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…