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I use cheap notebooks

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Re: I use cheap notebooks

#91

It took me a while to get over the fear of destroying/using up nice things. Like enjoying a nice bottle of liquor, or using up a very nice notebook. Eventually I came across the idea that things are meant to be used, and now I'm much more relaxed about damaging/using up the things I own. I read once a stellar idea to help get over the fear of starting to draw in a notebook (or an art project, or a new software projec…

A similar approach I've heard (but never brave enough to do) is when you get a new car, intentionally scratch the paint yourself. Then you won't be as concerned about the inevitable dings and scratches it will accumulate.

I intend to resell my car, so not going to do that, but I like the idea. Very stoic-adjaecent

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#92

It took me a while to get over the fear of destroying/using up nice things. Like enjoying a nice bottle of liquor, or using up a very nice notebook. Eventually I came across the idea that things are meant to be used, and now I'm much more relaxed about damaging/using up the things I own. I read once a stellar idea to help get over the fear of starting to draw in a notebook (or an art project, or a new software projec…

It's good to remember that a nice notebook costs less than a meal at the restaurant.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#93
post #15

I thought this would be about laptops. The laptops I use for work and personal stuff cost around $100 and are effectively disposable. They are not great for intense use, but the vast majority of tasks go just fine. And when developing any serious slowdown shows up right away so my work ends up being usable on low end hardware with janky connections. When one of these laptops got stolen recently I just got another one…

I'm using an M2 macbook pro and our typescript project is slow to start, slow to restart after a code change. It routinely leaves orphaned node processes running at 100% CPU. I shudder to think what it would do to a $100 notebook. It would probably explode hahaha

But for Elixir yes, I could definitely use a cheap laptop.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#94

It took me a while to get over the fear of destroying/using up nice things. Like enjoying a nice bottle of liquor, or using up a very nice notebook. Eventually I came across the idea that things are meant to be used, and now I'm much more relaxed about damaging/using up the things I own. I read once a stellar idea to help get over the fear of starting to draw in a notebook (or an art project, or a new software projec…

> Eventually I came across the idea that things are meant to be used, and now I'm much more relaxed about damaging/using up the things I own. Its like the people with cabinets full of fine china that nobody eats off of for 50 years. My mother was one of those people. Growing up we had a large cabinet of fine place sets that we were always "saving" for some other time. I finally convinced her to start using it one hol…

"Not putting miles on your Ferrari is like not having sex with your girlfriend so she'll be more desirable to her next boyfriend." -Jim Glickenhaus

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#95
post #15

I thought this would be about laptops. The laptops I use for work and personal stuff cost around $100 and are effectively disposable. They are not great for intense use, but the vast majority of tasks go just fine. And when developing any serious slowdown shows up right away so my work ends up being usable on low end hardware with janky connections. When one of these laptops got stolen recently I just got another one…

My main laptop used to be a Thinkpad T530 from 2012 that I bought used off of eBay. I ran Linux. I never worried about it at all. There's holes in the keyboard and through the laptop to deal with liquid spills. The case was a nice hard plastic with enough flex to prevent breaking. Honestly, if I dropped it on the floor - I'd check the floor first for any damage. Taking it apart was straightforward, albeit a bit frust…

I have similar feelings whenever I get something that's 'nice, new, shiny'. I feel an urge to protect/preserve it as best as possible, and worry more than I should.

One time, I bought a fancy wallet made of stainless steel (threads, woven into thin sheets, backed by plastic). For MONTHS, I was paranoid about leaving any scratches or blemishes on such a pristine, shiny thing.

Years later, it's still my wallet, and has enough blemishes and scratches for me to not care as much. One new scratch or blemish would be unnoticeable among the others. It still holds itself together just fine, and it still has the 'slippery' in-pocket texture that I like.

Point being, as long as you take decent care of Your Precious, it'll be fine with the exterior wear and tear.

I've also got a $4k-ish ring made with white gold, and it came with a fucking mirror-like polish. Tiny scratches or dings were 'End of the world", until I was able to identify "inside" and "outside" orientation via a small blemish on one side.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#96
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A similar approach I've heard (but never brave enough to do) is when you get a new car, intentionally scratch the paint yourself. Then you won't be as concerned about the inevitable dings and scratches it will accumulate.

I intend to resell my car, so not going to do that, but I like the idea. Very stoic-adjaecent

You're lucky you don't live in a larger city. It's impossible to keep it 100% scratch/dent free unless you 100% of the time park in your own garage. Even if you park your car in underground, private for-profit garages, it'll eventually end up with a scratch/dent somewhere, somehow.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#97
I tend to use legal pads to write initial drafts. I carry a few A5 kraft notebooks in a Lochby Field Journal. Each notebook has a dedicated purpose, and carrying them in the Lochby means I don't destroy the notebooks while they are in my bag. I don't care much about the brand of notebook, since I write almost exclusively with pencils -- I'll grab whatever is available at the office supply store.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#98

It took me a while to get over the fear of destroying/using up nice things. Like enjoying a nice bottle of liquor, or using up a very nice notebook. Eventually I came across the idea that things are meant to be used, and now I'm much more relaxed about damaging/using up the things I own. I read once a stellar idea to help get over the fear of starting to draw in a notebook (or an art project, or a new software projec…

Really glad to hear I am not the only person with this trait/disorder lol.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#99
post #92

It took me a while to get over the fear of destroying/using up nice things. Like enjoying a nice bottle of liquor, or using up a very nice notebook. Eventually I came across the idea that things are meant to be used, and now I'm much more relaxed about damaging/using up the things I own. I read once a stellar idea to help get over the fear of starting to draw in a notebook (or an art project, or a new software projec…

It's good to remember that a nice notebook costs less than a meal at the restaurant.

True. Also an A5 size artist's sketchbook - with hard covers, 120g/m^2 off white paper (will take any pen from Sharpie downwards as well as watercolours) and sewn bindings - can be bought almost anywhere in the UK and costs less than two coffees in a nice cafe (£5).

Just keep one with you.

PS: I did think that the linked article was going to be about low specification laptops, and was preparing to extol the virtues of recycled Thinkpads.

Re: I use cheap notebooks

#100

I use an iPad mini with a paperlike screen protector. Tap on the screen with the pencil and you can start writing. Notes are taggable with a # and searchable.

Same. It's great to have unlimited sheets and an undo button. They don't quite replicate the feeling of flipping through a notebook, but it's close enough.

I love it to bits.

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