While expressing your production setup has become a prevailing trend, why not join the wave? Embracing this movement, I've decided to start an annual tradition. Join me in this journey of reflection, where I'll explore what is here to endure and what fades away in my evolving work setup.

The main centerpiece of my workplace is the self-made standing desk with a triple monitor setup. The desk features a birchwood tabletop (with a dimension of 155x75cm) that has been stained dark gray. It is mounted on a sturdy standing desk with a metal frame and quiet dual motors allowing smooth height adjustments – so I can switch between sitting and standing. Which, admittedly, I do far too rarely.

I opted for the popular Noblechair Epic in black vegan leather due to its widespread acclaim in the gaming community. While mostly content with it, I've noticed that the seat has become noticeably saggy.

My workhorse is the MacBook Pro 16", armed with the powerful Apple M1 Pro processor, a substantial upgrade to 32GB RAM, and the default 512GB hard disk. While I've opted for an enhanced RAM capacity, the 512GB storage allocation meets my needs perfectly, with nearly half of its capacity in use. This efficient usage pattern allows the SSD to strategically spread write operations, ensuring the longevity of the drive.

The triple monitor setup boasts the impressive internal display of the MacBook, complemented by two still reliable Dell U2515H Displays, each delivering a crisp 2560x1440 resolution. Despite my MacBook featuring the formidable M1 Pro, limiting external display connectivity to two, I've incorporated an even older 24" Dell display as a third monitor. Positioned atop, this additional screen is exclusively linked to my Windows gaming computer, ensuring a seamless and versatile workspace.

I rely on the now discontinued Apple Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad in space gray for my daily tasks. While it might not be deemed the ultimate keyboard, it impeccably mirrors the layout and ergonomics of the internal keyboard. This seamless consistency allows me to type effortlessly, whether stationed at my desk or on the move, without the need for constant readjustments.

Transforming my video setup, I've ingeniously repurposed a second-hand Sony a5100 mirrorless camera, complete with the kit lens set at 16mm, to serve as my webcam. This setup delivers a crystal-clear 1080p60 stream, transmitted to my macOS via an Elgato Camlink 4K. The Camlink translates the HDMI output to USB, presenting my Sony camera as a normal webcam to macOS, delivering an astonishing video quality for video calls or my recordings and live streams.

While speaking of video recording, I'd like to bring the attention to the original 15-key Elgato Stream Deck which as become an essential part of my workflow: to start/end a recording and/or live stream, to switch between Scenes, to control the camera position on screen, and much more. My primary key light is the Voltrox VL-200 Video LED, a budget-friendly studio essential that excels in both affordability and performance. This versatile lighting solution offers a commendable color accuracy and can be easily adjusted, providing a customizable illumination that enhances the quality of my setup.

For my microphone needs, I've opted for the Renkforce CU-4 condenser USB microphone. While it falls on the more budget-friendly side, its performance surpasses internal microphones, delivering a notable boost in audio quality. Chosen initially for its cost-effectiveness and availability, it has proven to be a reliable and purposeful addition to my setup.

Also on my Desk: Leia, my trustworthy rubber duck, aids my problem-solving. As a rubber duck debugger, I explain coding challenges to her. Articulating the problem often leads to solutions. Leia, though silent, is my coding companion, unraveling complexities and making problem-solving efficient.

In 2012, I was a devoted Windows enthusiast, proudly flying the Windows flag. My first MacBook purchase was chosen solely for its hardware. Defying expectations, I installed Windows on it, to discover that my MacBook Pro 13" outperformed any PC notebook I'd used – both in performance and battery life.

Fast-forward to 2015; facing mockery for running Windows on a MacBook, I conducted an experiment. I uninstalled Windows, immersed myself in macOS for a month, and, surprisingly, became hooked. Despite a 2–3 month adjustment period, the experience was transformative.

I'm usually an early adopter, who also dared to drive beta versions in the past. I've now adopted a more cautious approach: waiting for the first reviews coming in, to check if it's safe to upgrade to the latest version, ensuring I avoid potential issues and disruptions of my work.

As evident in the screenshot above, I prioritize maintaining a sleek and clutter-free desktop. Any file that lands on the desktop swiftly finds its place within the discreetly "nameless" folder. By only using a space character, I disguise the folder name and uphold the pristine aesthetics of my desktop environment.

I like to refresh my desktop background every six months for a change of scenery. The current gradient wallpaper I'm sporting is courtesy of the one and only Basic Apple Guy.

One of the most crucial apps in my toolkit is the outstanding Raycast – which I consider as integral part of the operating system. It enables me to swiftly perform essential tasks, including opening apps, calculating something, locking my computer, caffeinating it, and much more.

I use the Laravel and Tailwind CSS extensions to quickly look up something in their docs.

Here's a curated list of apps that automatically reside in my system tray, each playing a vital role in optimizing my workflow: (In order of appearance)

• Dropbox: The central hub for all my projects and files, ensuring seamless access anytime, anywhere.
• Bitwarden Password Manager: A recent and essential addition in 2023, this secure password manager fortifies my digital security. I use a self-hosted version.
• Tunnelblick: An OpenVPN User Interface to manage secure connections to client VPNs.
• Elgato Stream Deck Software: Beyond live streaming control, it also commands the studio light, making it a versatile tool in my setup.
• RDM: Swiftly toggling display resolutions, especially handy during live streams where I scale down to 1080p to record in native resolution.
• Shottr: A go-to for capturing not just excellent screenshots, but also for effortless annotations.
• Numi: An enhanced text-based calculator, which blends math with a textual interface.
• iStat Menus – showing CPU utilization, temperatur and power drain at a glance and offers an in-depth monitoring of the internals of my machine.

Should you have any questions about my setup, don't hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter. I'm always happy to engage in conversation!

Happy Coding!