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What Pro Computing Could Be

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Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#71

Post by mamcx »

dfabulich wrote: post #31

> We wrote the beginnings of an operating system I want better hardware, but as a pro software developer, I can't really adopt a fundamentally different operating system, even if it is "better." I don't care how nice your hand-crafted kernel is; if I can't run a JVM, Node.js, and the Android toolchain on it, I can't do my professional work on it.

I have dreams about this, and think the bare os must be a kind of hypervisor.

Then, on-top, you can launch "classic" OS like windows, linux, etc. Then also, the new OS.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#72

Post by mping »

bosie wrote: post #61
mping wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. Everyone calls themselves pros, but nobody wants to get their hands dirty with Linux. Basically everyone's a pro-sumer. When I go to the mechanic he doesn't care if the tools get him dirty, he uses the best tools for the job, not for his clothes. I get that some people want to look at gorgeous UIs but nobody told me how that gets the work done. I want to use the best tool, and I try to define best as objectiv…

Can you list the software applications you are using? I tried to switch but there is basically no professional software on linux for non-server related tasks. Just replacing something like Fantastical (calendar) or OmniFocus (gtd) is hard/impossible. Other pain points are replacements for DevonThink (reference manager), Evernote (note taking), papers (bibliography/search), lightroom (photo management and editing), ke…

Personally, I stopped trying to find an app to do all of that. I put my notes in gmail drafts and try to keep them at a minimum, put my appoints in google calendar, and use short-lived bookmarks. I painfully found out some time ago that I don't need much more than that - I try not to have lots of reminders/todos/etc.

If I had to do that, I would try to do it on the web instead of using a dedicated app. If you really need all of that well I guess you're stuck :)

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#73

Post by zanecodes »

rbanffy wrote: post #53
moftz wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are plenty of MacBook Pro alternatives that have identical hardware but have a wider range of ports: Microsoft Surface Book Razor Stealth Dell XPS 13 Unless you are sticking with the macOS ecosystem for old time's sake, it's trivial to switch to a Windows workflow.

And, with the Windows workflow, you'll have extra breaks whenever the computer decides it has to reboot because Microsoft wants to install something.

https://superuser.com/questions/973009/conclusively-stop-wak...

I can confirm that this works on Windows 10 Home edition.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#74

Post by mping »

bosie wrote: post #68
mping wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If thats what you do professionaly then use it. I use mostly zsh, IntelliJ, Emacs and a browser. My work is 90% terminal/editor/browser. Used to do audio back in the day, linux was crap, even windows today is crap (I have to use crazy drivers to be able to play guitar without lag, using asio4all. if I were a pro I wouldnt compile the kernel on linux to support preemption or whatever alsa requires these days, would go…

Well, i also use vim/zsh/intellij as well as all the apps i listed above. Intellij on its own isn't good enough if i can't manage my tasks/calendar/research/notes... Hence I am curious how you do that?

Personally, I stopped trying to find an app to do all of that. I put my notes in gmail drafts and try to keep them at a minimum, put my appoints in google calendar, and use short-lived bookmarks. For projects, I put tasks in the README so I'm always updating it.

I painfully found out some time ago that I don't need much more than that - I try not to have lots of reminders/todos/etc. I don't do research or photo editing, or much more than coding anyway.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#75

Post by drivingmenuts »

moftz wrote: post #17
jwr wrote: post #4

> Pros don’t quit because their tools are suboptimal. That’s practically the definition of “professional” – a pro gets the damn thing done. A pro user might gripe about the new MacBook Pro, but the next time she needs a new machine, she’s going to buy one anyway because that’s the path of least resistance and she needs to get back to work. This sums up perfectly my thoughts about Apple hardware right now. I am annoye…

There are plenty of MacBook Pro alternatives that have identical hardware but have a wider range of ports: Microsoft Surface Book Razor Stealth Dell XPS 13 Unless you are sticking with the macOS ecosystem for old time's sake, it's trivial to switch to a Windows workflow.

I guess I'm lucky - both of my MBPs are new enough to not need immediate upgrades (other than a new SSD, maybe). Hopefully, by the time I do need an upgrade, if there is a real upgrade, Apple will have sorted out the whole keyboard thing.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#76

Post by bosie »

mping wrote: post #74
bosie wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, i also use vim/zsh/intellij as well as all the apps i listed above. Intellij on its own isn't good enough if i can't manage my tasks/calendar/research/notes... Hence I am curious how you do that?

