4 ms·

I much prefer a 4k monitor as my primary, and my laptop below it (open, as a small second screen). Going outside, working just off the laptop, is a definite sh

by blunte 6y ago

I much prefer a 4k monitor as my primary, and my laptop below it (open, as a small second screen). Going outside, working just off the laptop, is a definite shift. It usually means less coding, but sometimes it pushes me to be productive in areas I normally neglect (documenting, planning, organizing). To do real development, I am very dependent upon a big monitor. If I travel, I take one or rent one. Honestly though, sometimes I just go for a walk. And often during that walk, with no screens, my brain magically sorts through some problems and gives me new insights. If you work from home though, most people agree on dedicating some space and properly equipping it. Working always only on a laptop in a floater kind of way is something that I suspect most people cannot do with any real level of productivity.

gorkemyurt 6y ago
How do you carry your monitor? this has been a problem for me during covid. also there is the work chair problem..
- blunte 6y ago
  Le Sigh, during COVID I don't go anywhere. Carrying a monitor is not a problem. But when I traveled, many co-working spaces offer halfway decent monitors for rent. And if you're staying for a while, you can buy one locally and honestly just leave it there when you go. We're talking about $200. It's just part of the cost of being a digital nomad (which you totally make up in many other ways). Oh, but chairs for me are not a problem. I have been a very happy standing-worker for 13 years now. It started with hip and lower back pain in my early 30s, which seemed f'd up, and then some articles by a Mayo Clinic doctor who worked standing and sometimes on a treadmill. Turns out, it was good advice. Now I stand all day - sometimes 18 hours, and don't even notice. (To be clear, you always move a bit, shift your weight, etc.; it's not being a statue.)
  - shard 6y ago
    That's quite a lot of standing. At what point would you start worrying about varicose veins?
    - blunte 6y ago
      I have a few small spider veins, but I've had them for 10 years already. And since I work from home, I can play James Brown any time I want. You can imagine I get down; I'm not static. Slightly more seriously, there is no one answer. But in terms of total human history, sitting isn't something we spent a lot of time doing. Sleeping, lying flat, we obviously spend about 1/4 to 1/3 of our time doing. Standing or walking or running surely must be a big portion of the rest. Sitting would only be reserved for when you have the time to "do nothing". That's kind of a new concept. Thusly, I'm not afraid. For a 50 year old nerd who hasn't exercised in a year, I'm still well above the health and capabilities of a lot of same age people. And when I'm in a good environment with outdoor play areas (mountain biking) or indoor gyms, I'm fit. Aesthetically, losing hair and gaining less elastic skin is much more a concern to me than some tiny purple lines in my ankles or knees :/
  - unfocused 6y ago
    Just like to the other commenter mentioned, be careful of standing all day. My mother was a hairdresser for 50+ years. She needed operations on both her knees. I think it's all a balance of sitting and standing, and not taking one to the extreme. I say this as I just threw my back out a few weeks ago, because I was sitting all day :( So yeah, I'm not a model person to listen to either!
- Johnny555 6y ago
  While it's not a big 4K monitor, when I used to travel a lot pre-COVID, I got a 15" USB monitor for my laptop. It was small enough to easily haul around in a carryon bag and gave some useful screen real estate.
- prewett 6y ago
  I bought a 15" 4k UPERFECT portable gaming monitor for this situation. It's about the size of my 15" MBP, only thicker. I was worried about it being sketchy (as far as I can tell, they only sell on Amazon), but aside from difficulties syncing sometimes if I turn on the monitor before the computer and it decides there isn't a signal, it works great.
mywittyname 6y ago
> And often during that walk, with no screens, my brain magically sorts through some problems and gives me new insights. So many of my breakthroughs happen on walks. Being forced to reconstruct the situation in my head makes me think about the nitty-gritty details in a much more systematic manner.

by blunte 6y ago

gorkemyurt 6y ago

How do you carry your monitor? this has been a problem for me during covid. also there is the work chair problem..

blunte 6y ago
Le Sigh, during COVID I don't go anywhere. Carrying a monitor is not a problem. But when I traveled, many co-working spaces offer halfway decent monitors for rent. And if you're staying for a while, you can buy one locally and honestly just leave it there when you go. We're talking about $200. It's just part of the cost of being a digital nomad (which you totally make up in many other ways). Oh, but chairs for me are not a problem. I have been a very happy standing-worker for 13 years now. It started with hip and lower back pain in my early 30s, which seemed f'd up, and then some articles by a Mayo Clinic doctor who worked standing and sometimes on a treadmill. Turns out, it was good advice. Now I stand all day - sometimes 18 hours, and don't even notice. (To be clear, you always move a bit, shift your weight, etc.; it's not being a statue.)
- shard 6y ago
  That's quite a lot of standing. At what point would you start worrying about varicose veins?
  - blunte 6y ago
    I have a few small spider veins, but I've had them for 10 years already. And since I work from home, I can play James Brown any time I want. You can imagine I get down; I'm not static. Slightly more seriously, there is no one answer. But in terms of total human history, sitting isn't something we spent a lot of time doing. Sleeping, lying flat, we obviously spend about 1/4 to 1/3 of our time doing. Standing or walking or running surely must be a big portion of the rest. Sitting would only be reserved for when you have the time to "do nothing". That's kind of a new concept. Thusly, I'm not afraid. For a 50 year old nerd who hasn't exercised in a year, I'm still well above the health and capabilities of a lot of same age people. And when I'm in a good environment with outdoor play areas (mountain biking) or indoor gyms, I'm fit. Aesthetically, losing hair and gaining less elastic skin is much more a concern to me than some tiny purple lines in my ankles or knees :/
- unfocused 6y ago
  Just like to the other commenter mentioned, be careful of standing all day. My mother was a hairdresser for 50+ years. She needed operations on both her knees. I think it's all a balance of sitting and standing, and not taking one to the extreme. I say this as I just threw my back out a few weeks ago, because I was sitting all day :( So yeah, I'm not a model person to listen to either!
Johnny555 6y ago
While it's not a big 4K monitor, when I used to travel a lot pre-COVID, I got a 15" USB monitor for my laptop. It was small enough to easily haul around in a carryon bag and gave some useful screen real estate.
prewett 6y ago
I bought a 15" 4k UPERFECT portable gaming monitor for this situation. It's about the size of my 15" MBP, only thicker. I was worried about it being sketchy (as far as I can tell, they only sell on Amazon), but aside from difficulties syncing sometimes if I turn on the monitor before the computer and it decides there isn't a signal, it works great.

mywittyname 6y ago

> And often during that walk, with no screens, my brain magically sorts through some problems and gives me new insights. So many of my breakthroughs happen on walks. Being forced to reconstruct the situation in my head makes me think about the nitty-gritty details in a much more systematic manner.