uses
i often get asked about the stuff that i use so i wanted to make a comprehensive page listing mostly everything. i will probably update this list over time as it also helps me keep track of what i'm using - and maybe it'd be useful to help some people discover new software and hardware aswell.
hardware
my main computer is an M4 MacBook Air configured with 24gb of memory and 1tb of storage. i use Nix and nix-darwin, along with Homebrew for GUI applications. i mostly went for a MacBook because I wanted to use Logic Pro, and audio production SUCKS on linux. but also because i haven't been really enjoying Windows lately. i also love the hardware. the trackpad, display, and battery life are great, and the speakers are the best i've ever heard from a laptop.
i also have a Surface laptop, running Windows, which i use for games. but i don't really do much else on there. i would like to install Linux on there, but it doesn't really play nicely with my dock (Dell WD19TB). also for whatever reason on Linux it always runs the Nvidia GPU at the lowest power setting, making games unplayable. (the Nvidia driver seems to think that it's always on battery power.)
i also play and emulate games on my Steam Deck very often. it's a 256GB LCD model. this has been a very good purchase and i'd heavily recommend it if you're into pc gaming and you want something portable :)
i have my old desktop which i use as my main server since i don't really have any other use for it. it's running NixOS. i run Jellyfin for movies/tv, Navidrome for streaming my music library, restic and Time Machine backup shares, and Minecraft servers for my friends. i also run Samba shares.
i also have an Intel NUC (i forgot exactly which generation) which was the previous computer i used as my server before i upgraded to my old desktop. this is currently unused.
i have a Raspberry Pi 4 which i used to run RetroPie on. currently it's unused though, and i'm thinking of ways i could use it.
i have an iPhone 14 Pro, mainly because i wanted GarageBand at the time but it also plays nicely with my Mac. i'm considering switching to a Pixel at some point though.
i also enjoy messing with retro/vintage hardware and have some older computers:
- i very often use my 5th gen iPod to listen to my music library on the go and at home, since it's distraction-free and fun to tinker with. i run Rockbox on here with adwaitapod, the best Rockbox theme ;)
- sometimes i used to use my 4th gen iPod Touch for distraction-free music listening and those classic mobile games. i do quite miss when mobile devices were small and easier to handle, and this is nice to bring to places where i don't want my phone
- i have a Gateway laptop from 2003 that i don't really use, but sometimes mess around with it for shits and giggles
also here's the gear i use for music:
- audio workstation: i mostly use Logic Pro or Bitwig or FL Studio
- instruments: i have a Donner Hush X, a Squier stratocaster, some acoustic Yamaha, a ukulele, and a Yamaha keyboard.
- virtual plugins: Logic's stock, ValhallaDSP, MeldaProduction, Spitfire Audio LABS
- midi controller: i use that Yamaha keyboard along with my Arturia Minilab 3.
- microphone: i typically use an AKG P120.
- audio interface: i use a Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen. however, sometimes on the go, i just plug in my Fender Mustang Micro and start recording, but the latency is sometimes kinda bad when plugged into the laptop
software
operating systems
on desktop i mostly prefer MacOS, NixOS, Fedora, and Debian. for servers i run NixOS because it's just so convenient. i also run Windows for gaming. i previously used Arch rather than NixOS but it was far too unstable for my liking and i prefer the declarative approach that NixOS offers.
if game anti-cheat worked on Linux i would probably switch to it full-time. maybe. though i still need Logic Pro and Final Cut, which are macOS-exclusive.
desktop
on linux i typically use GNOME, but i've also been switching between KDE and GNOME ever since KDE 6 released. i also use Sway. when using KDE i often enjoy AeroThemePlasma ;)
on the desktop i prefer MacOS over Linux for various reasons, mostly because it tends to be more stable and has better support for professional applications. i need stuff like Logic Pro and Final Cut which simply can't run on Linux. but i am very much excited for whats going on in the Linux space
programs
- Affinity
- Apple Mail or Thunderbird
- Battery Toolkit
- Cinny
- CrossOver
- Discord
- Final Cut Pro or Davinci Resolve
- Ghostty
- Inkscape or Figma
- iTunes (
Music.app) or Strawberry - JetBrains IDEA
- Logic Pro or Bitwig or FL Studio or GarageBand
- MuseScore
- Neovim
- NetNewsWire
- Nix and nix-darwin
- Obsidian
- OnyX
- Photomator or Adobe Lightroom
- Prism Launcher
- Signal
- Steam
- Tailscale
- Transmission
- Visual Studio Code
- VLC
(there may also be some other software i forgot to mention, but thats most of it)
services
these are services hosted on my NUC. i connect to everything using Tailscale.