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A small notebook for a system administrator

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Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#131

Post by yellowapple »

ohithereyou wrote: post #71
chrisseaton wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whatever happened to the 'netbook' form factor? That just seemed to disappear overnight.

Thin margins and the realization that if netbooks became popular most people would likely not buy normal laptops. Why make the one thing that kills the rest of your product line?

If that were the case, then companies would be tripping over each other to build netbooks and torch their existing laptop lines, lest some other company beats them to the punch and steals the market from under them.

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#132

Post by cik »

simonh wrote: post #113
cik wrote: post #100

I use a Microsoft Surface Pro 2 for all my mobile needs. I bought it on eBay for ~$200 two years ago, and it's now 5 years old. It's light as all get up, runs Linux perfectly out of the box and I bought it to run a browser and SSH into things. It also has a displayport, and a single USB, and I can ultimately connect it to everything I need. It's literally the best piece of technology I've ever owned. I use it for so…

What shape, form, colour, flavour, texture and consistency of Linux?

Mentioned above. I went with Bodhi (ugs), but since it's an Ubuntu, I quickly added repos and have everything I wanted. Now, it runs i3, rotates.. Heck I even rely on Xournal to edit PDFs by scribbling on them, just like real paper! This was actually my Surface goal.

Seriously, can't imagine being happier. Damn thing also (still) gets ~5 hours of battery life, from 2013!

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#133

Post by cik »

tluyben2 wrote: post #108
cik wrote: post #100

I use a Microsoft Surface Pro 2 for all my mobile needs. I bought it on eBay for ~$200 two years ago, and it's now 5 years old. It's light as all get up, runs Linux perfectly out of the box and I bought it to run a browser and SSH into things. It also has a displayport, and a single USB, and I can ultimately connect it to everything I need. It's literally the best piece of technology I've ever owned. I use it for so…

I keep wanting to get one but the battery life always keeps me from doing that. Mobile for me means a lot of battery life; you do not need that or is it actually ok?

I get ~5 hours which is beyond more than enough for my needs. I also keep power adapters. Honestly, I've never understood the obsession with long battery life on a laptop. It's significantly lighter to carry the adapter (super light on a surface) than have an extended battery, and either way you have a knapsack/laptop bag.

Also - other than this one coffee shop I'm not a fan of, there's always power nearby.

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#134

Post by tluyben2 »

cik wrote: post #133
tluyben2 wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep wanting to get one but the battery life always keeps me from doing that. Mobile for me means a lot of battery life; you do not need that or is it actually ok?

I get ~5 hours which is beyond more than enough for my needs. I also keep power adapters. Honestly, I've never understood the obsession with long battery life on a laptop. It's significantly lighter to carry the adapter (super light on a surface) than have an extended battery, and either way you have a knapsack/laptop bag. Also - other than this one coffee shop I'm not a fan of, there's always power nearby.

Yeah that really depends on where/what you are doing. I spend a large amount of time in airplanes, a lot of which (as I don't fly business) have no charging sockets. Then in places where I go, for instance in HK, it is actually really rare to find sockets in coffee shops or bars.

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#135

Post by yellowapple »

I use a ThinkPad T470 at work and it's served me quite well. Not really sure I'd want to go much smaller. I do agree that it's silly to have Print Screen where it is (though it's actually kinda handy, too, when I need to take a whole bunch of screenshots, e.g. when writing documentation).

The idea of being able to plug a laptop into a server or something and instantly transform said laptop into a console is pretty neat. Sure, that's what SSH and RDP are for, until the server falls off the network. This would be a great application for USB Type-C; just plug into the C connector on the front of the server, switch to "console" mode on the laptop, and you're in business.

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#136

Post by lou1306 »

oregontechninja wrote: post #85

HP x360, Intel i3, 6GB ram. Affordable, durable, works well with multiple flavors of Linux and dual boots just fine. Been administrating systems for years with this baby.

I know HP takes a lot of flak for their consumer laptops, but some of their Pavilion x360 are good in an almost unreasonable way, if you want them to be. I got a 13'' one, with an i5, at a Cyber monday sale and used the extra money to put in a good SSD and double the RAM to 16 GB. Just a lovely machine, which is also quite repair-friendly: I had to replace the fan after ~2 years and everything I needed was readily available online (parts list, service manual, etc.)

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#137

Post by rconti »

criddell wrote: post #38

> Such notebook is suitable for posting photos on Instagram, but not for work. There's something about that statement that put me off the entire article. Maybe the author truly is 3l337, but it just comes off as condescending. Plus, who uses a notebook for Instagram? The author managed to be simultaneously derisive and clueless.

Yes. As a sysadmin myself, my immediate reaction was slow jerk and "I've worked with this guy before".

But, everyone's welcome to their own opinions and hobbies. My best sysadmin laptop was probably my 13" macbook pro before they took away the ports. Built in ethernet and real USB for the KVM crash cart, which is the only dongle you'll typically need (other than, say, a usb-serial adapter, but even if you had a native serial port you're carrying a handful of console cables and adapters anyway, so the usb-serial part is hardly an additional hassle).

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#138

Post by PurpleRamen »

a012 wrote: post #67
PurpleRamen wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess it depends on how often you need to use the notebook standing besides some server while carrying the notebook in your hand. Or just move it around; take it out of the bag and put it back again..every day, sometimes multiple times.. Weight can start being annoying at some point.

FHD A5 screen size would not be eligible to me

This size and resolution Works for my smartphone well enough. And I don't think such a notebook is meant as a developers permanent workstation. Likely more a mobile terminal for the job on site or some short change on the go. For those things it's should be good enough.

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#139

Post by rconti »

tluyben2 wrote: post #118
TomVDB wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My big mistake was to buy the 2GB/64GB version. I could upgrade the SSD to 128GB, but the RAM is soldered. And it’s juat not enough for today.

I bought the 13 inch one with 4gb after my 11 inch one died and that really doesn't work anymore either; for anything serious 4gb is just always thrashing seeing the lovely colored ball which makes you wanting to pull your hair out.

Yeah I have a 2011 with 4GB.. it's finally starting to show its age, and the 128gb disk is always full. 8/256 would be perfect... but the screen is just starting to wear my down. I'm thinking of "upgrading" to the new one because of the display...
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