> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://werd.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # My setup, September 2019 - URL: https://werd.io/my-setup-september-2019/ - Published: 2019-09-03T04:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-01-06T03:15:50.000Z - Author: Ben Werdmuller - Tags: Technology I thought it would be interesting to detail some of my day-to-day setup, [Uses This](https://usesthis.com/) style. This week I'm completely independent, so I'm only using my own hardware and software, which feels like a good time to take stock. This is my stack - I'd love to read yours! ### Hardware: My main machine is a [2016 13" MacBook Pro](https://support.apple.com/kb/SP747?locale=en%5FUS). Yes, I've had problems with the keyboard, and I have both an external keyboard and trackpad - but the dust has shaken itself out over time, so at this point I rarely use them. I aim to replace my laptops every four years or so, so next year it'll be time to think about a new one (if I decide that this one, or the iPad, isn't serving my needs anymore). For the moment, it works. I prefer the smaller size: a 15" laptop is just that much heavier and bulkier to lug around. My phone is an [iPhone XS Max](https://www.apple.com/iphone-xs/). I'm on [the upgrade program](https://www.apple.com/shop/iphone/iphone-upgrade-program), which I realize makes next to no financial sense, but I kind of enjoy getting to use a new device every year. I like to kid myself that I need to understand the new capabilities for work, but honestly, it's just kind of fun. I'm on [T-Mobile One Plus](https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-37075), which gives me really decent tethering and passable mobile bandwidth worldwide for no extra cost. Lots of people complain about T-Mobile on lower tiers, but it's been great for me on this one. My iPhone has become my go-to camera, but I'm thinking about getting another DSLR. I've got a now-ancient [2007 Nikon D40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon%5FD40) and accompanying telephoto lens, which still works, but even twelve years ago it was kind of entry-level. I love taking photographs, and I'd love to experiment with some more professional kit. This year, I also bought myself an [11" iPad Pro](https://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/) with a new [Pencil](https://www.apple.com/apple-pencil/) and [Smart Keyboard](https://www.apple.com/smart-keyboard/). I was using my personal laptop for work, and I wanted to own a machine that was just for personal creative stuff. I've enjoyed drawing and writing on it even more than I thought I would, but with some regret I've also realized that it's the best email machine I own. C'est la vie. And finally, I love my [AirPods](https://www.apple.com/airpods/). These are my second pair (the latest generation with more battery life made a real difference), but I'm aware of [the environmental impact](https://www.vice.com/en%5Fus/article/neaz3d/airpods-are-a-tragedy) and probably won't buy any more. Although I may seem pretty bought in, I'm seriously considering moving away from the Mac ecosystem - I don't enjoy being locked in, and I don't think either the build or software quality are what they used to be. I was a Windows user pre-2011, and I think I could do well with a Linux machine these days. On the other hand, I do like how all the Apple devices work together, and clipboard sharing in particular genuinely feels like magic. And [I don't even slightly trust Android](https://usa.kaspersky.com/blog/insecure-android-devices/6153/), despite it being open source. So we'll see. ### Software: My main browser is [Firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/), always and forever. The only plugin I really use is [Pocket](https://app.getpocket.com/): rather than a to-read list, it's a way for me to bookmark articles I found particularly interesting. (That's what drives my [month in review posts](https://werd.io/2019/heres-what-i-read-in-august).) The first two things I install on any new computer are [Alfred](https://www.alfredapp.com/) and [1Password](https://1password.com/). I also use [Authy](https://authy.com/) for 2-factor authentication after a nasty experience with Google Authenticator. (If I can avoid it, I never use SMS-based 2fa, [which is wildly insecure](https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/18/16328172/sms-two-factor-authentication-hack-password-bitcoin).) I've got monthly subscriptions to both the [Microsoft Office](https://www.office.com/) and [Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html) ecosystems. I'd love to use open source equivalents, but iteroperability - particularly with Word's track changes and Acrobat's signing for legal documents - has been a hard requirement for me. It's nice to have video and audio editing ready to go if I need them, but I've basically stopped using Photoshop entirely. I've tried a bunch of code editors and IDEs that other people love, like Sublime Text and Visual Studio Code, and I prefer [Webstorm](https://www.jetbrains.com/webstorm/) (in fact, I use [PhpStorm](https://www.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/), which is WebStorm + a PHP interpreter). It thinks how I think, and in particular, I find its autocompletion, branch comparison, and deep code navigation to be incredibly intuitive. I use [iTerm 2](https://www.iterm2.com/) as my terminal, and obviously I'm all over [git](https://git-scm.com/) and [hub](https://hub.github.com/). No surprise that I'm a heavy [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) user. I've got a local development environment [set up with Apache and virtual hosts](https://mallinson.ca/posts/5/the-perfect-web-development-environment-for-your-new-mac), which I mostly use for PHP projects. I've also got [Node](https://nodejs.org/en/) installed, and have been building some personal projects with that and [React](https://reactjs.org/) (with [Next](https://nextjs.org/), after using it at [Unlock](https://unlock-protocol.com/)). I write fiction with [iA Writer](https://ia.net/writer), which I love for its distraction-free environment (and have used [Scrivener](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview) to pull work together in the past - I hate its editor but its organizational tools are lovely). I draw with [Procreate](https://procreate.art/), which I couldn't recommend more highly. ### Etc: I just switched over to a [Peak Design Everyday Backpack](https://www.peakdesign.com/products/everyday-backpack/) at [Jonathan LaCour's](https://cleverdevil.io/) recommendation, and it's stunning. Super-useful, and for an essentially disorganized person like me, its filing system has already been a godsend. I use the top compartment for whichever books I'm reading at the moment, and then chargers etc are stored further down. I even permanently keep a small [GorillaPod](https://joby.com/us-en/gorillapod-guide/) handy. Finally, although it's kind of off-topic here, I was very pleasantly surprised by [Atoms](https://atoms.com/). I walk a lot, and wear through shoes very quickly; the [Allbirds](https://www.allbirds.com/) I bought last year are a mess, and I managed to wear a hole straight through my beloved Merrells. I wear size 14, so buying off the shelf often isn't possible. But for mail order shoes, these seem like a really great solution. I love them so far.