The desk in 2026: a laptop, a microphone, and no lighting

I get asked about the setup more often than about the code, so here it is in full.

The hardware

• Laptop: Apple MacBook M1 Pro

• PC: custom build on Windows 11

• Microphone: Fifine AM8

• Headphones: Fifine H9

• Monitor: 2E 27" 2K IPS

Why so cheap

Because streaming code needs almost nothing. Text is readable on any monitor, and audio is the one thing you cannot economise on: people leave over a bad microphone faster than over a bad picture. The AM8 costs accessory money and sounds good enough.

What is missing, and why

No lighting. No content-grade camera. For live-coding the viewer is looking at the editor, not at my face, and spending there before spending on audio is paying for something nobody notices.

First thing I would change

A second monitor. Not for looks — so chat and the editor stop sharing one screen.