Tech I Use

As an IT professional I get to use lots of different technologies, but I no longer buy the latest gadgets when they come out. Below is the technology that I use on a daily basis both at home and at work. I will update this page as things change so its kept accurate.

At Work

Since June 2022 my main work laptop has been Dell Latitude 5520 with 11th Gen Core i5, 16bg ram and 256gb NVMe SSD running Windows 11 22H2. This is replacing the Dell Precision 3510 with core i7, 16gb ram and 256gb SSD running Windows 10 21H1 that I used since March 2018. We have a 5 year rolling replacement cycle at work so I will be using this for some time to come.

When in the office it is connected to 2 Dell monitors via the Dell WD19S dock and at home to 2 Iiyama Prolite B2283HS screens via the same model dock.

I also use a Dell Latitude 5310 2in1 with an i5 processor, upgraded to 16gb ram and 256gb SSD running Windows 11 for when I'm working flexibly in other locations along with the Dell USB-C mobile adapter for extra ports. I have been using this since summer 2021 as part of a trial of the 2in1 form factor.

I also use 2 pc's a Lenovo v530 SFF and a Dell OptiPlex 3080 SFF (10th gen i5, 8gb ram, 256 SSD) for testing and software deployment.

My keyboard of choice is the Logitech MX Keys and my mouse the MX Master (both of which I bought myself) and are excellent.

My desk phone is the Cisco 7942 IP phone.

My mobile phone is the Google Pixel 6a with 6gb ram which as of 2023 replaced the Samsung Galaxy A40 with 4gb ram. The Galaxy was slow and suffered from 4g connection issues. I heavily use my phone during the day for making and receiving phone calls, work emails and MS Teams functionality (chat, calls and video) as well as access to management consoles (Meraki, M365).

Personal

My main laptop is now an Alienware X14 with the Core i7, 16gb ram and an RTX 3060 which is use for most of my daily work and for gaming. I have had this since May 2023 and it's been great, except for one issue; terrible battery life. I use this with the Logitech Pro X Superlight 2 mouse.

My backup personal device is my Dell XPS 13 9350. It has recently had a new SSD and battery fitted to give it a new lease of life after it gave up the ghost in Sept 2021 after years of long service. This is quite old now but still very capable, batter life is great, but the CPU is too old to run Windows 11, so I’m stuck on Windows 10 for now.

My Microsoft Surface Pro 7 with 4gb ram running Windows 11 which was a backup device has sadly failed (screen dead) and not in use anymore. I still have my Surface Go 2 which is handy for web browsing, watching videos and reading books and PDF's.

As of October 2024, I have added a new mini pc and will be using this as part of my home lab. This is a BOSGAME P4 Pro Mini PC which I got from Amazon it has a Ryzen 7 5800u processor, 32bg DDR4 ram and 1TB SSD. This is to run various VM’s for testing and training purposes and I was looking for something small, affordable and cheap to run. It currently connects to my network via a GL iNet Beryl AX router.

I also use a Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 LTE with 6gb ram and 128gb storage for browsing the internet, watching YouTube and Netflix, reading books and some light mobile gaming.

My phone is the OnePlus Nord 2 which since March 2022 has replaced the OnePlus 5 from 2017 which was showing its age.

Gaming

I'm not a massive gamer as most of my time is now spent on my other interests both related to my work in technology as well as finance, investing and crypto but I do occasionally play.

I have a PlayStation 4 slim model with active PS plus subscription which is my primary games console. I also have the VR headset. I love the PlayStation platform and games the most and have been in the ecosystem since the PS2.

I have an Xbox One S which I bought when it was crazy cheap in a sale so that I could use it as a Blu-ray player and also to allow me to play the Xbox console exclusive games that took my fancy: mainly Forza Horizon and Gears or War. I have so little spare time now that this doesn't get a look in anymore which is a shame as I think it's a great console and the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service is exceptional value.

Nintendo Switch OG model which was kind of a mistake. I wanted something to replace my PS Vita, but the Switch doesn't come anywhere close. I've never been a big fan of Nintendo games, and the console is too big and heavy for playing handheld but when docked is not a patch on a real console like PlayStation or Xbox. Also, the games are ludicrously expensive. I may sell it, I may just keep it as a reminder that I waste too much money on things I don't need. Sometimes you never learn.

PC Gaming. This is how I do most of my gaming now in 2023. I got a Alienware X14 in April / May time. I'm currently playing a mix of Hogwarts Legacy and Aliens: Dark Decent.

Older Gaming Tech

Sadly, Google killed off Stadia. This was something that I got free when I bought Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia. I used to play Cyberpunk 2077 and Zombie Army Trilogy on here and both played exceptionally well.

PS Vita, my favourite handheld console of all time. No more needs to be said. I bought it second hand years after it came out and found the form factor and the ability to remote play to be great. Really wish Sony would bring in a replacement.

PS2 and PS3 now both boxed up in the attic but were great consoles at the time.

Nintendo DS lite, I think I sold this as I can't find it anywhere. I did enjoy some of the games but ended up playing Brain Training the most. Was the reason why I thought I'd try the Switch.

Other Software and Services

Internet - Virgin Media fibre broadband, which has been upgraded to 350 Mbps (from 200 Mbps) which is plenty for me now.

I'm currently paying for Netflix and Amazon Prime but typically only have one at a time.

Podcasts that I currently listen to:

Financial Times News Briefing
This is Money Podcast
The UK Personal Finance Show
ChooseFI
Science Vs