Software I use, gadgets I love, and other things I recommend.

I get asked a lot about the things I use to build software, stay productive, or buy to fool myself into thinking I’m being productive when I’m really just procrastinating.

Workstation

  • 14” MacBook Pro, M1 Pro, 16GB RAM (2021)

    I was using an Intel-based 13-inch MacBook Pro prior to this and the difference is night and day - not that my previous machine struggled to do what I needed, but it was apparent that there had been improvements from the moment I switched to Apple Silicon. From recollection, I’ve never actually heard the fans even when I’ve got multiple simulators and IDE instances running, with two-dozen browser tabs in 3 different browsers.

  • Apple Studio Display (Tilt & Height Adjustable Stand) (Standard Glass)

    This display is simply gorgeous, both aesthetically, and the experience it gives when in use. The 27-inch panel renders colours beautifully, the brightness is more than enough, and the sharpness of text when writing code is *chefs-kiss*. It performs equally well when I’m in designer-mode, with graphics, photos, and mock-ups looking super slick.

  • Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID (Lightning)

    While I’m impartial to a mechanical keyboard for a short period, I personally find the sound to be a little grating before too long. The Touch ID-enabled Magic Keyboard, gives me a similar feel to typing on my Macbook Pro (of which I love the keyboard) - while having the convenience of Touch ID easily within reach.

  • Apple Magic Mouse (Lightning)

    I know that this mouse can spark debates - I, personally, don’t mind it. I have what I believe to be average-sized hands and find it quite comfortable. My *only* gripe would be the position of the charging port... although, I suppose I appreciate whyit was put there, and a quick charge for 15 minutes give you enough to get what you’re doing, done and then some.

Development tools

  • PhpStorm

    Way back in the beginning - I started by using apps like Notepad++. Since then I’ve trialled many IDEs including Visual Studio (before VS Code), Dreamweaver, and Eclipse. For a time I went back to a more run-of-the-mill editor, Coda 2 - but after a trial period of PhpStorm from Jetbrains, I made the switch without hesitation and never looked back.

  • iTerm2

    I’ve used this for so long, I’m not sure if the features included aren’t now part of the Terminal app in macOS - but this is what I use.

  • DataGrip

    Similar to my IDE, I’ve used a number of database tools over the years, but I’ve found Datagrip to be the most capable. Probably because of my familiarity with PhpStorm and the rest of the Jetbrains Toolbox.

Design

  • Adobe Creative Cloud

    While I might not appreciate some of Adobe’s practices when it comes to billing, the software is feature-rich and capable.

  • Figma

    I’ve more recently began using Figma when working with web and app design projects. I’m still learning, but so far it appears to be equally feature-rich, and the collaboration tools have come in useful on a number of occasions.

Productivity

  • Spotlight

    Cmd+Space and type what I’m looking for. It can’t get much more simple than that.

  • macOS Calendar

    It’s simple, and it does what I need it to do, and with the more recent releases of macOS and iOS, I can put my reminders directly into the my calendar - removing the need for two separate to-do lists.