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I'm a more productive engineer now that I have small kids than I ever was before. I don't have time for bullshit. I don't build my own PCs, I buy Macs. I don't

I'm a more productive engineer now that I have small kids than I ever was before. I don't have time for bullshit. I don't build my own PCs, I buy Macs. I don't waste time building some over-architected nonsense on a side project, I ship the MVP. When I do take time away from my kids I maximize it by learning three or four new technologies, patterns, or libraries at once. When you realize how short time really is you ruthlessly cut bullshit.

evgg 11y ago
What is your reasoning behind labeling building one's own PCs as bullshit, as opposed to buying Macs?
- dack 11y ago
  I just took it to mean he doesn't really value spending his time building a PC when a Mac fulfills his needs. If you truly enjoy building PCs, then it's not bullshit.
  - SturgeonsLaw 11y ago
    I'm surprised I had to scroll so far down to see this response. It's all subjective! Personally, I love the quiet, "zen" feeling of distraction free focus on technical work. For me, that's my anti-bullshit. I wish I could spend more time doing things like building PCs! Of course, with all of us being different humans with different experiences and different mindsets, YMMV.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- babuskov 11y ago
  When time is scarce, you start to prioritize things that are really important to you. If your main life goal is to ship great software, then building your own PC is just taking away precious time. As DHH said in Twist interview: "If you're not working on your best idea right now, you're doing it wrong"
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  - wavefunction 11y ago
    That's just someone saying something in an interview. (Yes I know who DHH is.) I bet he wastes plenty of time on pedestrian things in life but that doesn't make for a very quotable soundbite, does it?
  - mahranch 11y ago
    > When time is scarce, you start to prioritize things that are really important to you. It takes me ~10 minutes to shop online and buy the parts I need to put together my own PC. When I receive it, it takes me an additional 15 minutes to unbox it, and put it all together. Then another 30 installing the OS and all the programs I will need. That's less than an hour. Given the price difference between a Mac and a PC with the same exact equipment (same CPU, RAM, HD, etc), we're looking at ~$250 USD on the low end and ~$550 USD on the high end. Unless you're making $250 USD (or more) per hour, it's most definitely cheaper time-wise to build your own PC.
    - babuskov 11y ago
      Unless you do this all day, there's no way it would take 10 minutes to research all the components that go into a PC and put it all together. Heck, even researching which model of Mac to buy took me more than two hours. 15 minutes to unbox probably doesn't include taking out the trash. :) I'm a power user, so I need a lot of programs and setting them up properly usually takes 4-6 hours if not more. Just finding and installing proper driver for stuff like my Wacom tablet takes 30 minutes or so. Again, if you do this every day, then yes, it could be much faster. But I buy a new computer once in 4-5 years and really cannot bother to automate. Last two times I got a new computer, it took me 2-3 days before I could work on them at full speed. It sure is worth more than $550. Not calculating the cost of stress if something does not work properly. I have been using Linux for 7+ years and Mac for just over one year. The difference: Mac is mostly Plug and Play. Linux is often Plug and Pray. Hell, doing something simple like copy/paste on Linux still feels like a game of chance. I love open-source and freedom, but as I got kids I became more pragmatic. The time is limited and I'd rather spend it on building stuff than figuring out some quirks in the operating system.
- snarfy 11y ago
  The idea is because your time is more valuable. I'm not sure I agree with a Mac having a lower total cost of ownership in either cost or time, but that's the idea. Don't do work Apple pays Chinese laborers to do.
  - n0us 11y ago
    N.B. I realize this experience is not typical of most users. I had an IBM laptop before I had a Mac. At least one major component had to be replaced every single year for the duration of the four years I had it. Keys broke. the screen was shite. Windows crashed constantly. I lost all my files multiple times. After having it for more than a year it ran as if someone had permanently applied the brakes and it was just grinding against them and no amount of service seemed to be able to fix this. I spent weeks searching for the specific charger I needed only for the company to ship the wrong one, then when I had to replace it a second time they no longer manufactured it so I had to buy one second hand. That machine was an utter sinkhole of money and time. I swore off Windows products that day and have not spent a dime on them since. Maybe things have gotten better since XP but I'm not about to risk it. Now I have a Mac. I have had the same MBP for 6+ years and it has never once required service, it runs perfectly, has never lost data, and has been a charm to work with. Sure, it cost me 2x as much as the IBM but in cumulative costs that is nothing. I could easily see this laptop lasting me another year at least. I am not saying you are wrong, just providing my experience in which the cost of ownership in money and time has in fact been lower.
