Sticks and stones won’t break my bones
Cause I’ve got my gadgets. Equipment and software I use for work. I believe in less but own a bit more.
Workstation
13” MacBook Pro, Intel i7, 32GB
This machine is my development workhorse. A few years ago, I invested in expensive Apple memory. It smoothly runs docker, code editor, and browsers. Funny thing is I can’t go below the retina display quality bar. I plan an upgrade to M3.
LG 4K Display
I use a 27-inch screen from LG (27UL850-W). This one is better than the average I owned, just not great overall. Finding a display for work is a difficult task. Especially when I want P3 colors, retina font quality, and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
Logi MX Mechanical Mini Keyboard
The compact and practical mechanical keyboard that doesn’t scare my family away. Features that appeal to me – low body profile, tactile feel, and long battery life.
Apple Magic Trackpad
Its precision and accessibility are unmatched. The only downside is the lightning charging connector.
Fully Jarvis Bamboo Desk
I started working from home a few years before it became the new default. Jarvis minimalist design and reasonable pricing won many likes in the software engineering community. In my view, adjustable desks should be in every home and school.
Herman Miller Aeron Chair
The human body is built for motion. When I’m tired standing, I sit in the ergonomic chair. A bit expensive at first take, but worth it in the long run.
Development tools
Visual Studio Code
VS Code is so popular that using other code editors means extra friction. I mapped shortcuts to Sublime Text layout to take advantage of my muscle memory. Thumb up for decent Typescript support.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot helps me understand code and debug errors. It is a handy explainer of new concepts and techniques. Good at offering context for older ideas. At times, Copilot’s suggestions are outdated.
iTerm2
There are tools I just got used to. I know about fancy alternatives that require an account. Why jump between terminals if I don’t remember how to jump between words in the terminal?
Design
Figma
Sketch is not Figma, so why should it be? You and I should get along so awfully. I concluded that Figma has advanced collaboration features and superior web support. After struggling to collaborate on Valisa’s design in a paid Sketch plan, I moved to Figma.
Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator is a photo editor that preserves webp image quality and respects color profiles. I like its intuitive user interface and practical presets. Bonus feature - it offers well-tested integration with Automator.
Productivity
Proton
Proton Mail, Drive, and VPN are a privacy-focused alternative to big tech. I pay for the product. Otherwise, I am the product.
Freeform
I use an old-school paper notepad. Its permanent presence on my desk reminds me about the goals I set. Freeform is my tool of choice for drawing software architecture diagrams. It is a powerful tool for visualizing ideas. All things aligned, finally!
Bear
Intuitive shortcuts and markdown support make taking notes in Bear a breeze. Every little part is polished to perfection. Thank you, Shiny Frog, for making it!
Rectangle
Window management is so essential that I wonder why Rectangle features are not built into MacOS. But Apple being Apple has a weird opinionated not-a-solution. I think KDE did a much better job at organizing chaos.