It has been a while since my last blog but I think that's because nothing really special happened since then. Well, to catch you up on my life, I have decided to move on with my career by leaving Accenture and joining a start up consulting firm called blueSolutions, Inc. Currently, they specialize in Ariba but are definitely looking into broadening their horizon into other "hot" skills for the future. I've met the people that I will be working with and I feel pretty good about my move. I wasn't extremely satisfied with being a pawn for a global consulting firm and feel that if I'm going to take any kind of risk, now is the time.
The reason I mention this is because of this career change, I was able to get my hands on an IBM Thinkpad (T43p to be exact). Lucky for me, blueSolutions has an annual $5K stipend that can be used for training and any other irregular expenses and naturally in the first year, a lot of that stipend will be spent on a laptop and other cool gadgets (I'm thinking about getting a Treo 650 in March...more on that on another blog). Up until now, I was a huge Dell fan. Not because of their products, but more so because their products were in line with my philosophy. With computers turning into shit every couple of years, my philosophy is that people should not spend insane amounts of money on computers. After all, they're probably going to have to buy another one in a couple of years when their computer's computing power becomes pathetic due to newer, beefier computers as well as the fact that most people's computers output horrible performance after a couple of years due to a whole bunch of crap (e.g. worthless programs, spyware, adware, viruses, etc.). My philosophy hasn't changed. I still believe that the average Joe can get along fine with any laptop that costs less than $1,500. However, if you ever have a chance where someone else is going to pay the costs for you and there is a need for some serious computing power, I would then recommend a Thinkpad without question.
This is my first Thinkpad that I owned. It's pretty much the top of the line at this point with a 15.1 inch display capable of 1600 x 1200 resolution, 2.00 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM (freakin' insane!!), and a 80 GB harddrive. Did I also mention a CD/DVD reader/writer as well as built in Bluetooth technology? Like I said, it's a freakin' beast and even as a developer, it's more than I would ever need.
After playing around with my Thinkpad for a couple of hours setting it up EXACTLY as I like, I find myself getting more and more disgusted as I continue to use Accenture's Dell that they have provided me with. Of course, at this point it would be like comparing oranges to apples just because of the fact that the Thinkpad is so much newer and powerful but it's other little details that caught my attention.
First of all, the keyboard. I must admit that it took a couple of minutes for me to get used to how the Thinkpad's keyboard felt but I must admit that once you're used to it, it feels great. Also, the keys on a Dell's keyboard seem pretty pussy-like in that they break easily. The Thinkpad keys definitely have a stronger feel to them and it's my guess that it's going to take a lot more finger pounding power for me to break them.
Second, heat. I have frequently used my Dell with it sitting on my lap. I have no doubt that a couple million sperms of mine have been killed each session from the intense heat that the Dell generated. At one point, I had to get a blanket to act as a heat buffer so I could continue working on my couch. The Thinkpad seems to have an intercooler built in because I haven't even felt the heat on my lap yet (and I've had it turned on for hours).
Finally, the touchpad mouse button. The Dell's mouse button would make a relatively loud clicking noise everytime I clicked on it. Most of the time that doesn't bother me. But those times when you have to continuously click on that left button, shit gets annoying real fast. The Thinkpad's click is much more subtle (for both mouse buttons, touchpad and nipple) and soft. It took a couple of minutes getting used to but now when I go back to the Dell, the clicking noise definitely annoys the hell out of me.
The problem for me, however, is that now that I have had the Thinkpad experience, I don't think I could ever go back. If my next Thinkpad is bought using the company stipend, wonderful. Otherwise, I may have to force myself to dish out $3,500 for a new Thinkpad. You know how people say, "Once you go black, you won't go back"? I'll take their word for it because I have no experience in the...how can put it so it's politically correct...anal penetration department, but I can tell you for sure that once you go Thinkpad, you won't go back. The Thinkpad is superior and there is no other product out there in the PC world that can compare to it (I have no ideas about Macs. I wouldn't mind getting my hand on one of those as well...more for pleasure rather than business though). I guess that's why they charge so much for them; it's like cocaine. Once you get a customer hooked, you have them hooked for life.
In conclusion, if you're going to buy a laptop to talk on AIM and do your Christmas shopping on line, don't waste your money on Thinkpads. Even if someone else is going to pay for it, that's a waste of a good product. However, if you're into some serious developing and/or have a fetish for hacking into the IRS database, then, my friend, the Thinkpad is calling your name. Just be prepared to be its bitch...
Found this little cool figurine in a shop in Highlands, NC. I would have preferred Duke's mascot in place of the wolf but this will have to do. I wonder if it would be against any office politics to have this at my desk?
My New Ride