Software I use, gadgets I love, and other things I recommend.

Nobody asked but here are the things I use to build software, stay productive, or buy to fool myself into thinking I’m being productive when I’m really just procrastinating. Here’s a big list of all of my favorite stuff.

Workstation

  • 16” MacBook Pro, M2 Max, `16GB RAM (2023)

    I was using the the Zephyrus G-14 with WSL 2 prior to this and I find the MacBook Pro to be a much more powerful machine for development. I’ve never heard felt it stutter or lag, even when I code in large TypeScript projects.

  • Dell 27" QHD Monitor

    Really nothing special. I find that 1440p is the minimum resolution for a good display experience. At 27" 1440p is sharp enough for me.

  • Keychron Q1 Keyboard

    I’m a big fan of custom keyboards, and I use them whenever I can. The Q1 isn’t the fanciest custom keyboard out there but I’ve done a few things with it to make it sound and feel nicer. I used the force break and tape mod’s to eliminate some of the ping that early Q1 models had.

  • Razer Orochi V2 Mouse

    I love the Razer Orochi. It’s the mouse I use the most because it is lightweight, ergonomic, and portable. It has a fantastic pulling rate and feels great to use with the 2.4GHz dongle. I also think the design is fantastic.

Development tools

  • VSCode

    Yeah I know it’s basic to use VSCode but I don’t really care. I keep my setup pretty minimal and I usually turn off all the distractions in my IDE to keep it as minimal as possible.

  • Terminal

    The macOS terminal suits my needs and I don’t see the need to use a different terminal emulator.

  • Chrome

    Google Chrome is still the most popular web browser so it’s what I use to test my web apps most of the time.

  • WSL 2

    I use WSL 2 when I am stuck with Windows primarily because Linux is much more powerful for development than Windows.

Design

  • Figma

    I started using Figma as just a design tool but now it’s become my virtual whiteboard for basically everything. Never would have expected the collaboration features to be the real hook.

Software

  • Mac Mouse Fix

    It’s no small secret that macOS is terrible with mice. I’m not sure if Apple is trying to sell more Magic Trackpads or something but the default mouse experience is pretty terrible. Luckily Mac Mouse Fix exists and fixes pretty much any issue I have with how my mouse behaves.

Productivity

  • Raycast App

    Raycast is a lot more than just better spotlight app. I enjoy using it for it’s amazing extensions and shortcuts. I haven’t used it for any AI tools yet but I enjoy the productivity aspect of it.

  • Notion Calendar

    I like notion calendar because it syncs with my Google Calendar and it can run in the background to make sure I don’t miss any events.

  • Cal.com

    Amazing open source tool for scheduling meetings while protecting my calendar and making sure I still have lots of time for deep work during the week.

  • Affinity Photo 2

    Remember when Adobe Photoshop was a one time purchase? Now it’s crazy expensive. I don’t need photo editing tools that often anymore but when I do I reach for Affinity Photo 2. I have really enjoyed using it so far and the price is very reasonable.