Kira Herdman

First of all, Happy Pride Month ! !. Over the past six months, my computer usage habits have changed significantly. On January 7th, 2025, I bought an iPad Pro M4, and on April 13th, 2025, I bought a Mac mini M4. These two computers are now my main office computers. I also have a dedicated gaming laptop as well. In this post, I’ll talk about the different devices I own, what I use them for, and the top 26 apps that I regularly use.

What are my computing needs?

I primarily use a computer for five essential tasks.

• Blogging. Of course, I use my computers to run this blog, from writing posts, checking stats, and general administration of the blog itself.
• Record my Community News Show for TransRadio UK. I also volunteer for TransRadio UK by doing a news section every week. This involves research, scriptwriting, recording, and editing of the show, as well as uploading the finished show to the TransRadio UK servers.
• Gaming/Streaming. I like some simple games like Vega Conflict as well as AAA games like Game Of Thrones: Kingsroad, Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West and the Assassin Creed Series. I sometimes stream these games as well.
• Music. As someone who has PTSD, music is very important for me when I am on the move.
• Watching TV. As my TV’s are too old to use the built-in streaming apps, I need a streaming device for my TV’s, mainly to watch YouTube and the catch-up services here in the UK as well as movies/TV shows off my Plex server.

Hardware

Mac mini M4

My Mac mini M4 is my go-to device for all tasks apart from gaming, from writing scripts and recording my news show for TransRadio UK to writing blog posts and managing this site. It also helps me with research for TransRadio UK and blog posts, casual gaming, and administering my network servers. I also use it to back up all my data from my iCloud Drive to my Nextcloud server, and backup my NAS to external hard drives.

I also use this Mac mini M4 to run a local LLM for research purposes.

I’ve connected my Mac mini M4 to an external 1TB USB3 drive for backing up my Data drive, an external 2TB USB3 drive for backing up my Plex drive, Focusrite Solo Gen 3 Audio Interface with a Rode Podmic XLR Microphone, a printer/scanner, and a Logitech C920 Pro Webcam. In the future, I also have an Elgato Neo capture card to stream from my gaming laptop below via this Mac mini M4.

A Lenovo D24-40 1080p 75MHz 24” monitor is also connected via HDMI with a set of Creative Pebble speakers connected to the monitor.

Also a Logitech Pebble K380s keyboard, and a Logitech Pebble M350s Mouse are also connected via Bluetooth.

iPad Pro 13” M4 256Gb

My iPad Pro M4 is my go-to tablet for all research, distraction-free writing, showing/reading the scripts for TransRadio UK, and light gaming when I’m in the office.

One of the main uses for this iPad Pro is using it for Touchportal when I am streaming. Touchportal is a cross platform program that replaces a Steamdeck for streamers. I use that along with the Twitch app to monitor chat when I am streaming on this iPad Pro M4.

I also use this iPad Pro M4 to run a local LLM for research purposes along with Perplexity, this is the same one as on my Mac mini M4, and it also serves as my backup computer in case something goes wrong with my Mac mini M4.

I also use Apple Arcade on this tablet for the games that are offered on that service as part of my Apple One subscription.

I’ve got my iPad Pro set up in my Office on a UGReen Laptop stand and is also connected to my monitor via a Dell Docking station.

A PS4 controller is also connected to my iPad Pro via Bluetooth.

iPad 10th Gen

My iPad 10th generation is my go-to for mobile computing. I’ve got a magnetic ESR keyboard case that I use when I want to use it like a laptop. But when I’m at home, or just want to read ebooks when in coffee shops, I just use a magnetic folio case.

Acer Nitro V15 Gaming Laptop.

This is my primary gaming machine.

The laptop has an Intel Core i5 13240H 8-Core/12-Thread CPU, an Nvidia RTX 3050 Mobile GPU with 6GB dedicated VRAM, 16GB (2x8Gb) DDR5 5200MHz RAM, and two 512GB M.2 NVMe SSDs and a 250Gb SATA SSD in a UGreen USB-C enclosure.

A Lenovo D24-40 1080p 75MHz 24” monitor is also connected via HDMI with a set of Creative Pebble speakers connected to the monitor.

Also a Logitech Pebble K380s keyboard, and a Logitech Pebble M350s Mouse are also connected via Bluetooth.

The laptop is currently running Windows 11 Home.

MacBook Pro 2017

This is my old MacBook Pro, which the Mac mini M4 has replaced.

The MacBook Pro is running macOS 15 Sequoia via an OpenCore installation. It is currently only turned on when an update for macOS 15 becomes available. It is my backup Mac.

