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

I am Francisco Cornejo-Garcia, a Computer Science student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. I work on several coding projects that may either benefit others or benefit myself and my lifestyle. These projects usually go from front-end development to back-end as well as database design and user interfaces. I am trying to improve my skills, not just as part of my hobby, but as part of my approach to life.

I identify as a minimalist and do not have a lot of stuff. As a result, I invest more in high-quality items to last for more than a decade, if not a lifetime. On a side note, I am also deaf and hard of hearing and as such, having the ability to remove sound from my environment has influenced my setup and workflow.

What hardware do you use?

Living off campus, I usually have to switch between a mobile and static setup while studying and working on my projects.

For my static setup where I live, I usually work with my 2013 MacBook Air 13” along with a Dell UltraSharp U2719DX 27” as my primary monitor, set upon a secondhand black desk that’s a bit small in size but acceptable for a college student. The desk contains only my Nintendo Switch OLED dock, and struggles to hold back the cables behind my static setup.

For interacting with my static setup, I use a black Moonlander Mark I with Cherry MX Brown switches. It just feels nice to type on. Sound is definitely not an issue, as they sound nice to hear and do not disrupt my roommates. For a mouse, I rely on the laptop’s trackpad, switching my right hand back and forth between the Moonlander and laptop. I use the Moonlander’s built-in mouse functionality once in a while.

For my mobile setup, I bike to RIT with my 2018 iPad Pro 12.9” along with a black Planck with Kailh Silver switches. Finding a place to study quietly on campus, I chose switches ideal for a quiet environment where other students may be studying. Fortunately, my iPad Pro can support the Planck and serves all my everyday needs, such as writing documents, taking notes, and watching entertainment during my breaks. However, for more intensive work, such as coding my projects and working with technologies like databases and frameworks, I usually wait until I get back to my static setup to work on them.

With a gaming console ideal for switching between my mobile and static setup, I also bring along my Nintendo Switch OLED as my sole gaming device in a black case that contains the physical copies I own.

For audio, I use a Cochlear Wireless Mini Microphone 2+ in order to connect my Nucleus 6 Sound Processor (cochlear implant) to my devices. It isn’t exactly wireless, for while my processor may connect wirelessly with the microphone, the microphone connects to the devices with an auxiliary cord. A benefit of this setup is that I can use my processor to listen to music or Zoom classes with no sound emitted, as audio is directly translated to an electrical form through my processor. I also mute the environment by taking off my processor and hearing aid. I can still hear very loud sounds, though.

While this isn’t necessarily hardware, it’s an important part of my workflow. I use a hardcover Bullet Journal v2 to write down my tasks and track my personal and academic work with a Pilot G2 pen. I write down all my events and achievements in that journal and transition to a new one each year.

And what software?

I usually stick to the classics when it comes to my projects, both personal and academic. I use Vim mainly for programming while using Emacs for everything else, such as using org-mode to take notes, and org-roam to build my knowledge base. I access Vim through Alacritty with my own custom themes that I may release someday. Keep in mind that I use Emacs through “evil,” a Vim-mode that helps ease the transition between Vim and Emacs.

I keep all my typed notes as plaintext and my handwritten notes stored in Notability on my iPad Pro. I occasionally use other apps, such as IntelliJ and VS Code, to check out their features and be aware of what’s out there.

I use Safari for browsing, Google Docs and Trello for collaboration, and MS Word for essays and large documents.

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

My static keyboard setup with my Moonlander, is placed in front of the primary monitor, my Dell 27”, with my blank keycaps. As I touch type and configure my layout often, it’s more confusing for me to keep my keycaps as printed. I use just white as my LED configuration that only highlights keys that do something. With my custom layout, I recently switched from the auto-shift feature to the tap dance feature and integrated auto shift for each key with double-tap. I also use dual-function keys and migrate them to the areas where my thumbs can reach them, saving my pinkies from strain. Currently, I mostly use my Moonlander like my Planck, and will be differentiating between them as time progresses. It might also be helpful to know that the iPad Pro also works with the Moonlander.

With my mobile setup with my Planck, the keycaps are printed, but only because there wasn’t an option to have them as blank. I might consider switching them out eventually. The custom layout is similar to the Moonlander and currently in the process of adding specific keys just for the iPad Pro.

What would be your dream setup?

My dream setup is to have a black standup desk with a larger surface area, with either an additional monitor or upgrade to a larger monitor with my laptop closed. I would definitely upgrade my laptop with its outdated specs: 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, and Intel i5 chip. I would also switch out the chair for a more ergonomic fit. My static setup would be in a private room solely for work. My mobile setup is already the dream setup with its iPad Pro and Planck.