Your work/development PC

Lenovo T530

i7 4C/8T @ 2.4Ghz
8GB RAM
256GB SSD
1080p Screen
Nvidia Optimus GPU thing
 
So what's with all the laptops? I'm really surprised. I couldn't bare working without a full sized keyboard (I use the large MS keyboard) and a bunch of large monitors - is it just me? Doesn't this affect your eyes, posture, etc.?
 
cguy said:
So what's with all the laptops? I'm really surprised. I couldn't bare working without a full sized keyboard (I use the large MS keyboard) and a bunch of large monitors - is it just me? Doesn't this affect your eyes, posture, etc.?
Click to expand...

docking station + MS Ergonomic kb + mouse + extra monitor (we get one Dell monitor to use with the laptop)...extras at my own expense. I spend more time on my work machine than I do at home so no way am I going to torture myself with trackpads and whatnot.

Where the laptop shines is obviously portability...meetings, demos, presentations etc. are much easier with the machine I created the content on being there.
 
cguy said:
So what's with all the laptops? I'm really surprised. I couldn't bare working without a full sized keyboard (I use the large MS keyboard) and a bunch of large monitors - is it just me? Doesn't this affect your eyes, posture, etc.?
Click to expand...
I used to have a full sized keyboard plugged into my laptops, but because we needed to be so mobile I just decided to learn how to use the laptop keyboard instead. My main desk has a secondary monitor. Been doing this for the last 5 years.

My office is in my backpack. I can work from anywhere and I prefer it that way.
 
Dell desktop:
i5 (haswell, cant remember exact)
16GB RAM
120GB SSD (needs upgrading)
500GB HDD
2x LG 24"

Dell Latitude laptop:
i7, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 15" HD+

Use the desktop for 90% of work. Laptop used for trips and when I want something running on another non virtual machine.

Most of the data is stored and processed in virtual servers in our data centre. Not sure exactly what they use but its really decent.
 
Last edited:
Lenovo x240
i7
512gig SSD
8 gig ram etc

Its got FDE on it though which slows it down a bit.

9 times out of 10 the internet & VPN is the limitation though. :(

Cicero said:
Does your company upgrade them often?
Click to expand...
Every 2-3 years.

cguy said:
So what's with all the laptops? I'm really surprised.
Click to expand...
1) Insurance
2) Risk management
3) Hotdesks
4) Road warriors
5) Work from home

cguy said:
I couldn't bare working without a full sized keyboard (I use the large MS keyboard)
Click to expand...
You get used to it really fast.

cguy said:
a bunch of large monitors - is it just me?
Click to expand...
Depends on the task. For some tasks its genuinely faster to cycle via Alt tab than look at a different monitor - tried the multi-mon thing for a while...meh.

cguy said:
Doesn't this affect your eyes, posture, etc.?
Click to expand...
Yup. If you have to be mobile though then its preferable to carrying a fkin 17" laptop around though. Latop stands can help, but the good ones lift the laptop so far up that you need to carry a keyboard too.
 
Dell XPS 15 Gen 3 i7.
16GB RAM.
Dual ssd (mSata and 2.5")
MS sculpt ergonomic KB and mouse.
24" 1080p acer screen.
 
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Custom build
i7 quad core
16GB RAM
256GB SSD & 1TB HDD
dual 27" monitors
win7x64

great for running several VMs & VS2013+R#
 
• Intel Core i7 Quad Core i7-4712MQ 2.3 GHz (Haswell)
• 8GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L RAM
• 1.0 TB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive changed to 512 ssd, bursting fast
• NVidia GeForce NVidia GeForce 740M with 2GB dedicated graphics Memory
• 15.6" HD Antiglare LED-Backlit Display
• 1366 x 768 Native Resolution
• SuperMulti DVD Burner
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
 
skimread said:
Management in my experience don't care. Hardware is IT politics 101 in companies.

Are you a new hire?

Is your story something like this

New hire intermediary developer X joins company.
IT gets told to purchase a new machine by HR.
Senior Developer A asks his manager or the manager himself wants it and instructs IT to give it to him.
The senior developer A/manager gets the new machine.
Developer B always complained about his machine so he gets developer As/manager machine.
New hire developer X gets told his machine is being prepped by IT. (in reality the user profile gets deleted or windows gets reinstalled of old developer B machine)
New hire notices 4GB RAM and slow 5400rpm /7200rpm SATA disk. Keyboard is also not so lekker. Best LCD external monitors are already taken. Googling the model number shows the model was manufactured 5 years ago.
New hire complains about laptop/machine and get told usually laptops/machine get replaced after 3 years. (In reality this means you have to stay 2 years until getting a hand-me-down after laptop reaches the age of 5). If lucky 2 to 4GB additional RAM gets added to new hire's machine after 1 year and battery gets replaced.
Over a year New developer X does well but get told sometimes he works a bit slow and doesn't test his code properly.
Developer X starts getting frustrated by not being able to be as productive as he can be and having to work longer hours to meet deadlines.
Developer X always raises issue of old laptop which is now 4 years old.
Developer X gets pissed off that most students have faster machines when he is a professional and junior developers & sales staff in his company have better spec'ed laptops
After 1 year developer X starts looking at jobs sites. Finds a job and quits.
Click to expand...

