The home office is ready for 2024.
If you’re new, I have been working from home for the past 12 years of my professional adult life. It’s my choice and my employer is okay with the arrangement, which I’m very grateful for. Have I tried working in-office? Yes I have, but it only lasted a few months. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t bear the daily commute and it affected my mental health. Working in-office just didn’t work for me.
Back to the office setup.
MacBook Pro 14″ M1 Pro
My main workhorse is still the 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro. I use the 14″ model because I’m a small person. I do not want to be carrying a big laptop in a big backpack on my back. It’s still working flawlessly for what I do day to day and I don’t see a reason to upgrade to M3 MacBooks anytime soon.
BenQ PD2725U 4K Monitor
I just got this monitor very recently, after 5 months of using my MacBook screen only. My previous monitor broke and I wanted to wait and assess my options. I also wanted to see if I am financially in good position to invest on a Studio Display. But life has its own story. I had to spend thousands of ringgit on other priorities, hence the Studio Display is no longer an option.
I decided to go with the BenQ DesignerVue monitor, and I’m glad I did. It’s as perfect as I wanted it to be (hey, even the Studio Display isn’t perfect). Beautiful display, thin bezels, accurate colour accuracy and a decent 4K resolution is all I need.
Keychron K3 and MX Master 3S
I’m still using the same mouse and mechanical keyboard. I don’t see the reason to change these often as long as they still work. Keychron K3 has been great. I switched off the sleep mode so it wakes my computer faster. The battery isn’t great at all, so I use it wired all the time.
I am still in love with how quiet the MX Master 3S clicks are. It is absolutely silent. It’s just the best. I chose MX Master 3S solely for the better ergonomic and the scrollable wheel on the side which allows me to pan left and right. I design in Figma canvas everyday, this feature is crucial for me. I would have picked Magic Mouse if it has better ergonomic. Unfortunately, it’s not.
Soundcore Flare 2 Speaker
I have been using this speaker for years. I remember I bought it as a birthday present for myself back in… I think 2019. It’s still works great as I take care of my stuff well. I just don’t use it as often because of the poor battery life. I have plan to upgrade my speaker. Probably going to go with either HomePod or SONOS Era 100.
Summorie Productivity Book
This year I decided to try to use pencil and paper for my to-do lists. I succeeded every now and then, not everyday haha. I admire how well-crafter Summorie‘s notebooks are though. They are really well-made and beautifully designed. You know, when you’re a designer every stuff you own has to be well-designed.
AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) and Sony WH1000XM3
I badly needed to replace my Sony headphones, it’s starting to fall apart. I am currently looking at the Bose QuiteComfort Ultra but I might wait for the next generation AirPods Max too.
In the meantime, I am using the AirPods Pro for listening to music as well as taking calls and meetings at work. Its sound quality is really good. The noise cancellation is really, really good. And so is the transparency mode. Apple has done a really good job with this one.
Desk, Drawer and Chair
These are the things that I don’t change often. I am currently using IKEA’s Karlby worktop as my desk, though I have intention of switching to something smaller. I’m kind of sick of my cats overcrowding my desk while I was working, so am looking for a smaller setup. Let’s see how it goes. As for the chair, I’m using IKEA Jarvfjallet chair and I currently have two ALEX drawers which hold my desk and also function as the storage for my work and tech stuff.
Others
I have recently upgraded my camera to a Sony A7CII. It’s a full-frame camera, a massive upgrade from my old but trusted Sony A6300. I am absolutely thrilled. I am really enjoying the 33MP full-frame sensor. It is the best. Absolute beast of a camera. I have no regrets whatsoever. My bank account probably hate me a little bit though.
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