Lenovo V520S Desktop PC

This is my backup PC. Its an Intel Core i3 7100 based PC with 8Gb (2x4Gb) DDR4 2400Mhz Ram and a 250Gb SATA SSD. There is a Trust 60% Gaming Keyboard and a MadCatz RAT3 Mouse attached to it with a Hannspree Monitor attached via HDMI.

This PC currently running Linux Mint.

iPhone 15

The majority of the applications listed here are compatible with my iPhone 15. I will explicitly indicate if an application is not compatible with the iPhone.

Other Tech

I have two servers: one that hosts a Nextcloud Server, Plex Server, and a WireGuard VPN Server all via Docker, and the other is a NAS that I constructed using spare parts I had lying around.

For more technical details about my servers and other devices, please refer to my “Tech Specs” page.

In addition, I have two retro PCs: a Pentium 4 desktop running Windows XP and a Pentium 3 laptop running Windows 98. These PCs are kept around for nostalgia purposes and playing old games. However, they are not currently set up.

For streaming content, I have an Apple TV 4K connected to the television in the living room while a Roku Express is connected to the television in the bedroom. Additionally, I utilise Amazon Echo speakers throughout the house.

My smartwatch of choice won’t be a surprise to anyone, it’s an Apple Watch SE.

For cloud storage I am an Apple One subscriber which gives you 50Gb iCloud Storage, access to Apple Music, Arcade and Apple TV. The iCloud drive does get synced to the Nextcloud Drive every day for backup.

Apps

Here are the top 26 apps I use on a regular basis, the most important ones for me are at the top.

No 26, MWeb, is an app I have retired but included it as it might be useful for some people as it is a lot cheaper alternative to iA Writer, which is my writing app of choice.

1. Apple Music/PlexAmp

Music holds immense personal significance for me, as I find it indispensable to have music playing while I am out and about. This is primarily due to the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that I developed as a result of my service in the British military.

Although I am not particularly concerned about the specific music streaming service I utilize, I do subscribe to Apple One that gives me access to Apple Music.

Additionally, I also use PlexAmp, a music player that enables me to stream or download music from my Plex Media Server.

Cost of Apple Music is Free with Apple One Subscriptiopn
Cost of PlexAmp is Free with Plex Lifetime Pass

1. iA Writer

iA Writer is the premier distraction free markdown editor for any system I know of. It has won the Apple Editors Choice in its category and 4 x best of App Store winner.

Its user-friendly interface allows writers to concentrate solely on their content without visual distractions. This approach enhances focus and productivity compared to more complex applications like Apple’s Pages and Microsoft Word.

John Gruber, the creator of the Markdown syntax said about iA Writer – My favourite iOS app for writing in Markdown, without question is iA Writer. iA Writer is just beautiful. To me, it’s the gold standard for Markdown syntax styling … an elegant champagne flute. That’s iA Writer for me.

Like most other distraction free markdown editors it has a focus mode with 3 options, typewriter, sentence and paragraph.

iA Writer is also available for Windows, iOS/iPadOS, and macOS. While there are minor differences between the versions, such as the macOS and iOS/iPadOS versions enabling uploads to blogging platforms that the Windows versions do not, the core functionality remains consistent.

iA Writer serves as the primary platform for composing and uploading all my blog posts and writing the script’s for my TransRadio UK shows. I have it installed on all my computing devices.

I have a detailed review of this amazing application on my blog here.

The cost of iA Writer for iOS/iPadOS/macOS is £49.99
The cost of iA Writer for Windows is £25.99

1. iWriter Pro

iWriter Pro is another distraction-free markdown editor that I primarily use to read the scripts for TransRadio UK.

One notable feature of iWriter Pro is its use of the Apple file app instead of its own library function. This decision aligns with the simplicity of the application and avoids unnecessary complexity. This also allows you to use files outside the app folder on iPad’s/iPhone.

iWriter Pro offers a typewriter mode that dims a designated portion of text. Users have the option to highlight only the line, paragraph, or sentence. Furthermore, the mode ensures that the text currently being worked on remains centred on the screen. iWriter Pro also highlights formatting text used in Markdown by making it greyed out and the text affected bold, facilitating in its identification.

Another advantageous feature is the capability to independently adjust the font size of the editor and the preview. I use this feature when reading my scripts for TransRadio UK, as I prefer the text to be larger when recording. This is the primary reason why I utilise iWriter Pro rather than iA Writer for reading my TransRadio UK scripts.