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
    - makomk 11y ago
      Just how long ago was this? IBM laptops all used the same charger for about a decade now, the only difference is that some models require a higher maximum wattage than other. They changed over to a common connector around the same time Apple switched to MagSafe from what I can tell.
  - blkhp19 11y ago
    For me, owning a Mac has a much lower cost of ownership in terms of time. I boot up the computer and it's ready to go. I don't need to reinstall the OS or download an uninstaller to remove bloatware. I don't need to install antivirus (yeah, this one isn't required, but the reality is that there is much more malware targeting Windows). I don't need to wait for Windows Update to finish before my computer shuts down or boots up - these are particularly painful. I don't need to worry about programs scaling to a retina/high DPI display. I don't need to spend time reading articles about how Windows 10 is tracking me and how to prevent it. I don't need to worry about my laptop breaking, because if it does, I'm a genius bar appointment away from getting it fixed. If my Samsung laptop breaks, I need to ship the whole thing, likely wasting weeks. Not everyone experiences these issues, but this is how it feels for me. I made a very gradual transition to OS X - owning PCs, building PCs, using OS X on my PCs for almost a decade, then finally buying a Retina Macbook Pro.
babuskov 11y ago
Matches my experience. I switched from Linux to Mac after 7 years of knowing exactly which patch to apply to what piece of system (either kernel or various libs and apps) to make it work properly. And I think twice before starting new projects. Although, I still sometimes feel like twice is not enough.
dclowd9901 11y ago
Incidentally, one of the stickiest lessons I received from my Econ 101 prof was that if you ever have a choice to go out with a couple with kids or a couple without kids, you should opt for couples with kids, for they value their leisure time as though it was ground up rhino horn.
- treebeard901 11y ago
  On the other hand, how long does it really take to build a new PC? Maybe an hour for research and ordering parts... another two hours at most to put it together. Seems like a small investment for something you're going to use a lot.
  - to3m 11y ago
    Well, sure, but if you spend a bit more money it will take no time at all, because somebody else will do it for you while you get on and do something else :) Much easier to find more money than more time.
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
    - Aeolun 11y ago
      Sure, for some people finding more money might be easier than finding more time. For others, not so much.
  - irishcoffee 11y ago
    Do you have kids? Finding time to use said built PC is as precious (in the early days of children) as the time spent researching and building. I read somewhere that new parents lose 6 months of sleep in the first 18 months of having a child. Provided this estimate is wildly inaccurate, new parents are still trying to catch up 2-3 years later.
    - zeroonetwothree 11y ago
zappo2938 11y ago
You just made the best argument for maternity leave.
sigmaml 11y ago
> I don't have time for bullshit. I don't build my own PCs, I buy Macs. It is sad - and disgusting - to see this degree of arrogance in bluntly categorising those who use (or build) PCs (and not Macs) as indulging in bullshit! I am happy that you have found a useful computer in Mac. At the same time, though, please realise that hundreds of millions of computer users choose otherwise too. And, please do not conclude that they have time for bullshit just because of that!
- BinaryIdiot 11y ago
  Whoa whoa slow down. Parent sounded like they simply don't have time to build computers anymore and that buying a Mac is just far easier (less driver issues due to the vertical stack, etc). This seems perfectly justified and fine to me; I don't get why you're so upset by it.
  - sigmaml 11y ago
    > I don't get why you're so upset by it. Because harsh expressions are usually gratuitous. Because blanket assertions are usually wrong. And, because combining both is rude. (This applies to parts of PG's essay as well!) For instance, did you really need to say `Whoa whoa slow down' when you began your reply? Did that add value?
    - BinaryIdiot 11y ago
      > Because harsh expressions are usually gratuitous. Because blanket assertions are usually wrong. And, because combining both is rude. This never happened though. The parent simply stated they didn't have time for bullshit then said they purchase Macs so they don't have build PCs. He / she simply stated what they considered important. It was personal, there was no blanket assertions at all and it was in the same tone as the article so what was gratuitous in this context? > For instance, did you really need to say `Whoa whoa slow down' when you began your reply? Did that add value? I certainly did due to the outlandishness of what I replied to. It sounded two orders of magnitude harsher and more personal than I would have expected especially on HN.
    - 11y ago
PerfectElement 11y ago
I didn't know one had to know how to build a PC to use a PC.
ciupicri 11y ago
Can't you buy a PC or even better a workstation from Dell, HP, Lenovo etc?

