at the most basic: plenty of paper sheets and a pencil. I use this _a lot_. for coding: any computer with vim is good enough, but my main machine is a MBP 15"

at the most basic: plenty of paper sheets and a pencil. I use this _a lot_. for coding: any computer with vim is good enough, but my main machine is a MBP 15" w/ a 23" flat screen, wireless apple keyboard and mouse. I use the iphone a lot to snap pictures of said paper scribbles but I usually keep them in the iphoto library or upload to goplan. lots of people I know swear by evernote, but I don't get it and as such I don't use it. when in need to do HTML, I start up textmate (although I'm not very impressed with it, it does get the job done in a reasonable ammount of time). nor am I a huge github fan, although it's pretty easy to use. for management: goplan (http://goplanapp.com http://goplanapp.com) for basic project management, excel for cashflow management, keeping track of generic project stuff, metrics, short term projections, etc. I'm also back to using word a lot to write specs, although I prefered to use Google Wave for that until the specs were closed but as they're shutting it down I stopped using it. for communications: calling people and email when calling isn't appropriate. call me old fashioned but actually talking to people sorts lots of issues very fast and time is the one thing you'll never get back so I see no point on wasting it. If I had to elect one single thing as what makes me productive, I'd say it's other people who get their part of the job done, not any hw/sw tools.