My tools of the trade
Every designer has his or her own tools that they could not live without. Of course there are certain applications that are considered standard in the web design industry, but what many people miss if the fact that your skills are not defined by the tools you use.
Hardware
Windows PC and Laptop
I use a Dell desktop PC with a 22″ wide-screen monitor and Samsung laptop, running Windows Vista and Windows 7 respectively. I have no doubt that Macs are great however from my experience with them they do not justify there price tag. I have used Windows for years and have never had any problems with it. OK, UAC is a little annoying but I can live with that.
Software
Adobe Photoshop CS3/4
As expensive as this application is I have yet to find a worthy replacement. Both GIMP and Inkscape are more than capable alternatives however Photoshop is (in my opinion) more intuitive. I have even tried Abode Fireworks but always come back to Photoshop. I must say that these days I do pretty much all my designing in the browser so I only really use Photoshop for logos and textures.
e Text editor
Being a Windows user there are many free text editors which all do a great job but the UI always leaves something to be desired. I tried Dreamweaver and liked it but it was too clunky to use simply as a text editor. e is basically the Windows version of TextMate. It has a lovely UI, is very extensible and a joy to use.
Filezilla
A free FTP application that meets all of my needs. Why anyone would pay for an application when this open source alternative does everything you need and more for free. I do actually dream of having an entirely open source work space.
WordPress
This little-known CMS is what I always use. It’s what I have used from the beginning and have always come back to after trying out the alternatives. With every release it gets better and more powerful. It’s also unbelievably intuitive. The only other CMS I would consider using is Drupal, of which I am currently getting to grips with.