My setup

I learned Bubble on a 13” Macbook Pro from 2011, admittedly with an SSD drive instead of a HDD, and 16GB ram not the factory 4GB ram. But this shows you can’t use your old computer as an excuse not to learn Bubble.

Since going professional, I decided to upgrade to some serious kit. But maybe not as serious as you might think.

No need for $10,000+ setups to work in Bubble. Regular, everyday computers are more than enough.

What to Consider

My main considerations are: Computing power - you want your computer to be faster than you are. Time is money and there’s no point in waiting around for your computer to loadScreen size - you want to be able to view two wide windows, side by side.Internet bandwidth. We generally have >40mbps download and >10mbps download (on either broadband or 4G) and this is plenty for Bubble. Ok, so here it is.

The gear

Mac Mini M1 Chip 16GB memory. - The Mac Mini M1 is more than adequate, can handle almost unlimited browser tabs, and barely, if ever crashes.

I have heard it said that a desktop can be more stable than an equivalent laptop because it doesn’t have to fit inside the same form factor and suffers from overheating issues. This more than fulfills point (1) about computing power.

Incidentally, I tried a 27” iMac with an Intel chip that cost about 3x as much as the Mac Mini, and that computer crashed all the time, had a noisy fan, and ultimately had to have its whole motherboard replaced. It was slower and less reliable, and I didn’t like the screen shape despite the 5k screen … the monitor was taller than I needed but not wide enough.

**34” ultrawide curved gaming monitor **(WQHD, 144hz) by Kogan, a discount Australian online retailer. Kogan has a reputation for packing up big-name screens at half the price. This monitor has been solid for >2 years and I love the screen shape.

Even though my 15y/o son says it is now outdated for gaming (and mumbles something about FPS), the monitor makes it super easy to have two wide windows side by side. This is perfect for when you are testing, transcribing Figma designs, reading API docs, or copying details from one part of the app to another.

PS I know dual monitors were in vouge for a long time, but since the advent of ultrawide monitors like this one, I now see dual monitors as redundant. PPS I love the curve and everytime I go back to a normal monitor, I feel like it is convex out, or I have to turn my head to see the corners of the screen.

**Apple Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad **- so admittedly I’m a bit of an Apple sell-out. This forever irritates my teenage son who believes that his life’s destiny runs on a PC.

The Apple mouse and keyboard work very well. Perhaps too well. I started to get a bit of repetitive strain in my right arm from too much Bubble development! So you can have too much of a good thing.

I added the trackpad as a way to break it up, and I use my left hand as well on the trackpad, which I figure is good brain training to keep me sharp in my old age (Ok I’m not that old but I’m starting early).

**Apple Airpods **basic model - OK I know people whinge about Apple being overpriced, but here’s something. They work. People on Zoom calls can hear me. They are reliable. I’m happy.

Apple MacBook Air M1 (base model) - Ok so I couldn’t avoid having a second computer for the times I need to be out and about. Like now, when I’m writing this article during my son’s soccer training.

I really love this computer. It is lightweight. It fits in my “man bag” (a leather bag with a pocket the same size as this laptop, plus my keys and wallet). It is highly reliable.

I do not need an overpowered laptop, since I have a fantastic desktop. It is more than adequate for all aspects of running our business, as well as a lightweight Bubble dev station on the go. I would prefer a good desktop and the lightest laptop possible, rather than an all-in-one beast.

Incidentally, my gaming monitor does not work reliably with this laptop, which is also a known problem. But that’s not an issue for me, as I never use them together.

**Cheap webcam from Amazon. **I don’t even know the brand. But it works. Plus Apple’s new portrait mode and studio light machine learning magic make it look like I’ve spent hours in makeup before hitting the stage, so at this point, I’m not complaining.

Zoom H6 microphone/interface + Audiotechnica ATH-M50x headphones. This is an older field recorder I’ve had for a while as well as the headphones. My go-to for recording Academy lessons, videos, and podcasting. I have a floor microphone stand (again from old days recording bands) the kind you’d see on stage, and the Zoom comes with its own pop filter.

**Desk and chair - **A white, 150cm x 60cm Hamptons-style desk with two drawers and an open bottom. A copy of an Eames desk chair. No complaints about either.

Wrap up

And that’s it.

You don’t need a complex setup to be a Bubble dev. Just keep it real and get something with a little grunt that is faster than you are!

Happy developing.