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

My name is Salvador de la Puente González, although everybody calls me Salva. I’m a Spanish software engineer working from New York, in quantum computing at IBM. I’ve been a developer for almost 20 years, and I’ve worked on pretty cool technologies, such as Firefox OS, WebVR, and now quantum! Today, I’m head of engineering and dedicate my life to improving the culture and processes that make us more agile, more adaptable, and more resilient to uncertainty. I spend my free time hanging with friends, programming, and (trying to) produce electronic music.

What hardware do you use?

I use a Mac and I sit in front of a curved UltraWide 38” LG monitor. Since my wrist started to hurt, I’ve liked discovering ergonomic hardware, and nowadays I own a ZSA Moonlander and a Logitech Ergo trackball. I’ve tried pretty crazy things, from vertical mouses to that RollerMouse oddity. I think I’m settling with keyboards (love the customization options of my Moonlander), but I feel I’m still missing something regarding pointer devices.

And what software?

In my day to day, writing emails and attending videoconferences are my main activities, so Outlook and WebEx. When programming, I use Visual Studio Code, a variety of AI assistants, and Rust, Python, or TypeScript as my programming languages.

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

I do use a custom layout. I changed the caps of some keys. I use several layers, and a color code to remind me where special keys are. One of my layers is multimedia, and the other is a mirrored QWERTY so I can type one-handed. These days I’m thinking of changing the space key; today emplacement is one of the regular keys in the bottom row, and it does not provide enough support for my left thumb.

What would be your dream setup?

Ideally, I’d love to stop switching between the keyboard and pointer. An alternative is to become more proficient with my mirrored QWERTY and use the left hand for typing, and the right hand for controlling the mouse. However, I was experimenting with a pointer stick attached to my Moonlander with good results. It would be great not to leave the keyboard but also have the versatility of the mouse at reach.