- cross-posted to:
- lemmyshitpost@lemmy.world
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I’m thinking seriously about using something like a Daylight tablet as a thin client for a more powerful machine at home. Obviously doing real coding by hand would still suck, but LLM-based coding might actually be viable.
Queeeestion- for those non-US folks, how is WFH in your areas? Is the rto push as big as it is here? Is wfh /flex culture established, or seen as a temp thing?
How do people see the screen
Sun glare, sand, bad WiFi… yeah, it looks better than it feels 😭
If I’m ever envious of someone doing work in places where they should be relaxing, please kill me.
Behold! E-paper laptops! You can read them outside!
The bit about people bringing their laptops to the beach smells like RTO propaganda
Being on your laptop
outsideis a miserable experienceftfy
As a lifelong desktop PC user, laptops just feel claustrophobic 😅 Especially sucks without a mouse, fuck the trackpad.
I’m the opposite and am most comfortable on a laptop. I suppose part of it is that I’m near-sighted, but only bother wearing my glasses when I’m driving. Putting on glasses to see a monitor isn’t ideal. I also seem to concentrate better in a reclined position. I’ve spent so much time using trackpads that using a mouse doesn’t make much difference. Switching between windows on a single screen also doesn’t bother me.
I can’t work on a big screen. I’m thriving on my laptop with my 3x3 virtual desktop grid, though.
I work on industrial production lines. I’ve gotten used enough to laptops that I don’t mind too much.
Work from home on my 34" curved screen + 27" flat is amazing tho.
I use a tiling window manager and copious number of workspaces. It helps with the feeling of claustrophobia if anything can be easily full-screened and swapped around easily.
A 64" monitor with floating windows now feels clunky to me compared to a 15" screen with tiling set up like I like it
I think it’s an excellent compromise for being a portable PC. If I’m going to university, to a study space or a lecture, a laptop is freaking fantastic.
Also all laptops universally have one killer feature that nearly no desktop PC has: a built-in UPS. If power goes out, the laptop just keeps chugging along on battery power, giving you an extra few hours of work.
It’s not my workstation of choice by any means, but I wouldn’t call it miserable. It’s fine.
Bro, people today prefer trackpad. Its fucking mindblowing. Ive met several IRL people that love trackpads and don’t own a mouse.
I almost guarantee I’m 10x faster at anything on a PC than them
I prefer a trackpad while I work, and the reason is simple: Much less movement to switch from trackpad to keyboard than from mouse to keyboard. And much easier to land on the key you want without looking.
And I very much doubt you’d be faster than me with a mouse!
I don’t own a mouse. I like the trackpad because I’m left handed and a mouse always felt weird to me left handed because schools in the 90s forced me to use it right handed.
So, uhh, are you good and comfortable at using the mouse with your right hand? If so you have no reason to use your left. I have a left-handed friend who has always exclusivity used his right for the mouse. Ain’t no law saying your mouse hand must be your writing hand. Not to mention the benefits: it’s the default setting on any system, and there are lots of great quality asymmetric mouses that only fit the right hand.
I’m not trying to change you, by all means if you like the trackpad more power to you. Just curious why you’d try to mouse with your left if you’ve already learned to use it with your right.
I am comfortable with it in my right hand but I have a tendency to click the buttons backwards. Trackpad is easier one finger left click 2 finger right click just seems more intuitive.
I have fond memories of my Macbook Pro’s touchpad. That was over a decade ago, I still haven’t found a comparable experience.
You’re assuming these people are doing something useful, they could be dealing with Microslop licensing as their full time job. Which is definitely a full time job, its just not useful work in the broader sense.
Ha, true
I have a monstrous satellite l300 i use for light spec work and arduino programming. 17" screen. It does not feel claustrophobic in the slightest, unlike my latest gen dell work machine with a screen smaller than my first fucking 486 i need glasses to even see. where did we go so wrong.
Amazingly, there is this nifty thing called a “port” that allows a mouse to be plugged into a laptop. It is pretty incredible technology. /s
I tend to vacillate myself depending on the noise of the environment vs the work at hand. If I need to spread out across a few monitors, dock it. If I just need to do some simple paperwork, portable. If I want to force no distractions, portable (as it is more difficult to see things when your screen real estate is reduced.)
Helps if you have good eyesight too, laptop UIs today are at clown magnification levels anymore.
