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How to get on the first page of Digg in less than 4 weeks. 
There are thousands of tools out there that will simplify your life one way or another. This is a list of tools I find myself using on weekly basis. Some of these tools are technical in nature, others are very easy to use.
1. Beyond compare
There are many instances where you have to compare two different versions of a particular file or different directories. Beyond compare is a file and directory comparison and synchronization utility all wrapped in one. The tool compares text files, folders, zip archives, and FTP sites. Beyond compare is available for a 30-day free trial.
2. TextPad
Regardless of the development environment or language you work with, you eventually have to open your files in a simple text editor. Whether you simply need a powerful replacement for Notepad, a tool for editing your web pages, or a programming interface; TextPad provides all of that. It comes with a simple and familiar interface that you can use right away. However, it adds great features like the ability to start server, powerful search and find functionality, and, my favorite, bracket matching! The tool is available for free.
3. XAT image optimizer
If a page takes more than 10 seconds to load, visitors will leave your site. Images download time can play a role in slowing down your pages. So, next time you upload images to your site, optimize them first with the tool from XAT! The tool allows you to create smaller faster JPEGs, GIFs and PNGs. It is available for free. The commercial version allows you to optimize multiple images at the same time. (All the images in this blog were optimized by the tool from XAT)
4. Agent Ransack
Looking for a file but do not remember its name? File search functionality is poor to non-existent in Windows. Agent Ransack allows you to find files and information on your hard drive immediately and efficiently. When searching the contents of files, Agent Ransack displays the text found so you can quickly browse the results without having to separately open each file!
5. FileZilla
A great tool for file transfer via FTP, FTPS and SFTP. FileZilla is Cross-platform, with versions that run on Windows, Linux, and OSX. It also comes with a powerful site manager and transfer queue.
6. SQuirreL SQL Client
A graphical program that allows you to view the structure of a JDBC compliant database, browse the data in tables, and issue SQL commands. So, if you have to work with Oracle, MSSQL, Mysql, you no longer have to install different tools, SQuirreL SQL is the only program you will need.
7. Snag It
I am an addict! A Snag it addict that is. Snag it is a screen capture and an image editor as well that allows you to capture any window on your PC. So, next time you are browsing the web or something pops on your PC and you would like to keep a picture of, Snag it. (All the images in this blog were produced by Snag It)
8. PuTTY
if you need to login to your server to do any kind of work, then PuTTY is a must have. Putty allows you to telnet or SSH to your server from windows or Unix based systems. What I love about Putty is that highlighting text copies it automatically into the clip board.
9. Trillian
If you are like me, you probably need to communicate with clients, co-workers and colleagues via a number of different chat programs like yahoo messenger, MSN, AOL, and ICQ. Having all of these programs run at the same time is a headache to deal with. Trillian allows you to login to all of these program through a single program.
10. Firebug: the Firefox Add-on
This is a must have tool for any front end developer. Firebug allows you to edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page from Firefox.
11. Istockphoto.com
Looking for nice images for your blog? I have tried many services and like iStockPhoto the most. Their prices come to about $1 per picture.
12. Safari books online
I do not have to carry my books with me anymore. Safari is a service provided by O’Rielly which allows you to view books online. Safari builds itself as “the premier electronic reference library for programmers, developers, IT, web designers and the creative professional. “ There is a limit to the number of books you can view at the same time based on the type of subscription you have.
13. GoToMeeting
Meet with clients or coworkers with a click of a button. GoToMeeting has many competitors including Webex however for a 30 day free trial and $50 a month afterwards, Go To Meeting beats its competitors hands down.
14. Subversion
Operating without a code repository is a disaster waiting to happen. Everyone who works online will has faced a situation where you wish you could revert back to the original file you wrote or changed a few days or few months back. Source repositories maintain a history of anything that changed in the code. There are many popular ones such Microsoft VSS (visual source safe) and CVS. Subversion builds on CVS strength and at the same time resolving some of the issues CVS did not handle well. You can also use subversion to maintain history for your documents so it is not limited to code. SVN is available for free.
15. Google Docs
If you are working with a team and you have to exchange documents, email is not a good option. You start losing track of the latest version or changes to the document. Let alone the fact that some of these documents are too large and not easy to send via email. Google Docs solves this problem by providing a central repository where all your team members can access the latest version of any document.
16. Sharepoint
Google docs is great but it does come with its limitations. If you are working with hundreds of files in Google docs, you have to share each of these files with each of your team members. That is cumbersome to do. Sharepoint allows you to share folders with team members, provides an advance security model and provides version control as well. On the downside, you will have to pay for sharepoint or host it on your own server.
17. RoboForm
Too many user names and passwords? RoboForm solves the problem by memorizing your different usernames and passwords. It also fills out long registration and checkout forms with one click without being bombarded and spammed with ads!
18. Eclipse
If you have done or plan to do any Java development, Eclipse is must have tool. Developed initially by IBM and then turned into an open source project, the Eclipse is the most powerful IDE available.
19. XML Spy
From your RSS feed to complex system integration, XML is a standard and powerful format. If you have to do any work with XML documents, XML spy is a must have tool. It helps with modeling, editing, and debugging XML Schema, DTD, XSLT, XQuery, SOAP, and WSDL. The free version of the tool is available for 30 days trial. The full version can set you back up $600.
Do you use any of the tools I mentioned above? Do you have other tools you use regularly?
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