evgg 11y ago

What is your reasoning behind labeling building one's own PCs as bullshit, as opposed to buying Macs?

dack 11y ago
I just took it to mean he doesn't really value spending his time building a PC when a Mac fulfills his needs. If you truly enjoy building PCs, then it's not bullshit.
- SturgeonsLaw 11y ago
  I'm surprised I had to scroll so far down to see this response. It's all subjective! Personally, I love the quiet, "zen" feeling of distraction free focus on technical work. For me, that's my anti-bullshit. I wish I could spend more time doing things like building PCs! Of course, with all of us being different humans with different experiences and different mindsets, YMMV.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
babuskov 11y ago
When time is scarce, you start to prioritize things that are really important to you. If your main life goal is to ship great software, then building your own PC is just taking away precious time. As DHH said in Twist interview: "If you're not working on your best idea right now, you're doing it wrong"
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- wavefunction 11y ago
  That's just someone saying something in an interview. (Yes I know who DHH is.) I bet he wastes plenty of time on pedestrian things in life but that doesn't make for a very quotable soundbite, does it?
- mahranch 11y ago
  > When time is scarce, you start to prioritize things that are really important to you. It takes me ~10 minutes to shop online and buy the parts I need to put together my own PC. When I receive it, it takes me an additional 15 minutes to unbox it, and put it all together. Then another 30 installing the OS and all the programs I will need. That's less than an hour. Given the price difference between a Mac and a PC with the same exact equipment (same CPU, RAM, HD, etc), we're looking at ~$250 USD on the low end and ~$550 USD on the high end. Unless you're making $250 USD (or more) per hour, it's most definitely cheaper time-wise to build your own PC.
  - babuskov 11y ago
    Unless you do this all day, there's no way it would take 10 minutes to research all the components that go into a PC and put it all together. Heck, even researching which model of Mac to buy took me more than two hours. 15 minutes to unbox probably doesn't include taking out the trash. :) I'm a power user, so I need a lot of programs and setting them up properly usually takes 4-6 hours if not more. Just finding and installing proper driver for stuff like my Wacom tablet takes 30 minutes or so. Again, if you do this every day, then yes, it could be much faster. But I buy a new computer once in 4-5 years and really cannot bother to automate. Last two times I got a new computer, it took me 2-3 days before I could work on them at full speed. It sure is worth more than $550. Not calculating the cost of stress if something does not work properly. I have been using Linux for 7+ years and Mac for just over one year. The difference: Mac is mostly Plug and Play. Linux is often Plug and Pray. Hell, doing something simple like copy/paste on Linux still feels like a game of chance. I love open-source and freedom, but as I got kids I became more pragmatic. The time is limited and I'd rather spend it on building stuff than figuring out some quirks in the operating system.
snarfy 11y ago
The idea is because your time is more valuable. I'm not sure I agree with a Mac having a lower total cost of ownership in either cost or time, but that's the idea. Don't do work Apple pays Chinese laborers to do.
- n0us 11y ago
  N.B. I realize this experience is not typical of most users. I had an IBM laptop before I had a Mac. At least one major component had to be replaced every single year for the duration of the four years I had it. Keys broke. the screen was shite. Windows crashed constantly. I lost all my files multiple times. After having it for more than a year it ran as if someone had permanently applied the brakes and it was just grinding against them and no amount of service seemed to be able to fix this. I spent weeks searching for the specific charger I needed only for the company to ship the wrong one, then when I had to replace it a second time they no longer manufactured it so I had to buy one second hand. That machine was an utter sinkhole of money and time. I swore off Windows products that day and have not spent a dime on them since. Maybe things have gotten better since XP but I'm not about to risk it. Now I have a Mac. I have had the same MBP for 6+ years and it has never once required service, it runs perfectly, has never lost data, and has been a charm to work with. Sure, it cost me 2x as much as the IBM but in cumulative costs that is nothing. I could easily see this laptop lasting me another year at least. I am not saying you are wrong, just providing my experience in which the cost of ownership in money and time has in fact been lower.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  - makomk 11y ago
    Just how long ago was this? IBM laptops all used the same charger for about a decade now, the only difference is that some models require a higher maximum wattage than other. They changed over to a common connector around the same time Apple switched to MagSafe from what I can tell.
- blkhp19 11y ago
  For me, owning a Mac has a much lower cost of ownership in terms of time. I boot up the computer and it's ready to go. I don't need to reinstall the OS or download an uninstaller to remove bloatware. I don't need to install antivirus (yeah, this one isn't required, but the reality is that there is much more malware targeting Windows). I don't need to wait for Windows Update to finish before my computer shuts down or boots up - these are particularly painful. I don't need to worry about programs scaling to a retina/high DPI display. I don't need to spend time reading articles about how Windows 10 is tracking me and how to prevent it. I don't need to worry about my laptop breaking, because if it does, I'm a genius bar appointment away from getting it fixed. If my Samsung laptop breaks, I need to ship the whole thing, likely wasting weeks. Not everyone experiences these issues, but this is how it feels for me. I made a very gradual transition to OS X - owning PCs, building PCs, using OS X on my PCs for almost a decade, then finally buying a Retina Macbook Pro.

