Tech I Use

Tech I Use
Photo by Helena Lopes / Unsplash

As an IT professional I like to try out different technologies, but I cannot afford to buy the latest gadgets when they come out. Below is the technology that I use daily, both at home and at work in 2026

At Work

My work laptop that I have used since 2022 (Dell Latitude 5520 with 11th Gen Core i5, 16bg ram and 256gb NVMe SSD running Windows 11 22H2) has been running slow and crashing recently. The SSD is temperamental and sometime is not detected on boot up making it unreliable, so I have begun to transition to a new Dell Pro 16 Plus with Intel Ultra 5 processor, 16gb RAM, 512 SSD running Windows 11.

I work hybrid but and use a Dell WD19S dock with 2 Iiyama Prolite B2283HS. These are nothing special but are adequate for my needs (more screen real-estate).

I also occasionally 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.

I also have 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 mobile phone is the Google Pixel 6a with 6gb ram, which I find perfectly fine for my needs (Teams message and calls, Emails, access to management console and mobile tethering etc).

Personal

I have 2 laptops that I use regularly, an Alienware X14 with the Core i7, 16gb ram and an RTX 3060 (since May 2023) with a Logitech Pro X Superlight 2 mouse. I now also have an Apple MacBook Air M5 with 24gb RAM, 512 SSD (since April 2026).  This is my first apple device and I’m still getting used to it after being Windows only for over 25 years.

I also use a BOSGAME P4 Pro Mini PC with Ryzen 7 5800u processor, 32bg DDR4 ram and 1TB SSD. This is to run various VM’s for testing and training purposes. 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 personal mobile is the Google Pixel 10, and I also have a Pixel 4 Watch.

Gaming

I'm not a massive gamer as most of my time is now spent on my other interests however I do game occasionally on my Alienware Laptop and Nintendo Switch OG model.

Other Software and Services

Internet - Virgin Media fibre broadband giving approx. 350 Mbps

Video Streaming - Netflix