MAXIMUMPC OCTOBER 2007
Don’t let their obscurity
fool you—these powerful
online apps will
supercharge your life!
BY ROBERT STROHMEYERIf popularity were a reliable indicator of a
product’s greatness, the Big Mac would be
the world’s best burger, Coca-Cola would
be nutritious, and Microsoft wouldn’t have
to spend billions to convince you to buy its
software. Savvy computer users know that
sometimes the best program is the one you
haven’t yet used. So when we set out to fi nd
the ultimate online apps, we skipped the big
sites that everyone already knows.
Sure, you can track your schedule with
Google Calendar, watch videos on YouTube,
and share pictures with friends on Flickr, but
while these popular web apps certainly serve
up great features, none of them is perfect.
Meanwhile, the Internet is brimming with
underdogs that are dreaming up some kick-
ass new concepts—and putting them into
action right now.
The rise of easier-to-use web develop-
ment tools like Python and Ruby on Rails
has caused an explosion of cool new web
services that do everything from organiz-
ing your thoughts to tracking airfares across
multiple travel sites to replacing your entire
Offi ce suite—and almost everything is free.
Even as you read this, the world of web apps
is expanding with cool new sites that take
the features of your favorite old standbys and
give them new, innovative twists. Some are
terrible, but many are just plain brilliant, and
we’ve narrowed down the fi eld to 15 apps
that will fundamentally change the way you
use the web.Web Apps
Web Apps
You’ve Never Heard Of
The 15 Best