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0 pointsreader_mode5y ago0 comments

I've worked on a laptop for the past decade but I use a dedicated keyboard, mouse almost exclusively and a large 34'' monitor (2x24 previously).

Advantages of using a laptop :

- portability - I work as a consultant and I need to work on premises occasionally - if I had to switch between desktop/laptop it would be too cumbersome

- standalone when you need it - when I travel or am on vacation I usually need to do a few hours of work - I won't lug my full setup but I'm 100% ready on the go

- can develop for OSX/iOS with MBP

Disadvantages :

- thermals - I use a fully loaded 2018 i9 MBP and I have to undrvolt/disable turbo boost in office because the laptop hits full fan speed with a VM + IDE running and people start turning heads

- lower performance compared to desktop equivalent and especially compared to best available workstation

I'm hoping VS code and remote development setups (either running VSCode in the browser hosted on my desktop or remote tools) get sufficiently good that I can get a lightweight ARM Mac and then I SSH to my home workstation - feels like the ideal solution if the tooling gets there

0 comments

greyhair5y ago

Best of both worlds.

My laptop only runs Office 365 for email, calendar, and the occasional word doc. It also runs Slack and a browser for zoom meetings as access to Jira/Bugzilla web interface.

Oh, and RDP into XFCE on Ubuntu on the desktop that runs as a server.

Plus the server is cabled up to development platforms (serial ports, remote power, GPIO, JTAG, USB). So it cannot move, and even if it were a laptop, it could not move.

I don't require the laptop to be upgradeable or powerful, it is just the UI into the rest of the system.

It currently sits here with the lid closed cabled to a 27 inch display.

johnmaguire20135y ago

On the topic of undervolting, I run Bootcamp with a 2019 MBP 16 (i9) and it cannot play games like Rocket League without discharging despite being plugged into a 100W adapter. I have even tried disabling Turbo Boost. Incredibly disappointing.

reader_modeOP5y ago

Yeah Intel mobile CPUs have been incredibly underwhelming in terms of efficiency and these premium portables are cramming overpowered HW into inadequate thermal/power solutions - Apple isn't the only one at fault here.

In the Windows land the only hope seems to be AMD while Apple has me hoping for the A14 performance.

kzrdude5y ago

- When you're out of steam you can sit on the sofa and write emails.

NiloCK5y ago

There was a time when people out of steam would take a break!

kzrdude5y ago

It was me on Friday. The emails were the mandatory stuff I couldn't escape, then I took time off.

craftinator5y ago

Back in my day, time didn't exist!

reader_modeOP5y ago

15 inch MBP is too bulky and too hot for this - this is why I'd like to get a smaller ARM based device and go client/server.

Ideally Apple would push out a 2in1 with touch but they are set on pushing iOS for touch - which is just too limited for all intents and purposes. I would gladly buy a premium Lenovo 2in1 or some Ryzen 5xxx series ultra portable windows laptop (they are much better on thermals from what I've seen) but I still need a OSX client from time to time unfortunately. There's just no flexibility with Apple ecosystem - you either fit into their intended use cases or you're stuck with suboptimal tradeoffs.

Silhouette5y ago

I'd like to get a smaller ARM based device and go client/server

I'd like to be more client-server these days too, using whatever device is convenient at the time but storing my data centrally so all my devices can access it, it's all systematically secured and backed up, I can also access it remotely via VPN, etc.

The key thing, though, is that I want it to be my server, not someone else's that I don't control and have to keep paying for.

1 more reply

Macha5y ago

I've ended up splitting the difference with my desktop and my surface go. The surface go is portable and easy to bring around, the desktop has the power, if I need it on the surface I just remote in to the desktop. My laptop (a Dell XPS), basically now only exists for flights/abroad trips where I might need more power than the surface go but reliable connectivity is not guaranteed. Which means it hasn't been used this year

1 more reply

rigrassm5y ago

Re: Thermals

Check out iStat, it gives you the ability to set a fan curve and that has helped quite a bit with my laptops Thermals. I found the highest rpm I could run without hearing the fans and set the two lowest points in the curve to keep it at/under that point and I almost never hear my fans anymore. Only time I really hear them now is when something is compiling and even then it's much more bearable since I keep the highest rpm limited to 80/85%.

reader_modeOP5y ago

Thanks but I tried this a long time ago - it does help with random tasks yoyoing the fans (which was extremely annoying) but running a device emulator + Android studio and a build service sends the laptop in to 747 mode - the only way I found to solve this is use Volta and disable turbo boost (I'm not sure if under-volt is working properly sometimes it seems to help sometimes it doesn't - I haven't actually measured)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsreader_mode5y ago0 comments

I've worked on a laptop for the past decade but I use a dedicated keyboard, mouse almost exclusively and a large 34'' monitor (2x24 previously).

Advantages of using a laptop :

- portability - I work as a consultant and I need to work on premises occasionally - if I had to switch between desktop/laptop it would be too cumbersome

- standalone when you need it - when I travel or am on vacation I usually need to do a few hours of work - I won't lug my full setup but I'm 100% ready on the go

- can develop for OSX/iOS with MBP

Disadvantages :

- thermals - I use a fully loaded 2018 i9 MBP and I have to undrvolt/disable turbo boost in office because the laptop hits full fan speed with a VM + IDE running and people start turning heads

- lower performance compared to desktop equivalent and especially compared to best available workstation

0 comments

greyhair5y ago

Best of both worlds.

My laptop only runs Office 365 for email, calendar, and the occasional word doc. It also runs Slack and a browser for zoom meetings as access to Jira/Bugzilla web interface.

Oh, and RDP into XFCE on Ubuntu on the desktop that runs as a server.

Plus the server is cabled up to development platforms (serial ports, remote power, GPIO, JTAG, USB). So it cannot move, and even if it were a laptop, it could not move.

I don't require the laptop to be upgradeable or powerful, it is just the UI into the rest of the system.

It currently sits here with the lid closed cabled to a 27 inch display.

johnmaguire20135y ago

reader_modeOP5y ago

In the Windows land the only hope seems to be AMD while Apple has me hoping for the A14 performance.

kzrdude5y ago

- When you're out of steam you can sit on the sofa and write emails.

NiloCK5y ago

There was a time when people out of steam would take a break!

kzrdude5y ago

It was me on Friday. The emails were the mandatory stuff I couldn't escape, then I took time off.

craftinator5y ago

Back in my day, time didn't exist!

reader_modeOP5y ago

15 inch MBP is too bulky and too hot for this - this is why I'd like to get a smaller ARM based device and go client/server.

Silhouette5y ago

I'd like to get a smaller ARM based device and go client/server

The key thing, though, is that I want it to be my server, not someone else's that I don't control and have to keep paying for.

1 more reply

Macha5y ago

1 more reply

rigrassm5y ago

Re: Thermals

reader_modeOP5y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse