Ive been working off my laptop for years now, mostly just simple coding and some light video editing, but lately my setup has felt super clunky. I just started a new gig in a tiny apartment in Chicago and honestly, my desk space is basically non-existent. I spilled coffee on my old keyboard yesterday and now half the keys are sticking which is a total nightmare because I have a deadline coming up on Friday. Im trying to stick to a budget of like 150 bucks. What are the actual must-have accessories to make this workflow suck less? Should I grab a mechanical keyboard or just a decent stand and mouse combo?
Oh man, spilling coffee on your board is the worst nightmare ever! Honestly, since you are coding and editing, your posture is probably taking a huge hit in that tiny apartment. You absolutely need to get that screen up to eye level and get a separate keyboard so you arent hunching over like a gremlin! I really think you should prioritize these for your 150 bucks:
Building on the earlier suggestion, I definitely agree about getting your desk setup sorted. Unfortunately, I had issues with cheap hubs before, so don't skimp there. Since you are tight on space, try these:
Regarding what #1 said about spilling coffee, total nightmare. Since you code, definitely check out any Logitech mouse, their sensor latency is top-tier. Just be careful with cable management in small spaces.