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A small notebook for a system administrator

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191–200 of 274 posts

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#191

This is the TempleOS of computer hardware. I don't know whether to be impressed or weirded out. I am also a network engineer, and I have an X200 and an 11" Chromebook (yeah ChromeOS can do FTDI serial) set up as rudimentary on-the-go engineers stations but they're still not at flexible as my 15" MacBook Pro -- so I just end up lugging my 15" MBP around and propping it up precariously in racks. I still dream, though.

Not sure what you mean by that, given that TempleOS actually exists but is very impractical, unlike this (on both counts).

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, it does, and my comment does start with IF your goal is... . If your goal IS NOT that, then clearly what I suggested isn't going to be applicable is it?

Indeed, it did seem totally inapplicable to the thread.

https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/83994740/english-mot...

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#195
post #111

I've been staring at a surface go for a while now which I think meets all these needs. The one thing I'd like is a case with an attached keyboard (like the old clamcase) rather than the soft keyboard/stand.

I have a surface go, the 8gb version, and am very happy with it. I've left it running Windows 10 home, but installed the linux subsystem which works quite nicely. You'd think the keyboard would be a weak point, but it's not as bad to use as it looks like it would be. And it runs the games I care about (Civ 6, Kerbal, Subnautica, etc) well enough that I can enjoy them. It's lacking in ports, having just a single USB C, but a hub with a couple of USB A ports, a USB C, HDMI and ethernet only runs about $60 and isn't very big. All in all, I've been really happy with it, it fits in a small bag, will charge off the same USB C charger my phone uses if needed (albeit slowly) and is useful as a tablet for just surfing the web on or watching Netflix.

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#197

I recently came across this cool DYI laptop that is in the works: http://mntmn.com/reform/ It doesn't fit exactly with the OP's needs but it comes pretty close I think.

Here is a recent status update with pictures of the beta unit:

https://mntmn.com/media/news_md/2019-01-14-status_update_on_...

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#198

> 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.

> All of them imitate the MacBook Air: thin, shiny, glamorous, and they all critically lack ports. This is the sentence before. IMO you’re being way too harsh. He is clearly trying to emphasize that the average consumers has lost their need for ports, thus, most lightweight computers aren’t sufficient for the author’s line of work. But OMG the author doesn’t know the proper context of Instagram! This whole article lo…

Why do people who don't need multiple serial ports stop being real users?

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have very fond memories of my old Asus Eee PC 1000 netbook (see https://www.computerworld.com/article/2532501/mobile-wireles... ). I miss netbooks. It’s too bad that we let Intel and Microsoft kill them.

I remember when Eee PC's came out and all the buzz about them. What do you mean by Microsoft and Intel killed them? I just assumed it was lack of market interest.

Microsoft hated netbooks because they ran on Linux and low-spec older versions of Windows, rather than the latest full-price versions. Intel hated netbooks because they used low-end, low-margin Atom CPUs.

Microsoft's response was to put a variety of netbook-gimping restrictions on the things they allowed OEMs to do if they wanted to be able to sell machines with Windows preinstalled. Some of those tactics are recounted in this 2009 article from PC World: https://www.pcworld.com/article/169919/5_netbooks_microsoft_...

Intel's response was to develop and drive OEMs to the competing Ultrabook (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrabook) standard, which kept the netbook's focus on "small and light" but replaced the "inexpensive" part with premium materials and full-fat Core processors.

The release of the iPad put the final coup de grâce on the netbook market, but its success there was driven at least in part by the ways MS and Intel had forced OEMs to kneecap their netbook products in order to stay in good graces with the two companies you absolutely had to be in good graces with to make any products (netbook or otherwise) in the PC business.

Re: A small notebook for a system administrator

#200
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of us (I assume OP is one of them) think that since your screen won't be large anyway, there is little point to having a screen bigger than your preferred keyboard size. And since your battery won't be large enough to support compiling LLVM in reasonable time anyway, it's better to just get used to do CPU-heavy stuff by ssh-ing to a rackmount somewhere use the laptop for terminal-ish tasks.

If your goal is a portable SSH client, even an original iPad mini with a bluetooth keyboard would be a better option than this thing.

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