Little Miracles in programming

from JoeUser Forums

photo The BlacX eSATA dock is just wonderful. I can buy a regular SATA drive and just carry it back and forth between home and work as my main “coding” drive.  Now I can work around the clock easily. :)

It’s amazing how the working conditions on programming have changed (at least for me).

When I was programming Galactic Civilizations back in the day (for OS/2) I sat in a lab chair that had gotten tossed out by the geography department (I was still in college), it was a 14 inch monitor and a 386SX-16. 

Because compiling on such a setup was so painful, I was really careful about using headers and such and would only do a rebuild if I absolutely had to.

Now, I code on a 30 inch LCD at high res on a system with 12 gigs of RAM, a portable drive and a really good ergonomic chair.

I wish I could say I was more productive but my back feels better. :)

45,504 views 22 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

A worker always work better when he has good conditions ;)

Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Outch... considering i also went from some oldy TI/99-4A stuff and a hugely evolved 386DX-40 from the late 80's, it is obvious i too gape in awe when i get to use the latest in computing technology.

To think how slow & "counter-productive" much of what was available (at sooooo high prices) back then, is certainly mind boggling.

Processors timing is just eons beyond earliest figures of compiling activity.

Efficiency is now pipelined enough to produce some extraordinary work in real time without noticeable lag. GDI alone is far from the usual canvas & paper stuff -- indeed.

Ya know, full 16K ram & CPU clocking of 4.6Hzs -- feel like cavern apes gimmicks nowadays.

:cylon:

TouchTasks - Access tasks with ease on Windows touchscreens.
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

The most awesome thing for me about the BlaX eSATA dock is how I can just toss in a new drive if I need more storage.  This is how I'm storing pretty much all of the assets sent to me by publishers for Impulse publishing.  I'm nearing capacity on my current 1.5TB drive, so when I hit the end, I'll just order a new one.

I'm probably going to get a dock for home too.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Honestly, with ID's post ealier, today seems to be turning into 'Stardock's favourite computer gizmos' day ;P

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

These eSATA docks are a really nice idea. Already thought about getting one for myself.

But Frogboy: You're getting to predictable in your post titles. I saw that title on the front page (under "Recent Community Posts") and already knew, that you must be the author :-) On another topic: Your last line is comedic gold. Had a good laugh with it.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

When I was programming Galactic Civilizations back in the day (for OS/2) I sat in a lab chair that had gotten tossed out by the geography department (I was still in college), it was a 14 inch monitor and a 386SX-16.
End of quote

Heh, I remember when a 15" monitor was considered huge!

The most awesome thing for me about the BlaX eSATA dock is how I can just toss in a new drive if I need more storage. This is how I'm storing pretty much all of the assets sent to me by publishers for Impulse publishing. I'm nearing capacity on my current 1.5TB drive, so when I hit the end, I'll just order a new one.
End of quote

I don't see one of those on my desk.  Must have gotten lost in the mail or someting.

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

That fancy drive stuff is just about convenience. Good seating is the more important long-term investment.

A few decades from now, you'll still have the same back you were born with, but storage tech changes likely will make those handy eSATA docs look as quaint as Brad's old OS/2 rig.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

Ya I got a 26" monitor and 12gbs ram man I loving it soo much. My pc is so powerful and freaking quite! :grin:

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

I'm afraid you'll soon suffer from Rocky III syndrome. You gotta go back to the old gym and spit nails with Mickey.

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

I want one :)

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

I'm afraid you'll soon suffer from Rocky III syndrome. You gotta go back to the old gym and spit nails with Mickey.
End of quote

WOW! WOW!

When I was writing this blog, I was thinking the same thing and went looking for an image from Rocky 3 but decided the reference was too obscure.

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 11

I'm afraid you'll soon suffer from Rocky III syndrome. You gotta go back to the old gym and spit nails with Mickey.


WOW! WOW!

When I was writing this blog, I was thinking the same thing and went looking for an image from Rocky 3 but decided the reference was too obscure.
End of Frogboy's quote

There's a bunch of us "old farts" around here, Froggy. There isn't much that will be "too obscure" lol. Not to mention the "Nerd" factor we got going on in here. We're all into D&D and comic books and movies and Video Games. :)

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

the reference was too obscure
End of quote

Now I feel old :) lol

Reply #14 from Demigod Forums Top

This is the internet; nothing is too obscure.

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting ZehDon, reply 14
This is the internet; nothing is too obscure.
End of ZehDon's quote

Though there is such a thing as not obscure enough.

Reply #16 from Elemental Forums Top

Though there is such a thing as not obscure enough
End of quote

You think so?   I guess it depends on the community.

 

Man, I can't wait until I notice my work station is vastly improved from when I was in collage...

Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting landisaurus, reply 16
You think so?   I guess it depends on the community.
End of landisaurus's quote

Find some music forums, specifically of the 'Indie' variety, and start talking about something you heard on the radio last month.  You'll find out what 'not obscure enough' means real quick.  :)

 

As for 'back in the day' programming stories, I bought a C++ programming book before I even owned a computer.  I went 6 months just doing the exercises from each chapter on notebook paper.  It was weird going from that to a full on IDE.

Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Quoting Rosco_P, reply 17

As for 'back in the day' programming stories, I bought a C++ programming book before I even owned a computer.  I went 6 months just doing the exercises from each chapter on notebook paper.  It was weird going from that to a full on IDE.
End of Rosco_P's quote

THAT sounds familiar. I learned BASIC that way all the way back in elementary before I ever discovered the family computer had the QBASIC IDE, and then I repeated the process for C and C++ in junior high and high school respectively. Finally being able to compile code was surreal. Don't know what I was thinking, though, because that's a terrible way to learn a language, yet I did it three separate times!

Sometimes I get the impression that I'm not very smart. :P

Reply #19 from Sins Forums Top

Basic in elementary school? MY 'back in the day' means taking Basic, Fortran, and Cobol as first year university courses...

Reply #20 from Elemental Forums Top

It's sort of sad throwing away old computer bits. "But this 500mb hard drive cost me £200!"

Reply #21 from Sins Forums Top

Hey Brad, I see BlacX has one now with two HDD slots.

Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top

Wow. that looks great. ;)