The Web Developers Top Ten Programs and Hardware

Introduction

Welcome! Below I've listed what I consider to be the most essential software and hardware that every web developer (or designer) must own. This is an open discussion though so please feel free to submit your own suggestions below.

Enjoy!

Software

Every developer has their favorite pieces of software, below are some of mine. Feel free to share any other solutions you may have :).

Pure Text Editor

Every web devloper MUST own a pure text editor, there's no choice. Personally, I prefer NotePas++, it's a free, open-source, pure text editor that is powerful but not bloated. One feature that I particularly like is the function list. This displays all your functions in a tidy little list on the side that lets you quickly browse through your code by double clicking the function. This was a huge boost to my productivy because now I didn't have to search through all my code.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, for more information check out their website.

One more thing, notice that I didn't mention Dreamweaver or Golive? The reason for this is that I simply don't own it. You don't have to own those expensive programs to do good work, in fact I find those too convoluted. Most of the people I know who do coding don't use those programs either. Just something to keep in mind.

Image Manipulation Software

This is a no brainer, if you're doing web design or development and you don't have a copy of Photoshop or any other equivalent program you have to get one. I love Photoshop but that can get pretty expensive, new versions are around $700.

 

If you can't afford Photoshop there are also free alternatives, most notably Gimp. It's a free open source application that has a lot of the same capabilities.

 Acrobat

Another program by Adobe. I use this when I send my client invoices and proposals. Nothing communicates professionalism better than a fresh PDF document in your email. It also protects your documents so that clients (or anyone else) can't modify the contents of an invoice or proposal.

 

 

 If you can't afford it there are other applications that will write to PDFs but I've found owning the program just makes it much easier.

 Web Server

I like to have a web server installed on my computer so that I don't have to upload my files to a remote server. I use to install Apache, PHP and MySql manually but now I use a program called WAMP. It stands for "Windows, Apache MySQL and PHP" and it makes it sinfully easy to install an apache server with PHP and MySQL onto my computer.

This speeds up my production by more than 50% and on top of that, if internet is out I can still work on my php scripts because I have the server right there. Don't wait, get this program now!

note: there is also a mac version.

 

FTP Client

Every web developer needs an FTP client. If you're looking for a free version I highly recommend FileZilla however if you're willing to spend a little bit of money then I would suggest you try Cute FTP, It's got an easy interface and makes it a breeze to manage your files.

 

Browser (duh)

"What browser should I use while doing web development?" I get this question a lot and really what it boils down to is personal preference. Idealy you should build on Internet Explorer since it is the most popular browser but because IE is notoriously unreliable you can't really do that. Typically I work primarily in FireFox and then debug it in all standards complient browsers first (Opera, Safari etc) and then I debug it in non-standards complient (Internet Explorer 7.0 and Internet Explorer 6.0). So every developer should have at least Firefox, Opera, Safari and Internet Explorer 6 and 7

Regex Buddy

Regex Buddy  is a little known program but it is a gem. If any of you have worked with Regular Expressions then you know how much a pain in the butt they can be. This program actually makes developing Regular Expressions fun. It has a debugger, and an analyzing agent that breaks down the expression into its individual parts. It's a must have if you're trying to parse text.

Communication Software

We've got to be able to communicate with clients in real time! E-Mails work great but after 100+ e-mails it can turn into a nightmare to keep them all straight. I highly recommend Skype, it's an online client that let's you talk over the "telephone" through the internet. The benefits of this are substantial, for example, I have a client in New Zealand and talking over the phone would simply be too expensive. This is a welcome solution.

You can also use An instant messenger program if you don't have a microphone or don't like skype. There are the famous ones, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), MSN Messenger etc but I love Trillian, it lets me have all my accounts in one tidy little program and saves all my sessions in a history so that I can refer back to it when I need.

Zip/Un-Zip Software

You're going to need to be able to distribute your files quickly and cleanly to clients therefore a WinZip or WinRAR application will be crucial. I like to use WinRAR because I find it easier but either one will work.

Financial Management Software

You've got to manage your money some how! It's easy to lose track of how much you've made after you start collecting paychecks and handing out invoices. I prefer Quicken because I'm not a big fan of Microsoft but Microsoft Money is a good program as well, in this case it comes down to personal preference.

Hardware

Hardware is just as important as software in the web developement business.

A Wacom Tablet

If you're going to do any kind of design work then a Wacome Tablet is a must!  It's very easy to get bogged down in technical details when you use a mouse, a tablet helps you escape that by harnessing your natural ability of using a stylus, your mind makes a switch that helps get the creative juices flowing.

