my current config

I get asked a lot what gadgets, computers, accessories and software that I use. This page is an attempt to answer these questions in a single place and then also keep it up to date with ‘my current config’.

Desktop Computer: Apple MacPro

My current desktop machine is a dual-dual (4 core) 3 ghz MacPro with 8G of RAM. Right now I really can’t make the case for an octo-core machine unless all you do is encode video or run server applications. No other applications or even set of applications that you are likely to run need more than 4 cores. I highly recommend at least 4G and the 8G that this machine has is great for my developer / multimedia usage. This rig is also optimized for single core performance by choosing the fastest cores. If you are not as concerned about that but still need 4 cores, the slower CPUs would probably be fine.

Monitor: Apple 30″ Cinema Display HD

Nothing beats a great 30″ monitor. I’ve had as many as 3 monitors connected to a computer and there really is nothing better than having more connected screen real estate like you get with the largest possible contiguous display. I’ve seen the Dell monitor as well and it is also acceptable.

I actually have one of these for work and one for home as after you get used to having a lot of screen real estate it becomes difficult to go back!

Laptop Computer: Apple 15″ MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is the best Apple laptop and the 15″ version is the right size for most users. The 17″ version is faster and you can get a dramatically higher resolution screen so for desktop replacement, look to the 17″. I’m also looking forward to an ultralight portable offering from Apple but until then, this is the right laptop to buy.

My personal preference has been for the matte screen vs. the reflective screen. You should check them both out in the store to figure out which one you think would be best for you.

Photography Camera: Canon 20D DSLR

Anyone who is serious about taking photos should think about getting a DSLR. All the Canon cameras are excellent and this one is no exception. There are several options and I would base my decision on how serious you are about learning how to take the absolute best shots with your camera.

The other thing you should consider when buying a DSLR is what conditions and subjects that you will be photographing. Based on that you should try and find at least one other lens besides the standard lens. I chose a telephoto lens that gave me great long range performance.

Convenient Camera: FujiFilm FinePix F40fd

This camera is pretty small and I think slightly better under lowlight conditions than the equivalent Canon offering (of which I have had several). It also feels somewhat better constructed with a large view screen. It is also very inexpensive for what you get.

You can check out photos taken with this camera and virtually ever other camera in existence on Flickr’s camera finder.

Video Camera: Sony HDR-SR7

I have been amazed with the quality of this video camera. It is reasonably small, though still feels solid in your hand and easy to keep steady. With the latest iMovie ‘08 it is absolutely trivial to pull footage from the camera and put it on the internet in just a few short steps. It does great in low light, which was one of the key reasons I switched to this for home recording.

I’ll add an example movie here later so you can judge for yourself. It obviously isn’t as good as a really high-end digital tape DV camera but it is far better than a camera movie and the smaller digital video cameras that store to flash.

Color Printer / Scanner / FAX: Brother MFC-9440CN

I needed to replace my current network printer and this one made it to the top of the list. It is an excellent choice and all of its features work well together. Even more impressively it works great with the Mac.

Once you install the software on your machine you can walk up to the device and scan documents or photos directly to your computer. Makes for a very seamless experience.

Personal Phone: iPhone

The iPhone is the best consumer phone, bar none. Great usability, solid design and very rugged. It is not my first choice as an enterprise solution though as it doesn’t have good calendar integration yet though it may soon.

Work Phone: Blackberry Curve 8310

This is the latest phone from Blackberry that is the perfect all-around business phone. Excellent keyboard, reasonable camera (for whiteboards), great for email, runs the latest applications from Yahoo and Google, and has integrated GPS.

Because of its great integration with Exchange you really can’t go wrong from a business perspective and it still has some of the cooler consumer oriented features. Plus it runs Yahoo! Go and Yahoo! Messenger.

Storage / Backup: Lacie Biggest S2S 5TB

If you have a desktop system that can support the PCI Express card that this requires for its eSATA support it is the one to get. Now that I have 5 Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 in it, I get around 160MB/s when configured for Safe + Fast (RAID 10 + HS => 2TB usuable storage). If configured in a pure RAID 0 configuration with all 5 drives you should be able to approach the theoretical maximum for the eSATA connection of 300MB/s.

The only issue I have with this device is that it would be even better with 6 drives instead of 5…

DVR: Tivo Series 3 HD

Tivo has a real winner on its hand with their latest high-end DVR. I have mine configured with two cable cards from Comcast and it really performs very well. The coolest thing is that they continue to add features to the device since I bought it, including Tivo2Go.

Being able to record two HD shows while watching a third is a real treat. Another cool feature is that you can download and watch both Amazon Unbox movies / TV shows and third-party video podcasts like Rocketboom.

Television: Panasonic TH-65PHD8UK 65″ Plasma HDTV

This television / monitor has the best resolution available and will perform amazing with any HD source. Further, it makes a great computer monitor for the living room.