Long ago I would spend days designing and building a new computer every year, only to tinker unendingly until it was time to start over. My hardware lust has moved on to phone lust, leaving behind my minimal approach to my setup. What I consider the most important parts now were previously afterthoughts. As technology caught up with me, older laptops satisfied my power requirements and years of improper use highlighted the importance of the chair and keyboard.
The important stuff
A good chair is my top priority. The cheap office store chair never feels right and starts to hurt you within a few months. I had an Aeron at a previous job and it was nice. I knew I'd found my true love after using a Steelcase Leap for a month at work. Ordering the Leap for $849 shipped might have been painful for my bank account, but it has done wonders for my back.
A good keyboard is my second priority. During summer break from college I blew out my wrists coding Tux Typing on a dell laptop keyboard. While the Latitude keyboard was horrible almost a decade ago, I am mostly to blame for working in unhealthy positions. I seem to remember spending most of that time laying on my stomach looking forwards to see the screen. I am very picky about laptops in the sense that they must have a good keyboard. The ThinkPad X60 has good laptop keyboard, but cannot compare to the Kinesis Advantage when at sitting at a desk. The Kinesis takes some time to get used to, but if you struggle through it, instead of switching back your normal keyboard whenever you get frustrated, you can master it in a few days.
A nice LCD is important. While Monitors are commodity, choose one that can be correctly positioned. You don't want to strain your neck looking at your laptop or monitor.
My mobile setup
- An awesome tiny bag that fits everything on this list. My mom was giving it away and luckily my laptop barely fits into it (not a 1/4" to spare).
- Google Dev Phone (android) - more functional, yet less complete, than the iPhone
- A Moleskine journal - I would go digital if there was a fast notes app on android
- Sony eReader - I've had this since 2006 and find reading e-ink pleasant. The selection of books is a fraction of what the Kindle offers, so I'll probably upgrade someday
- iPod nano - the android uses USB-WTF for headphones :( Perhaps the Palm Pre will work with normal headphones. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone is a great music device.
- ThinkPad X60 - I like this laptop so much I replaced my crushed X60 with another used one. I've tried many netbooks, but the keyboards aren't big enough for my fingers. You can find these used for about the same cost as a netbook - I paid $300 for mine.
- A small X60 power cord and the laptop has the largest battery made for the X60
- Golden Gate Transit schedule - indispensable yet frustrating. 90% of the data is irrelevant to me and none of the knowledge. Someone should create a custom guide you can print with schedules of buses that come near where you need to travel (ala offbeat guides).
All told, my chair cost more than all the items on this list. The important parts are the ones that will destroy your back and wrists if you do them wrong. I could replace/remove anything on this list and still have an effective setup. I could not replace my chair or keyboard with an office store special and survive a week. My back and wrists are too far gone.
What do you use?
And just as important, what do you not use?
Currently I have two rarely old laptops I use for testing with XP and OSX. I should replace the XP laptop with a VM. I think it isn't possible to OSX inside a VM, so I would need to keep the mac. Other reductions seem to require replacement of multiple items at once (such as replacing my phone and iPod for a phone).
