Bandwidth Bandit

Yes, it is time for me to buy new hardware. I have been using a Dell XPS m1730 which is pushed as a Desktop replacement and if you ask me, this is exactly what this beast is! You don’t want to carry this thing around with you, you want to put it on your desk and leave it there! i also think that with all the carrying around it is starting to kill itself slowly, which is both scary and sad since it is just under two years old. So this leaves me with the chance now to get a new computer / laptop.

I first off need to say that there is nothing like the power of a desktop PC. Laptops will always try and catch up, but the physical limitations that a laptop design has rules it out of the power race. I however work in a dual location (work and home) and lugging a big box around, although technically i have been doing it for two years is not practical anymore. Also, the power supply that comes with the beast weighs in just under 2Kg’s and it is a pain in the rectum to carry around! Battery life is ok, but the need for a power source is there because no-one works for less than 3 hours at a stint and my battery lasts just under 2.

So i decided to draw up a quick list of things that i need as a result of lessons i have learnt with my previous hardware.

• at least 500Gb 7200RPM Drive preferably a solid state and another drive
• at least 4 gigs of RAM or more (large disks means virtualization so probably 8 gigs)
• Intel 2.6ghz or more with 6mb cache
• 15.4 screen with (1600×1200) display
• VGA out and or HDMI
• A battery or combination of batteries that give more than 3 hours work time
• Decent weight

I also have had to face facts that the type of work i have to do is changing. I used to sit and code, design and partially document for a good 9, 10 hours a day and this machine was good for that. Of late i am having to give more presentation, do a lot of planning and project management (the latter of which is like eating wet popcorn) and so i need a versatile device rather than a single purpose built one. I would really like to try and move towards a goal based approach in my work rather than single incident type style that i am currently working on at the moment. This style of work has me in the office all day and when i am away from my desk in meetings etc i need to come back and start from where i left off, which i admit is a dumb way of working.

So for the next short while it is going to be drawing up processes etc to almost get my team i manage in a self managed mode so i can start to expand into new area’s again. Oh and a Mac is not out of the equation….