i use things

..whether i like them or not.

A list of tools I use frequently. For detailed thoughts on a specific item, check out reviews/tools.

Computers

Sanalog-PC (desktop + peripherals)

I use this machine for most things, whenever possible. It was a modest build when I chose the parts and built it back in March 2021, and a bit dated now. Regardless, it fulfills all my needs, I love it, and don’t plan to replace any parts anytime soon. It runs Windows 10.

It took over four months and twenty-seven iterations of a parts list before my dad got sick of me and offered to pay for the case if I just bought the damn thing. I’ve been using it as is ever since.

Sanalog-II (laptop)

The ASUS S5602ZA is my primary laptop for all boring and on-the-go tasks. Coming into university, I was adamant that my first laptop from 2015 would suffice. I was wrong, and bought this one within a month of school starting.

It was purchased in 2022 through a Korean retailer, as they come with Hangul legends and without Windows, saving me extra. For ₩1,050,000 (~770 USD) I was able to get a 12700H and a 4K OLED screen, with solid build quality and a decent keyboard. With such value you’d expect me to love it, but I’ll never forgive it for replacing my previous laptop.

sanalog-server (home server)

That first laptop which got obsolesced? my baby It’s the Samsung NT910S5K, and it lives as a server now. I wrote a detailed post about the setup.

It runs Ubuntu Server 20.04 and CasaOS. Proxmox would be nice but CasaOS’ GUI is really useful for my family to toy with the server as well.

i enjoy my terminal

SisterIV (phone)

I’ve had four Samsung phones. I stopped rooting once OneUI was rolled out. I don’t like phones that much.

Other Electronics

most of these are technically computers

• Fujifilm X-A3 camera · semi-broken, but it works enough.
• Hitachi VC-6025 oscilloscope · somehow very useful.
• Nintendo Wii · homebrewed. Easily the best console to exist.
• Nintendo Switch · replaced the joysticks with hall effect ones.
• Ti-83 Plus caculator · the better one.
• Ti-84 Plus CE calculator · the worse one.

Software

Utilities

• Calctus is a calculator app with nifty tools that has be indispensably useful for me. It’s very well made and quite intuitive to use. The UI is straightforward and the English is perfect despite it being made by a Japanese developer. Comes as a single .exe file at 1.62 MB, and I have it installed on every USB drive I own. Highly recommended.

• Left (electron) is a plaintext editor that’s very pretty yet still functional. Unfortunately it comes in a large package as it’s an Electron app.

• Tape. Project management tool that’s very simple and easy to use. I like it a lot.

• Notion. I use this for everything. It’s very slow and bloated but I’m too deep in now.

• Spacesniffer is a disk space treemap tool like many others, but I like this one for its UI and being portable.

• Wireshark

• Bitwarden. Password manager. You can self-host it.

• 7-Zip

• FFmpeg

• Handbrake. Video transcoder.

Development

• Adobe Creative Cloud: I use Illustrator, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. They all suck.

• Clip Studio Paint. Bloated and comes with useless cloud stuff, but solid core.

• OKLCH Color Picker

• Fusion 360. This also sucks. I recommend OpenSCAD or FreeCAD instead.

• MagicaVoxel. Amazing voxel editor + animator + renderer that comes in at only 10 MB.

• Cadmapper

• PICO-8 is a fantasy console that’s fun to use.

• VS Code. I also use VScode for LaTeX using TinyTeX.

• Neovim

• Wandbox is a browser-based compiler that’s very useful for quick tests.

Windows

• ExplorerPatcher. Pretty much a must-have for Windows 11.

• PowerToys. Also a must-have.

Hardware

• Xiaomi electric precision screwdriver
• Blackfox Bean Gen 2 folding knife

Audio

• Aiwa RX650 cassette player · fantastic little thing.
• Sony Walkman WM-FX200 cassette player · for twee pop.
• Moondrop Chu 2 IEM · lifeline.
• Truthear Zero: Red IEM · for uneasy listening.
• Rega Planar P1 turntable
• Triangle LN01A
• Beocenter 1500 · a beautiful all-in-one machine.

Kitchen

• Chef’s knife
• Cleaver
• Wooden cutting board
• Stainless steel pots and skillet
• Non-stick pan
• Wok
• Ramyun pot

last updated on Mar 01, 2025