Since the year 2022 is finally coming to a close and everyone seems to like these stupid lists, here is my list of software picks for 2022. The software products listed here are not necessarily made in 2022 but have been my most used applications throughout the year.
Please note that this list specifically targets Windows applications.
Wavebox
Unsurprisingly Wavebox makes the list. The modern worker needs a good browser and Wavebox is the best choice, in my opinion. Unlike lesser products like Sidekick, Stack, Shift and whatnot, Wavebox is the real deal with its powerful Cookie Containers feature, powerful app routing rules and the ability to let Chrome extensions run in specified containers only.
It is the application that always runs on my machine. Whether I am using it on a personal level for Discord or professionally for Teams.
Instead of installing several dozen of Electron garbage applications, just install Wavebox. The developers make sure to keep Chromium up to date, so you never run into the risk of using an outdated browser.
This year saw some questionable changes in Wavebox. I did not like the fact that you have to enable the new, rounded interface to use the web dock auto-hide feature. Especially since the rounded interface is buggy as fuck and does not render/hide properly ever so often.
I also do not like that you cannot have two main windows.
The price is a little steep as well, however, if you do make use of web applications on a daily basis and want to keep them isolated from each other, there is virtually no better solution than Wavebox at the moment.
Windows Terminal
Signs and wonders! I never thought I would recommend Windows Terminal before 2025 but here we are.
Previously I scoffed at Windows Terminal for being a somewhat buggy mess with strange bugs and limitations that made it impossible for me to use on a daily basis. I am absolutely delighted to report that all of these issues have been resolved, making Windows Terminal an absolutely incredible choice for command-line aficionados.
Mouse emulation works fine, all applications seem to render properly now and the superior Unicode/emoji support makes this a great package.
I feel comfortable recommending Windows Terminal over ConEmu unless you are specifically looking for one of the awesome ConEmu features.
It is also easier to coerce corporate administrators into installing a Microsoft-developed piece of software than what many would see as a “suspicious Russian-made application”.
JetBrains IntelliJ
JetBrains keeps flexing on us with its portfolio of great IDEs. I love the new UI they introduced in 2022 throughout their products and the packages have become more stable and faster throughout the year. Rider has had some slight issues with newer SDK versions but these issues have been resolved.
Especially when having to work with Eclipse on occasion, you learn to appreciate and yearn for IntelliJ. Or Visual Studio Code. Or anything… but please, not Eclipse! Not Eclipse!!
Not really much else to say here.
OBS Studio
OBS Studio is without a doubt the best streaming software around. Sure, other packages provide neat built-in features, but no other package has the amount of community and manufacturer backing that OBS has.
With the built-in support for virtual cameras and powerful third-party plugins, OBS has essentially become my go-to for ensuring my virtual webcam only shows what I want it to show (and when I want it to show!). It also powers my streaming endeavours on YouTube and Twitch (hopefully I will be more active in 2023!).
You could use Xsplit or Wirecast… but why spend money on these packages when you can use that budget on a good microphone or an Elgato Stream Deck instead?
Zoom Player Max / mpv
There are many media players out there, but my favourite is still Zoom Player Max. It simply behaves exactly as I would expect from a great GUI media player. A great runner up is mpv. Both players have hardware-accelerated playback, support Advanced Substation subtitle rendering and have a delightfully minimal UI.
If you are still sitting on Media Player Classic or even VLC, you owe it to yourself to give at least mpv a try.
Zoom Player stands out for the integrated component installer that makes setting up a fresh installation as well as maintaining it really easy.
XYplorer
Come on, did you really think XYplorer would not get mentioned? Not a single day goes by without me using XYplorer. It is still one of the mightiest Windows graphical file managers, next to FAR and Directory Opus.
If I had to voice a single complaint about XYplorer, it would be the lack of catppuccin themes available. And the fact that I spend so much time in the application sorting files. I would rather do something else, thank you.
Closing Thoughts
I tried a lot of possible alternatives to my application stack. 5 years ago, I would have dismissed Wavebox in favour of Franz. The fact that some of these programs have kept their spot for a decade is a testament to how great they are and how little my workflow actually changed over the years.
Perhaps in 2023, there will be a disruptive new file manager or productivity browser. We will see.
