Textexpander is the rare productivity tool that actually saves time and increases output.
For OS X only, textexpander allows you to expand short strings of text into longer strings. For example, when I type ‘ppq.com’ textexpander automatically changes it to ‘http://www.productiveporcupine.com/’. Rather than typing my email address in full, I just type ‘ppqat’ and out pops ‘Porcupine@ProductivePorcupine.com’. The great thing about textexpander is it works in every application. You don’t have to manually start it or press command keys to explode the text, it doesn’t interrupt your train of thought, so you can keep typing.
It is particularly useful for eliminating typing clumsy formating in markup languages or in programming. For example, I write my books using LaTeX. While LaTeX is a system well-designed for typesetting books, the syntax is ugly and awkward. With textexpander, instead of reaching for uncomfortable commands like \emph{ } I have simpler snippets in textexpander to create them.
Aside from saving time, textexpander has also helped reduce my RSI.
Textexpander costs $30 and is well worth it for the amount of time you’ll save. Download textexpander here.
Just learn how to use Xemacs and the AucTeX LaTeX mode. It’s free, and you can teach it far more complex macros than just retyping stuff.
AutoHotKey does exactly this for free. Not the simplest thing in the world to set up, but not a problem for the kind of person who’s realistically going to use it.
AutoHotKey may do it for free, but AutoHotKey doesn’t work in any real way on a Mac. Yes, there are ports, but they are terrible, hard to set up, and not nearly as pretty as Textexpander.
If you’re inclined to the Cloud then it’s worth keeping an eye on PopChrom – text expanding extension for Chrome. Works in gMail and in gSpreadsheet. Doesn’t yet work in gWord. But it is free.
[...] use textexpander to make the morning update easier. For example, I type ‘imup’ into twitter and textexpander automatically writes the date, time and #earlyup hashtag for [...]