5 ms·

I do most of my work on my Macbook Pro with 16GB RAM and a 256 SSD. The frugality comes from the fact that it's not Retina. Big whoop.

walshemj 11y ago
You should not be doing regular development on a laptop the trade offs are to great when compared to a proper i7/i5 desk top with 2 or 3 screens. And that's not counting the H&S aspect RSI is not fun
- amznawsthrow 11y ago
  I have 2 monitors that connect to the laptop so I have 3 screens. I have a standing desk. What am I missing?
  - walshemj 11y ago
    A full fat processor instead of a mobile, less ram,a real keyboard and mouse your also not making best use of the company's capital - for the relative performance mac books are over priced
    - yazaddaruvala 11y ago
      Just in general: I've always found it easier to work on my laptop. I can walk around, go to meetings, sit on different floors, sit on couches, work from home and still be developing the same as I would at my desk. All I'm trying to say is: Slightly faster builds on a powerful machine, or flexibility and consistency on a laptop. This might just be a matter of preference, and ideally companies should accommodate either preference.
    - amznawsthrow 11y ago
      Fuck, I also have an extrenal keyboard and mouse - of course I do! That goes without saying! (all company-paid) The reason why I use a mac is because everything I build is deployed on Linux. Coding on a WIndows laptop means I wouldn't be able to compile anything, and coding on an Ubuntu laptop...well...I still like having a first world OS experience.
      - walshemj 11y ago
        So why are you developing on OSX if your deploying on Linux - why don't you have a duplicate development and test server to work with On windows Just use an X server or run Hyperv and run VM's
        amznawsthrow 11y ago
        Why are you telling me how to do my job? OSX is a fantastic development machine. Most developers use it. It completely fits all my needs and is provided for me by employer so that I can be happy and productive and effective. Which, as you remember, was the original criticism. That Amazon DOESN'T do that.
        walshemj 11y ago
        so..... why does cpan not mange to install standard packages like the MySQL DBD on my mac mini at work? Also I spent a good deal of time building carrier grade software for major telco's (using map reduce I might add). Serious developers develop on Identical hardware to the live system and I mean identical as in came of the line in the same batch. Its all about removing risk
srdev 11y ago
On the other hand, laptop is a 2011 model and I'm not allowed to upgrade until next year. My desktop has a "huge" 1 TB drive in it that I had to get my manager to approve, because Amazon apparently doesn't work with large datasets, and the desktop is just barely creaking along. And I know what you're thinking. "Well your stuff is old, so you could obviously go in and get an upgrade!" Nope, went in the other day, literally, and was told I had to wait another year. Frugality is absolutely widely misapplied at Amazon. Nearly every developer I've met that has been at Amazon for more than a year is dissatisfied with the hardware policy.
- amznawsthrow 11y ago
  "Manager approval" is no big deal. It's a rubber stamp. It's not like you have to write a report justifying why you need it. A good SDM should rubber stamp it, at which point everything is clear. My first director at AMZN explained this to me early. Don't ask if you can have something. Establish that you need it, confirm with your manager that you need it, then go to people and say "I need this. I have manager approval." Don't ask, tell.

walshemj 11y ago

You should not be doing regular development on a laptop the trade offs are to great when compared to a proper i7/i5 desk top with 2 or 3 screens. And that's not counting the H&S aspect RSI is not fun

amznawsthrow 11y ago
I have 2 monitors that connect to the laptop so I have 3 screens. I have a standing desk. What am I missing?
- walshemj 11y ago
  A full fat processor instead of a mobile, less ram,a real keyboard and mouse your also not making best use of the company's capital - for the relative performance mac books are over priced
  - yazaddaruvala 11y ago
    Just in general: I've always found it easier to work on my laptop. I can walk around, go to meetings, sit on different floors, sit on couches, work from home and still be developing the same as I would at my desk. All I'm trying to say is: Slightly faster builds on a powerful machine, or flexibility and consistency on a laptop. This might just be a matter of preference, and ideally companies should accommodate either preference.
  - amznawsthrow 11y ago
    Fuck, I also have an extrenal keyboard and mouse - of course I do! That goes without saying! (all company-paid) The reason why I use a mac is because everything I build is deployed on Linux. Coding on a WIndows laptop means I wouldn't be able to compile anything, and coding on an Ubuntu laptop...well...I still like having a first world OS experience.
    - walshemj 11y ago
      So why are you developing on OSX if your deploying on Linux - why don't you have a duplicate development and test server to work with On windows Just use an X server or run Hyperv and run VM's
      - amznawsthrow 11y ago
        Why are you telling me how to do my job? OSX is a fantastic development machine. Most developers use it. It completely fits all my needs and is provided for me by employer so that I can be happy and productive and effective. Which, as you remember, was the original criticism. That Amazon DOESN'T do that.
        walshemj 11y ago
        so..... why does cpan not mange to install standard packages like the MySQL DBD on my mac mini at work? Also I spent a good deal of time building carrier grade software for major telco's (using map reduce I might add). Serious developers develop on Identical hardware to the live system and I mean identical as in came of the line in the same batch. Its all about removing risk

srdev 11y ago

On the other hand, laptop is a 2011 model and I'm not allowed to upgrade until next year. My desktop has a "huge" 1 TB drive in it that I had to get my manager to approve, because Amazon apparently doesn't work with large datasets, and the desktop is just barely creaking along. And I know what you're thinking. "Well your stuff is old, so you could obviously go in and get an upgrade!" Nope, went in the other day, literally, and was told I had to wait another year. Frugality is absolutely widely misapplied at Amazon. Nearly every developer I've met that has been at Amazon for more than a year is dissatisfied with the hardware policy.

amznawsthrow 11y ago
"Manager approval" is no big deal. It's a rubber stamp. It's not like you have to write a report justifying why you need it. A good SDM should rubber stamp it, at which point everything is clear. My first director at AMZN explained this to me early. Don't ask if you can have something. Establish that you need it, confirm with your manager that you need it, then go to people and say "I need this. I have manager approval." Don't ask, tell.