The tools that we use, how do they change the way that we do work? The software that you use, the plugins that speed up certain tasks, even the hardware you work on is a tool.

Software and hardware can looked at in terms of features, can this program work with ptex, or can this GPU render faster in iray than another GPU?

Granted these things can be important to a project, but the ability to do an arbitrary task shouldn’t be the reason to choose that tool. A tools needs to be chosen because it is right for the task at hand.

You can do a lot of things with a tool, even its the wrong tool for task. A chisel might be able to turn a screw. It will get the task done, but it was never intended to do that. There are plenty I of good reasons to use a tool for a task it was not intended. For instance if you limited in selecting tools, either by availability or cost.

Thoughtful selection of the tools you use can go a long way in determining successful the outcome of your project.