Who are you, and what do you do? What do you like to do outside of work?

Hi, my name is Ahmet Necati Uzer. I’m a translator/copy editor working for a localization company in Istanbul, Turkey. I’m interested in digital photography, love to consume popular culture (video games, novels, lots of movies/TV shows), and have a very unhealthy interest in wristwatches. I also dabble in powerlifting.

What hardware do you use?

I currently use a five-year-old CUK Hades Canyon NUC Premium VR Mini Desktop Gaming PC. I initially bought it for gaming and photography postproduction, but later delegated it as my at-home workstation during the COVID lockdown. The small dimensions are a real lifesaver, and the hardware still holds up for work-related stuff, despite the belated addition of a BENQ 4K monitor. I also use the Logitech MX Master 3S mouse and the Moonlander MK 1 as my primary input devices. They are both nested under a sliding desk.

An IKEA Elloven stand and its integrated drawer provides me with additional space for knickknacks and notebooks. I use a Logitech web camera paired with Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones (the open design is great if you don’t like wearing over-the-ear designs for longer durations, especially during the summer). A Samsung wireless charger helps me top up my phone and earbuds in a convenient manner. Various pens and markers are also right next to my workstation.

And what software?

The basics: Windows 11, Microsoft Office suite, Adobe Lightroom (I tried for years to make Capture One work, but in the end, I found its workflow and file management too complex for my liking), and CAT software like Trados Studio (bloated as hell but sadly still the industry standard), memoQ (my favorite), and others. Dashlane for password management, Everything for file searching. And lots of extensions for Edge.

What’s your keyboard setup like? Do you use a custom layout or custom keycaps?

No custom keycaps, but I use a custom Turkish F-layout that is optimized for text editing, Internet research, and CAT workflows. It uses a combination of long-press functions, layers, combos (color coding them on the key caps helps a lot to remember their existence), and single key assignments for the most common commands (copying, pasting, arrow keys etc.).

I’m constantly changing the layout, especially after coming upon other users’ ideas that are featured in your newsletters. I also sometimes plainly forget my latest layers/combos, so having the ORYX configurator bookmarked in my browser is a must. In the end, I try to concentrate on ergonomics and ease of use, anything that will prevent repetitive stress and make inputting stuff easier. The Moonlander’s split design and software features makes this easy in the long run, despite the initial demanding adaptation period.

What would be your dream setup?

Maybe high-fidelity speakers and an additional, vertically aligned monitor on a swivel could be useful. A cat hammock on top of the monitor is also on my to-do list.

P.S.: Your new Voyager keyboard also looks like it would pair ideally with my gaming PC.