of Style is out of copyright in the US and most other countries. Thanks to that, the book was published fully on Wikisource, Wikipedia’s site for public domain books. You can read it online there, and since the chapters are quite short, it’s a great reference to keep bookmarked so you can check whenever you’re writing. Alternately, you can also download The Elements of Style in nicely formatted PDF, mobi, or ePub files from Feedbooks for free. These copies are great to save to your eBook library so you can read the whole book from your computer, iPhone/iPad, Kindle, or other device anytime you want.

Original 1918 edition of The Elements of Style in iBooks

The Elements of Style is definitely still a useful handbook for English writing, and I just read through the first section this afternoon as part of my required reading for my current technology communications class. Interestingly, it’s also a great companion book to the new book from A List Apart, The Elements of Content Strategy, which is written to help writers craft online content that’s as high quality as is demanded of traditional writers.

It’s amazing how timeless the advice in The Elements of Style is for it to still be relevant all these years later. Whether you’re a full-time writer or just need a few pointers to make your writing flow better, it’s a great guide that’s quick and easy to read. For free!

Download The Elements of Style in PDF, ePub, or mobi format from Feedbooks

Read more about The Elements of Style from Wikipedia

There’s so many to-do list apps today for all of the major computing platforms that you can quickly get overwhelmed trying to choose one. Most to-do list apps on Windows are old and clunky, while many iOS to-do list apps are an island to themselves and don’t let you sync or share tasks. It’s enough sometimes to make you just want to go back to just using a pad of paper. But wait: that surely can’t be the best solution. It’s the 21st century; can’t we have our tasks on any platform, synced, and shared with anyone we need? Can it really be that hard?

Enter Wunderlist. Wunderlist is an awesome new to-do list app that’s beautiful, feature filled, and amazingly, free! Actually, it’s is as much of a platform as it is an individual app. With to-do list apps for Windows, OS X, Android, iPad, iPhone, Android, and the web, you can keep up with everything you need to do no matter where you are or what device you’re using. While there are many beautiful and functional to-do list apps on OS X and iOS, Windows typically hasn’t had many modern to-do list apps that are both easy to use and stylish. Wunderlist’s Windows app alone makes it a winner, but add in the apps for other platforms, and it’s even better.

It contains all the features you’ll need to keep up with your tasks. You can add lists to organize to-dos, add a star to prioritize them, add a date to make sure you don’t forget when your task is due, and add notes to remember more about the task. Need to rearrange tasks? Simply drag and drop them to get them in the correct order. Then, find your tasks with the integrated search box, or reorder them based on priority or due date from the bottom buttons. You can even customize the app with a number of high quality background images. Best of all, you can share lists with others so your family, team, or business can stay connected in a simple Wunderlist to-do list. I’ve used this to share ideas with coworkers and editors over the past month, and it’s worked amazingly flawlessly.

Wunderlist works almost the exact same on every platform, but contains the small touches it takes to integrate great with particular platforms as well. On Windows, it uses a standard window and tray icon; on iPad, you’ll see iOS style pop-overs and inertia scrolling. You can enter tasks with keyboard shortcuts in Windows, OS X, and the webapp, while the mobile apps let you swipe to delete tasks and pull down to refresh a page. The same great features are there in each of the apps, though: contact syncing, sharing, organization, and a beautiful, easy to use experience. Best of all, if you’ve signed in with the same account on all of your devices, your tasks will automatically stay in sync. No more manually syncing or copying tasks between apps; you’ll just stay connected to what you need to do.

The iPhone app is especially handy since you can view and add tasks on the go. Wunderlist can even notify you when your tasks are due with standard iOS alerts and icon indicators. If you have an Android device, you can use the new Wunderlist Android app as well. Or, if you want, you can add new tasks by emailing them to me@wunderlist.com from your account email address, and can choose to be alerted via email when tasks are due. This way, even if you don’t have the latest mobile device, you can still keep up with your Wunderlist account on the go.

And, now, Wunderlist is equally at home in your browser! The newly released Wunderlist webapp brings all of Wunderlist’s features to any browser, so now you can use it from your Ubuntu computer or Chrome netbook. Or, if you don’t want to install a new program without knowing if you’ll like it, you could just give it a try in your browser. If you like it, then install it on your Mac, PC, or mobile device. Everything works almost the same as it does in Wunderlist’s Mac and PC apps; you can create new lists, drag and drop tasks to rearrange them, search across all of your tasks, and more. You can even change the background just like you can in any of the other apps. Whether on the web, an iOS device, your PC, or almost any other device, the Wunderlist experience is the same. This is easily one of the best cross-platform apps we’ve seen that merges your mobile device, PC, and browser experience.

