Mac Setup: The Workstation of a Startup Co-Founder & CEO
This weeks featured Mac setup is the workstation of Dr Alain B., the Co-Founder and CEO of a startup. Let’s jump right in to learn a bit more about the hardware, software, and how it’s all put to use:
Tell us a bit about what you do?
I am the Co-Founder and CEO of Kitchology, a startup developing a mobile food app to help people with specific dietary needs.
Why this setup? What do you use your Apple gear for?
The primary reason for this specific set up is to be able to multitask easily. I have to manage multiple and complicated spreadsheets for business modeling and to process analytics information. Also, the database behind our mobile app is huge, and reviewing design changes pretty much requires its own screen.
What hardware makes up your Mac workstation?
- 2013 MacPro 2.66 GHz 6-core Xeon processor with the following configuration:
- 28GB of RAM
- 500 GB SSD drive
- Three 2TB hard drives
- Two ATI Radeon HD 5770 Display Control cards
- Apple Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard
- Apple Magic Pad
- AppleĀ Magic Mouse using Mobe Magic Charger to cut on batteriesĀ
- Two 30ā Apple Cinema displays Ā (acting as great radiators during the winter)
- Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i scanner
- HP Laserjet P2015 Series printer, I also have an HP Photosmart 370 series, but canāt recall the last time I had to print a picture
- Bose Companion 5 audio system, I use AirPlay to play audio through my place
- MacBook Pro with a 15″ Retina display
- iPad Air LTE 128 GB
- iPhone 6 (of course) and many other iPhones 4, 4s, 5, 5s used to test software
What are some of the OS X and iOS apps that are crucial to your work?
I use Omnigrafle to capture the flows of algorithms and Textactic to codify pseudo-code. I use Appigoās ToDo cloud to manage action items and reminders. I keep my key files on Dropbox so that I can access them on iPhone, iPad, Mac Pro, or MacBook without worrying about version management.
On the iPad, the apps I use the most are Mr Reader to read RSS feed and Board to check the status of key socials networking stats.Ā
Do you have any productivity tricks you’d like to share?
To be productive at home, you have to create a barrier with the rest of the house. Ā No television in your workplace! Have a noise canceling head set ready to cut out kidās noise when they play or do homework. Think about spares and repairs a lot. I always have a spare printer cartridge in the closet. To be sure I donāt get stranded, I bought two spare power supplies for the displays (granted they are no longer supported by Apple).
–
Do you have a Mac setup you want to share with OSXDaily? Go here to get started! Or if you’re not ready to share your own workstation, check out some of the other featured Mac setups, there’s a lot to be inspired by!
Since there’s to reply link… @lurker16.
You are paraphrasing me incorrectly. My point is the good job comments are directed at the person who’s setup this is, not for the people who are also commenting.
I’ve got a computer and I do…computer stuff on it! I have just realised I have contributed to this waste of bandwidth. So sorry!
If you don’t like reading about how people use Macs, why are you reading about how someone uses their Mac?
Ken, I just figured something out and I’m going to let you in on a secret: The best thing about the internet is you can choose what you want to read, and what you don’t want to read. It’s amazing! That means if you don’t like something like reading about someones Mac workstation and how they use their computer, you don’t actually have to read it! And here’s where it gets really nuts: leaving snarky comments is also optional! The internet, it’s simply amazing.
It’s possible to like many of these articles while still finding some of them annoying.
But you don’t know which is which until you’ve read it.
I personally find about half of these “setup” articles useful, although I don’t generally comment either way.
The comments which say “great setup” are amont the silliest comments on the internet, but people should be free to make them, I guess.
If someone shows you pictures of their new car do you say “nice car”? If someone invites you over to show off their home renovations do you say “good job”?
For the most part these are people showing off the tweaks and hard thought they’ve put in to building a system that works efficiently for them (some are just straight up bragging). If you’re not interested in this (many are for the ideas) then don’t comment (or bother reading them). The silly comments are pats on the back mostly from people who have or are trying to accomplish the same thing.
As I mentioned, I don’t know if I’m interested until I’ve actually read an article (how can it be otherwise?). Some articles I like, some I don’t.
It is merely *your opinion* that someone should only comment on articles they end up being interested in (paraphrasing). Your opinion does not appear to be the policy of this website, as we can see :)
*My opinion* is that I often find positive comments just as annoying as the negative ones, actually more so for these articles.
In any case, it’s not appropriate to call someone an “idiot” if they dare comment negatively (I realize you did not do this, but see “John” above).
Two huge displays and a tiny key pad ?
@Shilo Watts – So true, I had exactly the same impression reading this.
Idiot #2.
“Hi, my name is Dr Alain B., the Co-Founder and CEO and I am so hipster. I am way cooler than you will ever be. I am even a Dr.m which you little people are not……”
Are you that ridiculous when you go to a doctor appointment? Do you visit your accountant and start poking fun at their education too? You must be everyones favorite client. I’m not convinced going through 12 years of higher education makes someone a hipster, but being a doctor would certainly make someone more qualified to run a health startup. And being in a startup means working 80 hour weeks, not sure that’s too hipster either. What a weird view of the world some folks have, but it’s easy to point fingers at something if you have no experience with it.
Back on topic, nice desk! I also have twin screens, makes a big difference in productivity, I would go so far as to say it’s essential for any real work.
You’re an idiot. He just answered the question: “Tell us a bit about what you do?” and answered: “I am the Co-Founder and CEO of Kitchology, a startup developing a mobile food app to help people with specific dietary needs.” But I guess when you have such low self esteem you would always think people are being smarmy and condescending to you wouldn’t you Shilo.
2 displays are a must. Nice desk
I always liked the prior gen Cinema Displays from Apple, very minimalist. I can’t help but think the prior Mac Pro was a better product than the new trashcan Pro too, simply due to the the ability to do what you’re doing; have 7TB of storage and dual video cards! That’s my big hangup with the new Mac Pro, it’s expensive and basically has the upgradability of a Mac Mini, which is to say, not upgradeable at all.
As someone who also works from home… “To be productive at home, you have to create a barrier with the rest of the house.” – this is SO TRUE, it can take some time to understand the importance of this but it makes all the difference in the world. No distraction = more productivity. That is why I’m more productive at home than the office, none of the watercooler chit-chat or desk fly-bys, it’s much easier to ignore an instant message for a while than it is to ignore a desk hoverer or door knocker.
Great setup, and the food app looks cool. Good luck with the startup!