But my laptop doesn’t have a PS/2 port :(
Amazingly, there is this nifty thing called a “port” that allows a mouse to be plugged into a laptop. It is pretty incredible technology. /s
Yes, I meant that it’s even worse when there’s no mouse plugged in, but I guess my phrasing wasn’t clear :)
Yeah, i have no idea how all those people are doing their work. I need a big monitor or two, a good keyboard and a nice mouse!
My partner is a psycho who does like 90% of her graphic design work on a 13" macbook air using only trackpad
As a graphic designer, I’d quit being a graphic designer if laptop+trackpad was my only option D:
My partner used to do design on her laptop on the sofa with a graphic tablet. Inconceivable for me .
As a graphic designer I need to ask what the fuck.
I never use drawing tablets, honestly, but I do need a real mouse.
Yeah, i mean she uses a tablet when doing the actual creating part, but mostly the job these days is moving assets around to fit the necessary sizes for different social media. I still don’t understand how someone can stand to do that using a trackpad, but she’s good at what she does so 🤷♂️
Dude I know these people. My brain explodes at how inefficient they must be.
Sometimes I forget not everyone is computer literate and so fast that their work laptop can’t keep up with them
Don’t fall asleep.
i use the keyboard nipple myself
Hell yeah another clit stick user, there are dozens of us!
i have no idea how all those people are doing their work.
like people in cafes “working”.
and what screen is visible on a sunny day outside.
I was thinking that too, just looking at the image is giving me a headache imagining squinting at your screen notched up to full blast and still dim, through your sunglasses.
What in the stock image hell is this. Lmao
Plug in mouse. If you need to, pllug laptop into external monitor(s)/TV
Well, these guys aren’t working, as far as I’m concerned, if they can do it without bringing out a mouse and real keyboard and probably a second monitor. (My laptop bag is pretty heavy.) They can at best be checking emails.
Agreed.
If you can do your work on a 13" laptop with no mouse or external monitor without your productivity dropping off a cliff, you were never productive to begin with.
I disagree on the external monitor, not everyone need one or they are just used to using it, also how the OS is scaled matter too
Yeah, tbh I’m fine working as a graphic designer on my single 24-inch screen, not sure what I’d put on another one.
Though I imagine it might be useful when gaming to put a guide or spreadsheet on a smaller, vertical screen.
For real, not having the mouse slows you down big time, even though I’m more or less skilled at keyboard shortcuts
I have a fucking awesome gaming laptop. It has like 2 hours of battery life tops. (the very highly operative word being “tops”) Just today I was anxious about pulling it out of my backpack due to the fact it’s being spingtime and literally all of the winter walkway gravel is in the wind. I’m a Nikon fangirl and I very much hesitated to uncap my lens.
Imagine having the freedom to work from the beach and still putting on a button down shirt.
I don’t even like Hawaiian shirts. What’s the point of that collar? Why is western wear so obsessed with putting that style of collar on absolutely everything.
A light well made button down isn’t all that uncomfortable. I’d call it nice on a breezy day. It’s not a tie.
Fuck anything with a collar. It’s an absolutely idiotic bit of “fashion” which needs to die
👌
A nice linen shirt is great in hot weather.
Depends on the print.
Solid color or conservative pattern? Hard pass.
Pineapples or flamingos? Fuck yeah.
This is like the idea of having sex on the beach. Who really wants that. You didn’t think it through if you want that. Do you really want to invite sand and salmonella to the mix?
Working outside can be fun. At least AS long AS you dont need that good of an internet connection, have a comfy place to sit in and are at a somewhat dark spot, so you can still see on your screen.
If and only if these three things are all given, than it can be quite nice to work outside.
No, because then I want to do stuff that is not sitting with my laptop outside. If the weather is nice, I’d much rather play with my dog, climb a tree, or roll around in mud. Why’d I want to sit and do PR reviews?
The dark spot also avoids overheating
Exactly, I used to hike to the top of a mountain find a shady spot and work till my battery died then hike back down.
A coworker of mine specifically built a little gazebo on their deck to be a summer-office. They wired a little wifi repeater in the roof, retractable shades and curtains, a ceiling fan, and got a desk that specifically fits a comfy deck chair. Obviously all of this can be moved out of the way for normal back yard stuff, but it’s become the absolute envy of all my remote colleagues.
The dark spot is only an issue if you’re using a laptop or something. Pen and a pad of paper is fine outside. Loose stacks of paper is obviously not ideal.
Unfortunately, most of us need to work using screens these days. I have hope for the future with these smart AR glasses. With the screen on the glasses, it shouldn’t be a problem to use them in bright light. And, feeling the sun on your skin is one of the best parts about being outside when the weather is good.