babuskov 11y ago

Matches my experience. I switched from Linux to Mac after 7 years of knowing exactly which patch to apply to what piece of system (either kernel or various libs and apps) to make it work properly. And I think twice before starting new projects. Although, I still sometimes feel like twice is not enough.

dclowd9901 11y ago

Incidentally, one of the stickiest lessons I received from my Econ 101 prof was that if you ever have a choice to go out with a couple with kids or a couple without kids, you should opt for couples with kids, for they value their leisure time as though it was ground up rhino horn.

treebeard901 11y ago
On the other hand, how long does it really take to build a new PC? Maybe an hour for research and ordering parts... another two hours at most to put it together. Seems like a small investment for something you're going to use a lot.
- to3m 11y ago
  Well, sure, but if you spend a bit more money it will take no time at all, because somebody else will do it for you while you get on and do something else :) Much easier to find more money than more time.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  - Aeolun 11y ago
    Sure, for some people finding more money might be easier than finding more time. For others, not so much.
- irishcoffee 11y ago
  Do you have kids? Finding time to use said built PC is as precious (in the early days of children) as the time spent researching and building. I read somewhere that new parents lose 6 months of sleep in the first 18 months of having a child. Provided this estimate is wildly inaccurate, new parents are still trying to catch up 2-3 years later.
  - zeroonetwothree 11y ago

zappo2938 11y ago

You just made the best argument for maternity leave.

sigmaml 11y ago

> I don't have time for bullshit. I don't build my own PCs, I buy Macs. It is sad - and disgusting - to see this degree of arrogance in bluntly categorising those who use (or build) PCs (and not Macs) as indulging in bullshit! I am happy that you have found a useful computer in Mac. At the same time, though, please realise that hundreds of millions of computer users choose otherwise too. And, please do not conclude that they have time for bullshit just because of that!

BinaryIdiot 11y ago
Whoa whoa slow down. Parent sounded like they simply don't have time to build computers anymore and that buying a Mac is just far easier (less driver issues due to the vertical stack, etc). This seems perfectly justified and fine to me; I don't get why you're so upset by it.
- sigmaml 11y ago
  > I don't get why you're so upset by it. Because harsh expressions are usually gratuitous. Because blanket assertions are usually wrong. And, because combining both is rude. (This applies to parts of PG's essay as well!) For instance, did you really need to say `Whoa whoa slow down' when you began your reply? Did that add value?
  - BinaryIdiot 11y ago
    > Because harsh expressions are usually gratuitous. Because blanket assertions are usually wrong. And, because combining both is rude. This never happened though. The parent simply stated they didn't have time for bullshit then said they purchase Macs so they don't have build PCs. He / she simply stated what they considered important. It was personal, there was no blanket assertions at all and it was in the same tone as the article so what was gratuitous in this context? > For instance, did you really need to say `Whoa whoa slow down' when you began your reply? Did that add value? I certainly did due to the outlandishness of what I replied to. It sounded two orders of magnitude harsher and more personal than I would have expected especially on HN.
  - 11y ago

PerfectElement 11y ago

I didn't know one had to know how to build a PC to use a PC.

ciupicri 11y ago

Can't you buy a PC or even better a workstation from Dell, HP, Lenovo etc?