Posted on Dec 31, 2008

Lists: A Look Back at 2008

2008 was a great year.

Now that 2009 is nigh, bloggers across the globe are posting their summaries of the year past. As I said recently, I enjoy these types of posts and I’ve looked forward to getting in on the action. So here is my look back on 2008 in the form of a bunch of lists.

The People

Of all the benefits I’ve received since starting this blog in February, it’s been the people I’ve connected with that brought me the most pleasure. Whether by blog or by Twitter, here are the four people I got to know in 2008 that I’m most thankful for:

  • Dezene Huber: I attend the same church with this university prof, but it was Twitter that brought us together (Awww).
  • Michael Mistretta: The mastermind behind Fusion, it’s been a pleasure working with this guy.
  • Patrick Rhone: A smart, caring guy, Patrick has been one of the reasons I enjoy Twitter so much.
  • Andy Parkinson: The new owner of Cranking Widgets, Andy is a swell dude. He’s also a developer and has some interesting projects in the pipes. Keep an eye on this guy.

The Software

It would be a proper review of the year for TWR if I didn’t talk about software. And limiting the list to 4 or 5 applications just isn’t possible, so I’ve grouped my favorites by category:

OS X Utilities

  • Dropbox: Whether you call this an app or a utility doesn’t matter. It works—that is what matters.
  • Quicksilver: This app was not new in 2008, nor was it new to me. But this year, with the help of many kind folks, I finally started using some of the deeper, more useful features of QS. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a tool that increases your productivity. My return to work and Windows XP drove that point home for me because I’ve really been missing the functionality that Quicksilver gives me on my mac.
  • TextExpander: Another great tool that does it’s job well and helps me work faster.

OS X Desktop Apps

  • Evernote: My new brain.
  • Things: The easiest to use task management software on the Mac, it’s also robust enough to met the needs of ‘power users’.

iPhone Apps

I don’t use a lot of different apps or play a lot of games on my iPod Touch, but there are a lot of examples of great design in this category. When you use a well designed app on this platform, the way the developer has built the UI seems to jump out at you and really gets your attention. Here’s what I’ve really enjoyed:

  • RTM: Probably the best designed app I’ve used so far. I prefer the UI here to RTM’s web interface because of the way your tasks are structured. A joy to use.
  • Frenzic: Great game and great use of the touchscreen technology.
  • Scrabble: Another good use of the touchscreen, this is the game I’ve played the most. It takes way too long to load, but other than that it’s a great app.

Web Apps

  • Harvest: If you need to track your time and invoice clients, there is no easier way than Harvest. This is the web app I’ve enjoyed the most in 2008.
  • Remember the Milk: I’m new to this app (started using it this fall), but I can see why it has a passionate following. It’s extremely flexible while focusing on simplistic.
  • Twitter: Right. I almost this one … but it is actually a web app. What can be said about it—it’s a research tool, a communication device, a social networking application and deceptively simple. If I had to pick one word, it’d be this: essential.

The Trends

  • Larger text on the web: My aching 33 year old eyes rejoice. Great examples of larger text are now in abundance.
  • The move towards real productivity: Merlin got the ball rolling and it seems like a lot of productivity focused people have responded.
  • Simplicity: This has been a focus of mine over the past two years, and this past year saw a lot of people doing the same. Whether it’s reducing clutter, distractions, or information, people are starting to get excited about the idea that more is not necessarily better. And the overall picture is that our planet can’t support our habits for much longer and BIG changes in habits are needed to make a difference. A simpler life (in all areas) is a good start.

This was a great year personally and I hope it was for all of you as well.

See you in 2009.