Biggest PC upgrades of 2026 were these 6 apps, not new hardware

The biggest PC upgrades of 2026, according to the article, were not new hardware but six free apps that can be installed in minutes and quickly change how users work on Windows. The author says the upgrades do not increase benchmark scores or make games run faster, but they address recurring pain points that Windows has not solved on its own. SnipDo provides an action menu when text is selected, offering 80+ built-in actions and 100+ free extensions, aimed at tasks like translating, searching, and checking spelling within the same pop-up. EarTrumpet adds dedicated per-app volume control by placing a mixer one click from the taskbar, including the ability to mute one source while keeping others active. The article also highlights Blip as a Windows alternative to AirDrop that transfers files between Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android via Wi‑Fi or the internet, resuming automatically if the connection drops mid-transfer.