The Return of Testing Chat Thread

[Dooey Jo]

programmers have no illusions about what media consumption devices are for

but programmers are quite amused by hype trains telling people what they can and should be used for and "i sold my computer and bought a tab now what"

since some of us actually have to develop for the things we probably have a better idea of their limitations than most

"An extremely steep price of $7.90." Are you kidding me?

My primary IDE runs pretty darn close to $14,000 list. Now I'm aware that the open source world has different options but what kind of moron thinks that a non-open source IDE that costs that little is gonna be good at all?

meh, that's what everything costs on these things (except that remote desktop app that cost like a hundred bucks for some reason). i think photoshop touch is free (but fantastically useless), and autodesk has a version of sketchbook for like $20 $5 or something, which is slightly less useless, but huge amounts of labour hasn't exactly been sunk into it either

besides, who would buy a $1000 ide to work on a touch device

[Oxymoron]

Tell me if I'm wrong, but doesn't most of the price of Visual Studio come from what is basically customer service ( MSDN's databases on programming, decades of work on the ergonomics of the thing, etc...) ?

[Agent Bert Macklin]

Aaron, what's the point of a thumbhole on a rifle?

[Aaron]

Ergonomics. IMO it's the most comfortable style there is.

[Agent Bert Macklin]

Is there really a proposal to ban such modifications?

[Aaron]

From what I gather, the Feinstein bill would.

[Agent Bert Macklin]

Why, though? Do these mass shooters take the time to have that modification done?

[Aaron]

I doubt it. I've heard that it's in there because people used thumbholes to avoid the AWB's ban on pistol grips.

Feinstein is just interested in banning as much as she can.

[Phantasee]

it's not a question of whether programmers are critical to the functioning of modern society

i completely agree they are

Alright, sorry.

but in matters of consumer technology, you (as a class of people) seem to be blind to the wants and needs of the rest of society

your needs are not the same as everyone else's needs, and your opinions are not objectively correct

dismissing the buying habits of the public, dismissing the public's opinions, doesn't help you (as a class of people) in any way

Well, I have the sneaking suspicion that the public in general is just simply not even aware of alternatives. I mean, without intending to imply that its bad if you don't; do you even know what an iPaq was?

Yeah I do remember the iPaq.

Basically most of what is out there is good enough and it's not worth stressing out over, use the best tools for your work and you're fine.

[Dooey Jo]

Tell me if I'm wrong, but doesn't most of the price of Visual Studio come from what is basically customer service ( MSDN's databases on programming, decades of work on the ergonomics of the thing, etc...) ?

most of the price comes from being a huge piece of software that does a million things

the msdn library is available for free on the web

[Losonti Tokash]

"i sold my computer and bought a tab now what"

genuinely curious as to who actually said this or that tablets were the greatest at everything ever

[Agent Bert Macklin]

"i sold my computer and bought a tab now what"

genuinely curious as to who actually said this or that tablets were the greatest at everything ever

I kind of want to get rid of my desktop for either a tablet (Surface Pro is attractive) or an ultrabook.

[Oxymoron]

What's your use-case, Knub ?

[Agent Bert Macklin]

What's your use-case, Knub ?

What's a use-case?

[Oxymoron]

What do you use your current computer for, and what would you intend to use the tablet for ?

[Agent Bert Macklin]

I mostly use my computer for school work, specifically drafting documents and submitting assignments online. I have used Photoshop for custom headers for my documents, but I don't think I need that anymore. I also use it to run videos to my HDTV. Perhaps a tablet isn't the best idea. An ultrabook may be better.

[Oxymoron]

what's the difference between an ultrabook and a netbook ?

[Agent Bert Macklin]

Bigger screens? Better specs?

[RyanThunder]

I've tried to find a functional difference between your run of the mill ordinary laptop and an 'ultrabook', but the terms seem to be synonymous. Seems like it's just a marketing term. I'd avoid using it.

Netbooks, on the other hand, are small laptops, usually without a full keyboard.

[Agent Bert Macklin]

I've tried to find a functional difference between your run of the mill ordinary laptop and an 'ultrabook', but the terms seem to be synonymous. Seems like it's just a marketing term. I'd avoid using it..

You don't know what you're talking about, which seems par the course for you. The main catch of ultrabooks is how thin and light they are. It's the perfect weight for a travel notebook. They aren't synonymous with laptops. If I wanted a laptop to lug around in a backpack full of books, adding considerable weight, I'd get one.

One con is that they lack optical drives.

[Losonti Tokash]

hey ryan i meant to ask this earlier but forgot

are you familiar with JONES SODA

[Aaron]

It is very tasty.

[Losonti Tokash]

only company i know of that sells VICTORY flavored drinks

also sells astroturf and mashed potato flavors but we don't talk about those

[RyanThunder]

hey ryan i meant to ask this earlier but forgot

are you familiar with JONES SODA

I haven't heard of it before. Why?

[Losonti Tokash]

because it's delicious and if you ever get the chance i highly recommend berry lemonade or strawberry lime