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Laptops displaced desktops?! You are deluded. We develop on 8GB i7s with dual 24" screens. We have one at home and one at work, Remote Desktop-ing from each ot

by nickpp 17y ago

Laptops displaced desktops?! You are deluded. We develop on 8GB i7s with dual 24" screens. We have one at home and one at work, Remote Desktop-ing from each other. Gigabit ethernet and optical fiber internet. No molasses wifi here. We work FAST, we work HARD. But we use Windows 7 too, so we're not limited to Apple's crappy hardware either...

nickpp 17y ago
Oh, and we write web apps and desktop apps, in php, java and c++. We test on iMacs and we serve from Ubuntu. But we develop on Windows Desktops. Our Mac Airs are for browsing. And reading Hacker News.
jseliger 17y ago
Although I don't think your comment is true, I do have a question for PG: Did you buy the 27" iMac just to use as a monitor, or for the computer part as well?
- pg 17y ago
  I bought it as a computer. It's my new, separate machine for using the Internet, as described here: http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html
  - Luyt 17y ago
    The moment Apple decides to make a model with a non-glaring screen, I'll buy one too.
    - ivankirigin 17y ago
      I've seen people use "privacy screens" on latops make them matte
  - joecode 17y ago
    Brilliant! Implementing now.
- nickpp 17y ago
  Not that I care much, but what makes you think my comment is untrue?!
  - jseliger 17y ago
    This part: "Laptops displaced desktops?! You are deluded." I _like_ desktops more than laptops, as I argue here: http://jseliger.com/2008/12/26/computer-post-desktop-or-laptopnotebook http://jseliger.com/2008/12/26/computer-post-desktop-or-lapt... , but note the link to the Ars Technica article: global laptop shipments as measured both by number and by dollars have overtaken laptop sales. And that was in Dec. 2008: the trend has only accelerated since. That's about as good a definition for laptop sales having overtaken desktops as I can imagine.
    - nickpp 17y ago
      Obviously, I was talking FOR DEVELOPMENT, as was talking pg. Of course that for general consumers latops are more popular, as they should be considering their main use: communication tools. As I said, we too have laptops we use for browsing from the couch. We just don't write serious code on them
rbanffy 17y ago
Ever since I moved from Windows to Linux I never had the need to develop on such a monster. My netbook (with some extra memory) serves me well. When I am at my desk, I just hook it to the big monitor, a keyboard and mouse and away I go. The only moment I wish for an i7 is when I have to buildout Plone, which is time consuming, but specially so on a machine designed for battery life. Fortunately, I have been doing mostly Django work, so I haven't been building Plone out lately. I wonder if other Linux developers also feel the need for 8GB i7 machines.
- ciupicri 17y ago
  If you're talking strictly about developing, I guess any machine would be fine as long as it can run an editor. On the other hand there are people who prefer IDEs like Eclipse combined with all sorts of application and database servers, not to mention virtual machines. Also, let's not forget distractions. After opening hundreds of tabs in Firefox assorted with some Flash, you're gonna wish to have a better CPU/GPU. I had a slow machine while I was a student and it was fine for some homework, but I'm glad that I have a decent desktop right now. Regarding laptops and Windows: after using Visual Studio on a laptop for a month, I don't even want to hear about working on laptops. Also, I've noticed that some companies promote working on laptops as a cool factor, although in my opinion it's not.
  - rbanffy 17y ago
    I never quite got why a tab with a flash thingie embedded consumes any CPU while you are not watching it. There is a cool factor in working off a laptop - you can carry it out of your office where nobody can interrupt you. That's a non-trivial benefit.

by nickpp 17y ago

nickpp 17y ago

Oh, and we write web apps and desktop apps, in php, java and c++. We test on iMacs and we serve from Ubuntu. But we develop on Windows Desktops. Our Mac Airs are for browsing. And reading Hacker News.

jseliger 17y ago

Although I don't think your comment is true, I do have a question for PG: Did you buy the 27" iMac just to use as a monitor, or for the computer part as well?

pg 17y ago
I bought it as a computer. It's my new, separate machine for using the Internet, as described here: http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html
- Luyt 17y ago
  The moment Apple decides to make a model with a non-glaring screen, I'll buy one too.
  - ivankirigin 17y ago
    I've seen people use "privacy screens" on latops make them matte
- joecode 17y ago
  Brilliant! Implementing now.
nickpp 17y ago
Not that I care much, but what makes you think my comment is untrue?!
- jseliger 17y ago
  This part: "Laptops displaced desktops?! You are deluded." I _like_ desktops more than laptops, as I argue here: http://jseliger.com/2008/12/26/computer-post-desktop-or-laptopnotebook http://jseliger.com/2008/12/26/computer-post-desktop-or-lapt... , but note the link to the Ars Technica article: global laptop shipments as measured both by number and by dollars have overtaken laptop sales. And that was in Dec. 2008: the trend has only accelerated since. That's about as good a definition for laptop sales having overtaken desktops as I can imagine.
  - nickpp 17y ago
    Obviously, I was talking FOR DEVELOPMENT, as was talking pg. Of course that for general consumers latops are more popular, as they should be considering their main use: communication tools. As I said, we too have laptops we use for browsing from the couch. We just don't write serious code on them

rbanffy 17y ago

Ever since I moved from Windows to Linux I never had the need to develop on such a monster. My netbook (with some extra memory) serves me well. When I am at my desk, I just hook it to the big monitor, a keyboard and mouse and away I go. The only moment I wish for an i7 is when I have to buildout Plone, which is time consuming, but specially so on a machine designed for battery life. Fortunately, I have been doing mostly Django work, so I haven't been building Plone out lately. I wonder if other Linux developers also feel the need for 8GB i7 machines.

ciupicri 17y ago
If you're talking strictly about developing, I guess any machine would be fine as long as it can run an editor. On the other hand there are people who prefer IDEs like Eclipse combined with all sorts of application and database servers, not to mention virtual machines. Also, let's not forget distractions. After opening hundreds of tabs in Firefox assorted with some Flash, you're gonna wish to have a better CPU/GPU. I had a slow machine while I was a student and it was fine for some homework, but I'm glad that I have a decent desktop right now. Regarding laptops and Windows: after using Visual Studio on a laptop for a month, I don't even want to hear about working on laptops. Also, I've noticed that some companies promote working on laptops as a cool factor, although in my opinion it's not.
- rbanffy 17y ago
  I never quite got why a tab with a flash thingie embedded consumes any CPU while you are not watching it. There is a cool factor in working off a laptop - you can carry it out of your office where nobody can interrupt you. That's a non-trivial benefit.