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Uses

Updated January 14, 2026

Inspired by Robb Knight and following the suggestions of Wes Bos, these are the things I use regularly, mostly, daily.

Most Uses pages are very hardware focused and involve a desk. My desk is in storage on the other side of the country, while I’m taking care of Mom. For now, I’m using portable tech that doesn’t require a desk.

I also use a lot of analog technology.

Digital

MacBook Air M3

MacBook Air M3 24 GB RAM, a 1 terrabyte SSD, and the current release version of Tahoe.

2 Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB External Portable HDD USB 3.0 drives.

One drive for TimeMachine, one drive for miscellaneous long-term file archiving.

CanoScan LIDE 300
Mostly I use this to scan paperwork for Mom.

Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer
Efficient and inexpensive, but awkward to use because it can only print PDF files or images, and only with the Brother iPrint&Scan software, but it does support duplex.

MacOS Software

iPad 10.2'' 8th Generation iPad

I purchased the 10.2'' iPad for writing and .PDF annotating, but without a desk, the iPad is too awkward for long term use, and as my sight decays, difficult to get close enough to see the screen for long term use. My iPad is not used very often these days. It’s still where I read/use digital manuscript and early printed book facsimiles, which I need to list here.

iPad Mini 6th Generation 64 GB & Apple Pencil 2

I bought my iPad Mini primarily for reading ebooks and watching video. Since buying an Apple TV, I have increasingly been using the Mini for writing with the Apple Pencil 2, rather than video, and neglecting my 10.2 iPad 8th generation.

iPadOS Software

iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2022 Red 128 GB

Mostly I use my iPhone for photos, messaging, podcasts, phone calls, audio books, ebooks, and music.

iPhone Software

Home

Audio

I’ve been relying iTunes since it was in Beta, and then Apple Music, and streaming and licensed downloads from Freegal for over a decade.

I bought a 5th generation iPod Mini from a neighbor who had never used it. I sent the iPod off for a new battery. It works well both as an iPod and as an FM radio.

Copying songs from my Mac to my iPod revealed that Apple had eaten files from some of the CDs I bought and ripped. A few tracks and albums I paid Apple for were also removed for what seem to have been licensing issues.

I bought a few used CDs of the music I most love. That led me to purchase other audio hardware.

I’m preparing for my future when I will want affordable reasonable sounding audio for a small apartment, knowing not everything works with Apple HomePods.

Services

E-readers

I can no longer reliably read printed books, so I pay close attention to e-readers. I wanted to move away from Amazon and my 2017 Paperwhite. I tried a Kobo Colour Libre and hated the muddy text.

Analog

Most of what I write involves analog tools at one or more stages of my writing process. I tend to buy scholarly books in printed codex form (for purposes of citation & annotation), as well as novels in hard cover that are important to me, or that are particularly well-designed editions.

Paper

I use Composition books for general research notes and draft. I usually have a couple of Composition books in use at any time. I watch for back-to-school sales at chain stores and Renys when these American school standards with lined pages, a sewn and taped binding and marbled covers are on sale for $0.50 to $1.00. Those that are made with rice or sugar cane fibers will even stand up to F or M nib fountain pens.

I also like these half-size Oxford Junior Composition books that are 4-7/8 x 7-1/2 inches, or the Koyokuo equivalents with much better paper. They take up very little space, you can write with one on your lap, and fit one below or above a keyboard on a desk. Fountain pen with an F nib works well.

I bought an EMSHOI A4 Spiral Notebook College Ruled, 11.2" X 8.27", 150 Sheets/300 Pages, 100gsm Lined Journal on a whim. This is a thick notebook with decent paper, great for drafts and notes, good with pens, fountain pens, or pencil, and surprisingly affordable.

Fieldnotes When I was out and about I used pocket notebooks a lot, for grocery lists, short notes to myself about things to do or remember, bird sightings—all sorts of things. I am using a Field Notes Pitch Black for reading notes on a specific topic.

I use index cards, record cards, note cards, 3 x 5 cards or whatever they are called in your dialect, daily. They are useful short for notes to remind me of daily tasks and objectives, reading notes, bibliographic citations, writing prompts, portable shopping lists, all kinds of uses..

Midori spiral-bound notebooks

Johnny Gamber’s hand-bound hardcover journals from Pencil Revolution Press. These are stunning, carefully made books, with high-quality paper.

Pencils

I love a good woodcased pencil, and have a number of favorites. Everyone raves about Blackwing Pencils, and I enjoy using them, but there are lots of really good, enjoyable, more reasonably priced pencils.

Pens

These are the pens in current use.

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