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I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

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Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#261
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is really true, although depending entirely on a low-price, commercial app makes me uneasy. I'd be happier if I knew iSSH made enough to support a small company. I'd be happiest with an open source version I could contribute to.

Panic's Prompt ( http://www.panic.com/blog/2011/04/introducing-prompt-ssh-for... ) probably doesn't make them enough to support their company, but they've been around for a long time and I don't expect they'll go anywhere. I'm not sure whether it supports 256 colors.

The fact that Prompt alone cannot earn enough to support all of Panic has nothing to do with the original point. The point is that Panic, Inc. has quality full-time developers that go to work every day. They make great software, and they support it vigorously (see http://twitter.com/panic). iSSH does not have this.

Also, I personally like Prompt better in terms of UX. Its quick access menu is always available right above the keyboard, you know, near your fingers when you are typing. Have you ever tried to move the cursor position in iSSH on an iPhone?

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#262

It's interesting to see that other people are noticing how poor the google web experience has become on iOS. It seems especially deliberate when I note that android & chrome use webkit. I've even swapped the default search engine to bing because it provides a better layout, especially so for image searching which in my view is broken on iOS. This from the company that just released tools to aid the transition to mobi…

You Mac people are so entitled. Tell me this, how come I can't dual boot OS X on my Windows PC?

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#263
post #77

There are a lot of comments here from people acting as if not having two 24" monitors and a full mechanical keyboard would drastically diminish their productivity. This year I spent 4 months out of the country with only my 15" laptop while still working 8 hour days. I was surprised to find no change at all in how long it took to get shit done. I think we tend to kid ourselves about how much of a difference expensive…

That really depends on what you are doing. I can scripts as efficiently on a laptop. Larger projects get tougher as I normally want to see a library/another source file on another screen.

Systems debugging is where you really want the space. I often have 4 terminal windows open at once - you need screen real estate for that.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#264

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 really like the 13" Air form factor, but the high resolution and smaller physical size results in fonts that are a bit too small for my eyes these days. So, I stick with my couple-gen-back 15" with matte finish and 1440x900.

I've been waiting a long, long time for a 15" Macbook Air. I have a feeling they are delaying it just to spite me.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Insightful, and so close to a haiku as well... Here's an attempt: Mac lost my data Many days of work gone Cloud to the rescue

yours is not quite a haiku either. you say its haiku but you missed a syllable in your second line

Meta-haiku?

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#266
Ouch, each to his own but not for me!

Combination of tiny screen , having to reach out and touch the screen rather than just put a hand on the mouse and the latency involved in using a remote machine would make this a nightmare for me!

Judging by the photo of the setup on the desk I would assume you have to lean quite far forward in order to see the screen (unless you have very good eyesight) and I have enough backpain as it is.

Using any graphical tools at all (unless there is an ipad version) must be a major pain on this setup!

I find working on a laptop bad enough but when I really need to be portable and can't take my dual monitors with me the combination of internet hosted source control + IMAP email + dropbox means that I can grab my laptop and just walk out the door without worrying about where my files are so I'm not really sure what advantages you get from this setup.

Of course if your happy with your setup then that's totally cool, what worries me more is if the desktop market dissapears and it becomes necessary for everyone to use a setup like this, it would feel like a massive step backwards to me. I'm just too used to being able to lie back on my chair, have my keyboard within easy reach and clearly see everything I need to see right in front of me in big readable text.

As an aside I also don't really like widescreen monitors for doing work , especially programming as vertical screen estate is much more useful than horizontal when trying to look at allot of code and figure out where the bug is. But it seems almost impossible now to get a large square monitor that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#267
post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also $ESCAPE-space and $ESCAPE-backspace move sequentially among screens. control-a is screen's default $ESCAPE, but it's a poor choice given the use of control-a for beginning-of-line. I'm pretty happy with backtick (`) with no modifier now that I'm using $(...) for bash sub commands. You can't use byobu to change $ESCAPE to a sequence that doesn't use control, but it is easily set via "escape ``" in ~/.screenrc.

FYI, for the expected control-a behavior press the 'a' again after control-a.

Yep. But "control-a" is a muscle reflex, and using anything else will make a certain set of users (at least emacs users) much happier.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or use TimeMachine if you are on a Mac.

No, if TimeMachine screws up a file it stays screwed up for ever after every backup, there's no integrity checking. It also completly barfs on large files that change little by little. The best example of that is the entourage mail store, but any single file db will do. I've seen clients bit bad by these problems. Don't get me started on the time capsule...

Option-click on the Time Machine menu to verify backups. Sleep well.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#269

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.

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 recently started using a laptop underneath a big honking monitor. It is fantastic. You get a second screen (down low) for stashing things like shells or firebug and looking at the big monitor (up high) forces good posture. Going back and forth feels more natural than looking left-right. Switched away from equal sized dual monitors. Never looking back.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#270
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…

byobu is fantastic as well
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