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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

#191

Post by qdog »

casca wrote: 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 use vim+cscope+screen. I used to operate solely out of a putty window (The company I work for uses windows on the desktop and really, all I need is that one putty window).

I might look into tmux, screen is kind of buggy under cygwin.

There are plenty of code-completion plugins, and I used to have tab-completion enabled, but I never got around to adding it on my latest environment and don't miss it.

Of course, cscope is mostly useful for c/c++/java, but I've used the ruby vim map just fine. I operate on a codebase that's probably past a million lines of code. Maybe not all useful lines, I haven't seen them all ;)

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#192

Post by csixty4 »

TamDenholm wrote: post #16

Anyone tried to do this as a web developer? I know theres an app or two geared towards being a web dev environment, the one good one i found (its called Gusto on the app store) i didnt get to test properly because it didnt support SFTP yet (due to apple requiring some permission from the gov or something, not technical limitation).

I was just using Gusto for web development at lunch yesterday. It's a pretty good way to work if you don't want to drag a full laptop around everywhere. It's like that famous saying about the best camera -- the best coding tool is the one you have with you.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#193

Post by pascalchristian »

wes-exp wrote: post #154

Imagine an "iPad Pro" that had similar battery life and even an integrated keyboard. In addition to supporting the SSH workflow, it can run traditional GUI applications if you really need them. You don't have to wait: it's called the MacBook Air.

I am actually considering trading my iPad for an 11" MBA. It's just an inch larger, pretty much the same thickness, and much more productive.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#194

Post by rapind »

dextorious wrote: post #142
exDM69 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A tiling window manager can definitely be a huge productivity booster. Perhaps even more than adding an extra display, which is often said to be the cheapest way to improve productivity. A tiling WM costs nothing. I've even started working comfortably using just one display now that I've changed to using a tiling WM. With a floating wm, I needed at least two large displays to work comfortably. Lots of that screen are…

""Perhaps even more than adding an extra display, which is often said to be the cheapest way to improve productivity."" And which can also be a way to decrease productivity, with distractions etc. I am more productive on a smaller screen laptop than I am on a 2 screen set or even one larger (21, 27") screen. Mainly because it helps to focus on the task at hand. We also didn't have 2 large monitors to each workstation…

We used to program with punch cards... so yeah we're spoiled and damn happy about it.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#195

Post by sliverstorm »

seigenblues wrote: post #184
sliverstorm wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once upon a time programming was a lot of thinking, a little typing, and even less compiling. Maybe even some pen+paper and chalkboards. If you go back to that way of programming, I don't see why poor ergos would be a problem. Certainly not "in vogue" and I don't know if it's feasible today. Still an interesting thought.

why did this get downvoted? it's a valid point. This is actually the first time i've seen a downvoted comment that i just, really can't understand why it was downvoted. Anyone care to explain?

I have seen this kind of thing more and more as of late. I have concluded we are beginning to see downvotes used as "dislike" rather than "disagree".

For example, suppose I posted a comment irrefutably proving that Ruby was the worst programming language ever written. A year or two ago, I would have been upvoted for making useful observations. I suspect today I would be downvoted, because people like Ruby.

Note: I have nothing against Ruby. It is an example.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#196

Post by qdog »

Sindisil wrote: post #13
casca wrote: 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…

I haven't noticed cscope being all the slow, other than having to rebuild the database. I use all the C-Spacebar- commands, it's second nature to find all the callers of a function for me now.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#197

Post by X-Istence »

bmelton wrote: post #177
scott_s wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is true, but: 11:12:52 up 44 days, 54 min, 63 users The machines I connect to are restarted rarely. I expect this particular machine to be up until Christmass time, at which point there will probably be some scheduled maintenance.

Can you say the same about your workstation? Can you say the same about your power grid? Can you say the same about your internet connection? Screen/tmux/dtach are so trivial to implement and use and make the connection much more bulletproof that if you foresee there ever being a possibility that you might disconnect and lose work, then you should probably be using one of them.

This is my workstation at home:

    %uptime
    11:49AM  up 143 days, 17:08, 1 user, load averages: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
My internet connection has been up for the last 65 days (yay for actually logging data). I don't keep remote connections to servers as I do all my work on my workstation and push when needed at which point my servers automatically pick up the changes and put them into {testing,staging,production} depending on where I push.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#198

Post by rapind »

agentultra wrote: post #126
scottschulthess wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having multiple monitors isn't good eronomically IMO. I always prefer what I'm working on to be on direct center, and I don't really see the point of having other stuff that isn't direct center. I prefer to alt-tab.

I have a large monitor on an arm in the center flanked by monitors to either side. My main monitor just has a full-screen emacs. The other monitors are for peripheral information such as browsers, irc sessions, email, etc. It's great for keeping API docs open while I'm working without leaving my editor. Having the center monitor on an arm just lets me adjust it's height when I move between leaning forward, slouching,…

I love 3 monitor setups, with the big one in the middle and two cheap small ones on either side. All my input (editing, browsing, etc.) happens in the big fancy middle window. Test logs on the left, and server logs on the right.

The only time I use the side monitors for anything else is if I'm following along with a screencast.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#199

Post by jwallaceparker »

It looks like the goal of the swap was to have a spartan, lightweight, cool (temperature) workspace.

It seems like a MacBook Air accomplishes this better than iPad, stand and keyboard.

The only difference I can grok from the article is that the MacBook Air is somehow more fragile. But is it?

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#200

Post by brider »

moconnor wrote: post #38
agentultra wrote: post #35

This has to be the most ergonomically inefficient set-up ever! I also cannot fathom how to work with 21" at least). And a tiling window manager. And a decent mechanical keyboard... ok ok.. Interesting setup. I'd be interested in knowing how it works out in the long term.

The wireless keyboard is really good; it's not quite as nice as a mechanical one, but it's easily better than a laptop keyboard. If I ever go back to my MacBook, I'll take the keyboard with me. I have a tiling window manager. It has one tile.

I think you may be missing the point about mechanical keyboards, my friend.

The appeal of a mechanical keyboard stems from the switches under the keys that offer varied pressure curves, pressure thresholds, and physical feedback (depending on the switch type).

Both the apple wireless keyboard and MBP laptop keyboard use scissor switches which are the typical laptop keyboard switch type. Some people like this switch type, some people do not.

But if you're to say something like "it's easily better than a laptop keyboard" you can only make such a claim based on size or number/position of keys, since both use the same switch type. I'd wager a guess that the nature of the key switches is probably what your parent is interested in.

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