There is also a version of iWriter Pro available on the Mac for the same price as the iOS/iPadOS version. There is no Windows version of this app.

The cost of iWriter Pro for iOS/iPadOS/macOS is £2.99.

1. Apple Intelligence

Although not an application, Apple Intelligence has become an indispensable tool for me as a writer and blogger, so I thought I would include it on this list.

To use Apple Intelligence you require an Apple Silicon iPad, Mac, or an iPhone/iPad with a processor equal to or greater than the A17 Pro.

The writing tools within Apple Intelligence are particularly useful, especially the proofreading feature. It corrects spelling and grammar errors that I may have inadvertently made. Notably, I do not utilise any other components of Apple Intelligence.

The cost of Apple Intelligence is free

1. Apple Books

Apple Books is my go-to e-book reader. I love reading e-books while sipping coffee in cafes, and I love how easily I can pick up where I left off on different devices thanks to the syncing feature.

One of the best things about Apple Books is that it lets you import DRM-free e-books that you can access on all your devices through iCloud.

You can also via this app get ebooks from Apple that will also sync between devices but they will have DRM on them.

The cost of Apple Books is free

1. Apple Notes

Apple Notes is my preferred note-taking app. I appreciate its seamless integration with iOS and iPadOS, as well as its compatibility with my Apple Pencil for my iPad 10th generation. Additionally, I frequently utilise the private notes feature to safeguard sensitive personal information.

The cost of Apple Notes is free

1. Apple Reminders

Apple Reminders may appear to be a conventional reminders application, but it possesses far greater capabilities than basic reminders.

I utilise this application for two distinct lists: a shopping list and a list to organise blog posts.

Within the blog section, I utilise the column view to organise and track all my posts and ideas for this blog.

I have organised this list into four distinct columns for my convenience: “Ideas,” “In Progress,” “Scheduled,” and “Posted.”

Entries can be effortlessly transferred between columns.

Furthermore, you can specify dates and times for entries displayed in the Calendar application, which will subsequently trigger notifications.

Additionally, you can attach notes to individual entries as well as subtasks.

The cost of Apple Reminders is free

1. Audacity

Audacity is a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that is my backup program to record my radio show for TransRadio UK. It is installed on the Gaming Laptop and MacBook Pro.

The cost of Audacity is free

1. Cubasis LE 3

Cubasis LE 3 is a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that serves as the app I use to record radio shows for TransRadio UK when I am not at home.

While the app is available for free on the App Store, an in-app upgrade is required to unlock the ability to create and edit your own music and shows.

I find Cubasis LE 3 to be highly satisfactory for my specific requirements. Although I rarely utilise the extensive features of this powerful music creation application, I appreciate the robust support for keyboard shortcuts, the intuitive layout, and the reputation of Stineberg, a well-established company in the music industry.

The App Store offers two versions of Cubasis 3: the full version and the LE version. Notably, the LE version lacks the additional plugins included with the full version when purchased at a lower price point. However, my current workflow does not necessitate the use of these plugins, making the LE version a suitable choice for me.

The Windows and macOS versions of this app are called Cubase. The latest version of Cubasis, at the time of writing (3.7.5), can now share projects between it and the desktop version, Cubase.

The cost of the in-app purchase of Cubasis LE 3 without the plugins is £29.99.
The cost of the in-app purchase of Cubasis LE 3 with the plugins is £49.99
The cost of the full Cubasis 3 is £49.99.

1. Day One

Besides iA Writer, this is my most frequently used app. It’s a journal app that I purchased in 2016.

Since I bought it when it was a new app, I’ve been automatically upgraded to the plus tier, which is free. This tier allows me to create 10 journals per account and add 10 photos per journal entry.

There are two other tiers: a free one that permits the user to create 1 journal per account and add 1 photo per journal entry, and a premium one that costs money but offers unlimited journals and unlimited photos per journal entry, among other features.

The reason I prefer this app over the Apple Journal app is that it’s available on iPad, iPhone, macOS, Windows and as a web app. It syncs seamlessly between all these platforms. The Apple Journal app is currently only available on the iPhone.

Furthermore, you can secure your journals using the same level of encryption as employed by banks while syncing and storing them on Day One’s Server. You have the option to save the encryption key to your Apple ID or copy and store it in a secure location.

Individual journals can also be secured using Face ID or Touch ID.

The cost of Day One starts from free

1. Apple Pages

Apple Pages is the complimentary word processor included with every iPhone and iPad, as well as the Mac. Although it may not be the industry standard for corporate use, it is capable of reading and saving documents in Microsoft Word format.

