Andy SmithInterview
Software developer (OpenStack for Rackspace)
Adapted from Andy Smith's interview on Uses This, published 30 April 2011. The kit is drawn from their answers and each reason is an excerpt, lightly edited. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full interview ↗
Is this you? Claim this kit →Hardware
My main machine right now is last year's 15" i7 MacBook Pro with the high res screen, though within a week or so I should receive the latest top-of-the-line model this time with a big screaming SSD, which really helps when you need to start up virtual machines within virtual machines on your real machine all day.
My keyboard is a Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate since it just looks so good and the mechanical switches really feel great.
The other computer that kvm switch is hooked up to is a rapidly aging Shuttle XPC that I tend to use for any non-computationally intensive tasks, and generally being an always on and available device on the home network.
By my bed I keep one of the prototype Google Chrome Cr-48 Netbooks for light browsing and emailing on weekend mornings when I haven't quite convinced myself there is a reason to be up yet.
At the office I have the same setup as at home for my laptop, except no kvm and a 30" Dell monitor.
I also keep a Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch pad nearby for when I need to do some photo/graphic editing.
I always have my Kindle wifi+3g with me.
I also have an Xbox 360, and both a U.S.
and a European PS3 hooked up to a 1080p projector, for when one really needs to zone out with a long-winded RPG or run some cars into things.
Communication
Productivity
Browser
Coding & Development
In vim, besides using a reasonably modified vimrc, I also make heavy use of NERDcomments plugin and a slightly modified version of the tabComplete plugin.
If you do have to use OS X, Homebrew is the best software package manager out there, I even prefer it to most Linux alternatives.