The essential software toolkit
A handful of small, mostly free utilities can transform how your computer feels — sending files instantly, adding a second screen, typing with your voice. This is the toolkit we'd install on any new machine.
Why utilities beat new hardware
Most 'my computer is annoying' problems aren't hardware problems. The right utility often does what a new gadget would — a spare tablet becomes a second monitor, your voice becomes a keyboard, your phone and PC finally talk to each other — for free or close to it.
- A second-screen app replaces a £150 portable monitor.
- A dictation tool can double your writing speed.
- A local file-drop app ends the emailing-files-to-yourself era.
How to pick software you'll actually keep
The best tool is the one that fits your platforms, respects your data, and doesn't fight you. Before installing anything, check three things: does it run on all the devices you use, does it work offline, and who can see your data.
- Cross-platform first — tools that work everywhere outlive any one device.
- Prefer open source where quality is equal: free, auditable, no lock-in.
- 'Freemium' is fine — the free tiers of Bitwarden or Spacedesk are genuinely useful, not crippled demos.
Free vs Freemium vs Paid — what the labels mean
Free means free forever (often open source). Freemium means a real free tier with paid extras. Paid is a one-off purchase; Subscription bills monthly or yearly. None of these is automatically better — but know which you're signing up for.
- Free/open source: LocalSend, VLC, Bitwarden's core, OBS.
- Freemium done right: a free tier you could use forever.
- Subscriptions make sense when the tool does ongoing cloud work (AI, sync, storage).