The 5 apps I always install first on any Windows PC

• Google Chrome
• Spotify
• GIMP or Adobe Photoshop
• Steam
• Slack

I like to hit the ground running whenever I get a new device, whether it’s an iPhone, a computer, or a PEV. When it comes to computers, it’s not just a compulsion — I need one for work. In fact when my old laptop died earlier this year, I went out and bought a new one the next day, and was back writing within a matter of hours. I even had my workday soundtrack going again.

So what do I install first on a new Windows PC? Some of my apps are going to be easy to guess, but others are definitely tailored to my lifestyle. My choices inevitably evolve over time, too — so in a year or two from now, they could be completely different. I just hope I don’t need another new laptop to test things on.

Google Chrome

Hooked on an ecosystem, for better or worse

Every time someone runs Edge a single time just to download Chrome, someone at Microsoft sighs. That’s how I imagine it, anyway. The company is probably legitimately frustrated — as of November 2025, Chrome had a 71.7% share of the global browser market, with Edge a very distant third at 4.96%. That’s pretty terrible for a browser that’s baked into Windows and has both mobile and desktop versions.

Personally, there are a few reasons I stick with Chrome, despite there being better options for privacy and RAM consumption. The main ones are bookmark and password sync. At this point, I have well over a decade of bookmarks stashed in the app, and several years of saved passwords. Because Chrome is available on just about any device I might care to use, even my Steam Deck, I never have to worry about forgetting an important site or login.

Similarly, I rely heavily on Chrome’s tab sync and sharing features. Most of my work is done on the web, so being able to load all the tabs I need instantaneously saves a lot of trouble. I can also do research on any phone or tablet and push links to my PC.

You might be thinking that there are similar features in other browsers, and you’d be right — but since I started with Chrome, there’s no strong incentive to switch over, especially since I can use extensions to deal with privacy concerns. I might migrate to something like Brave, eventually.

Spotify

Still the reigning champion of streaming music

I’m aware that Spotify is a problematic company these days. It doesn’t pay artists well enough; it hosts ICE ads and Joe Rogan; it’s not doing enough to combat a tide of AI-generated slop. Former CEO Daniel Ek has come under fire for investments in a company developing military AI technology. Some of my favorite artists have, understandably, chosen to boycott the platform, including Joanna Newsom and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

I might already be on Apple Music if it weren’t for the fact that I vastly prefer Spotify’s interface and playlists. I find it easier to browse and play tracks on the service, and try as Apple might, it can’t compete with the quality and quantity of Spotify’s playlists, in my opinion. Putting on Release Radar every Friday has become a tradition.

Another concern is casting compatibility, since there’s no equivalent of Spotify Connect for Apple Music. Your only choices are Bluetooth, AirPlay, or in some circumstances Google Cast. That’s plenty for some people, but it would mean an inferior experience with the Echo Studio/Echo Sub combo I normally use.

In any event, I install Spotify automatically because I demand music during the workday. Writing in complete silence would be so boring that I’d actually get more distracted, lured into doing everything but writing.

GIMP or Adobe Photoshop

Whatever my budget allows

I come from a pro photography background, and that focus on image editing has continued into my tech journalism. I don’t have my pro camera rig anymore, sadly — but I still have to shoot and edit product photos, as well as screenshots.

Whenever possible, I prefer to use Adobe Photoshop. It’s the industry standard, and I’ve become accustomed to the way it does certain things, like curves, healing brushes, and color filters. When I was a photographer, my workflow involved a one-two punch of Adobe Lightroom for batch edits, and editing individual shots in Photoshop when they needed a special touch.

The thing preventing me from using Photoshop every day is pricing. You can’t just buy the software anymore — it requires a Creative Cloud subscription, and the cheapest plan with Photoshop is $20 per month. The only way I could justify spending over $240 a year is if I went back to photography full-time.

Meanwhile, I’ve been able to make do with GIMP, short for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It’s difficult to adjust to if you’re used to Photoshop, but it’s free and gets the job done. I get the sense that with enough time, I could probably tackle everything I’ve done in the past. Adobe may have a limited window to win me back.

Steam

The home of PC gaming

If you’re planning to play games on a PC, Valve’s Steam is virtually unavoidable. There are other ways to buy and launch games — like GOG, itch.io, and the Epic Games Store — but with few exceptions, a game can’t be a hit if it’s not on Steam. The Steam Store has been around since 2003, so many gamers have enormous libraries tied to the app, and they’re not eager to use multiple launchers if they don’t have to. Myself included.

Increasingly, there are other reasons to use Steam, the biggest probably being the Steam Deck. It’s not only capable of running many Steam games in handheld form, but streaming some of them from your desktop or laptop if the Deck’s onboard processor can’t handle them. It’s essentially a PC equivalent of the Nintendo Switch 2, only better. Also, unlike Nintendo, Valve and its partners offer major discounts on games on a regular basis.

What should be interesting to see is how this progresses with the arrival of the Steam Machine mini-PC and the Steam Frame VR headset. Valve is aiming to bring the convenience of the Deck’s SteamOS to other form factors, and it’s not inconceivable that the company could displace the Xbox in the living room within a few years. Microsoft’s going to have to get its act together in the wake of the Xbox Series X.

Slack

Not just for the office

While it’s true that most of the people who use Slack are probably forced to for their career, that doesn’t have to be case. Some private groups use Slack to chat in place of Discord, such as Tech Journalists International, which allows me to shoot the breeze with others in the industry. You do need to be invited into a Slack discussion, but I appreciate the fact that I can use a single chat app for all my work-related talk.

There’s not much more to say, but I do appreciate Slack’s simplicity. It has a uniquely “clean” interface that’s only as complex as it needs to be. It’s easily preferable to Microsoft Teams.