Ask HN: What's your computer setup?

[wineisfine]

I was wondering: how many computers do you guys have, and :

- Do you have a workstation and a laptop?

- Or just a laptop?

- Or just a workstation?

When it comes to laptops: which model/brand?

When it comes to workstations: how many monitors?

[cauterized]

I do web development, so very little about the speed of my work is constrained by the hardware. If I started doing work that required compilation or emulators, that might change.

Work: 13" MBP (brand new when I started, maxed RAM) + 20" external monitor and external keyboard/mouse.

Home: 13" MBP (a few years old now) with most of my life on it; secondhand 11" MBA for most computing needs outside the house. I've inadvertently taken to using the MBA for personal development work because it has fewer distractions.

I don't use the external monitor all that often at work, and don't really miss it at home (though the limited vertical resolution of the MBA can be limiting, an external monitor isn't really something you bring to Starbucks or a conference). I got used to working without one in a previous job, and use a scaled resolution and virtual desktops instead to keep myself sane.

My intention is to spend as little time and mental energy as possible on managing my computing environment in order to have more left over to use on the actual computing.

[Dinius]

One powerful computer, hooked up to 3 locations in my house: 1: a heavily modified recliner chair with a monitor on an adjustable swing arm, where I tend to spend most of my time.

2: next to it, a backapp chair coupled with a separate mount for the "recliner monitor" so I can use the same monitor but elevated.

3: upstairs, standing desk, where I don't spend enough time.

All keybords are in the 60% form factor. I don't use mice, in other words my hands never leave the keyboard. This coupled with heavy customization to keyboard layout and functionality (custom layout, Autohotkey, etc) has worked wonders for RSI.

Two monitors, Eizo 27" IPS 2560x1440 by the recliner, 144hz IPS monitor with same size and resolution at the standing desk.

I also have a separate computer hooked up to the tv, a laptop hooked up to another screen, a cheap chineese tablet in the kitchen keeping track of temperatures and misc news etc, and an "old" t420 laptop which isn't in active use. I only work on the one main computer though, and I only ever use one monitor at a time (personal preference).

[wonko1]

A Lenovo X200 running Debian which I paid 50USD for. I use a 128Gb SSD (which cost more than the laptop). My daily contracting rate is more than 10x the cost of the laptop, but this setup just works really well for me.

When my daughter pours water in the keyboard I just get a new one and don't have to care too much.

[banterfoil]

What kind of work do you do?

[jetti]

I have 3 computers. A desktop that is 4 or 5 years old but has basic upgrades (12 GB of RAM, GeForce graphic card) but still runs on an old i3. I used it for grad school work and now I do some coding on it and play games while my wife uses it for grad school work. I have only 1 monitor because of the way that my desktop is situated in my current desk. I have another monitor but I don't have the space on the desk for it to sit nor the space for it to be plugged in.

I have an ASUS Ultrabook that I use for coding. It is 15.6" screen and only 8GB of RAM but runs an old i5. I'm not sure what year it is because I got it free from my in laws but it is nice, big and hasn't done me wrong.

My final computer is a 2011 Macbook Pro. My wife uses that as her daily computer so it mostly does Word, Powerpoint and then Safari.

[atmosx]

Office:

    * iMac 27" IPS 5K, Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700K CPU @ 4.00GHz, 32GB RAM, 512SSD
    * Proliant HP Gen8, 16GB RAM, 4.5 TB HDDs (ZFS)

Home:

    * iMac 2008 24",   4GB RAM (800 Mhz DDR2),  256 SSD, 2.8Ghz Core2Duo
    * MBA  2011 12.1", 4GB RAM (1333 Mhz DDR3), 256 SSD, 1.7Ghz i7
    * 2 x RPi (Local DNS/DNSHole server, FreeRadius, mysql, proxy, VPN, etc.)
    * 1 x 2 TB NAS (mirrored mode)

[gigatexal]

ZFS is great, glad to see people rocking it.

[ixacto]

1 2015 MBp 13" with 16gb ram 250gb ssd 2 Dell T3500 w 12gb ram stock hex-core Xeon asus 1060 gpu 275gb ssd monoprice 4K ips display 3 iPad Pro 12.9 128gb collecting dust so I'm giving it away.

Kinda pricy for all this but it's within budget. MBP 2015/MBA are great laptops. Much less time spent dealing with macOS than with Linux, although running workstation ubuntu lts is just fine.

[patrickgordon]

Home:

* 13" Macbook Pro (late 2015).

* connected to 1x DELL P2715Q 27" Ultra HD Monitor

* with Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse; and

* Matias Quite Pro Keyboard for Mac

At work: Stock standard DELL PC with 2 monitors. Don't program in day job.

[soulchild37]

2014 15" rMBP plugged to a Dell 24" IPS monitor. Sufficient use for Web dev and iOS dev.

[mkautzm]

Workstation with 4 monitors, but I truthfully use only 3 almost always.

[wineisfine]

Do you have some in Pivot mode?

[brudgers]

A laptop with Xmonad on my lap.