But, hey, we could talk all day about getting organized with awesome to-do list apps, but that doesn’t help us get everything we need to do, done. Usually it’s a tough decision whether or not you should spend money on yet another productivity app. You have to decide if you need your tasks on your smartphone, PC, or online, and whether you can live without everything in sync or not. Today, Wunderlist has made these decisions obsolete. Wunderlist gives you synced, shared, and scheduled to-dos on almost any platform, for free. The only problem I’ve had is that the Wunderlist apps are somewhat slower than fully native apps that are built specifically for one platform. That said, recent updates have really improved the performance, and the iOS app now runs just as fast as Things or other similar apps. Plus, it lets me share and sync tasks, something few other apps even offered. There’s no reason not to give it a try on your browser, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet today. So go download it today, quit saying you’re going to find the perfect to-do list app, and just give it a try.

At least that’s one thing off your to-do list!

Checkout Wunderlist’s Awesome website and download it for your platform

Or, just Get started directly online with the Wunderlist Web App

Download Wunderlist for iPhone or Wunderlist HD for iPad

Apple has set a high bar for iOS apps with their own iPad apps. The bundled apps, including Calendar and Contacts, are nicely designed, but their iWork apps really set the bar with full-featured office programs that are easier to use than most desktop apps but offer much of the same power. The new GarageBand and iMovie apps for iPad 2 take this even further and bring features you’d be hard pressed to replicate on a traditional computer.

That said, hundreds of 3rd party developers have taken the iPad as a canvas for their best work, and have created beautiful and useful apps for the most popular tablet computer today. Sorted for iPad is one such app. It brings iWork’s style to task management, and lets you easily create lists of the things you need to do and stay organized from your iPad. Simple to use with an elegant interface, it seems like it might be what Apple would have created if they’d made a todo list app for the iWork suite. Best of all, the latest version is a universal app that you can use from your iPhone or iPod Touch as well!

Get Your Tasks Sorted

Sorted is a simple and elegant to-do list app that makes it easy to keep up with everything you need to do. It uses a document based interface to organize tasks, unlike many apps that keep all of your tasks together. Its interface works like many apps including the iWork apps; your documents are listed on the main screen, and you can open one by tapping it from the home screen.

Sorted includes a default task list to help you get started, or you can go ahead and create a new list to organize your tasks. Just enter your list’s title, then double-tap on any line to enter a new task. This is much quicker than opening a New Task dialog like you have to do in many apps.

Your default tasks are just a plain text to-do, but Sorted lets you add much more info if you want. Just tap the blue arrow on the left of a task to add a due date, reminder, and select a color to prioritize your tasks. Swipe up to add a note to the task as well. Once you’ve added extra info, you’ll see it in a smaller font under your task. If you’re not fond of the default priority colors, you can change them from Sorted’s main settings as well.

Sorted’s interface is very easy to use. You can rearrange tasks just by dragging them by the three line handle on the right; no need to tap edit or change anything else. Once you’ve finished a task, you can swipe it with one finger to check it off as completed. Alternately, swipe with two fingers to delete a task.

You’ll use the main List view by default, but Sorted can also display your tasks organized by priority or date. Alternately, select Completed to see all the tasks you’ve finished. If you accidentally swiped a task but aren’t actually finished with it yet, just swipe it again here and it’ll go back to your main list.

The nicest touch is the stamp on the top corner of the extra pages; it looks just like it was done with a real rubber stamp and ink. The little design touches such as the leather background behind the paper and the torn off paper edge at the top really make Sorted a pleasure to use. Combine that with fast operation and multitouch gestures, and Sorted definitely feels like it was built specifically for iPad much more than most other todo list apps.

Back on the main screen, you can add as many lists as you want to keep up with everything. Best of all, you can duplicate lists you’ve already created to make new lists. I really like this feature, since you can, for example, create a standard todo list for, say, a college class. Then, just duplicate it for each class, and add the info that’s important for that particular class. Once you’ve added a lot of tasks, it might be easy to lose them. Don’t worry, though; just tap the search button at the top to locate anything in your lists. Then, if you want to share your lists with others, you can email a plain text version right from Sorted. The developers plan to add the ability to sync your lists between devices in a future update; this will be especially nice if you have an iPhone and an iPad, since Sorted is already a universal app.

Conclusion

Sorted is a very simple todo list app that makes it quick and easy to keep up with everything you need to do. You can organize your tasks in separate lists, prioritize everything, and mark off the things you’ve done with multitouch gestures. It’s definitely a todo list app that feels like it’s been designed from the ground-up to work great on iPad. To me, it feels like a great addition to the iWork suite of apps! Best of all, it’s only $0.99, which is much cheaper than most iPad todo list apps. If you’ve used Sorted on your iPad, or on your iPhone since it’s now a universal app, let us know how it’s worked out for you!

Our Rating: 9/10

Download Sorted from the App Store | $0.99 – Universal app – iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad

Sorted’s Official Site