What I Use
Last Updated: July 2022
Computers
Desktop
I have a custom build PC. It runs an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-Core 3.8GHz Processor with 32 GB of RAM and an older, but still decent nVidia GTX 1060 graphics card.
Laptop
I use a 13" M1 MacBook Pro as my daily driver. It took a little bit of time to get used to the smaller screen, but so far it's been a fantastic machine. I keep it plugged into a docking station most of the time so I'm able to use it with my dual 27" monitors. The battery life on it is amazing.
Displays
Personal Office
In my personal office where I have my MacBook and PC, I run dual 27" LG 4k monitors on arms. The screens are absolutely stunning and it's nice to have a browser open on one window, and Visual Studio Code open on the other when I'm developing.
Work Office
I have a second setup to keep my personal separate from work. For work, I use a Samsung 34" Ultrawide Monitor with a Dell 24" 4k monitor vertical next to it.
Peripherals
Keyboard
I use the Keychron K4 with the aluminum frame and Gateron Red switches on both my work and personal machines. I love its Bluetooth connectivity between my MacBook and my PC as well as its compact frame and number keypad.
Mouse
I have the Logitech MX Master 3 for both my personal and work desk.
Mobile Devices
Phone
I'm currently using an iPhone 14 Pro Max. The screen is absolutely stunning and it takes fantastic photos.
Smart Watch
To go along with my iPhone, I have the Apple Watch Series 8 with cell service. The watch is awesome for keeping track of my fitness when running & working out. The trick with the watch is to be selective about what alerts you want shared between your phone and your wrist. In my case, most alerts are off on the watch because let's face it, how many notifications need to be responded to immediately? The occasional phone call I take on the watch makes me feel like Dick Tracy.
Tablet
I recently upgraded to the 2021 model of the 11" iPad Pro. The screen is beautiful and the pencil magnetically attaching to the side of the tablet is awesome. It makes a great RSS & news reader as well as a device to watch videos now and again.
E-Reader
While the iPad does a good job for reading the news, I love my Kindle Paper White for reading books and long pieces. The screen is easy on the eyes, good in the sun, and in darker rooms.
I also found out that Libby works through my township's library, so I can borrow books for my Kindle as well as use the Amazon store. I'm not a super huge fan of being tied to Amazon, but I can't help but love the convenience of it. I do utilize Calibre from time to time to help organize my library.
Headphones
I use several different pairs of headphones depending on where I am and what I'm doing, or in some cases, what the battery situation of the different pairs is.
Apple AirPods Pro: It took a little bit of persuading and a sale, but I picked a pair of these up and the integration into the iPhone and iPad ecosystem is pretty awesome. The battery and sound quality is top notch. I use these primarily with my iPhone when I'm running or listening to podcasts. I do use them from time to time when I'm out on the porch with my MacBook Pro.
Sennheiser HD 558: I got these a long while ago and still use them while working at my desk quite a bit.
Sony WH-1000XM4: I got these just before Christmas 2021 on a Woot refurbished deal and they are fantastic.
Cameras
Primary Camera
My primary camera is the Canon EOS 60D. I don't take it out as much as I'd like to, but I love what I can do with it. I still have so much more to learn and I'm sure what I can do is only a small subset of what is possible. As an added bonus, my wife has the same camera, so we can share lenses.
Secondary Camera
My secondary camera is the Canon PowerShot G1X. I got this to have a smaller camera with some pretty powerful features. It's not quite pocket-size, but it is easier to carry around than the 60D.
Lenses
To go with my 60D, I have several lenses for various uses.
Tamron AF 28-75mm: A former co-worker recommended this lens to me as a modest upgrade to the kit lens that came with my camera. It's become my general go-to lens.
Canon Telphoto EFS 55-250mm: When I bought the camera from Best Buy, it came with this lens. It's not a bad option for taking photos of far away objects.
Canon Wide Angle EFS 10-18mm: Lauren got this for me for Christmas one year and it adds a nice way for me to get more in my shots.
Canon Kit Lens EFS 18-135mm: Just the standard lens that came with the 60D.
Other Cameras
I have 2 GoPro Hero 3's that I occasionally use to record my hockey games when I'm in net. It helps me see where I need to improve.
I also have an older Sony point-and-shoot digital camera that I keep lying around in case I find a good use for it.
Development
Code Editors
Visual Studio Code: My primary editor for my development.
JetBrains Rider: I needed a good IDE on my Mac for my .NET projects and Rider is awesome. Might even switch to it on Windows too.
Visual Studio 2022: On my desktop, I will sometimes use Visual Studio 2022 for some of the backend work for my .NET projects.
Database
For my .NET apps, I stick with the Microsoft stack and use Microsoft SQL Server.
Azure Data Studio: I found this when I needed to connect to SQL from my MacBook, now I use it over SSMS.
Docker: I also use Docker to run a SQL Server image on my MacBook Pro for local development.
Terminal
MacOS: On my MacBook Pro, I use iTerm with Oh My Zsh.
Windows: On my Destop, I use Windows Terminal with PowerShell and Oh My Zsh.
Code Plugins
Visual Studio Code has an amazing suite of plugins to make development easier and faster.
- Auto Close Tag
- Auto Rename Tag
- C#
- C# Extensions
- ESLint
- GitLens
- Jest Runner
- JS Refactor
- JSON tools
- npm
- Prettier
- Reactjs Code Snippets
- XML Tools
Software
I'm not going to bother to list everything since there's so much, but here's a basic run down.
Web Browsing
I've been using Arc and while it took a little bit to get used to, but I'm liking it so far.
My primary email is hosted through FastMail with my kpwags.com domain. I appreciate having control of my own email without tracking.
For clients I use Thunderbird on Windows and the default Mail app on iOS and MacOS.
Notes
I've gone back and forth quite a bit on notes. I currently use a Dropbox-Synced folder full of markdown files to keep notes.
Tasks & To-Dos
I've always jumped around between apps tracking what I want to accomplish. Currently I'm using Things to keep track of my tasks. I have it on my iPhone, iPad, & MacBook.
RSS
I'm a big proponent of RSS feeds. I feel like they're so much better than social media. Others can probably describe the benefits better than I can, but every site, especially blogs should have one. I use Feedbin to manage my feeds. It has a lot of nice features to improve the experience. I use Reeder on iOS to read my feeds.
Photo Editing
I currently use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to process and edit my photography.
Fitness
I use Apple's built in Activity app and my Apple Watch to keep track of my runs and bike rides.
Music
While I still do buy music, I primarily use Spotify to listen to music. The ability to listen to such a huge library, combined with it's amazing discovery modes, make it a tough deal to beat.
Podcasts
I've been a long-time user of PocketCasts for subscribing to and listening to my overly large podcast subscription list.
Gaming Systems
XBOX Series X
I was lucky enough to get the XBOX Series X on launch and it's been a fantastic gaming system. It's full backwards compatability is awesome and Microsoft's GamePass is an amazing deal.
PlayStation 5
I recently managed to get my hands on the PlayStation 5.
Other Systems
I also have the Nintendo Wii, PS3, GameCube, N64, & Super Nintendo lying around for when my nostalgia itch comes and goes.
Video Streaming
Apple TV
For our living room TV, we use a 3rd generation Apple TV for streaming.
Roku
For our bedroom TV, we use a Roku for access to our streaming services.
Smart Home
Google Home
We use a Google Home & 2 Google Home Minis to listen to music and control our smart lights.
Hue
We use Philips Hue for much of our smart lighting. We have under cabinet lights and light bulbs in our living room that allow for integration into the Google ecosystem.