Stuff I Use

Last Updated : Jan 2024

Computers

Prior to this, I used a MacBook Pro that I assembled from scratch, as well as a Pixelbook Go. ChromeOS has matured so much that I can now use it to get almost all of my work done without any tinkering, like I had to do back in 2015. I seriously considered staying with ChromeOS, but due to my work requiring desktop apps, I still need a Mac.

I finally jumped onto the Apple Silicon bandwagon and bought the M1 MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The M1 truly lives up to its hype - it has better performance, improved thermal management, and crazy battery life. I can leave the house with a fully charged battery without bringing the charger with me. I sold my M1 MacBook Pro and reverted to an Intel iMac and MacBook Pro. In certain cases, if you build a system in x86 architecture, it is preferable to run it on x86, especially since the majority of cloud technologies are still powered by x86 architecture. Good thing is, ever since I use iMac as my main machine, I no longer experience issues with my back.

For everyday use, the Intel-based Mac remains quite functional, if you're not overly concerned about battery life, power consumption, and fan noise.

Development

Code Editor

I got hooked on Sublime Text after using it on my Pixelbook Go. Unlike Textmate, Sublime Text isn't exclusive to a single operating system - you can pretty much install it on Windows/Linux and be familiar with the same UI. I still keep Textmate for quick editing.

For the rest of my work, I rely on the magic of Google Chrome with Developer Tools and iTerm2 as Terminal replacement.

Gadgets

Mobile devices

My daily mobile phone is the iPhone 11 Pro Max. I also carry a Pixel 4a as my secondary phone for mainly for testing and as a portable hotspot whenever I'm out of the country. While I can safely move in and out of any ecosystem, the benefits of staying with Apple's ecosystem outweigh pretty much all the minor cons I can think of.

Audio

For the past 10 years, I have purchased a lot of audio gear, including the legendary Goldring DR150 and a Portable Wolfson DAC. Then, I bought my first AirPods, and Apple worked their magic with the Mac's speakers. These combinations changed the way I listen to music forever. Now, I am happy to trade off a bit of quality for a huge amount of convenience.

Music

I am now back to managing my own music. It makes no sense to keep paying while I listen to the same music for about 2-3 times a month.

Entertainment

I switched to an Android TV after years of streaming with Chromecast. It's good to have a standalone device for content consumption instead of relying on a phone. I chose the Onn TV 4K over the more popular Mi TV because of its better specs and good reviews.

Whenever I feel like gaming, my PS4 Pro will handle the task.

Services

Majority of the code that runs this blog is written by me, with exception of some plugins. Over the past few years, it has gone through several migrations, few redesigns and countless typo fixes. I also design and maintain few cloud services for my company. While I am considering co-hosting my own hardware, the current local prices still outweigh the benefits by a huge factor.