This will be quick! I really just want to make a quick list of Web 2.0 applications that I am using to stay productive by working as much as possible in a Web browser. It is really a hot topic for me. For the last two years, I have been working to eliminate all desktop applications. With the exception of Skype and Acrobat Reader - I have done it!

Tools I use to do my job:

Google Docs - this is for collaborative word processing with easy-to-use tables. It is feature-rich - just like Word. In fact, you can upload Word documents or save as a Word document.

Google Spreadsheets - this is a great, full-featured spreadsheet. It supports multiple sheets and functions from sheet to sheet. The best part is that it is collaborative. You can actually see what cell another contributor is occupying. My favorite part is that we no longer have to ask who has the most recent version - it is always the most recent version.

Google Presentations - we were using Prezentit.com - but Google being Google managed to recreate PowerPoint. Again, the real power is collaboration. My partners and I create presentations for future sales events, each from our desks, at the same time. It is amazing to watch a presentation grow as you divide and conquer! [UPDATE 10/14/08: Now Google Docs has forms - so you can say goodbye to SurveyMonkey and create online surveys for FREE.]

Gliffy.com - this replaces Microsoft Viseo - it is super easy to use and creates beautiful, printable visual documents. It is also collaborative (however, it is not collaborative in real time - i.e. if others are logged in to the same document, they will not see a change unless they refresh.).

Google Mail - I eliminated Microsoft Outlook in favor of Gmail. The beauty is that my email lives on the Net. I am not tethered to a particular PC or Mac where it is archived. I can also easily access it on my iPhone. It has tons of storage space - although I rarely use it due to my dedication to the Getting Things Done system (a topic for another blog). It also handles spam like a champ!

Google Calendar - I have my entire family using it. That means that I can access all of their calendars and see where we have openings. That way I don't miss the important things (like watching my daughter's performances). Obviously, my business partners use it as well so that we can schedule events without conflict.

TaDaList.com - this is a 37 Signals product. I like it because my family can collaborate on to-do lists and I can access from my iPhone (or any smartphone). So, we have a family grocery list - where any of us can add items - whoever is at the store can access via phone and see what needs to be bought. This is a great list because it does not require a login to get to the information - making it great when mobile!

Backpack.com - Backpack is another 37 Signals product - it is a to-do list on steriods. I can create a to-do list with notes, reminders (sent to my phone), add images, etc. I combine that with CellTell to send voice messages to one of my Backpack pages. This is an integral part of my Getting Things Done system. But what is most powerful are the reminders. I have reminders that tell me when to take my vitamins/supplements, give the dogs their pills, change filters, call particular clients on a weekly basis, etc. This gets that routine stuff out of my head!

Splashup.com - this replaces Photoshop. Now, if you are a designer, it is not going to cut it. In fact, if I need to make something transparent - it lacks some of the tools you need. But for resizing and doing things with layers - it handles 80% of what I used to do with Photoshop.

HighriseHQ.com - this is our CRM (client relationship management) tool. It is super simplistic (what else would you expect from 37Signals). It is all about the project or case, the people involved and what is happening between you and the people to bring the project to a close. It appears patterned after David Allen's Getting Things Done system. We never have to ask each other how things are going with a particular client - the Highrise dashboard keeps us informed throughout the day.

All of the tools listed above are FREE! At least for the beginning version (as you start to find utility, you may end up with a nominal monthly fee).

[UPDATE 10/14/08: Cloud computing is also beginning to dominate enterprise applications - like Highrise above or PipelineDeals disrupt Salesforce.com for CRM, ERP systems like NetSuite are making it affordable for smaller companies to have phenomenal access to information to run their businesses. (See "IT will survive Cloud Computing, but what will it look like?" by Dave Rice, CEO of TrueCloud)].

My goal has been to completely move online with all of the applications I use to do my job. Now, I am free to use a super cheap PC or Mac to do my work. If you know of any great Web 2.0 applications, please comment to this posting or send me an email. Thanks!

[UPDATE 03/18/09: I have migrated my CRM to BatchBlue. I have also created this blog and website in SynthaSite, the forms are created with Wuhoo and my email marketing application is Mailchimp.]