It’s been a few weeks since I last wiped my computer and started with a fresh install. When I do this, I only install software as I need it, so at this point, if I have something on my machine, it’s because I use it pretty regularly. I thought it might be interesting to share the list as a bit of a recommendation/tip post. I’ll leave out specific apps for my printer, scanner, etc.
- 7-Zip
- Adobe Photoshop Elements 10
- Adobo Photoshop Lightroom 3.6
- Adobe Premiere Elements 12
- Foxit Reader
- Google Chrome
- HandBrake
- LastPass
- Microsoft Azure SDK v2.7
- Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013
- Microsoft Power Query for Excel
- Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
- Microsoft Visual Studio Ultimate 2013
- MySQL Workbench
- Notepad++
- Python 2.7.6
- SketchUp 2015
- VLC media player
Comcast Bill
In December of 2013, we dropped to a lower TV package and we saved $40/month with no contract*. In the 20 months since then, our price went up 15% for exactly the same service. Give me a break.
I complained about it on Twitter and got a reply from the @ComcastCares service account. I’ve talked to them before without much luck, but this time it was great. They dropped our bill to ~$55/month without changing our service or requiring a contract. That’s awesome! I hate that their business model requires good customers to whine to get lower prices, but whatever.
* Why is no contract important to me? I feel like we’re at the tail end of having any TV package at all. We only record about a dozen series per year and they’re all available online either for free or for purchase. If I didn’t host football parties here, I think I would have already dropped cable TV. But when we have all those people over to watch a game, Comcast is still the most reliable way for me to display it. We can’t get over the air because of all the hills/trees, and the online streaming options aren’t stable enough yet.