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Hardware and software I use to get stuff done.

This list is always a work in progress (last updated 6/23/2023) but I've been very happy with my setup. I encourage you to check out uses.tech for even more inspiration.

Workstation & Desk

  • 14” MacBook M1 Pro (2021), 16GB RAM with 1TB drive

    Having lugged around a 16” MacBook Pro for years, I’m really happy with the smaller form factor, performance and battery life of my 14" M1 Pro. I tend to move my workstation around a lot and this machine has been 🔥

  • Gigabyte 32" 4K 144Hz display

    I tinker with my displays a lot and constantly switch between using only my laptop, a single monitor or dual monitors when docked. At the moment, I'm leveraging a single display when docked. I also use it for my PC rig. For an affordable price, it has been a great display as my primary workhorse. My only complaint is that the built-in KVM switch has started to fail switching my devices about once a week.

  • CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

    A rogue cable is the bane of my existence. My dream has always been for me to plug a single cable into my MacBook and have everything work without any manual effort. This Thunderbolt 4 dock enables exactly this. The only issue I still have is when switching my display between the MacBook and my PC the KVM sometimes fails.

  • Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad

    My keyboard preferences are a saga. I started with a mechanical keyboard 10 years ago with Das Keyboard then later Keychron. Despite me really wanting to use a mechnical keyboard, they just have not competed with the the speed and fluidity that I can type on the MacBook keyboard and I switched to this Magic Keyboard 3 months ago.

  • Logitech MX Master

    3 years ago my previous mouse died in the middle of a demo and I borrowed an MX Master from a coworker. There has been no going back since.

  • Herman Miller Aeron Chair

    Since Covid I have been working 100% remote. Six months ago, I splurged on an Aeron, recognizing that I would be spending a significant amount of time in it throughout my life. I managed to find a refurbished one in pristine condition. If you are in the market for a new office chair and live in the Chicagoland area I highly recommend checking out Office Furniture Center on Roosevelt Road in Chicago. They have a laughably huge selection of high quality and affordable refurbished office chairs.

  • Uplift standing desk

    I've been using an Uplift standing desk for a couple years and recently upgraded to a 60" x 30" walnut top that's given me a lot more surface area. I'm super happy with the quality of this desk.

IDE & Terminal

  • Visual Studio Code

    The 🐐. I installed VS Code the day it was released in 2015. It has never given me any reason to look elsewhere. I currently use the Dark Modern theme with Cascadia Code font + ligatures.

  • Warp

    I honestly use VS Code's built-in terminal most of the time and have used Hyper for many years, but I recently cut to Warp to see what it's all about.

Apps & Subscriptions

  • Notion

    I used Notion for years as my primary note taking, knowledge management, and task management tool. I continue to use it for tasks and documentation that that need to be shared with colleagues, but have started to use several other apps with better offline support for my own knowledge base.

  • Obsidian

    Obsidian replaced Notion as my primary note taking app mostly due to it's offline support. Particularly as an engineer, I have found the markdown support, performance and aesthetic to be much better for jotting and organizing notes for my own purposes.

  • GoodNotes 5

    If I'm studying a topic or need to brainstorm ideas I prefer to use pen and paper. GoodNotes with the Apple Pencil has been a great way for me to do this while digitally documenting and organizing all my notes.

  • Magnet

    Having spent over a decade on PC, window management in macOS is just not there. Magnet has filled this functionality gap for me.

  • CleanShot

    Hands down the best screenshot tool I've ever used. I use it multiple times a day. It's support for recording videos with camera support is clutch.

  • Rocket

    To be honest, this is probably the least necessary app I have but it is nice to use a common interface when looking for emojis and gifs across all apps.

  • ChatGPT Plus

    This is my most recent subscription and I was using the free version pretty consistently for word smithing or troubleshooting. Purchasing the subscription was really just a matter of time.

  • Frontend Masters

    I've been a subscriber for years and it's been a terrific resource for keeping up with frontend development and learning new skills. The iPad app for long flights has been particularly great with offline video support.