What I Use

March 17, 2023 - Bill Sullivan

Making this page, I learned that I use a lot of stuff! I mostly write software and create content, so this list leans in that direction.

Desk and Chair

• Uplift V2 Standing Desk - I have a 60”x30” desk, bought during the depths of the covid lockdowns, and I’ve been really happy with it. I wish I could say I used it to stand up more, but it didn’t make me dramatically less lazy.
• Steelcase Leap Chair - I bought this 12 years ago and it’s still going strong.

Software

• macOS - An extremely nice and professional OS. I worry about its future, but its present is amazing.
• Pop!_OS - A very very good linux OS. There’s very little that I can’t do in this OS (mostly proprietary things like send iMessages). I have high hopes for it in the next few years.
• VS Code - It’s just so great, isn’t it?
• Chrome - It works so well, I can hardly even hear the reservations I have in my head.
• 1Password - A really nice product that reliably solves my two password problems: Keeping track of passwords and securely sharing passwords with other people.
• Calibre - A super powerful ebook library manager (and reader, and editor, and creator…). It’s a great example of a program (or suite of programs) that is so useful, you stop noticing that it could be a lot more usable.
• Obsidian - Another wonderful application that has so much utility. I am not a fanatical note taker, but I do take a lot of notes. Having those notes in markdown files on my local machine helps me sleep at night.
• VLC - I’m surprised by how often I use this app, but I work with audio and video files a lot more than I used to and sometimes VLC is the only thing that can handle a weird file. It’s not great for day to day listening and watching, but it’s crucial for me as a creator.
• Infuse - The interface is so nice, it’s like having a streaming service that only plays your local files. I put a bunch of video files on a NAS and stream to my iPad, or even my Apple TV.

Computers

• 2020 13” M1 MacBook Pro - I had my previous MacBook Pro for about 7 years before I upgraded, but the M1 has been a wonderful improvement. It mostly lives attached to a monitor, but it’s great to have some portability too.
• Galago Pro 14” System76 laptop - A great little linux-native laptop. It’s been my secondary machine for a while, but honestly I could switch to it for day to day use and not miss a beat.
• Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13” Laptop - A very nice little chromebook. Mostly used as a backup, but fun to have a gigantic touchscreen to play around with sometimes.
• iPhone 14 Pro - I’ve been using iPhones since they launched, still very happy about it.
• iPad Pro 12.9” - I was not completely sold on this size, but once I got it in my hands I was a believer.

Computer Accessories

• Dell P2715Q 27” 4K Monitor - I got it from a previous job, we all were allowed to bring office equipment home during the covid lockdowns and then they never wanted anything back. I’ve been really happy with it, although it might be time to replace it soon.
• Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad - I like a full sized keyboard.
• System76 Launch Keyboard - A mechanical, clickey-clackey keyboard. Not full sized, but kind of awesome anyway. Completely re-mappable with a free app, lots of fun colored lights, and a built in USB hub. A little loud of daily use, but I think the next one I get will have quieter switches.
• Apple Magic Mouse - This is pretty much the mouse that works the same way my brain works. It’s hard for me to use any other mouse now.
• OMOTON Vertical Laptop Stand Holder - Frees up some desk space, can’t complain.
• FIFINE USB Microphone - It generally sounds better than the built-in mics in Apple products. It was really helpful with the switch to so much remote work in 2020.
• Logitech C920 Webcam - A perfectly good webcam, I’ve had it for years and it doesn’t disappoint. I’ve been using my iPhone camera a bit since the Continuity Camera feature launched, but I still keep the Logitech webcam on my monitor.
• Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe - This keeps my iPhone in place atop my monitor when I want to get really nice video quality.
• Anker USB C Hub, 341 USB-C Hub - My MacBook Pro has 2 USB-C ports, so a hub was always going to come into play. This hub has some nice features, most prominently the power pass through. It doesn’t seem to have any monitor connections that get 60Hz, so I typically use this hub for one port and the monitor cable for the other.