Computers

Desktop
Antec Sonata 2 Computer CaseOddly enough, the system I use the least is also my most powerful. My desktop computer was put together by me, and includes an Antec Sonata II case, Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 processor, two gigabytes of DDR2 ram, and 750 gigabytes of hard drive space. I use a wireless HP keyboard, a super cheap Logitech optical mouse, and have a reasonably decent 19-inch Samsung LCD. I have both Ubuntu Linux and Windows Vista on this computer, and I spend about equal time in both operating systems now.

Laptops
MacBook ProI have two laptops, though one has become my wife’s more than mine. I have my MacBook Pro which I do almost all of my work on, and then a IBM ThinkPad T43 which I check out web development work using Windows XP. The MacBook Pro was purchased just before the most recent update in its specs, meaning mine is a 2.16GHz model with a single gigabyte of ram. Of course I use OS X 10.4 on the MacBook Pro, but I hope to update to Leopard as soon as certain important things are fixed.

Camera

Canon PowerShot S1 ISMy camera is a few years old now, but it is one of the first free gadgets I received from my blogging work with Bloggy Network. It is a Canon PowerShot S1 IS and provides me with a whole 3.2 megapixels of resolution, and a 10x optical zoom. What I like most about it is its movie mode, which allows me to still use the optical zoom. I would love to upgrade to the S5 IS which has an 8 megapixel sensor, and 12x optical zoom, but that’s still a rather pricey endeavor, and my wife would like me to puchase something more compact and portable next time.

Podcasting Microphone

Samson Q1UFor the myriad of podcasts I do, I have my trusty USB microphone, the Samson Q1U which I ordered off someone on eBay. It is a very professional feeling microphone and works really well for podcasting. For the most part, any sound degradation you hear in the podcast is usually due to my incompetence as an audio editor.

External Drive

Something that too many people forget to do, especially bloggers, is backing things up. I would be lost without my data, and I am pretty religious about backing up my desktop and my IBM laptop. I haven’t yet got into the habit of backing up my MacBook Pro yet, but that will come when I upgrade to Leopard.

I currently use a nGEAR external 3.5″ case to house a 250GB Western Digital IDE hard drive. It was a fairly cheap option and works well for me. I can remove the drive and add another one whenever I need, unlike some of the prepackaged drives you can pick up from the hard drive manufacturers.

Leisure

Nintendo WiiTo help me unwind or just to keep me happy, I have my two consoles, the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. I consider these to be some of the smartest purchases I have made, despite also being the most tempting distractions.

I can load up a game on the Xbox 360, get some frustration out, and then hit the computers for some more blogging, or WordPress work.

Do You Need All This?

Of course you don’t need all these things in your blogging setup, but I highly recommend getting some good equipment if you plan on doing this long term. There is nothing worse than the computer freezing and crashing in the middle of a post, horrible audio quality in a podcast, or a cranky writer not adding anything valuable to the web.

I highly recommend having a laptop, especially if you want to move around. I find moving to different locations in my house, or outside my house can quickly and easily refocus and refresh myself.

What is your blogging setup? Let me know, and the best response will earn a 125×125 pixel advertisement for the rest of November (please let me know if your comment should be entered into the contest, end date is the seventh of November).

Coverage
Check out the great post about the contest at My Blog Contest and Contest Beat.