Mac Studio · M4 Max
14-core CPU, 40-core GPU. Overkill for Rails, but with multiple Docker containers, several Rails apps, Claude Code, and the occasional local AI model, it doesn't break a sweat.
Reports from the experiment
Hardware, software, the whole thing. Updated as the setup evolves.
14-core CPU, 40-core GPU. Overkill for Rails, but with multiple Docker containers, several Rails apps, Claude Code, and the occasional local AI model, it doesn't break a sweat.
5K resolution. Text rendering is crisp; my eyes don't get tired after long sessions.
Same setup, just portable. Battery life still surprises me — a full day of coding at a coffee shop with no outlets.
Tabletop I made myself; standing-desk magic from Uplift. Sit-stand cadence keeps the energy up.
Expensive, sure. But 8-10 hours a day in it, and my back has never felt better. Pays for itself in not having back problems.
Compact but still has arrow keys. Click-clack is satisfying; the family has learned to live with it.
Switch seamlessly between Mac, iPhone, iPad. On a lot of calls. These just work.
I know, I know — "real developers use Vim." But refactoring tools, debugging, and Rails integration are too good. Rename a method across 50 files in one keystroke. Worth paying for.
From Mitchell Hashimoto (Vagrant/Terraform). Fast, beautiful, feels native. Replaced iTerm2 and not looking back.
The efficiency gains are real once muscle memory kicks in. Not ready to switch full-time yet, but getting there.
Runs in the terminal, reads the entire codebase, makes changes, runs tests. Like pair programming with someone who never gets tired and has read every Rails doc ever written. LexPro was built 100% with Claude.
For thinking through architecture and writing docs. Huge context window, real conversations about the code.
Lives in RubyMine for quick autocomplete. Good at boilerplate and obvious patterns.
Different models have different strengths. Right tool for the job.
Rails since 2012. Tried other things; keep coming back. Full Hotwire stack means interactive apps without SPA complexity. No separate API. No build-step hell.
Postgres for everything serious. Redis for caching, Sidekiq, Action Cable. SQLite when I want to keep things simple. MongoDB when document storage actually makes sense.
My go-to for years. Droplets, managed databases, Spaces. Just works. Pricing is predictable.
European hosting with incredible value. More machine for the money. Great for raw compute.
Modern PaaS for MVPs. Push to deploy, done.
Arc for work — spaces and profiles are genius. Safari for personal — fast, respects my battery.
Changed my relationship with email. The Screener alone is worth it. New senders go to a holding pen until I decide if they're worth my time.
When I need to record demos. Automatic zoom-to-mouse makes everything look professional with zero effort.
Keeps my Mac awake during long processes. Simple, free, does one thing well.
Finally good enough that I stopped using third-party. Baked in, syncs everywhere.
Basecamp's new app. Simple and focused. Also building my own open-source alternative because of course I am.
Have a tool I should try? Or want to argue about the editor? Write in.