Couldn’t agree more. Some of my best work and learning recently has been me on my back porch under shade with a box fan. While I have solid WiFi and power there, I also pack a portable monitor and can work without internet on much of what I do.
Also, if you take any meetings, it needs to be quiet enough to communicate but also not disruptive to others if you’re taking loudly.
There are some very decent outside-internet solutions. I have one of those solutions at home and it’s a joy to work outside.
Working outside your home is nice. But I think a lot of these comments are talking about working outside in public is a whole other problem.
WiFi mesh networks can have impressive range outdoors, without walls and reflections blocking the wifis. And they can be powered by PoE (Power over Ethernet) so you only need to run 1 cable to hook it up.
But for most of my work, a cellphone hotspot is suitable, so long as it’s not so remote that I don’t get at least a strong 4G signal. Video conferencing isn’t very data intensive with compression and, if I’m not running the meeting, slight spottiness is fine.
So it’s good if you are close to your router, have a comfortable chair, and have so much shade you’re basically indoors.
So if I just open a window in my office…
I get what you’re saying and acknowledge that that’s the best environment for some people, but for me there’s a different feel in being in your office and being on the back porch or out in the garage with the door open.
The fresh air, mild distractions on an easy day, and more natural light make me feel good. I think the beach would be a fucking nightmare for me. Same for things like a coffee shop. But if I’m in at least a semi private space and it’s not a balls to the wall day, I’ll take not being chained to the desk every time it’s practical.
Even just being in public. I tried it for one day at Panera while I was writing a professional review. People kept coming up to talk to me, I couldn’t tune the noise out, and I was uncomfortable in their wood chairs.
I’m convinced those suits in Starbucks are just trawling for chicks.
People kept coming up to talk to me [at Panera]
This is just…unimaginable to me. Who goes up to strangers at a chain restaurant? Especially one who is clearly busy? Unless you mean employees, which would be a bit more understandable, though still weird.
It was a lot of old people just being social on a Tuesday. I didn’t mind that so much, reasonably sane old people should be cherished. My brain just isn’t wired for distractions.
One time an old lady kept talking to me at the gardening section of the supermarket. I didn’t have the heart to cut her off, bless her heart.
She did know her shit about flowers though.
Who goes up to strangers at a chain restaurant?
who sets up to work in a public place that serves shitty food?
…lots of people.
Over-ear headphones help with this. Then you can just ignore them and pretend you can’t hear.
(My neurospicy is showing…)
I go traveling with the sales guys sometimes, and we had Starbucks in between meetings so that we can sit down and do email for an hour and then go to the next meeting. I wouldn’t want to sit there all day.
I work from home and I never get to the point where I want to go out in public and do work. I do get to the point where I want to go on public, but I take a walk and get some sun and I don’t bring my laptop.
Gotta turn the brightness all the way up so you squint at your laptop for about an hour before it dies and you have a tension headache.
Not if you’re using a macbook…
they got e-ink screens now?
Laptops and screens can be pretty efficient. I got a pretty cheap run of the mill one (Arch btw) that easily does >8 hours at full blast HDR and no power saving.
lol macs have the glossiest screens out there, almost like they make it a mirror on purpose
2022 brought one of the best screens for outdoor work… for a price, but of course
…why?
I use a MacBook Pro M4 from work, and the battery does last.
It’s also amazing that Apple Silicon can have similar power to a desktop RTX 5070 Ti in a laptop, except without a space heater PSU or a 16GB RAM limitation. If only it didn’t cost $4k and only have one Linux distro option. I’m hoping AMD RDNA 5 SoCs will be competitive and address both limitations.
What does that have to do with seeing the screen outdoors, and tension headaches?
I exaggerated the 1h battery life in my original post for comic effect. This person replied saying that’s not the case with a MacBook. I replied expressing my approval for MacBooks and couldn’t help but also going off on a tangent to express my other thoughts on the topic.
Oh, whoops, I didn’t look at names. Nevermind.
Toshiba used to sell a laptop (IIRC the model name was R500) back in like 2008 that had a mirror behind the screen, meaning that bright sunlight would be reflected back through the LCD and always respond to external lighting conditions no matter how bright. The image quality and color was shitty, but you could use it in the sun. Battery time was also extremely impressive.
The same thing would work with e-ink. It works fine in super bright sunlight. Unfortunately since it physically spins little balls with electromagnets the refresh rate is very slow compared to conventional screens.
interesting. most modern lcds have a shiny reflective layer behind the backlight for this reason, I wonder if they’re all modeled after toshibas design
