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Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

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Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#41

Post by midoridensha »

kbelder wrote: post #15

I'm surprised most of the comments here are in favor of laptops. I find them deficient in almost every way outside of portability (which, admittedly, is a huge positive). The best laptop keyboards are worse than a cheap desktop keyboard, the trackpads are always worse than a mouse, the monitor is deficient, they have no expandability, the ergonomics are horrible, and so on. I've always felt my productivity was way do…

So, just like the article writer, you seem to have never heard of this handy thing called a "docking station".

Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#42

Post by peatmoss »

A desktop computer that you leave at the office in 2022 is the height of status and luxury.

My first job out of college was for a government agency where everyone had an assigned desk with a desktop PC. The people at the top of the org chart all had laptops with docking stations so they could be mobile. Of course they almost never were mobile, but their laptop was a physical reminder that they were more important than the rank and file, because they could be off to meetings in D.C. any time!

Years later, I have a corporate laptop that I am forced to schlepp back and forth to work if I choose to go into the office. I usually don't choose to go to the office, because the office is an open plan, hot-desk model. Pack it in, pack it out. There are no pictures, desk toys, ergonomic keyboards, or anything personal—just a standing desk with the same generic keyboard, mouse, docking station, and monitor that are magically reverted to their standard position within minutes of you leaving the area.

Packing up for the day and leaving the factors of production at the office along with any expectation of telepresence sounds... opulent. I maintain that a desktop isn't a computing form factor, but is instead a place and a lifestyle.

Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#43

Post by midoridensha »

gumby wrote: post #9

Article makes a bizarre assertion that a mouse is more productive than a trackpad. Anything that moves my hand from the home row reduces productivity. I can use my thumbs on the trackpad in most cases were a mouse action is absolutely required. Well, I suppose the assertion could be true of non-apple trackpads.

The article also makes the bizarre assumption that you can't plug a mouse into a laptop, or an external keyboard, or even a docking station with all your favorite full-size accessories and multiple large monitors.

Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#44

Post by ovao »

I’m probably an atypical case here, but the article lost me at the very first line:

> Don't get hung up on a laptop for software development, even if you work best from the couch

It’s not that I work best from the couch, but it’s that it’s refreshing to get away from the (standing) desk occasionally. When I need to be highly focused on what I’m doing, I appreciate my desk setup, but if there’s some light architectural design (read: diagramming) work or if I’m just drafting emails, I’m not hindered by being on the couch on a 16” display. In truth, I find it helps me decompress after standing got a few hours dealing with a problem with some intensity.

I’m aware that the article doesn’t make the point against working from a couch specifically, but ignoring potential employee benefit when thinking about what kind of machine to issue to employees does kind of miss the mark.

Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#45

Post by patrick451 »

solraph wrote: post #18

I think this was true ten years ago when laptops could not effectively drive two monitors, and had some serious deficiencies in the processor/ram/HDD space. I would put up with the duplicate desktop/portable system so that I had sufficient power when writing code. These days, my work laptop happily drives a pair of QuadHD monitors, and even suffices for light gaming. I have yet to max out all the cores and ram. On to…

This must depend on the kind of work you're doing. For any kind of mildly serious with a compiled language, a laptop is still woefully inadequate. Its still difficult to find a laptop with 32 gb of ram, let alone 64. But working on a large c++ codebase, I routinely max out 32 gb and compilation still takes roughly 5 times as long on my high end xps compared to my workstation.

Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#46

Post by SvenL »

CPLX wrote: post #10
loloquwowndueo wrote: post #2

While the article makes some good points I still prefer having a laptop with a decent desktop setup (docking station with external monitor and wired networking, mouse, keyboard; the laptop sits on a stand and doubles as a second display) my two main reasons are : I only need to manage a single machine (I have little time or patience to look after a flock of computers) and when I do need to travel I just unplug the la…

Any docking station recommendations? I have a current model maxed out MBP 16” and have been meaning to merge it with my aging Mac Mini dual monitor setup.