Sounds horrible and probably happens more often than not.

When I joined my company I had a new shine new MacBook Pro 17" waiting for me. :D
 
Work on an HP ProBook.

i3
8gb RAM
With some crappy 20" monitor attached.

It started out with only 4gb of RAM but I managed to convince them to give me some more.

Nothing special but it gets the job done.
 
Dell desktop:
i7 3.4GHz(Quad Core)
16GB RAM
250GB SSD
500GB HDD
2x Dell 24"
 
skimread said:
Management in my experience don't care. Hardware is IT politics 101 in companies.

Are you a new hire?

Is your story something like this

New hire intermediary developer X joins company.
IT gets told to purchase a new machine by HR.
Senior Developer A asks his manager or the manager himself wants it and instructs IT to give it to him.
The senior developer A/manager gets the new machine.
Developer B always complained about his machine so he gets developer As/manager machine.
New hire developer X gets told his machine is being prepped by IT. (in reality the user profile gets deleted or windows gets reinstalled of old developer B machine)
New hire notices 4GB RAM and slow 5400rpm /7200rpm SATA disk. Keyboard is also not so lekker. Best LCD external monitors are already taken. Googling the model number shows the model was manufactured 5 years ago.
New hire complains about laptop/machine and get told usually laptops/machine get replaced after 3 years. (In reality this means you have to stay 2 years until getting a hand-me-down after laptop reaches the age of 5). If lucky 2 to 4GB additional RAM gets added to new hire's machine after 1 year and battery gets replaced.
Over a year New developer X does well but get told sometimes he works a bit slow and doesn't test his code properly.
Developer X starts getting frustrated by not being able to be as productive as he can be and having to work longer hours to meet deadlines.
Developer X always raises issue of old laptop which is now 4 years old.
Developer X gets pissed off that most students have faster machines when he is a professional and junior developers & sales staff in his company have better spec'ed laptops
After 1 year developer X starts looking at jobs sites. Finds a job and quits.
Click to expand...

My previous company did crap like this. It defies logic - the lost productivity costs so much more than the equipment.
 
HavocXphere said:
Lenovo x240
i7
512gig SSD
8 gig ram etc

Its got FDE on it though which slows it down a bit.

9 times out of 10 the internet & VPN is the limitation though. :(


Every 2-3 years.


1) Insurance
2) Risk management
3) Hotdesks
4) Road warriors
5) Work from home


You get used to it really fast.


Depends on the task. For some tasks its genuinely faster to cycle via Alt tab than look at a different monitor - tried the multi-mon thing for a while...meh.


Yup. If you have to be mobile though then its preferable to carrying a fkin 17" laptop around though. Latop stands can help, but the good ones lift the laptop so far up that you need to carry a keyboard too.
Click to expand...

I've definitely tried to get used to it before, but just as I was getting the hang of it, I go back to a desktop, and it feels like a breath of fresh air. Fortunately I don't really have to be mobile (work e-mail on phone, home desktop machine and desktop at work). I think one component is that I am just so used to the keyboard + large raised monitor config (since the 80's, although back then it was a TV), that I just can't put in long hours on a laptop (I tried my wife's 15" Dell Inspiron a few times).
 
Hamster said:
I used to have a full sized keyboard plugged into my laptops, but because we needed to be so mobile I just decided to learn how to use the laptop keyboard instead. My main desk has a secondary monitor. Been doing this for the last 5 years.

My office is in my backpack. I can work from anywhere and I prefer it that way.
Click to expand...

Heh - if I could work from anywhere, I expect my wife would divorce me. ;)
 
About 3 years old, getting new laptop in October. Our company replaces when you request, we also don't have any specs less than more or less the below. They are forcing me to get a new one after 3 years, despite me being happy with this one.

Used for Desktop App Development

Dell Latitude E6230

Untitled.png

+ 256gb SSD.
+ 2x 23" monitors connected to my docking station.
 
I'm impressed at the amount of SSD's.

Its the first thing my brother in laws company does with a new employees machine, they instantly replace the HD with an SSD.
 
Dell Vostro 5470
i5-4200
8gb
250gb ssd
Nvidia 740

Docked at work with 2x Dell U2412M

Upgrades come when we complain enough :P
 
Anyone here with a UHD monitor? That person should be pronounced the winner
 
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