For many Apple computer users, choosing a model with a larger screen and stronger performance can often directly improve the efficiency of daily work and obtaining information. Today, I would like to share a set of efficient work flow built around the large-screen Mac, as well as those tools that are truly handy and usable.
Advantages of large screens and information acquisition
A larger screen means more content can be displayed at the same time. When collecting information or dealing with multiple windows, such as opening news websites, documents, and social software at the same time, the 27-inch display can effectively reduce the switching frequency and make the line of sight more focused. This kind of visual comfort can significantly reduce visual fatigue and improve the persistence of concentration for users who need to face computers for long periods of time to process information.
Two paths of information processing
In daily life, the torrent of information we receive urgently needs to be distributed in an orderly manner. I simply divide all kinds of information into two categories, one is immediate information that needs to be processed immediately, and the other is content that can be read in depth later. The real-time information usually relies on email clients or instant messaging software for quick response; for those valuable in-depth articles and industry reports, I will immediately save them in a "read later" application, like Instapaper. This avoids distraction during browsing and also ensures that key content will not be overwhelmed by the massive amount of information.
Core RSS reading tool
Among many information aggregation platforms, RSS is still the basic support I use to obtain high-quality, customized content. Feedly is currently one of the RSS reading services that I believe has the best overall experience. Its web page level and mobile device The design of the terminal is simple, the synchronization rate is relatively fast, and the updates of up to hundreds of information sources can be properly managed. With the help of it, I can browse professional blogs from technology, design and other fields in an efficient way, thus ensuring that I will not miss key developments.
The indispensable Mac client
To provide excellent services, you must be equipped with useful Mac applications. Reeder for Mac is a great desktop companion to Feedly. Its interface is simple, the operation is smooth, and it supports a variety of keyboard shortcuts. This allows you to filter, mark, and share RSS articles as quickly as you can operate on local files. Excellent offline support ensures that even when there is no network, the captured content can still be accessed.
Powerful writing editor
When writing long-form content, a tool built for writers is very important. Ulysses brings a great writing experience. It manages all documents as a library, supports Markdown syntax, and can publish articles to the blog platform with one click. Its unique "distraction-free mode" hides all interface elements, leaving only a blinking cursor and a pure white background, allowing people to be completely immersed in text creation.
Task and schedule management solution
To handle the complex tasks and meetings every day, reliable schedule management tools are indispensable. The power of Fantastical is reflected in its natural language input function. For example, if you directly enter "I will have a meeting with the team at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon", it can automatically create a schedule. This is much faster than clicking through the calendar panels to set up manually, and is especially suitable for professionals who have frequent meetings.
In terms of to-do items, Things 3 presents a clear task breakdown view. You can build a task list for each project and set a reminder date. However, its "Today" view and "Upcoming" view allow you to have an intuitive estimate of the workload in the next few days, preventing tasks from piling up and ensuring that important matters are not missed.
Team communication and document collaboration
When collaborating in a team, a clear and efficient communication platform can save a lot of time. Slack classifies discussions by building different topic channels, so that the information context is clear. Its powerful search function can quickly find files, links and even certain sentences in historical conversations. This eliminates the pain point of searching for files in WeChat groups or emails, and is especially suitable for project-based team collaboration.
A powerful assistant in design work
Sketch is the core tool that UI/UX designers have used for design work in the past decade. It focuses on interface design and has very powerful vector editing capabilities. Coupled with a rich plug-in ecosystem, it can efficiently implement the entire process from wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes. Although it has faced challenges from cloud tools such as Figma in recent years, Sketch still has its irreplaceable advantages in terms of localization, performance, and in-depth optimization of Mac.
Material management and efficiency improvement
Eagle is a material management software specially created for designers. It can efficiently collect and organize pictures, videos and design drafts from web pages, and search them through many dimensions such as color and tags. It has smooth preview and annotation functions, which makes it my personal choice for building a design inspiration library and project material library, which greatly improves the efficiency of finding reference materials.
System enhancements and essential gadgets
In addition, there are some gadgets that can greatly increase the pleasure of using Mac. For example, Amphetamine can prevent your Mac from entering sleep state with one click. It is very useful in scenarios where you need to keep the screen on for a long time, such as downloading large files or making presentations. It does not require troublesome settings and can be easily controlled with the help of menu bar icons. It is a software that many experienced users will recommend as a must-have for novices.
Another combination that can improve efficiency is the Alfred launcher, coupled with its powerful Workflow function. Alfred can be called out through shortcut keys, can quickly search files, start programs, perform calculations, and even query dictionaries. Its efficiency is far more efficient than the system's own Spotlight. Coupled with countless Workflows created by users themselves, it can automatically handle various complex operations and is a powerful tool for tapping the potential of Mac.
Are you also using a large-screen Mac? What is the “artifact-level” software that you can’t live without at work? Feel free to share your exclusive workflow in the comment area. If you find these recommendations useful, don’t forget to like them and forward them to more friends.
