"I can code in a crowded bar" Bars aren't for coding, put down the computer.
And we wonder why there is a stigma about geeks.
The advantages of programming on a small netbook
31–40 of 111 posts
Re: The advantages of programming on a small netbook
#32I program and write exclusively on my Aspire these days. Keyboard: I have small fingers, and I actually type faster on the netbook keyboard. The key distances are smaller, so I'm moving my fingers les. Screen: I use a small font (Code Envy R at 10pt) and WMII, so I can fit a lot of code on the screen at once. I can also switch between windows extremely quickly, so it is relatively painless not to have all the code I'…
I'm using an Acer Aspire One too, and I love it! I've written a large majority of my side project, AppRabbit.com, on my netbook, mostly because I needed a separate machine from my work issued laptop for my side project so that I would never be accused of using work resources for my side project. My kids usually commandeer the home desktop for Netflix, but my netbook is all mine.
Re: The advantages of programming on a small netbook
#33I sometimes use my Acer Aspire One to work. It works fairly well. It's running moblin so it boots incredibly fast and there's a nice terminal that can go full screen (Maybe the Xfce Terminal). I jump between that and the browser with alt tab. I mostly use emacs, ssh, screen.
Re: The advantages of programming on a small netbook
#34Re: The advantages of programming on a small netbook
#35"I can code in a crowded bar" Bars aren't for coding, put down the computer.
Well, I can code in my class using my netbook. Helps me skip lousy classes and still get attendance for those classes. I keep my netbook on my lap and I'm a first bencher and never got noticed coz of the bench design :)
My specs: Acer Aspire One D150 (1gb/160gb) with Ubuntu 9.10 Emacs 23 for editing Switched to Chrome (5.0.379.dev) from FF, coz the new dom inspector seems to hook right at the bottom of the window like firebug.
Using Balsamiq on the netbook is a pain for new mockups. Not to just view mocks tho.
It seems to be slow to run the Android emulator, but it runs fine raising some exceptions. Tip: click wait and not force quit in the emulator :) also skip eclipse and learn the commands. The only thing you'll probably miss is the auto pkg importer in eclipse (fixing statements by importing pkgs). But that's fine :)
Re: The advantages of programming on a small netbook
#36Asking for the best tool is not arrogance, it is just being smart. However, using a simple piece of paper may be the best tool at your disposal for a specific task.
Re: The advantages of programming on a small netbook
#37For me there is another advantage: small screens force me to focus on code without distractions.
Don't get me wrong, I love my 27" iMac, but there sometimes is too much going on on the screen. On a small screen you just see code and nothing else. No IM, no finder icons, no bouncing dock things. Makes a big difference if your brain is already going 150 MPH.
Maybe this is why Stallman is also still using a fullscreen emacs in tty mode.
Re: The advantages of programming on a small netbook
#38I did 4 months coding on the eeepc while traveling. Most working time was on transportation which usually meant no internet. I got used to the small keyboard, and ubuntu/bash/emacs was a solid environment. The only notable downsides were that the local web server fell behind from time to time, and full screen context switching (for the browser, docs,etc.) is not as productive as one might think.
Re: The advantages of programming on a small netbook
#39The bottom line is you are screwing your EYES. Use netbook keyboard if you like it so much but don't punish your eyes by using that photo frame like screen for java programming.
Re: The advantages of programming on a small netbook
#40I agree with the premise, but article doesn't at all seem to substantiate it. coding on a train? coding in your head while shopping for groceries? how is that related to notebook at all? same can be done with any laptop. no?
True, but the constraints of a netbook actually serve as an incentive to think things through rather than start right away with exploratory code. I recently coded a personal site (around 5,000 lines) almost entirely on an Acer Aspire One with a small display and a cramped keyboard, and I made sure I knew exactly what I wanted to write before sitting down (usually during lunchtime).
So, 'make it painful to code, buy requiring your code to be written on substandard equipment' makes you think more about what you're going to do, because the experience of using it is painful and substandard. I'm not sure I'd like to put myself through that.
Also: I'm pretty sure those tiny keyboards are NOT ergonomically up to snuff for anything more than basic web/email usage. My wrists hurt after about 30 minutes of typing on them - I can go for hours on my full size keyboard though...