Purchased Software

I predominantly use Open Source software in my life, both at home and at work. It is very rare that I purchase a commercial piece of software, however sometimes there is either no Open Source alternative or the commercial option is outstanding and therfore desirable.

This list of software that I have purchased is as much for my own recollection as for use by others who may be looking for software options.

Purchased Applications

Software that I need to download and Install.

  • BetterZip

    ZIP GUI application for Mac OS X, supports many formats.

    Why? Wanted!

  • Mac OS X

    I have a MacBook... I want to run OS X on it!

    Why? Wanted/Needed.

  • Sublime Text

    A truly excellent Text/Code editor that gets out of the way and lets you focus on writing. Also runs on all platforms!

    Why? Wanted!

  • Windows XP and Windows 7

    I have clients and users who are using Windows XP and Windows 7, I need to know that the software that I produce for them works on these platforms also. I run these inside VirtualBoxs on my Mac.

    Why? Regetably needed.

Software as a Service

Online Applications that I pay monthly or annually for access to.

  • Slid.es

    Powerpoint and LibreOffice Present are just terrible, and I think Apple Keynote involves too much lock-in. Slid.es is lovely because it produces HTML, CSS and JavaScript (Reveal.js) but without the pain of manually coding it. It also has a neat export to PDF for when you need a perma-copy.

    Why? Better that the rest!

  • Lucid Chart

    I really think that Visio is the Gold Standard for diagrams, but it is Windows only. I used Dia for a while. I have now switched to Lucid Chart, it is also very convenient to have it Online as it keeps your charts and also works when disconnected from the Web.

    Why? Needed.

  • Prey

    Whilst they have an free option, I have a few devices I want to keep safe, and so I pay them to look after me ;-)

    Why? Needed.

  • Skype

    I use their Online Number and World Calling options (for W3C teleconf's). I think they are pretty reasonable.

    Why? Needed.

Donated Software

Software that I have been given free licenses for due to my role as an Open Source developer. Free stuff deserves a thank-you.

  • Aqua Data Studio

    An excellent multi-platform, multi-RDBMS IDE.

    Why? Needed.

  • Oxygen XML Editor

    I spend most of my working life inside this XML Editor. In my opinion it is the best XML tool on the market (even if I did get it for free!).

    Why? Needed.