Here’s my minimal desk setup1
| Category | Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | MacBook Pro (2023) M2 Pro | $20002 | Running macOS Sonoma. Plan to upgrade in 2025. |
| Stand | Nulaxy Height Adjustable Stand | $60 | Pros: Rotates around. Cons: A bit heavy. |
| Secondary Monitor | iPad 10th Gen | $350 | Running iOS 17.5.1, used as a secondary monitor with Sidecar. |
| iPad Stand | Nulaxy iPad Stand | $10 | Cheap and functional. |
| Charger | Anker Cube | $130 | Portable charger for iP, AP, and AW. Heavy for travel. |
| Mazer 3-in-1 Stand | $60 | Bought in Singapore; portable. | |
| Belkin 3-in-1 Charger | $110 | Previously used but less portable. | |
| Notebook | Maruman Mnemosyne Notebook | $8 | Japanese notebook, similar to Moleskine but cheaper & better. |
| Mouse | Apple Mouse | $79 | Looks nice but causes hand discomfort |
| MX Master 3S | $99 | Better mouse | |
| Earbuds | AirPods Pro v2 | $250 | USB-C version. |
| Keyboard | Magic Keyboard | $99 | USB-C version. |
| Beverage | Coke Zero | ~$1 | Favorites: Cherry and Vanilla Coke Zero. Sometimes 60 cans for $20 on Safeway deals. |
| Clock | Braun Wall Clock | $60 | Stylish Dieter Rams-inspired design. |
| Monitor | Dell S2723HC | N/A | Great pivoting 90° feature, stable base, and charges/connects Mac. |
| Dell S2722QC | N/A | Similar to the S2723HC. | |
| Desk | Fully Jarvis Table | N/A | Adjustable height desk (partner’s desk); sometimes swap. Mine is an Ikea Idasen with a brown tabletop. |
| Chair | Steelcase Leap v2 | $325 | Purchased from QCA Workplace (San Jose) for used office furniture. Also have a Herman Miller Aeron, which I swap with partner. Video recommendation: David Zhang’s chair guide. |
| Chair Care | General Note | N/A | Prioritize good chairs for comfort – your butt deserves attention + care ❤️ |
| Total | ~$3,481 |
Conclusion
Philosophy
- Less is more
- Anker cube charges 3 in 1 (less cables)
- with the Dell monitor the USB-C cable provides power and display connection vs. e.g. HDMI cable + Magsafe
- Clean colors
- white, black, grey
- easy to understand, classy, and more resilient against time
Pros + cons
So the pros of this setup is that it’s portable. One of the cons is that it’s kind of expensive (primarily due to Apple hardware), and relative lack of screen space.
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