While not as advanced as Microsoft Word, Pages is sufficient for home users.

Although I do not utilise it frequently, I do use Pages when formatting complicated documents.

The cost of Apple Pages is free

1. Apple Numbers

Apple Numbers is a spreadsheet application that is included with every iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Although it is not as powerful as the industry standard, Microsoft Excel, it is sufficient for home users.

The cost of Apple Numbers is free

1. FE File Explorer Pro

FE File Explorer Pro is a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program for the iPadOS and iOS that enables me to upload my radio shows to TransRadio UK.

While there is a free version allows users to connect to standard FTP servers, an in-app purchase is available to enable connections to additional servers such as SMB, WebDav, and SFTP. The paid version also integrates into the Files app so it is easier to transfer files.

The cost of FE File Explorer Pro is £4.99

1. Lire

Lire is my absolute favourite RSS reader. It effortlessly syncs feeds across all my Apple devices and keeps track of everything I’ve read.

The interface is very easy to use and visually stunning. The only downside is that it’s a bit pricey for what it offers, but I use it all the time as my main news source for TransRadio UK and general news.

A recent update lets you subscribe to YouTube channels within the app, and that bypasses all the adverts that YouTube puts in the videos when you play the video’s inside the app.

This app is not available for Windows.

The cost of Lire for macOS £9.99
The cost of Lire for iPadOS/iPhoneOS is £9.99

1. Slack

Slack is a business communications program utilised by TransRadio UK.

The cost of Slack is free

1. Affinity Suite 2

Serif’s Affinity suite is a comprehensive replacement for Adobe’s Photoshop, Publisher, and InDesign.

This suite comprises three applications: Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher, and Affinity Designer. The iPad versions are equally impressive as their Mac and Windows counterparts. Notably, all three operating system versions utilise the same file format, ensuring seamless compatibility. Editing content on an iPad will automatically appear on the PC and Mac versions.

The pricing strategy is highly competitive. You can opt for a universal license, which allows you to make a one-time payment for all three applications and use them on iPad, Mac and Windows. Alternatively, you can purchase the apps separately at a cheaper price. There are no subscription charges.

There is no iPhone version.

The cost of the Affinity Suite 2 universal licence is £159.99 though there are regular sales.

1. JetPack

Jetpack is the application I utilise to monitor my blog. It is provided by WordPress and enables me to respond to comments, publish posts, and access statistics from my blog while on the go.

JetPack also facilitates the direct uploading of posts to a blog from a markdown application via the iPadOS/iOS share sheet, ensuring the preservation of all markdown formatting.

JetPack is only available on iPadOS/iOS.

The cost of Jetpack is free

1. Scrivener

Scrivener is the industry standard for writing books, even though I have not yet written a book myself. I am interested in writing one in the future.

Scrivener is a highly sophisticated application that enables users to take notes on various aspects of their writing, including characters, locations, and more. It also allows users to organise their book into separate chapters and export it in various formats, including ePub and PDF.

You can seamlessly sync your books across devices by creating a free Dropbox account.

There are versions available for Windows and macOS that can also sync with the iOS/iPadOS versions.

The cost of Scrivener for iOS/iPadOS is £23.99
The cost of Scrivener for macOS or Windows is £55

1. Story Planner

Story Planner is a user-friendly application that seamlessly integrates with Scrivener.

Story Planner facilitates the planning of stories, characters, and locations, offering a more intuitive approach compared to Scrivener. However, it is important to note that Story Planner does not permit direct writing of the novel. Instead, its primary advantage lies in providing a comprehensive overview of the story’s plot, characters, and locations.

The application also enables you to outline each act and chapter within each act in a visually appealing manner.

Upon completing the planning process in Story Planner, the user can effortlessly export the data to Scrivener for the commencement of writing.

The cost of Story Planner is $7

1. Private LLM

Private LLM, an AI chatbot akin to ChatGPT, serves as a valuable research tool for me.

The main reason why I use this app is the cost. It is just a one time fee for the app, unlike apps like ChatGPT or Perplexity where if you want to ask more than a few questions daily you will be asked to pay for a subscription.

Another big reason why I run this instead of an AI chat bot like ChatGPT or Perplexity is that everything is run on a device, so no company can spy on what you are researching and sell your data to anyone else.

You are also not tied to just one LLM; the app offers a variety of different models to run, including but not limited to Google Gemini 2 2B and 9B, Llama 3.2 1B and 3B, DeepSeek R1 Distill and Microsoft Phi-3.