They come in a variety of sizes, from 4in X 6in to 12in x 19in, personally I prefer the 8in x 6in Intuous 3, it's the perfect size for my desk.

 

Dual Monitors

This was one of the best investments I ever made. Without having to minimize to switch programs anymore It literally increased my production rate by 50%. I usually have my code in one monitor and Firefox in the other. That way I can quickly see the changes that I've made. Dual Monitors also helps my keep my train of thought. I can't tell you how many times I was switching programs and forgot what I was going to do. It just keeps my workflow streamlined and efficient. Plus it just looks cool!

External Hard Drive

You've got to save your precious work some where! I like to have a external hard drive where I can store all my programs, critical files, work or any other miscelaneous files that I don't use often. It frees up space on my internal hard drive and boosts performance. I would recommend getting at least 500 gigabytes or if you can afford it, a terrabyte.

I own a Western Digital 500GB My Book, it only cost me $100 at Circuit City and it was worth every penny.

A Good Keyboard and Mouse

Oh man this is a big one. You've got to get the best keyboard and mouse that you can. Now this doesn't mean you need to spend $300+ but it does mean you need to find the one that's right for you. I'm a big fan of Logitech so I own a Logitech Wave keyboard ($50) and a Logitech MX Revolution mouse ($100). They both have great features that makes my work easier and more fun. For example, my keyboard has customizable buttons that makes it a snap for me to open NotePad++ and Firefox.

A Good Chair

If you do this job you're going to be sitting down a lot! Get a good chair! It will save you a lot of back ache and will speed up productivity. The saying is, "your chair should be the best seat in the house."  and it's true.

Some good chairs to check out are the Aeron Chairs by Herman Miller, and the Leap Chair by SteelcaseThe Chairs can run you around $800 but the good is news that expense will quickly pay for itself with the increase in productivity.

 

 

 

A Good Desk

For a long time I had my computer set up on an old table that was bought for $5:00 and refinished. It was ok but my productivy really suffered because I didn't have a lot of space for writing and I had NO space for an extra monitor. So eventually I decided to buy an actual computer desk and I'm so glad I did. It gives me space for my 22 and 19 inch monitors and also saves space for my wacom tablet and notebook (which I always have on my desk.)

The fact of the matter is, if you're going to do this professionally then you HAVE to own a good desk. You don't have to spend a lot of money either, I bought a Malibu Glass computer desk for $80 at Office Depot.

A Computer

If you're reading this you probably already have one but is it really the computer that you need? Granted it doesn't have to be a high powered work station, but it should still be pretty beefy. I'm running an Intel Dual Core 2.13 Ghz processor, with 256 MB of video memory and 3 Gigs of RAM, its good but I still want more performance. Expect to pay at least $800 on the core components (Tower, Motherboard, Processor, etc) and if you can, build it yourself.

 

 

 

Lots of RAM

Get as much RAM as you can afford! I've got 3 Gigs and that's still not enough, I'm going to be buying another gig chip soon. If you're not familiar with it, RAM makes it easy for you to run multiple applications at once. For example, I'm frequently running Windows Vista (yes that counts), Adobe Photoshop, Notepad++, Itunes, CuteFTP, Firefox (with 10+ tabs open), Trillian (IM program) and WAMP and I need all the power  I can get; RAM is one of the cheapest solutions to that. 

RAM prices vary dramatically, when I bought my first gigabyte it was $130 per chip. Now (nearly two years later) it's $25 per chip. You don't have to get the best RAM out there, find some that go with your motherboard and are within your price range.

A Microphone

If you're going to be talking on skype with clients you're going to need a microphone. I have a headset which I like because I don't have to lean forward or worry about my juxtaposition with the microphone. However, it really depends on personal preference. Fortunatly you can get these cheap. I bought my headset for $20 four years ago at Best Buy and it's still going strong.

 

 

Paper, Pencil and a Three Ring Binder

Believe it or not this is one of your most useful tools. I always have paper and a pencil on hand to jot down notes and ideas. Frequently I'll have an idea that I can't work on immediatly and I don't want to lose it so I write it down and come back to it later.

It's also a great thing to have when you're having a meeting with a client. If you meet face to face and you pull out your notebook it communicates to them that you take your work seriously and it inspires even more confidence in your ability.

It also helps to organize your thoughts. I can't tell you how many times I was trying to figure out a way to do something but I just couldn't wrap my head around it. As soon as I took out my notebook and started writing it out it became clear and I was able to get back to work.

If you're not going to get anything else, get this! It will cost you maybe $5 so there isn't any excuse.

Conclusion

I hope this was informative and helpful. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to post it below or contact me directly.