MacBook Pro
Apple's laptop, used as the one machine that runs the talk and the studio
Apple's higher-spec laptop line. Speakers and video people pick it because a single machine can hold the slide deck, drive a projector over HDMI and run a camera capture chain at the same time. Ports and battery life are the practical reasons; the rest is a workflow already built around macOS.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- David SparksDoes it
Apple productivity writer · MacSparky
Works on a 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro with 4TB of storage, which he says renders video and screencasts fast. It sits raised on a shelf so a spill on the desk misses it, and when the house gets noisy he unplugs it and records upstairs.
Source: MacSparky: Studio - Federico ViticciDoes it
Apple writer · founder of MacStories
Added a 14-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro to his daily drivers in November 2025, with 48 GB of memory and a terabyte of storage. It sits on that list beside the M5 iPad Pro rather than in place of it.
Source: MacStories: Our Setups - Seth GodinDoes it
Author · Seth's Blog, published daily
His rider is plain about it: the presentation does not run on any computer but his. He brings an M1 MacBook Pro, his own VGA/HDMI adapter and a USBc dongle, and asks the venue for a standard HDMI cable and AC power within six feet of the machine.
Source: seths.blog: 2022 Rider for Seth Godin - Stephen HackettDoes it
Technology writer · 512 Pixels and Relay
The machine everything runs off is a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Max, in space black. He keeps it open to the left of the display on a cheap stand, with the whole desk hanging off one Thunderbolt dock.
Source: 512 Pixels: My Gear
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under productivity.
- Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Home gym
A private training space at home, from a garage rack to a fully equipped room
Backed by 7 of 62 stacks: 5 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.Backed by 6 of 62 stacks: 6 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
- Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Standing desk
A desk that raises, so part of the working day happens on your feet
Backed by 4 of 62 stacks: 3 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.Backed by 3 of 62 stacks: 3 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
- Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Paper notebook
A bound notebook for thinking on paper away from a screen
Backed by 3 of 62 stacks: 3 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.Backed by 2 of 62 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
Gear entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.