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I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

yieldthought.com

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Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#41
post #32

I heartily agree -- once you add a wireless keyboard to an iPad, it stops being a toy. I use the keyboard and an iPad 1 to write my first drafts (both locally and google docs, if need be) and with VNC, I code on my remote servers as well.

How do you keep the iPad's screen comfortably facing you if you're not holding it?

With case that double as an adjustable stand. I can't figure out how anybody uses an iPad without one. The smart cover's one fixed angle doesn't cut it.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#42

Can you really write code efficiently on such a small (9.7") screen?

I think it's the resolution that matters, and 1024x768 is pretty comfortable for work (I know higher resolutions are even better, but I've been using 1024x768 for half a decade on old CRT and LCD monitors - it never failed to deliver).

When I switched to a new smartphone, the resolution was the most important change - with 854x480 pixels I can read forums and sites easily, as opposed to a 320x480 display...

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#43

One fateful day, VMWare and OS/X conspired to trash my shared filesystem, losing several days of uncommitted code in the process. Several days of uncommitted code? We need to have a heart to heart talk about your process.

This is really true. Back then we were still using CVS, and I was writing a feature that I thought wasn't quite big enough to branch and remerge for, but turned out to be a bit more involved to get right than I'd thought. Now we're on Mercurial and life is better. Edit: A nice win with the Linode is that they back it up for me for $5 a month. Sure, there are solutions for the desktop too, but somehow I never got arou…

It's more difficult to setup, but it's wonderful to have a dedicated development cluster. Put everyone's home directory on a dedicated file server, which uses NSF to be global to the cluster. Then you can do automated backups on the file server - hourly, nightly, monthly, whatever. There are file server appliances which are configured for this sort of thing.

When you do this, much less important data is stored locally, on developer's actual machines.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#45
If this guys thinks having a single 10" screen with no ability to switch between tasks easily and quickly is the wave of the future for developers, I don't want any part of that future.

You can pry my dual 24" monitors + high performance desktop from cold dead body.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#46
post #26

You could actually do the same thing WITH a Macbook Air/Pro. The beauty of a cloud linux instance + gnu screen isnt limited to the ipad and so you could still have a bigger screen and the possibility to go back to GUI apps if you need them. I like this for travelling on the go, but spending my normal workday in 1024 resolution ? Naaa.

This is true, but I'd be sacrificing the silence, the portability and the battery life. And the hipster factor, I guess. 102x768 isn't for everyone, but in text-mode it's all the same. I've no idea how many hours I've spent on a huge high-res monitor staring at a relatively tiny terminal window surrounded by a pretty desktop picture.

The battery life of a Macbook Air is pretty damn good. You can get a good 6+ hours of work out of them before needing to plug in. Not quite iPad-scale, but close enough in many cases. Also, the iPad does tend to run out of battery a bit more quickly when using 3G and bluetooth heavily, I believe...

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#47
post #3

I'm a big fan of tmux* and vim but there's a limit to the complexity of system that you can develop efficiently with vim. A good graphical IDE used by a skilled operator will be more likely to generate correct, consistent code faster. If you're using vim and think you're developing as well and as fast as you can, you're probably wrong. * 17 years of screen and I've finally switched over to tmux. None of the features…

I respectfully disagree, or partially, anyway. I've been developing software in Vim, Netbeans, and Visual Studio (with about a year or so of Eclipse thrown in for good measure). I've worked on projects in all three ranging from tiny 1kloc one-offs to several million line systems, using C, C++, Java, Bash, and a smattering of Perl and Python. For Java and C++ code bases beyond a few thousand lines, I certainly agree t…

For code navigation / completion, you could try eclim / clang_complete.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#48
post #36

For anyone who spends their day (or most of some days) in a terminal connected to a remote server, I can't recommend using GNU Screen enough (brief tutorial: http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/3/9/16838/14935 ). I've worked almost exclusively on remote servers, using the command line and vim, for about eight years now. It's only been in the past year that I started using Screen, and I feel stupid for not using it soo…

Since we're pimping terminal multiplexers, I quite enjoy tmux (http://tmux.sourceforge.net/). I used to use screen, but found tmux to be faster, smoother, and have more logical key-combos (your mileage may vary).

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#49
post #45

If this guys thinks having a single 10" screen with no ability to switch between tasks easily and quickly is the wave of the future for developers, I don't want any part of that future. You can pry my dual 24" monitors + high performance desktop from cold dead body.

I don't think it's the future for developers, I think it's the future for pretty much everybody else though.

I plug the iPad into large monitors sometimes. When an iPad with double the resolution comes out, this won't seem nearly so silly.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#50
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is really true. Back then we were still using CVS, and I was writing a feature that I thought wasn't quite big enough to branch and remerge for, but turned out to be a bit more involved to get right than I'd thought. Now we're on Mercurial and life is better. Edit: A nice win with the Linode is that they back it up for me for $5 a month. Sure, there are solutions for the desktop too, but somehow I never got arou…

I would observe that with DVCS, if your hard drive crashes you can still lose several days of un pushed code, too. I recommend and use cron jobs to push and/or rysnc things around on a more frequent basis for my really important stuff.

You could buy a second hard drive and put it behind your other drive and occasionally copy important files from your front drive up to your back drive.
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