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Productivity: Buying Advice, Tips, and News

Latest Productivity Reviews

Latest Productivity Stories

Have a major deliverable coming up that involves lots of people and tasks? We've tested all the major project management apps to help you find the one that can best keep your team on track.

By Jill Duffy  & Ben Moore
An illustration of human figures with chart and graph icons

Instead, Microsoft will prompt you to use Outlook.

By Kate Irwin
Windows 10's Built-In Mail App

Get this fully featured development environment to boost productivity, collaborate easily, and streamline your projects, but you've only got one day left to grab this deal.

Microsoft Visual Studio Pro

Edit and convert your PDFs easily for only $34.99 with a lifetime license for this tool.

SwifDoo PDF Pro graphic

You currently have to pay an extra $20 per month to use Copilot Pro with Microsoft 365 apps, but Microsoft is testing a cheaper (though limited) bundle in a few overseas markets.

By Jibin Joseph
A screenshot of Copilot's integration with Microsoft 365 apps.
3.5

The stats-heavy yWriter is ideal if you crave organization and like to track data about your writing, though it doesn't provide any templates to help you get started.

By Jill Duffy  & Gabriela Vatu
yWriter logo

Taking action is a more likely path to success than ruminating on options. Follow this advice to get past the decisions that are occupying your mind.

By Jill Duffy
Visualization of decision process

By identifying and preparing for the right kind of meeting, you make the experience more useful for everyone. Our advice helps you set up your meetings for success.

By Jill Duffy
Image composite showing a meeting

Bullet points and bold type aren't always your friends for business communication. Whether you're writing for coworkers or clients, follow these tips to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

By Jill Duffy
Image composte of writing with edit button
4.5
Editors' Choice

Ulysses is well worth its lofty price if you want a polished, distraction-free writing app for your iPhone, iPad, or Mac that doesn't skimp on editing features or publishing options.

By Jill Duffy  & Gabriela Vatu
Ulysses logo

Microsoft 365 isn't your only choice for word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software. Whether you want local or cloud-based apps, we're here to help you pick the best office suite for your needs.

By Edward Mendelson
A photo composite of images and icons representing word processing, spreadsheet editing, and presentation creation
4.5
Editors' Choice

Microsoft Office 2024 gives you perpetual access to class-leading and user-friendly office productivity software for a one-time fee.

By Edward Mendelson
Microsoft office logo

Although generative AI sometimes fails to follow basic instructions, it can still help you brainstorm. Follow this simple advice to make it work for you.

By Jill Duffy
Photo composite of people brainstorming

A good chair can keep you comfortable and productive for hours. We're here to help you find the best office chair for your home and budget.

By Will Greenwald
four office chairs, stylized

If you're not a fan of the $69.99 annual fee for Microsoft 365, you can get a lifetime license for Microsoft's suite of apps for $149.99.

By Jibin Joseph
A photo of the Microsoft apps included in the Office 2024 suite.

Gmail's summary cards can now fetch more key details from an email. However, if you don't like Gmail showing off how well it knows your plans, disabling the feature is always an option.

By Jibin Joseph
A screenshot of the updated Gmail Summary Cards.

Making the right kind of notes has helped me learn from the past, be a better adult, and occasionally make some money.

By Jill Duffy
From an overhead view, a person typing on a Mac-looking laptop with a dog by their side

Apps that promise to consolidate book-length learning into bite-size nuggets are a waste of your time. Here's why.

By Jill Duffy
A phot collage of a person holding a laptop, a hand holding a phone, and a pair of headphones
4.0

Hemingway Editor improves your writing whether you use the free or Plus version. It's an excellent resource for people who have to create all kinds of writing, though AI suggestions for paying subscribers are hit or miss.

By Gabriela Vatu
Hemingway Editor logo: the words Hemingway Editor in black serif font on a white background
3.0

Focused on objects instead of folders and files, Capacities is a note-taking app with a firm opinion about how you should use it.

By Justin Pot
The Capacities app logo: A black C shape with a black circle inside and another black arch to the right