5 Essential Apps You Should Always Install First On A New Laptop

When shopping for a new laptop, there's a lot of focus on hardware specs, like the CPU and GPU, but once it's in your hands, there are a few apps you need to download immediately. Otherwise, you're leaving functionality on the table. 

The apps you need depend on your use case. For example, if it's a work laptop, you probably need the Microsoft Office suite or Slack. Casual users may be fine with the stock internet browser, while power users may want something newer with additional functionality, like the AI-powered browser from OpenAI. Gamers might pay more attention to gaming-specific apps like Steam, Epic, and Discord. Productivity-minded users may put more stock into apps like Obsidian, which replaces the default notes app on your laptop. Whichever way you choose to use your laptop, there are certain apps you'll need if you want to get the most out of your new device. The following list combines different use cases, offering a diverse selection that appeals to every user. 

Forget the standard notes app on your laptop and get Obsidian. This is a free note-taking application that takes your notes to the next level. There is a learning curve because Obsidian uses Markdown. If you're used to relying on shortcuts and a toolbar to format text, you'll stumble a bit at first while you learn Markdown basics, but it's easy enough once you get the hang of it. In addition to using Markdown, Obsidian offers other features that expand your note-taking abilities. For example, you can link from one note to another to establish a connection, which you can see on a graph that maps all of your notes. It visually represents connections between notes, some of which you may not have noticed before. Obsidian also offers thousands of plugins made by the community that add more functionality to an already stacked app. Obsidian can seem overwhelming from the outside, but it's just a note-taking app with optional features. You can lean into it as little or as much as you like.

The app is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux laptops. It's also available on tablets and phones. The standard app is designed to work offline, but if you want to sync your notes between devices, you can pay $5 per month. While it's not necessary, the Sync plan is handy. For those with devices from different ecosystems, Obsidian is one of the few ways you can sync notes across devices, even if you have an Android phone, an Apple MacBook, and a Samsung tablet. 

Whether you're gaming, working, or browsing the internet, listening to music enhances the experience. There's no better way to do that on your computer than with a music streaming service like Spotify. Spotify, which recently debunked a rumor that ads were coming to its premium tier, is the most used music streaming service in the world, and it's available on pretty much everything, making it the music app of choice.

One reason Spotify is so popular is that it has very niche playlists that are perfect for almost any activity or mood. Whether you're on a road trip, doing chores, or feeling happy, Spotify most likely has a playlist that hits the spot. Additionally, the music streaming app has also invested heavily in podcasts. It has a wide selection of podcasts and exclusive Spotify Original podcasts that you can't find on other services without ads. Popular podcasts like "Heavyweight," "The Rewatchables," and "Quiet Part Loud" are all Spotify exclusives. 

Valve's Steam is to gaming what Amazon is to e-commerce, a place where you can get everything you need for a fraction of the cost. Regardless of the games you play or how many hours you spend playing games, Steam should be the one gaming app you have on your laptop. While other services, like the Epic Games Launcher and GOG Galaxy, provide a similar experience, Steam stands out because it has the widest selection of games. It's also been around long enough to have developed an app with features competitors don't have, like the new personalized calendar – if you keep forgetting when a game is launching, this one's for you. Although not every game on Steam is compatible with every system, the app itself is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. Windows is the most compatible system, though Linux and Mac computers have recently made huge strides. 

The other thing you need to know about Steam is that essentially everything goes on sale every few months. Similar to Amazon's Prime Day, Steam has its quarterly sales. There's a sale for Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. There are also smaller sales throughout the year. The discounts are so wide-reaching and steep that many gamers wait until the next one to purchase games on their wishlist. Gamers buy so many games via the seasonal sales that there are now services for organizing massive Steam libraries, like Steam Backlog. If you have a Steam gift card burning a hole in your wallet, the store hosts a massive library of games to spend it on. 

DaVinci Resolve is one of the top non-linear video editing platforms available, and it's completely free to use. While the free version of DaVinci Resolve doesn't give you all the tools, it's very generous. If you want to unlock pro features, like GPU acceleration and AI tools, you can pay a one-time $295 fee to unlock the Studio version. And, no, you won't have to pay again when the new version releases, which happens roughly every year. 

Whether you're a casual user who's looking to edit videos of family vacations or you're a serious videographer doing client work, DaVinci Resolve has most of the tools you'll need. Resolve is used in professional workflows, including on blockbuster Hollywood films, particularly for color grading, but it's good for just about everything else. The latest AI tools, like AI Voice Isolation and UltraNR for visual noise reduction, are gamechangers for video editors.  The video editing software uses a tab layout to divvy up the traditional video editing workflow, with tabs for media intake and organization, cut, edit, special effects, color grading, audio, and export. Skills should transfer over if you have experience with another video editing software, but if you have zero experience, there are very useful tutorials on YouTube that will help get you up to speed. 

Let's face it, if you need Slack or Teams for work, you'll probably download that on your phone or work computer. There's no reason to taint your personal computing device with work stuff. Discord, which just got a massive glow-up, is like those other apps if they were more about building community and interacting with friends via text, voice, emotes, and more. To gamers, Discord is a must-have, and it's easy to see why, with the service offering smooth, seamless communication between friends whether playing "Fortnite" or just vibing out. With clever Discord integration in select games, you can even see your friends' avatar pop up in the corner of the screen, letting you know who's on the mic. Discord is also available on consoles like the PlayStation 5, letting you access Discord servers directly from the console, which is a game-changer for gamers. 

Discord is not just for chatting with friends, though. It's also for finding and interacting with niche communities. It is home to various communities that range from a few dozen users to thousands. These Discord servers are split into many different channels, where you can discuss everything about your particular interest, either with text or voice, depending on the channel. You can also create your own channel if you can't find one that matches your interests, giving you the tools to create a community from scratch. For those chronically online, needing to connect with other like-minded people, Discord is truly a gift.