Uses
This is a list of hardware, software, and products I use to get things done as a software engineer. It’s inspired by uses.tech. I’ll keep this page updated as things change, and hopefully you might something useful to add to your own setup.
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Hardware
For my computer I’m currently using a 2023, M3 Max, 16-inch, Apple MacBook Pro with 32 GB of RAM. Not much to say here. Apple makes great hardware and Mac OS is great for development.
I use the Apple Studio Display as my monitor. The resolution and color is amazing and the built-in webcam and speakers where a selling point for me.
I’m using an Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID for my keyboard. I prefer a mechanical keyboard but I like the Touch ID integration.
I use the Apple Magic Trackpad instead of a mouse. I like using gestures and not having to switch muscle memory when I’m using the laptop away from my desk. I try to use the keyboard as much as possible, so I only really miss a mouse when doing precision work when editing images.
For my desk, I use the Autonomous SmartDesk 2. It’s quiet, sturdy, and has a great range of height adjustment. I like that it has programmable presets for sitting and standing.
I use the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro for my chair. It has plenty of adjustment points and is quite comfy.
The Airpods Pro 2 are my go-to headphones. I mainly use headphones when I need to take a call to cut down on ambient noise. Noise cancelling, the built-in mic, and the Apple integration make them great for me.
Software
I use a minimally configured Visual Studio Code as my code editor. It’s fast, has great extensions, and is easy to customize. I’ve given Zed several tries and I really like it. It’s just missing some features I really like in VSCode, like an integrated debugger.
I like GitHub Copilot using Claude 3.7 Sonnet (this will be out of date really fast) for an AI assistant. I’ve tried Cursor in the past but Copilot’s Agent Mode has been great as a pair programmer.
I use Terminal.app built in to Mac OS for my terminal. I’ve used other terminals before, like iTerm2 and Warp, but I found I hardly used any of their features. I really like the philosphy of Ghostty though so I may give it a shot if I run into frustrations with Terminal.app.
I use Google Chrome as my primary browser. As a web developer, I test things across multiple browsers but Chrome has great developer tools and great extensions. I really wished Arc would not have pivoted to whatever they’re doing now.