Tag: hardware

I almost called this “chasing a new laptop” since that’s what I’m doing, but I decided to add the date because the current laptop I’ve using was built in March 2019 and got to me in May 2019. I’ve had an HP Spectre x360, my second HP Spectre, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m also amazed it still runs. On the last few trips, the two rubber strips that run along the bottom (acting as feet) started to peel away. I’ve never seen that before and I tried to re-attach them a few times, but that didn’t work well.

Not a big deal, and I can live with that, but then during my Australian tour, the laptop started pausing and freezing a few times. It might be that there is too much software on there and needs a pave-and-reinstall, but I decided to check the age on the machine. That was when I realized it was five years old. It’s been a great machine, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a work laptop last that long with daily use. Of course, there was about a year during the pandemic when it was rarely used, so maybe its life lengthened during COVID.

In any case, I started looking around for a new one. My initial glance at smaller laptops has me considering these: another HP Spectre x360, the ASUS 14, the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon, and the DELL XPS 14. That’s the short list, since I really want a Windows PC that can run SQL Server and tools locally. I’ve had a Macbook before, and in the past I could run a VM with Windows tools. I can run SQL Server now, but not SSMS, and I like running SSMS.

I’m just starting to look at some reviews, and think about what I need. I’ve had a i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD, which have served me well for the last 5 years. I don’t think I need more, though 32GB is tempting for a memory upgrade. I don’t do a lot of heavy development, so it’s more about having the things I run be snappy in presentations with customers and at conferences.

What machines do you use and like? I’ve appreciated the durability of the last two HPs, so I’m leaning towards another. I do like the pointer on the Lenovo, so that’s tempting. I’d like a touch screen as I use it regularly, though I don’t need a folding 2-in-1 machine. A normal clamshell is fine.

If you have a recommendation, let me know. If you have a dream machine, make me drool over it.

Steve Jones

Listen to the podcast at Libsyn, Spotify, or iTunes.

Note, podcasts are only available for a limited time online.

It seems that when I travel to offices these days, it’s standard for most desk setups to have two monitors. I think all the desks at Redgate have a docking station and two monitors for people to use. They also convert to standing desks, which is handy. I have a standing desk that I use regularly, and it’s nice to have that option when I visit an office. At a number of customer sites, I’ve seen similar setups, sometimes with laptop/monitor lifts instead of desks that rise.

Recently I saw a docking station announced that can support four monitors. I wonder how many of you want, need, or use more than two monitors. While there is often a standard in offices, since many of us work part or full-time at home, perhaps you have a different setup. Maybe you have one or two large monitors instead of 3 or 4 smaller ones. I’d certainly be interested to know if any of you have more than 4 monitors.

I run three 24″ monitors on my desk. When I go to an office and use a docking station, I can use my laptop as a third, though the resolution gets a little funny. If I were there for any length of time, I might try to reconfigure the laptop to work with the lid closed. Maybe that’s a chore for the next trip. At home, however, I usually have SQL Server Central and writing tools on one monitor, Chrome with lots of tabs as my main workspace for research and general work, and Outlook/Spotify on a third monitor. That lets me focus on one monitor most of the time glancing at another one for reference or copy/paste work.

I tried four monitors in a 2×2 configuration at one point, but I didn’t like looking up and down. Even now, I often really use two monitors, with side glances at a third one at times. I have been tempted to get 2 larger monitors (27-30″ range), but I’m not sure I would be more productive and not sure it’s worth spending the money for no real benefit I can perceive.

I’ve seen some neat setups in people’s offices. I see some developers using vertical monitors, though I haven’t found that to be ergonomic for me. I seem to have too many long lines of code or text. I see some people using a laptop with one monitor, and I’ve seen some friends who are creative with videos/live streaming that use more than four monitors.

I don’t know I have met anyone that has a gaming chair/monitor setup, but I’m sure someone out there has bought or built something like that. If you have, or you think you’ve got a cool setup, let me know.

Steve Jones

Listen to the podcast at Libsyn, Spotify, or iTunes.

I saw a review on a rugged SSD, and it got me thinking about local storage. Over the holidays I needed to scan something from a device at the ranch, but to get the image to my computer, I needed a flash drive. It took me 10 minutes of searching around to find one because I rarely use them anymore. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d used one for a transfer between computers. I just send stuff through OneDrive/DropBox/GDrive or some other mechanism.

Today I’m wondering if the rest of you have abandoned using portable storage or if is it something you find useful. How often do you use portable storage in your life? Apart from laptops or mobile phones, I’m wondering about portable disk drives or any device where you transfer data using a wire rather than wirelessly. Note, I’m not talking about going from one computer to another on a wired network. I mean moving the storage from one place to another with your hands.

The only place I know I’m regularly using a portable drive is in the Tesla. There I have a rugged portable SSD that captures the dashcam and security footage. I had to transfer it from the drive to my computer last year when I saw an accident. I think that might have been the last time that I actually used portable storage (before the scan).

I have lots of old portable drives, and even old CD/DVDs I’ve recorded that have SQL Server ISO, pictures, backups of databases, and more. However, I don’t use them anymore. I don’t know how many of those devices still work, and I ought to check them, load the backups into cloud storage, and then recycle (after erasing) the devices. Or trashing them. I’m guessing many of them are just old tech at this point no one wants.

I think the era of using portable storage most of the time is likely gone. Even my friends who like to keep their own backups locally tend to use a NAS of some sort and wireless transfers, as opposed to plugging in. However, maybe I’m wrong. Are some of you still Luddites with storage technology, if that word can even apply to digital storage technology?

Steve Jones

Listen to the podcast at Libsyn, Spotify, or iTunes.