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What Pro Computing Could Be

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Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#81

Post by jlgaddis »

Freak_NL wrote: post #35
inimino wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's unfortunate you're being downvoted, but here's the thing: you go to the Apple store, buy a laptop, bring it home and plug it in and it works beautifully from day one. That's Apple's value proposition. (Subtract "beautifully" for Microsoft's.) Your plan means I'm signing up for a period of pain of unknown duration. It could be four hours or two weeks. And for the next three years I might have a laptop tha…

It is a pain to seek out a laptop designed for Windows and then install a Linux distribution on it, but you can also just get a laptop from a vendor¹ that specialises in GNU/Linux compatible hardware and get a working Ubuntu laptop from the minute you start it up — perhaps half an hour longer if you want to install a different distribution. Everything just works. 1: E.g., System76.

Perhaps, but if you purchase from System76, you then spend the next six months dealing with random hardware issues and the occasional software issue and eventually you end up wiping it, giving it to the kids or a friend, and buy yourself another laptop -- putting you right back where you were six months prior.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#82

Post by closeparen »

matt4077 wrote: post #55
captainmuon wrote: post #48

So, what would a pro laptop look like in my opinion? Not too different from todays top laptops, but a few things would be improved: - Easier to repair / upgrade. Dont glue or solder in parts if it is not absolutely neccessary. If the device gets a few mm thicker, its not the end of the world. - Specifically, make the battery switchable. There is a battery capacity limit for flights in the US, and I've heard this is o…

The reason for glued-down batteries is not planned obsolesces. You can get the battery replaced for 150$, which is about as much as Lenovo's batteries cost. The reason is that a removable battery needs twice as much enclosures as a non-removable one, adding something like 1/5 of an inch to the thickness. The second reason is that Apple has switched to shaped batteries basically filling any available space, which make…

All rechargeable batteries reach end of life and need replacement, usually before other components have gone out.

Swapping day-to-day isn't the use case, avoiding a day in the shop when it's time to replace the degraded battery is.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#83

Post by jonathankoren »

Accacin wrote: post #29
jonathankoren wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't had a need to open a computer in like 16 years. Well that's not entirely true. I one time upgraded the HDD on my old MacBook Pro maybe 6 years ago. There just isn't a need to do this stuff anymore. Even making your own computer anymore in expensive, confusing, and generally not fun anymore.

Oh come on that's completely false. Building your own computer now is easier than it's ever been and can be a lot more cost efficient than buying something pre-built. Not everyone wants to build there own of course, but saying it's expensive, confusing and not fun isn't really true.

Please dont tell me my personal experience is false.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#84

Post by inimino »

abm2205 wrote: post #78
mamcx wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

From a UI perspective, how is this any better than just running your preferred OS and firing up a VM when you need to?

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#85

Post by inimino »

jonathankoren wrote: post #83
Accacin wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh come on that's completely false. Building your own computer now is easier than it's ever been and can be a lot more cost efficient than buying something pre-built. Not everyone wants to build there own of course, but saying it's expensive, confusing and not fun isn't really true.

Please dont tell me my personal experience is false.

You didn't phrase it as a personal experience. You could have just said "not fun for me anymore". Instead, you implied the world has changed, when it could be just you.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#86

Post by Corrado »

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.

I'm in the beta program for macOS Sierra and the last 2 updates have tried rebooting my computer without any warning whatsoever. The only thing that "saved" me was having iTerm up and running and it won't close with active terminals open. In the past, OS X was really good about asking for permission to update. Now it just assumes that I'm ready whenever it is. Maybe there is a setting to turn that behaviour off, if so I don't know what it is and it's really starting to make me doubt Apple's commitment to professional tools in a whole other fashion.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#87

Post by Corrado »

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 don't know about that. NExT was pretty revolutionary and it worked really, really well. If they could have gotten the hardware price down to something a college student could afford I might be typing this on a completely different stack.

Sometimes a radical shift is what's needed. Apple is the new Microsoft and might just be ripe for a disturbance.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#88

Post by inimino »

pavelludiq wrote: post #45
terryf wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been doing software development professionally for the last 20 years now. I used to build my own pc's and installed linux and had fun compiling the kernel and so on. After about 10 years of that I started to find it annoying. For the past 5, I haven't even looked at the insides of a computer. If the hardware breaks, I take it to the dealer to get it fixed. Somehow at one point spending time to make the tool work…

When I build my last pc ~3 years ago I spend a while picking out components and after it was assembled(an hour of work essentially) I only open it up maybe once or twice a year to clean the dust filters and any dust that maybe made it's way inside(not much since it's a high-end case). It's really 2-3 hours of hardware maintenance a year. Software is a bit more involved, but since I picked out all the components with…

> temporary loss of productivity for the payoff of increased productivity later

I don't think the numbers add up. If you like tweaking things, it's a kind of hobby, which I totally get. I used to enjoy doing this when I had fewer responsibilities and demands on my time.

However, you can't really know if it's increasing your productivity, and I don't think that's a good justification for doing it. There's nothing wrong with tweaking things just because you can and you enjoy it.

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#89

Post by inimino »

kluck wrote: post #37
terryf wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been doing software development professionally for the last 20 years now. I used to build my own pc's and installed linux and had fun compiling the kernel and so on. After about 10 years of that I started to find it annoying. For the past 5, I haven't even looked at the insides of a computer. If the hardware breaks, I take it to the dealer to get it fixed. Somehow at one point spending time to make the tool work…

Sure, if you do not see value in spending time learning about computer internals (through fixing issues that pop up) then it is not time spent well. During the last few years using my 2008 MacBook Pro I find it harder and harder to get stuff done. As a software developer I have to install/upgrade/configure certain software TOOLS for my work that I can not in a flexible robust way using MacOS X. That is the main reaso…

If it was "learning about computer internals" that would be one thing. Most of it is closer to "learning which kernel version randomly works with your hardware" and then rewriting your tiling window manager configuration file because the old format isn't supported anymore. You could spend that time studying an EE textbook instead and get more widely applicable knowledge.

Whatever makes you happy is fine, but beware putting yourself on a high horse with statements like "if you don't see value in learning...".

Re: What Pro Computing Could Be

#90

Post by jwr »

pantalaimon wrote: post #19
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.

> Unless you are sticking with the macOS ecosystem for old time's sake, it's trivial to switch to a Windows workflow. Or Linux for that matter.

If only it were true. I have to write a blog post about this. As someone who regularly uses all three major operating systems: Mac OS sucks the least, by a wide margin. It's not even close.
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