Comments for Geoff Arnold

Comment on My next laptop: a tough choice by Roger Riggs

Roger Riggs — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:59:55 +0000

If you have an office, get a large monitor to plug in when you need more screen real estate and carry with you the adapter to plug into someone else’s monitor. The 13″ Pro might be a good tradeoff; faster processor, bigger screen and just a bit more weight. But if you are mobile all the time, weight might be the deciding factor.

Comment on My next laptop: a tough choice by J. Lasser

J. Lasser — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:51:29 +0000

I’d stay away from the 15″ machine, if only because it’s not really any more performant than the 13, and a huge jump for you in terms of weight and size.

If you’re really stuck with the 128GB SSD for the 13″ retina, I’d have to say the 13″ air, as you’ll be running out of drive space before anything else.

The screen on the retinas is beautiful, and the extra CPU would be handy for a VM environment, so if you’re willing to take the extra .6 pounds (and can get the 256 GB SSD in it), I’d recommend the 13″ retina. On the other hand, if you can’t get the larger SSD or don’t want the extra weight, the Air isn’t a bad choice.

(For personal use, I have my 11″ Air, which you can pry from my hands when they get a retina screen in that form factor. For work, I have an older 13″ MacBook Pro. I’m happy with both, but since my VM needs are more modest than “full cloud computing environment” I’d go with the 13″ Air for work if someone gave me the choice.)

Comment on My next laptop: a tough choice by geoff

geoff — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 05:39:58 +0000

No, I need to leave the Dell exactly as it came configured from IT, to provide access to a few key corporate functions.

I already use Ubuntu on my home hacking machine, an HP laptop about which I blogged extensively a few years ago. And I’ll run Ubuntu under VirtualBox on whatever I get.

Comment on My next laptop: a tough choice by Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:46:22 +0000

If you don’t want to run Windows on the Dell, then run Ubuntu (From the description, I assume you have an XPS13) – get the Project Sputnik build for the XPS13 here http://www.calazan.com/how-to-install-the-ubuntu-12-04-sputnik-image-on-your-dell-xps-13-ultrabook/ – you can always run the windows apps in a VM if need be.
There are some interesting tweaks for recovering Mac users here: http://mattspitz.me/post/44202150125/a-month-with-dells-project-sputnik
HTH – Andrew

Comment on My next laptop: a tough choice by geoff

geoff — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:27:04 +0000

Sticking with the Dell is not an option. My muscle memory is 100% Unix/OS X these days. (I started on Unix in 1982.)

Comment on My next laptop: a tough choice by Rory

Rory — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:21:44 +0000

I have a 13 inch retina MacBook Pro. My advise would be stick it out with your Dell and save yourself some cash. The Macbook Pro is not worth the money they ask for

Comment on Too many little plastic boxes connected to my TV by Chris Westin

Chris Westin — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 10:53:19 +0000

I’ve been trying to solve the same problem. TiVos are pretty expensive, not including the required ongoing subscription. It seems to me that the thing to do is to hook up an inexpensive PC (about the price of a TiVo, but no subscription). They come with DVD/BR drives, and any of the streaming services can be watched on them via web applications that support full-sizing. A bluetooth keyboard and/or media remote can be used to control it. It seems to me this can replace everything except my xbox.

Comment on Too many little plastic boxes connected to my TV by geoff

geoff — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:03:07 +0000

Yes – but at a reasonable cost!

Comment on Too many little plastic boxes connected to my TV by Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:00:43 +0000

I thought reducing the number of boxes was what you were trying to solve

Comment on Too many little plastic boxes connected to my TV by geoff

geoff — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 06:55:44 +0000

Not cheap, though – $14.99/mo in addition to the price of the box. I wonder how much I’ll save on my Xfinity bill…