Setup

Daily driver — M4, 24GB unified memory, 10-core GPU. Light enough for travel, strong enough for Docker, TypeScript monorepos, and local models.

Mobile hub — messages, camera, quick reviews, and on-the-go AI chats. Action Button wired to useful shortcuts.

Always-on home server — Ollama, local LLMs, vector DBs, and long-running agent jobs without taxing the laptop.

Secondary desktop for Windows-only apps, dual-boot experiments, and occasional GPU-heavy work.

Health, focus timers, and glanceable notifications without pulling out the phone every five minutes.

ANC for deep work, spatial audio for reviews, and seamless handoff between Mac and iPhone.

Primary OS — polished UI on a real Unix foundation. Stage Manager, window tiling, and Spotlight keep the desktop sane.

Secondary OS on the desktop PC — WSL2 when needed, native tools when not.

Main editor — Prettier, ESLint, Tailwind IntelliSense, Astro, GitHub Copilot, and a tight keybinding set.

Agentic coding in the terminal — multi-file refactors, PR flows, and long-running implementation loops.

AI-native IDE when I want inline edits, multi-file composer, and a VS Code-compatible UX.

Terminal home base — Powerlevel10k, autosuggestions, split panes, and years of aliases.

macOS package manager — the first install on every new machine.

Default JS runtime and package manager for Next.js / Astro work — fast installs, fast scripts.

Python package and project manager — pip-compatible speed without the pain.

Local Postgres, services, and reproducible environments without polluting the host.

Version control and PR workflows from the terminal — `gh` for reviews, checks, and stacks.

Primary reasoning model — architecture, code review, long-form writing, and agent orchestration.

OpenAI models and APIs for product features, image gen, and fallback reasoning.

xAI’s models for real-time context, image work, and agentic build loops in Grok Build.

Google’s multimodal models — large context, image generation, and research passes.

Inline completions in VS Code — boilerplate, tests, and small refactors without leaving the file.

Local model runtime on Mac Mini — private inference, RAG experiments, and offline demos.

Primary browser — Spaces for work/personal, Command Bar navigation, clean chrome.

Default for iCloud sync, Reader Mode, and testing Apple’s engine on macOS/iOS.

Long-term knowledge base — markdown notes, links, and second-brain structure.

Shared docs, project hubs, and lightweight databases for teams and clients.

Frictionless capture on iPhone and Mac — shopping lists, meeting scraps, quick links.

Launcher, clipboard history, window management, and custom scripts — Spotlight on steroids.

Design systems, UI reviews, and design-to-code handoffs for product work.

Fast social graphics, decks, and branded visuals without opening a full design suite.

Source of truth for code, PRs, Actions, and open-source repos.

Shared files, Docs/Sheets collab, and client deliverables that need universal access.

Team chat, client channels, and integrations for delivery workflows.

Issue tracking and sprint boards for larger delivery engagements.

Password manager, SSH keys, and secrets shared safely across devices.

Default deploy target for Next.js and Astro — previews per PR, edge network, Analytics.

DNS, CDN, Workers, and non-Next stacks that need global edge without a full Vercel setup.

Postgres, Auth, Storage, and Realtime for live apps — production DB without ops theater.

Serverless Redis and rate limiting — caching and queues without managing Redis hosts.

Workflow automation — client intake, mailbox processing, Jira/Monday bridges, AI-assisted ops.

Enterprise cloud when clients require it — secrets, storage, OpenAI on Azure, Node middleware.