Default Apps Late 2024

Software
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I am not sure how many of you heard about the Default Apps episode from Hemisphere Views episode 97. This spread like a small wildfire and people blogged about their default apps like me.

Then one of the contributors to the show put together a list of people who shared their default apps.

They recorded an episode as a follow up and I followed also.

So compared to last year have you gone to more default apps or moved to more third party apps?

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I’m all in with default apps. I just use (the new) Reeder for RSS.

I really love to try new apps and keep going back and forth, especially calendar and podcast apps. In the end, I realized my needs are really frugal, and I keep going back to default.

I’m a therapist, so I just need a Calendar app and Numbers spreadsheet to keep track of my finances…

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I would love to use native apps, but many have hangups I can’t get my head around.

  • Podcasts App: No trim silence or pre-select chapters functionality. Difficult to export your shows to move to another app. More issues detailed here (not me btw).
  • Notes: Pretty slick app in general but the export functionality isn’t there. There are workarounds sure, but in my small tests, my notes still get messed up in places. Also, small things like not being able to zoom in/out on a handwritten page or the poor web interface for when I’m not on a Mac. I’ve also seen a lot of “where did my notes go?” threads on various forums. Sure, you can back them up, but the minute you restore them it causes chaos with iCloud and my initial attempts at doing this restored my notes, then reset them again 20 mins later.
  • Reminders: Too “clicky”. After using Todoist for years, the natural language input is so easy. I don’t have to wait for an extra click or an extra second for something to “register”.
  • Email: I use the stock app from time to time. in fact, I just stopped using it last week after a few years of use. But I’m back on Spark for mobile (Mac on desktop). Just again, easier to perform some functions, less clicking around.
  • Calendar: iOS calendar for me = unusable. Scroll, click, click, scroll, change view, scroll.

But I keep trying. My personal choices for alternatives, in the order they appeared above:

  • Pocket Casts
  • Evernote (don’t @ me bros!) :grin:
  • Todoist
  • Spark
  • Fantastical
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Over the last two years I have moved almost all into default apps, and it’s because they work and makes my life easy?

  • Notes App: It really does everything I need, and I use quick notes all the time which has really accelerated my usage. The keyboard shortcut on my Mac gets worn out, and I put a shortcut on iPhone control center that I use constantly.
  • Reminders: integrating with calendar so well was last step for me.
  • Mail: It might be an age thing but as someone who still like my folders, mail doing less is more for me. I turned off categories in 18.2
  • Podcasts: I have tried podcasts, and it’s much better but I am still happy with Overcast so no need to switch.
  • Passwords: Switched from 1Password this year, and am very happy with how it works
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5

I like the Podcasts app especially because of the widget: clean and functional.

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6

I love Reeder(Classic), and have tried the new version but still can’t wrap my head around it. Just works so differently.

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7

I just switched from Obsidian to Apple Notes a week or so ago, as I am realizing that I don’t need a lot of the “power features” in Obsidian or many other apps. The QuickNote feature in Apple Notes has also led to me moving Drafts off of my Home Screen.

I switched from Spark to Apple Mail a few years ago when Spark changed its business model. It’s fine.

I switched from Omnifocus to Reminders, and it has worked well for me.

I am considering moving from Fantastical to the Apple Calendar, but I am grandfathered in to the features I use in Fantastical form when I bought it years ago, so I am not paying a subscription and I see no reason to switch at this point.

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8

I keep switching between both. I really love the classic, but I’ve got used to the new Reeder app on the iPhone. I like the “later” function, for example.

But I’m always trying different rss readers…

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General question for everyone. What is the best cross-platform low cost RSS App? I really like Reeder but I want to get an Onyx Boox Palma to replace my kindle.

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Except for Apple Notes, Apple Music, and iMessage I have pretty much abandoned most default apps.

Spark and Outlook for Email

Overcast for Podcasts

Calendars from Readdle

Huge fan of iWork though.

Firefox and Chrome for my browsers over safari.

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Maybe NetNewsWire? Or even Feedly?

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Net News Wire like it but iOS only…

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From the website:

" NetNewsWire is a free and open source RSS reader for Mac, iPhone, and iPad"

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Something that exists on Apple Platforms and Android for the Palma. Sorry should have said Apple Platforms instead of iOS. Though the free side of Feedly looks sufficient.

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15

Safari aside, the only default app I use with any regularity is the App Store. :wink:

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Oh, one app I forgot to mention. I use Safari 99% of the time, but I have phases where I use Brave. I sometimes experience slowdowns or delays when pressing the back button in Safari. When I quickly revert to Brave I always take note of how fast it is and how it loads more websites without issue.

I even went as far to use it on my phone last week for a few days.

But something about non-stock web browsing feels like I’m cheating, I don’t know.

But Brave is solid – and not Chrome. Chromium yes, but not Chrome. And as for the rewards system/crypto stuff, you can turn that off.

I dig it!

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For personal use, primarily on iPads, I use Apple default apps for most things:

  • Calendar
  • Mail (w/ Protonmail bridge)
  • Maps
  • Messages (only with a couple of folks, Signal preferred)
  • Notes (using Forever Notes framework)
  • Numbers
  • Reminders
  • Safari

Work requires software that runs on BSD, Linux, & Mac so that’s all Emacs, Firefox, mutt, and OpenSSH.

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I like Brave I only use Chrome because I work at a school system and it lets me bring my work browser home.

Still supporting Firefox since they’ve got an independent engine that isn’t Safari or Chromium. I will probably switch to Brave if the Google Anti-Trust Suit nukes their funding.

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As one of the show hosts, it’s been incredible to see how different people have varying levels of “defaultness”. I’ve updated my own list for this year, and I had about 6 apps change (about a quarter). I think I have AppDHD. :joy:

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So you’re an MPU forum user. Got it :joy:

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