Personally, I stopped trying to find an app to do all of that. I put my notes in gmail drafts and try to keep them at a minimum, put my appoints in google calendar, and use short-lived bookmarks. For projects, I put tasks in the README so I'm always updating it. I painfully found out some time ago that I don't need much more than that - I try not to have lots of reminders/todos/etc. I don't do research or photo editi…

Thank you

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#77

Post by smacktoward »

dingaling wrote: post #26
jwr wrote: post #4

> Pros don’t quit because their tools are suboptimal. That’s practically the definition of “professional” – a pro gets the damn thing done. A pro user might gripe about the new MacBook Pro, but the next time she needs a new machine, she’s going to buy one anyway because that’s the path of least resistance and she needs to get back to work. This sums up perfectly my thoughts about Apple hardware right now. I am annoye…

"Pros don’t quit because their tools are suboptimal." Indeed they don't quit. Quite the opposite, pros dump sub-optimal tools ASAP and buy something decent to finish the job. The productivity of a tool that meets requirements hugely outweighs any additional cost. In the UK Draper brand hand-tools were well regarded until the 2000s, when they started applying their brand to cheaply-manufactured tools from China. Word…

The same thing happened in the US to Craftsman tools, the line sold by (now rapidly vanishing) retailer Sears. For decades the Craftsman name was synonymous with high quality, reliable tools -- a reputation also shared by other Sears house brands, like Kenmore appliances and DieHard automotive batteries. Then Sears got a new CEO, production got shipped to China and the quality of all those brands dropped through the proverbial floor. And all the cost-cutting didn't even help turn the company around; if anything, Sears went under faster afterwards than it had been doing before.

Nearly a century of brand value destroyed in a few years, to no positive purpose whatsoever. What a waste.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#78

Post by abm2205 »

mamcx wrote: post #71
dfabulich wrote: post #31

> We wrote the beginnings of an operating system I want better hardware, but as a pro software developer, I can't really adopt a fundamentally different operating system, even if it is "better." I don't care how nice your hand-crafted kernel is; if I can't run a JVM, Node.js, and the Android toolchain on it, I can't do my professional work on it.

I have dreams about this, and think the bare os must be a kind of hypervisor. Then, on-top, you can launch "classic" OS like windows, linux, etc. Then also , the new OS.

i've had the same thoughts. I think the future might be hyper-visors hosting operating systems of all types, each one serving a singular purpose for which is configured to serve most optimally.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#79

Post by equalarrow »

rbanffy wrote: post #53
moftz wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are plenty of MacBook Pro alternatives that have identical hardware but have a wider range of ports: Microsoft Surface Book Razor Stealth Dell XPS 13 Unless you are sticking with the macOS ecosystem for old time's sake, it's trivial to switch to a Windows workflow.

And, with the Windows workflow, you'll have extra breaks whenever the computer decides it has to reboot because Microsoft wants to install something.

This is true of macOS as well now. You can defer it, but you're nagged pretty consistently. There was a time I remember when installing updates on OS X didn't require a reboot unless it an os update. Now, so many things are tied together.

This doesn't require a system reboot, but if you're updating Xcode, you can't if iTunes is open. I understand shared libs and things, but I don't really see that much difference anymore between rebooting for Windows updates and macOS updates. YMMV I guess.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#80

Post by linguae »

allenbrunson wrote: post #28
jwr wrote: post #4

> Pros don’t quit because their tools are suboptimal. That’s practically the definition of “professional” – a pro gets the damn thing done. A pro user might gripe about the new MacBook Pro, but the next time she needs a new machine, she’s going to buy one anyway because that’s the path of least resistance and she needs to get back to work. This sums up perfectly my thoughts about Apple hardware right now. I am annoye…

> I also agree that the pro market is ripe for disruption (again). I kind of hope so. I am not happy with Apple's latest moves with their Mac lineup. I have been using my current Macbook Pro for six years. I expected to buy one of the newly-announced Macs, but they really aren't speaking my language anymore. So I ordered a refurb Macbook Pro from 2015. It's still not what I would prefer, because the battery is glued…

I concur. Before the announcement I wanted to buy a new MacBook Pro to replace my three year-old MacBook Air, but I was disappointed in what was announced (MacBook keyboard with very little key travel, being limited to 16GB RAM, and the other upgrades being rather incremental). I plan to stick to my MacBook Air for a while longer since it's in perfectly working condition.

My ideal situation would be to migrate to PC hardware, but the problem is I'm dissatisfied with the OS situation there. Windows is still annoying to use after all of these years, the Linux desktop experience seems to always be perpetually behind OS X and even Windows, and making a Hackintosh is an EULA violation (which matters to me since I use my computers in public, professional environments). I agonized about this over three years ago before eventually succumbing and buying a MacBook Air despite my dissatisfaction with Apple's trend toward non-upgradeable computers. I don't want to buy another non-upgradeable computer, but I don't like Windows and the Linux desktop, either.

I would be very interested in some sort of alternative OS, and I think the time is ripe for the development of one.

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