I use 2 Thinkpad P27u-20 monitor, they have thunderbolt 4 with daisy chaining, ethernet and power delivery. Basically the docking station is in the monitor.

Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#47

Post by gregjor »

layer8 wrote: post #32
gregjor wrote: post #20

I value mobility over a trendy mechanical keyboard and loud speakers. Working from wherever I want, carrying a nice laptop anywhere, that beats any of the questionable advantages of a desktop. What do real “developers” do that they need the equivalent of a 747? I just need ssh to a decent server.

Ergonomics are dismal on a laptop. Once you’ve lived with a good desktop setup for a while, using a laptop standalone is just painful.

I have worked with a desktop. For years. My career as a programmer far predates laptops.

Using a laptop may be painful for you. I don't find it painful or difficult or limiting. Plenty of programmers work from laptops. I understand it's not for everyone. Likewise a big desktop machine with multiple monitors and big speakers and all that is not for everyone. I travel a lot so a desktop computer won't work for me.

Posted from my laptop without any pain or inconvenience.

Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#48

Post by adamparsons »

w4rh4wk5 wrote: post #24
adamparsons wrote: post #21

Meanwhile, I’ve not owned a desktop for about 5-6 years now. I invested heavily into a good docking station setup that eventually evolved into an eGPU setup. Means I own one macbook for dev work, and play games on boot camp with the GPU. Not as cheap but the convenience has been really nice. Work computers I’ve been given over the years plug into that same docking station when I WFH and my ergonomics don’t change. I…

Even if they'd support eGPUs, you can't run Windows to play games anymore, can you?

Nope, quite unfortunate.

Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#49

Post by solraph »

patrick451 wrote: post #45
solraph wrote: post #18

I think this was true ten years ago when laptops could not effectively drive two monitors, and had some serious deficiencies in the processor/ram/HDD space. I would put up with the duplicate desktop/portable system so that I had sufficient power when writing code. These days, my work laptop happily drives a pair of QuadHD monitors, and even suffices for light gaming. I have yet to max out all the cores and ram. On to…

This must depend on the kind of work you're doing. For any kind of mildly serious with a compiled language, a laptop is still woefully inadequate. Its still difficult to find a laptop with 32 gb of ram, let alone 64. But working on a large c++ codebase, I routinely max out 32 gb and compilation still takes roughly 5 times as long on my high end xps compared to my workstation.

> This must depend on the kind of work you're doing.

Very much so, but 10 years ago most devs suffered on a laptop, now most devs would not.

Obviously if your workstation reference is a multi-socket beast then you will not be satisfied with a laptop, but most devs aren't recompiling large codebases from scratch every time.

> Its still difficult to find a laptop with 32 gb of ram, let alone 64.

I can't quickly find one with 64GB, but there's Lenovo Thinkpads with 48 GB (which is what I have), along with with 8/16T Ryzen cores. I can't speak to what it's like recompiling large C++ codebases, but I don't wait when it comes to compiling things written in golang fwiw.

Re: Use a developer desktop setup instead of a laptop

#50

Post by juniperplant »

solraph wrote: post #49
patrick451 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This must depend on the kind of work you're doing. For any kind of mildly serious with a compiled language, a laptop is still woefully inadequate. Its still difficult to find a laptop with 32 gb of ram, let alone 64. But working on a large c++ codebase, I routinely max out 32 gb and compilation still takes roughly 5 times as long on my high end xps compared to my workstation.

> This must depend on the kind of work you're doing. Very much so, but 10 years ago most devs suffered on a laptop, now most devs would not. Obviously if your workstation reference is a multi-socket beast then you will not be satisfied with a laptop, but most devs aren't recompiling large codebases from scratch every time. > Its still difficult to find a laptop with 32 gb of ram, let alone 64. I can't quickly find on…

There are models in the Thinkpad P line that can be maxed out at 128GB.
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