Software and hardware I use
A list of all the software and hardware I regularly use.
But why?
As a member of a (capitalist) society, one of the key ways you influence its structure is by making choices about the products you consume/purchase. When it comes to groceries, I already pay (some) attention to the origin of food products and whether they are sourced locally or from the other side of the globe. However, I’ve realized that in the digital space in which I spend a lot of time and in which my daily work takes place, I haven’t given it much thought until now. – iamrob.in1
Software #
I seem to be lacking a healthy dose of open source software.
| Name | Description | Location | Open Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Forced to stay on Windows for game compatibility 😭😭😭 | 🇺🇸 | |
| Firefox | Web browser which respects your privacy more than Chrome | 🇺🇸 | ✓ |
| 1Password | Password manager, pricy but well made | 🇨🇦 | |
| Obsidian | My daily journaling app | 🇨🇦 | |
| Notion | Used for school notes, saving ideas. Slow performance on large pages. | 🇺🇸 | |
| Visual Studio Code | General purpose IDE/code editor | 🇺🇸 | ✓ |
| IntelliJ | Best IDE for Java projects | 🇨🇿 | ✓ |
| Windows Terminal | Works well enough for me | 🇺🇸 | |
| GitHub Pages | How this website is hosted | 🇺🇸 | |
| Proton Mail | Privacy focused email. A bit slow compared to Gmail. | 🇨🇭 | ✓ |
| Camo Studio | Lets me use my old phone as a webcam | 🇬🇧 | |
| iCloud Drive | Photo sync/backup and holds my Obsidian journal | 🇺🇸 | |
| Spotify | Music and sometimes podcasts. Please stop raising the price 😭 | 🇸🇪 | |
| Discord | Chat with friends and classmates | 🇺🇸 | |
| Steam | Most of my game library | 🇺🇸 | |
| Apple Calendar | I only check my calendar through my iPhone | 🇺🇸 | |
| Apple Reminders | I only check my to-do list through my iPhone | 🇺🇸 | |
| DaVinci Resolve | Video editor. The free tier is pretty good. | 🇦🇺 | |
| HandBrake | Video compression tool | N/A | ✓ |
| Paint.NET | Decent free image editor | 🇺🇸 | |
| Proton VPN | For the rare time I need to move my geolocation | 🇨🇭 | ✓ |
| For friends and family | 🇺🇸 | ||
| YouTube | I grew up with 2010’s YouTube | 🇺🇸 | |
| It’s been enshittified over the years but it’s still the best forum | 🇺🇸 |
My custom built PC #
| Component | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case | Cooler Master NR200P | With all the panels removed, so it’s essentially an open frame chassis |
| Processor | Intel i5-10600K | I was able to overclock to 4.8 GHz all-core and 1.28 V |
| Graphics Card | XFX Quicksilver Magnetic Air Radeon RX 7800 XT | Freakin’ huge size. It barely fit the case. |
| CPU Cooler | Deepcool AK400 | Swapped the two fans for Arctic P12’s |
| Motherboard | ASRock Z490M-ITX/ac Mini ITX | |
| Memory | G.Skill Trident Z 16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 | |
| M.2 NVME Drive | Intel 660p 2 TB PCIe 3.0 | |
| Power Supply | Corsair SF600 600 W 80+ Gold SFX Fully Modular |
(image coming soon)
Devices #
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 12 mini 64 GB | Love the small size but they won’t make any more of these 😭 |
| Google Pixel 2 XL | Old phone now used as a webcam |
| Apple M1 MacBook Air | Apple Silicon works great |
| Razer DeathAdder V3 mouse | Last two wireless mouse died prematurely. Back to wired. |
| KBDfans custom order DZ60 60% keyboard | Gateron Yellow and blank white doubleshot PBT keycaps. Paid way too much. |
| 8BitDo Pro 2 controller | Reversed ABXY buttons are a little annoying |
| Apple Earbuds | Used at my PC. Cheap but sounds decent. |
| Apple AirPods 3rd Gen. | Used on the go |
| Creative Pebble V3 speakers | |
| LG 27GN880-B 27" 1440p monitor | Open-box discount was worth it |
iamrob.in’s blog post which inspired me (https://www.iamrob.in/blog/2025_03_07-what-i-use). ↩︎