The Tools I Use
Here's a list of software and hardware that I use on a regular basis as a developer and content creator. I will be keeping it updated.
Quick Jump: OS | Code Editor and Terminal | Notable Apps | Computer, Desk and Phone | Recording and Music
Every once in a while an email rolls in where someone asks me about my development environment or has questions about certain hardware.
I thought it would be fun to list out everything I use here. Keep in mind, I change things around quite a bit, but I will keep this article updated.
If I missed anything, let me know in the comments at the bottom of the post.
OS
Windows 10 Professional with WSL and MobaXterm to get a Linux development environment. It’s like you get the best of both worlds (gaming and development).
DexPot for managing virtual work spaces. It’s one of my favorite tools and I’ve written about it before.
Ditto to manage multiple clipboards. It’s super handy and I wrote about clipboard managers here (they will save you a lot of time).
Code Editor and Terminal
I used Sublime Text 3 for a long time but now I’m happily using VSCode as of Nov 2017.
ConEmu terminal with the Consolas font at size 14.
tmux. I’ve written a tutorial on tmux if you’re interested in learning how to use it.
Notable Apps
For browsers I’ve used Opera from about 2006 to 2014, then I tried FireFox for a year and now I use Chrome. I’m happy with Chrome in terms of performance.
I do most of my training / consulting sessions through Google Hangouts, and I use this nifty Chrome extension to run it as a standalone app. It’s great for quick chats too.
Momentum is another really cool Chrome extension to keep you on track. I wrote about that in a post on defeating procrastination a while ago.
I spend a lot of time on IRC which I’ve written about in the past. My favorite IRC client is HexChat.
For password management I use a command line tool called pass. Currently at 200+ passwords.
For finance tracking and accounting I like GnuCash. It is way better than Excel for accounting and it’s open source.
Computer, Desk and Phone
I run dual monitors and my primary monitor is a Dell UltraSharp U2515H 2560x1440 monitor . I wrote a huge guide on how pick to a monitor if you’re interested in how I came to that conclusion. I love it, and it was one of the most substantial upgrades I’ve made in 5 years. The other monitor is a 1920x1080 HP Pavilion 22xi which works well enough.
I assembled my workstation from individual parts back in 2014 and added a few accessories as time went on. Everything below was $850 back when I got it (some prices have went up a lot since then):
- CPU: Intel i5 3.2GHz
- RAM: 16GB (2x 8GB) G.Skill RipJaws X Series
- SSD: Crucial MX 100 256GB
- Video card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750
- Internal HD: WD 1TB SATA 6GB/s 7200 RPM
- External HD (for backups): WD 1TB My Passport (Black)
- Motherboard: AsRock H97M Pro4
- Case: NZXT Source 210
- CPU heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
- Fans: Noctua NF-P12 PWM
- PSU: XFX TS Series 550w (wouldn’t buy this one today)
- Keyboard: AmazonBasics Wired Keyboard
- Mouse: Logitech Wired G400
- Mouse pad: SteelSeries QcK mass
In addition to the above I use a Huion H610 Pro drawing tablet and stylus. I’m not an artist by any means but it’s excellent for writing hand written slides and notes. Some of my blog post images were drawn with it.
I also use a modified Toshiba Chromebook 2 CB35 (2015) to run Linux. It’s great for a portable device which doubles as a $350 laptop capable of doing development work on the go. I do a lot of reading and some coding outside with this device. I wrote a massive guide on how to set that up.
I wanted to try standing, so I built a custom standing desk for $50. I’ve been standing at my workstation nearly full time since the start of 2016 and I still do today. The screenshot in the above link is a bit old. It’s been modified to have a shelf for the drawing tablet and those aren’t the monitors / mic I use today.
I am a big fan of whiteboards, so I put together an 8x4 foot whiteboard for about $15. That post also shows the latest standing desk modification, monitor and mic that I use.
I’m anti-smartphones so I use a LG Xpression 2 slide out phone. Although I do have a TracFone Samsung Stardust for when I need data on demand. I also use it as an MP3 player on the road.
Recording and Music
I’m a HUGE fan of Camtasia 9 for recording screencasts. It’s what I used in my latest Docker course and will be using for future courses. It easily saves me dozens of hours of editing for each course. It also works for MacOS and Windows, and you can use 1 license on more than 1 machine.
I use an Audio-Technica AT2005 dynamic microphone. In my opinion it’s the best screencast / podcast microphone you’re going to find unless you spend $300-400+. It’s what I used for the Dive Into Docker course (and all courses in the foreseeable future). I also use a Dragonpad pop filter and this boom arm. The arm really helps with positioning and reducing keyboard noise.
I do all of my audio editing and music listening through a pair of Sony MDR V6 headphones and I’m extremely pleased with them. I wrote a huge guide on how to pick headphones before, so check that out. I think I will use these headphones for the rest of my life.
REAPER is the only audio processing software that I use. It’s an excellent DAW and lets you process audio in real-time. That is super important since I record so much audio for my courses because it cuts down a lot of time on post-production editing.