Laptop you are using?
maxifox
Posts: 209
What laptop brand you are using for onsite works? Any recommendations? It is quite difficult to choose most of the brands are home-oriented with all that implies...
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maxifox
Posts: 209
maxifox
Posts: 209
Comments
All I need.
We're on our second generation of Dell laptops here and have been nothing but happy with them. The D series laptops we bought last round (4+ years ago) are still for the most part chugging along as test/tech laptops, and the newer E series seems to be just as good so far. If you do go with a Dell, buy an ExpressCard for a portable serial port, don't be sucked in by the port expander they sell that uses the docking connector. While their desktop docks are great that port expander is a total pile of crap. We tried one the first time out and the tech who had it couldn't get it to stay on and eventually had issues with damaged pins on it.
Whatever manufacturer you go with, confine your search to the professional lineup of laptops (for Dell that would be the Latitude and Precision lines, Lenovo is the ThinkPad line iirc, and I don't remember HP off the top of my head). You do pay more, but you get much better build quality, better warranty options, and they aren't overflowing with useless crap-ware like everyone's consumer laptop lines.
-Ryan
Base i7 processor
16GB RAM
Parallels running Windows 7 64bit virtual machine
8GB dedicated to the VM
Would never go back to plastic run-of-the-mill PC hardware. I've been using Macs for 7 years as my production platform, and cant recommend the hardware enough. I won't claim that OSX is the end all be of operating systems, because it's not. But Apple far surpasses everyone else when it comes to hardware. Regarding the infamous "Apple Tax", I can easily debunk it. I bought my first MBP for use in 2007 for $1800, used it for over 5 years, performed very minor upgrades along the way, and sold it for $500. That's a net cost of $1300, amortized over 5 years, that's $260/year. When was the last time anyone got that ROI on a Dell or HP?
2 Ghz 2-Processors
3-Gig RAM
Windoze 7-32bit.
I would like to get a Mac. My house is full of them with this one exception.
Mobile phone provides 3G connection.
iPad mini w/ AirDisplay to act as a second monitor.
Windows 8 (via Parallels) for AMX dev apps and TPControl.
Bluetooth serial port.
Thunderbolt adapters give me VGA, DVI, HDMI out as required.
The whole thing fits in a small bag, weighs next to nothing, will run off batteries for the better part of a day and is the most solid setup I've ever had the pleasure of using.
i7 1.87GHz, 4GB RAM, 2x128GB SSD.
64 bit Win 7 Ultimate with XP Mode when needed.
9 cell battery that will cover up to 5 hours.
E-Legacy port for the serial needs because of too much time of usb to serial problems. The legacy port is not small but works every time.
I spend much time "in the field" so I chose a computer with a large screen and a full keyboard. It´s not the ideal computer to have in your backpack all day, but has not failed me yet and provides a good working environment when not at the office.
This is the 3rd Dell I got. I have still my D510 from 2005 and I still dust it off to use for testing now and again (plus I have some old programs on there which I use for old projects). I used a D620 from 2008 until 2011, but now the installation dept. uses it for testing.
I like Dell, but then again I try to buy the "high end" computers from them. My company has not had any problems in the last 10 years with Dell. We got one HP Envy a year and half ago, for testing and the dealer here was trying to get us to change to HP, but that was tossed out 6 months later. Hardware failure and far to many needless HP programs to ruin your day.
I have a Dell Latitude E6400 that I have been using for about 3 years. It is a 14" 1440x900 screen and is light enough to carry and type for short periods of time.
I am currently running Win8 and use the same E-Legacy dock as Thorleifur. The dock is bigger than a USB adapter, but it has worked 100% every single time. I leave it in the car until I need it, so the size doesn't bother me.
It's a powerhouse, ultralight. Bluetooth or USB anything else.
I like Phreak's idea of Airdisplay, will take a look at that setup, thanks for the heads up.
I noticed Phreak is on Win8.. I try not to be a luddite, but Win8 is sad primarily because they took away Aero/Glass. No transparencies and the 3d shadowing - it looks dreadful - and becomes hard to see where you are if you use many windows like I do. Absolutely so last century, I just don't understand the backward thinking).
Did I say Macbook Air - it's the best mobile machine I've ever ever owned. No doubt about it.
Not the lightest machine but fast. It's somewhat tethered to the desk these days so the latter is more important.
Had HP commercial laptops for the last 7 years. While they keep making machines this good I intend to keep using them.
Desk setup includes a docking station with two WQXGA monitors hanging off it via active DisplayPort -> DVI-DL adaptors.
Recommend both the laptop and the screen real estate. This is the most responsive and robust machine I've ever had.
Kind of older but they can be had for cheap and there's not much anymore with a usable keyboard layout, nipple mouse and a 16:10 1920w display.
Drool.
This post is at least 10 characters.
Core i5, 4Gb Ram, Win7 64, 500Gb HD, 13" LED Backlit
Not my ideal choice, but it's what the IT overlords decided I should be using, have already had 2 replacement LCD screens thanks to the bad case design.
I like the battery life - around 6 to 7 hours but if I had the choice I'd go for one of the plethora of ultrabooks as long as they have SSD & HDD installed.
Something's back the front here. We are the real IT overlords. They are simply network jockeys
We set the standard, they follow
And as much as I'm joking, I'm also serious.
I don't know about you, but the amount of programming I do, the portability that I need, the flexible networking arrangements I have to deal with, there is almost no 'IT' department or person who begins to understand our technology needs. An i5 is a bit of a toy really. Do they think you simply write emails to control systems?
And if you are doing GUI design as well.. we need fairly demanding machines.
As I think about it, I'm having a hard time thinking what other role makes such high demands on a production PC.
Sure, a CAD/CAM or game designer may make a PC work hard. But we have to sit across multiple environments, often at the one time. GUI editing on one screen, code compiling on another... debug window and 3rd party device monitoring elsewhere. Then web browsing for control information. Then email. Then DSP work.
Right now, that's what apps are generally running on my desktop (all at once in memory, I try to avoid opening and closing apps). Please tell me any other developer environment that is that demanding, I'd like to hear about it.
I know, it's a long winded way to say - you should put forward the case that you need a much stronger pc.
Anyways I'm on an Elitebook 8530w. Recently a 1 px wide column from the top to the bottom of the screen got stuck on yellow. It doesn't bug me that much, but it's probably a bad omen.