Be it motivation from casual bragging or whatever it may be, desk setups reveals a part of a person’s personality. This is by no means an ultimate expression as I’ve recently relocated down under for a good year. Fancy gadgets or not, what’s most important is ergonomics and comfort since a huge chunk of life will be spent at this very place. I hope this inspires you in some way to put together your take on a setup or to simply dust away to stay inspired as we kick a new decade off.
iPad Air
The first Air, iOS 12 certainly gave it a little more life as it was slow to respond prior to that update. Although not quick, it is certainly more usable and an upgrade is being considered because viewing photographs on a tablet provides quite the experience.
Leica Q
Shortly after purchase, the Q2 was released. Surely the extra megapixels and improvements are tempting then again storing larger files may eventually be a nuisance and those perks come with a swell in price. That said, there’s no better time to pick the original Leica Q up given they both possess the same optic. Superb images can be made with this instrument, just remember to shoot in DNG. As for me, it has been rather under utilised thanks to Jing for getting me into film photography.
Macbook Pro
Yet to have issues with butterfly keyboards and I don’t plan to anytime soon. Touch Bar does freeze and fail to function from time to time but that’s a thing to put up with when it comes to the latest technology.
Even though the MacBook Pro isn't good value (like many Apple products), this is the thing I use most. From photo and video editing to pretty much everything and substantial metal discolouration from use can be seen. It was purchased to replace an Alienware Aurora which had problems two weeks after unboxing and is unquestionably the worst computer I’ve ever had. This may be a laptop but I need not deal with bulk, less performance and reliability.
Hopefully a redesigned iMac comes soon to do some lifting for this space grey Macbook.
iPhone XS
There’s quite a bit of Apple products (even I get annoyed) because once you get comfortable with the ecosystem, it’s hard to get out. Thing is, I don’t mind having everything from Samsung or any manufacturer so long their interface works with me to get things done.
The XS does what an iPhone does but I’m missing their older phones with a smaller form factor.
Bowers & Wilkins PX
Yes, the PX Is still around and yet another device that doesn’t get enough time as the MacBook’s speakers are sufficient in most situations. Batteries last forever in the PX and it is still one of the best sounding noise cancelling headphones to date. I’m sure its successor, the PX7, sounds better if not just as good. With less weight, things will be that bit more comfortable making it an even better all-rounder headphone.
Philips Hue
Basically, they’re just colour changing lights and to my surprise they make a bigger impact than initially thought. Since the starter kit, this has morphed somewhat into an obsession. So much that a pair of Hue Play was purchased and another during Black Friday. Not only are they fun, the Hue system helps in lighting what I photograph. It may seem difficult to justify how much they cost for not doing much but they are more than just that.
Beosound 2
The latest addition of this sound system has further taken listening time from other devices. Countless albums and internet radio has gone through this space age looking machine and it delivered on every count. Despite having a disconnection issue early on, it is now all well and good, likely the most satisfying purchase this year.
IKEA Tertial
This timeless looking thing supplies a maximum output of 13 watts, good enough for most if not all smart bulbs in the market and clings onto anything no more than 2 inches wide. I don’t hate the colour so it is welcomed on this table.