*Last updated: 24th April 2022*
I really enjoy reading about other people’s setups. I read uses this for years (when it was called The Setup) and ZSA Technology Labs (makers of the ErgoDox EZ) also have a similar “people” page where they interview users of their keyboards. And, of course, Wes Bos popularized the /uses page idea.
Here is mine.
COMPUTER – Apple MacBook Air M1 16GB 1TB - Great computer. Apple are finally back! I would never have considered an Air in years gone past but I was in dire need of a new computer and Pro M1’s we’re not yet available. No regrets. I plan to upgrade to a Pro in time.
MONITOR – Apple Studio Display with regular glass. Almost everything I’ve been waiting for since 2016. Time to get rid of the disappointing ASUS PB279Q.
KEYBOARD – Vortexgear Pok3r keyboard (with MiTo GMK Laser custom keycaps). I generally like this keyboard, but I do occasionally knock the keyboard into programming mode and can’t remember how to get it out again. CAPSLOCK is mapped to CONTROL.
MOUSE – Magic Trackpad 2 in Space Grey. I like using gestures when in “desktop mode”.
WEBCAM – The Logitech C920 HD Pro has been very solid for me since 2017. I occasionally wonder whether it’s time to upgrade to something with a resolution greater than 1080p, but I don’t suppose there’s a massive benefit to that.
AUDIO INTERFACE – I have a Atom DAC which plugs in via USB and a Atom Amp headphone amplifier. Very clean sound that took some adjustment at first. I now hear things in music that I never heard before, so I guess that’s good.
HUB/DOCK – Everything is hooked together using a OWC Thunderbolt Dock (OWCTB4DOCK). Expensive, but works well and is reliable.
HEADPHONES – Shure SE425 IEMs with SnugsPro custom ear moulds. I’ve been a big fan of Shure headphones for years having owned 5 or 6 different models over the years (they tend to break, but I don’t like anything else).
SPEAKERS – Audioengine A2 powered speakers. Not currently plugged in, for reasons.
Apple iPhone 13 phone. I really like this phone. However, for some reason, in the heat of the moment, I decided to go for Gold. No idea why, I’m a space grey guy normally. I’ll try not to do that again.
WATCH – Apple Watch Series 7 GPS, 45mm Midnight Aluminium Case with Dark Cherry Sport Band, for gym use, and Black/Pure Platinum Nike Sport Loop, for general use.
Over-engineered notification delivery system.
TABLET – Apple iPad mini Wi‑Fi 64GB in Starlight with the 2nd generation Apple Pencil. I regularly forget I have it, but I like it a lot.
NETWORKING – I went all in on Ubiquiti a few years ago. The controller software is really nice, and it has been solid for me. A Unifi USG brings Internet in to the property, which is distributed via US-8-60W switch, and UAP-AC-PRO wifi access point. I also have a smaller Switch Flex Mini in my office connected using PoE.
IKEA Bekant Standing desk - It’s done me well for the price, but starting to sound a bit creaky. I would like to replace it with something that has settings so I can start/stop it at the correct height quickly.
Steelcase Leap V1 Chair - bought second-hand, and in need of replacement. I’ve attempted to replace this chair and failed. Trying chairs before buying is strangely difficult.
Fully Jarvis Dual Monitor arm with laptop tray - this is new-ish, and allows me to position the laptop in relation to my main screen. I used a Rain Design mStand for years and recommend it, but I wanted to free up space on my desk, and the dual monitor arm allows that. It has some wobble, but I blame the desk for that.
Terminal font of choice is JetBrains Mono in 18 points. That might sound pretty big for a terminal but it’s easier on the eyes, and I think encourages better code as you can’t fit as much text on single page.
My text editor of choice is Neovim which runs inside iTerm using the moonlight.nvim colorscheme.
I use Fish as my shell – I just like the defaults. A lot of stuff just works, and it has a lot less unix baggage than other shells.
My Dotfiles are available on GitHub should you be interested in seeing a mess of barely understood Vimscript.
My various email accounts are handled by Fastmail* after years of Google Mail. I’m glad to me free of Google for email.
Saying that, I still use them for my calendaring needs – at the moment 🤦♂️
DNSimple* for DNS. They have a great interface. I was grandfathered in to a good deal years ago which has kept me with them. Inertia is keeping me there for now, despite price increases.
This webpage is hosted on GitHub Pages – a very good setup for me.
weeknotes.elver.me is built with Hugo and hosted on Netlify, the first time I’ve hosted something there. I chose them because I really like their integration with GitHub which allows me to preview the site before I publish. And it’s free, obvs.
jordanelver.co.uk is built with Middleman and hosted on Amazon S3 with Cloudfront. I might move it to Netlify.