The Software and Hardware Brad Used in 2018 (Premium)

As 2018 comes to an end and we take a look back at the past 12 months, one thing I like to do is to document the tools used in the previous year. And for 2018, things changed a bit from 2017 but not in a way that dramatically changed my workflow.

The outline below is the hardware, from personal to work, that I used as well as the software that helped me efficiently work throughout the year. None of these products are concrete and each has their own flaws but as the year comes to an end, these are the tools that I am using every day.

Personal Tech:
  • iPhone Xs
  • Apple Watch Series 4
  • Air Pods
  • Personal email Outlook.com/OneDrive
For Notes
  • OneNote for longstanding projects or press events
  • For writing, started using SimpleNote
Peripherals
  • Cooler Master MK750 – Blue Switches
  • Logitech MX Master Pro
  • Logitech C920 – will replace with Microsoft’s upcoming 4k webcams
  • Blue Yeti Pro microphones
PCs:
  • Primary Laptop: Surface Book 2
  • Primary Tablet Surface Go w LTE
  • Primary Desktop – 7900x, GTX 1080 – 32gb of RAM – this is my video editing machine
  • Podcast Box: 6700k GTX 1080, 32gb of RAM
Software:
  • Chrome browser
  • 1Password
  • Grammarly
  • Audacity
  • Handbrake
  • ShareX
  • Xsplit
  • Voicemeter Banana
  • Adobe Premiere Elements
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Skype/Teams
  • Groupy by Stardock
Gaming:
  • Xbox One X
  • Elite Controller
Camera:
  • Canon Eos M6
  • 22mm f2 prime lens

Looking back, the biggest change I made this year was switching to1Password from LastPass and possibly a new keyboard. For someone who makes a living writing words, I am extremely particular about the peripherals I use and finding the right keyboard was a trip down trial and error alley. I also ‘downsized’ the camera I use for press events as the benefits of a huge DSLR versus the compact size of a mirrorless camera is shrinking; traveling with less bulky equipment is much preferred.

In 2019, I would not be surprised to see if I change my writing app. SimpleNote is fine but it’s not an ideal solution – I’d prefer to save each draft to OneDriver rather than all notes saving as a large export. And once Microsoft releases their new webcams, I am almost certain I will switch to those as well.

I’m curious what everyone else is using. If you have a favorite app or services that you can’t live without, make sure to let me know in the comments.

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