Desktop APM

APM is short for Actions Per Minute. An action is defined as a key press or a mouse click. Desktop APM runs in the background, monitors your actions, counts them, and then divides them over time. By monitoring your activity throughout the day, it sheds some light on how efficient you are. You can see how much you use your keyboard and mouse, see what applications you use the most, and even see a map of where you click the most.

A wizard will help you install Desktop APM on your Windows-powered PC. When you’re done with the installation and you launch Desktop APM for the first time, a tutorial will present the interface and the functionality Desktop APM has to offer. Check out the Quick Look video that accompanies this article to see this tutorial.

On its interface, Desktop APM displays your highest APM, your active and inactive time, your most inactive time, your total mouse movements, and an APM graph. From the Settings menu you can set it so Desktop APM’s interface is always on top. From the Advanced Options menu you can pick the data format, switch from average to live APM, and set it so the application displays alerts in the tray and plays notification sounds.

Desktop APM is available as a free and as a paid Pro edition. The differences between these editions are highlighted here. Please note that the free edition is for personal, non-commercial use.

Why would you want to get Desktop APM? The answer is simple: it shows you how you use your time. Armed with that knowledge, you can be more productive.