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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

#301

Post by kellishaver »

julian37 wrote: post #237
seigenblues wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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'm mostly with sliverstorm (and upvoted him). People often wonder why I'm working on a 13" Macbook and ask if the display isn't too small. That's when I point to my head and tell them that's where the action takes place, not on the keyboard or the screen. (Obligatory: http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&s... ) That said, decent ergonomics are almost always a good thing. Even if you're not typing a…

> Having a bad setup maybe doesn't matter for your wrists in this case but it can still be detrimental to your eyesight and of course your back.

I'm 33 and a year and a half ago I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease in my neck from spending many years hunched over looking at things. I am extremely near-sighted (legally blind, actually) and that's the only way I can see to do... well, pretty much anything.

I do a lot of stretching exercises now and have a ridiculously expensive pillow, which both help a great deal. I'd recommend them to people who do a lot of desk work.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/neck-pain/neck-stretc...

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#302

Post by mdonahoe »

j45 wrote: post #62
moconnor wrote: post #12

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…

Thanks for sharing. Did you consider switching to a smaller laptop like a Macbook Air / Netbook?

Vim on my 11" Air is excellent. SSD is nice and fast, and I wonder if the total weight is less than the ipad+bluetooth keyboard.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#303

Post by moconnor »

rsl7 wrote: post #250
nileshk wrote: post #138

The last time I tried to use SSH under iOS with the Apple bluetooth keyboard (trying different SSH apps including iSSH and TouchTerm) I found that I could not comfortably use Emacs due to various key combinations not being transmitted (I guess Vim isn't as much of a problem). One of the SSH app developers said that they were not able to trap certain keystrokes that were iOS keyboard shortcuts. Looks like this may sti…

In my experience, Prompt is much better app for straightforward terminal use than iSSH. It handles meta keys very well includig the hardware ESC key on the wireless keyboard that iSSH could not, last time I tried it.

iSSH supports escape and most ctrl key combinations now.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#304

Post by moconnor »

ConstantineXVI wrote: post #247
RexRollman wrote: post #169

I am still amazed that Apple hasn't come up with a shortcut for app switching when using bluetooth keyboards. By the way, Moconnor, have you given Panic's Prompt a try?

They don't really need to come up with one as much as just implement it. Gold standard's always been [Alt|Clover]-Tab; or even F3 (Apple's mapping for Exposé/Mission Control, even marked as such). I understand there's no easy way to dismiss the on-screen keyboard when you're using a hard keyboard either.

The on screen keyboard vanishes when a Bluetooth one is connected; the eject button toggles it in and out again.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#305

Post by moconnor »

jiggy2011 wrote: post #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 backpa…

At work we have large widescreen dell monitors that can be rotated into a portrait mode, you might like those.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#306

Post by simonista »

there wrote: post #140
srik wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Screen is great. Though not it's fault, the only downside is that it cant persist through a machine restart.

linux has this: http://cryopid.berlios.de/

Just went and checked it out, the specifically list screen as something they'd like to support soon, but that doesn't work (I think because "Multiple processes with hierarchy" doesn't work yet).

So... maybe someday, but not yet.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#307

Post by eropple »

rhizome wrote: post #214
eropple wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I push to a personal remote at least twice a day. Not doing so is asking for trouble.

I highly recommend upping this closer to twice an hour.

I said "at least". ;) It's really more like "oh hey, I just committed and it works, might as well push while I'm here." Usually every 3-4 file changes or so.

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#308

Post by eropple »

sliverstorm wrote: post #163
eropple wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I push to a personal remote at least twice a day. Not doing so is asking for trouble.

And I agree- I am a veritable slave to keeping my data syncronized- but I recall many people lifted up the local repo idea, and being able to sync twice a week, as the herald of the future.

Well, you can pull from upstream twice a week. And you can keep a master on a computer in the next room.

(I'm also not terribly worried about my Air or my Hackintosh giving up the ghost, so...)

Re: I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode

#310

Post by prophetjohn »

moconnor wrote: post #30
billpatrianakos wrote: post #19

I can't deny that this is a cool setup but I can't see it being useful for long. I personally need to see multiples windows simultaneously as I work. Swiping over can't cut it for very long. But good for you, man. To each his own I suppose.

I must confess, I did wonder about adding a second iPad for browsing documentation, or maybe one of the new kindles... I went through a phase of using multiple monitors all the time. After a year or so I came to the conclusion that alt-tab is quicker and easier than looking at another physical screen. Swiping isn't; I wish alt-tab worked in iOS. Still, it's close and it stops me checking my mail too often.

I seriously doubt that you're alt-tab'ing faster than you're making a saccade to another monitor. We're talking tens of milliseconds to glance over. What if you have to hit tab 2/3/4 times to get to the application you want? And you have to stop and see how many tabs you need?

Looking over at a different monitor is significantly faster.

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