To effectively run Private LLM, you require an Apple Silicon iPad, Mac, or an iPhone/iPad with a processor equal to or greater than the A17 Pro. If your device supports Apple Intelligence, it can also run Private LLM without any issues.

If you do not possess a device that can run Private LLM effectively, I can recommend Perplexity as an alternative. This chatbot employs multiple LLM models, and the company is not affiliated with any major technology corporations because it operates as a private entity.

I also use Perplexity as well if Private LLM doesn’t give me the information that I was looking for.

The cost of Private LLM is £4.49

The cost of Perplexity is Free

1. Wikipedia

Wikipedia is the modern version of Encyclopaedia Britannica. This app is like a wrapper for the website, and it also lets you save articles to bookmark.

The cost of Wikipedia is free

1. Ability Office 11 Professional

Ability Office is a full Microsoft Office compatible office suite for Microsoft Windows.

While not as powerful as Microsoft Office it is perfect for the average home user. The standard version comes with a Word Processor, Spreadsheet and a Presentation Program, and the professional version also adds a Database and a Graphics Program.

All the office programs can use the relevant Microsoft Office formats and export to PDF, while the graphics program can use Adobe Photoshop files.

The suite comes with an unlimited install licence for home users, and a 2 PC 1 User licence for business use.

This program is only available for Microsoft Windows.

The cost of Ability Office 11 is £29.99
The cost of Ability Office 11 Professional is £34.99

1. FreeFileSync

FreeFileSync is a backup application that I use to back up all the data from my NAS to the various hard drives I have. It also backs up my iCloud Drive to my Nextcloud drive.

The application is available for Windows and Mac, all for one price. Since it’s an open-source project, you don’t have to pay for the app itself. However, if you decide to support the developer, you can donate and get a few extra features, including parallel file copy, auto-updater, email notifications, and a portable zip version of the app.

The cost of FreeFileSync is from Free

1. Hand Mirror

Hand Mirror is a simple application that lives on your Mac’s taskbar. When you click it, it will show you the feed from your webcam so you can see if it is set up right before you go on a video call or start a stream. There is a free version or an in app payment where you get extra features like a mic check.

Hand Mirror is only available for the Mac.

The cost of Hand Mirror is Free
The cost of the Hand Mirror IAP is £5.99

1. OBS

OBS is a streaming/screen recording software. I have it installed on my Mac mini M4 that does the streaming duties when I am streaming mainly Game Of Thrones: Kingsroad onto Twitch.

This is probably the best streaming software out there, and thanks to being open-source it has a lot of expandability baked into the software and an ecosystem of plugins for it.

There are versions available for Mac and Windows.

The cost of OBS is Free

1. MWeb

MWeb is a Markdown editor akin to iWriter Pro and iA Writer, offering virtually all the essential features that I would require in a text editor. It employs Markdown syntax, a format I favour because it involves using plain text files with formatting characters ensuring that files can be easily transferred between systems and programs, as any operating system can read plain text files.

Additionally, a version of MWeb with more features is available for the Mac called MWeb Pro. This version offers enhanced features, including static web site creation, but it comes with a higher price tag of £34.99. The standard version of MWeb for the Mac has a distraction free mode but requires a subscription for advanced features.

I retired this program when I got iA Writer due to it missing features like distraction free writing and syntax highlighting on iOS/iPadOS.

The cost of MWeb is £14.99.

Gaming

I’ve got a 4 gaming setups.

The Mac mini M4 is the computer that does the streaming part of my streaming setup thanks to OBS, Touchportal (Think a software version of the Steamdeck) and an Elgato Neo Capture Card that is connected to my gaming laptop. I also play Wuthering Waves on this Mac mini M4 when my gaming laptop isn’t on.

My iPad Pro M4 has a PS4 connected to it for casual games like Wuthering Waves, Game Of Thrones: Kingsroad, Vampire Survivors, COD Mobile, Ridge Racer and Vega Conflict. I also have Genshin Impact installed, but I don’t really play it much any more.

Vega Conflict and Vampire Survivors are also on my iPad 10th Gen, but there’s not enough space for the other games. I mostly use my iPad 10th Gen when I’m not at the office.

As a subscriber to Apple One I can also download games via the Apple Arcade service on all my Apple devices.

Additionally, I use the Acer Nitro V15 gaming laptop to play AAA games like Game Of Thrones: Kingsroad, World Of Warships, Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West, Control and Assassins Creed’s games as well as others.