Software and hardware I use on daily basis and other things I recommend.
This page is inspired by the uses.tech movement. It’s a concise overview of the software and hardware I use every day, along with a curated list of my favorite tools.
Laptop
The M3 Max chip is incredibly powerful for compiling code and daily basis tasks. Battery life is impressive - I can easily get 8+ hours of coding without needing to plug in. Much much better than my previous Intel based Mac.
Docking station
The CalDigit TS4 is a great docking station for the MacBook Pro. It provides all the ports I need for my daily work including USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, Ethernet, and SD card reader. I was testing for some time iVANKY FusionDock Max station (which allows connect 3 external monitors with single cable) but had some compatibility issue with my Dell monitors so finally switched to CalDigit.
SSD disk for daily backups (which are finally uploaded to NAS)
Desktop
Used when I need x86 architecture and specific Windows/Linux use cases.
32GB RAM, 1TB SSDNAS
Good choice for home office. I use it for backups, media server, and as a private cloud. It's fast and reliable.
256GB SSD as extra cacheMonitors
3 x Dell UltraSharp U2518D 25' WQHD IPSMaybe not a top premium but it's still a great monitor for backend guy :)
Great choice as a portable monitor when traveling. Love the magnetic stand which allows easily setup it above base Mac display.
Mobile Devices
Kindle Voyage (2014)Quite old but still works great for reading books. I'm waiting for the new Kindle with the USB-C and buttons :)
IDE / Code editor
I use IntelliJ IDEA for many years (as was working long time as Java developer, currently DevOps role). It's a powerful IDE with great support for refactoring, debugging, and version control.
I use VS Code for web development and quick edits. It's fast, extensible, and has a great ecosystem of plugins. I'm using it with GitHub Copilot plugin.
Terminal
I use iTerm2 as native terminal in different tools where Warp is not supported. (e.g. Intellij terminal window, VS code terminal window). I'm using it with Oh My Zsh and Powerlevel10k theme.
One of the best from the new wave of terminal tools (with AI support). I'm using it for all my daily work.
Mac Apps
With most of the time working with 2 or 3 external monitors I prefer Windows-based style windows management. I was testing quite a lot of different Dock replacement apps and Sidebarapp is the best for me. Also used quite a long time Contexts but is not developed about new features.
Used for creating video tutorials and recording screen.
For project documentation (local storage)
For various private notes
Quite good for focus mode.
I've used quite a long time Spotify but as I'm paying Youtube subscription and Youtube Music is included switched also to Youtube Music. Not so good as Spotify of course.
Bike apps
Using free version for record my bike rides.
Tracking Strava activities in a nice way ;)
Nice stats from Strava.
Routes generation & planning.
Financial apps
My accounting office.
Awesome app to track personal finances.
Trading platform.
Investment group.