What I use: Tech edition
I'm taking inventory of the technology (hardware) that I use regularly.
Core
- Apple iPhone 16e, main phone
- Lenovo ThinkPad T480, main computer
- Dell Latitude E7270, stores my music files, ebooks, and backups
- Lenovo ThinkPad X201, tinkering/writing device
- Lenovo Legion 5 (model 15ACH6), gaming laptop
- Apple iPhone SE (1st gen), music player
- Apple iPod nano (1st gen), music player 2
- Bose SoundLink Mini II, Bluetooth speakers [with firmware
1.1.4] - Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (7th gen), e-reader [with firmware
5.16.2.1.1] - Nintendo DS, handheld gaming
- Nintendo 3DS, handheld gaming
Other
- HyperX Cloud II, headphones at desk
- Sony MDR-ZX110, headphones for travel
- BenQ GW2283, 21.5" external monitor
- Logitech G305, mouse
- Crucial X6 500GB, portable storage
- USB flash drives, 1×8GB, 1×16GB, 1×32GB
Commentary
- Why do I have four laptops? During the pandemic, I bought second-hand the Dell Latitude and ThinkPad X201 to tinker with Linux distros and setups. Presently the former is used as a back-up (particularly where I have a copy of academic projects), and the latter is an experiment in single-use device setups (more on this perhaps another time, but I have a minimal setup with only VSCodium installed on it for focused writing; the X201's keyboard and ThinkLight appeal to me). The gaming laptop was purchased when I started graduate studies: the joy it's brought me has paid its cost several times over. The T480, my main device, has been with me since the fall of 2018. I'm keen to use it for as long as possible.
- Why do I have two music devices? Partly because I don't subscribe to streaming services, partly because I still enjoy cords on my headphones, partly because of nostalgia, and mostly because it encourages me to be intentional in my enjoyment of music.
- The Kindle was a gift from a friend, and I'm a convert. I'm considering downsizing my personal library to save on space.
- The Nintendo handhelds barely make this list, as nowadays my gaming takes place on the Legion 5. (My Xbox 360 and Xbox One aren't even listed, gathering dust elsewhere.)
What's next?
Sometime in the year ahead, I'd like to revisit Cal Newport's ideas in Digital Minimalism and Slow Productivity to discern my current slate of tech and tools.1 It's a part of my larger goal of simplifying my life. It's an occasion for me to re-evaluate what I wish to achieve and what I use to attain those goals (in both work and play). I enjoy writing about technology-as-tools, so it's not a process to be rushed.
Granted: his books fall under the category of "could have been a blog post"; he presents his ideas from a privileged position (his work in academia enables him to make choices that office workers or labourers cannot); and his ideas ultimately perpetuate the idea that one's worth is based on their productivity and society doesn't need that capitalist thinking these days ... but the responsibility is mine to sift through his works to find the ideas that work for me and my circumstances. I don't want to put off engaging in useful ideas because of issues with their source or framing; I'm otherwise always waiting for the right ideas and the right author to come along, which is an excuse to procrastinate on making gradual improvements.↩