Re: Re: Information gathering exercise

Hi!

On 22 February 2010 21:14, Jeroen Wenting <[email protected]> wrote:
>> [dewletia]
> Problem is, his system while not bleeding edge is already way better than
> mainstream (unless it's a single core, maybe, but a 2.4 will I think be a
> dual core).

It's a single thread, single core Pentium 4 device. They were all the
rage in early 2003.

> The only real problem may be the relatively small harddisks, easily
> rectified by plugging in an extra harddisk in every machine at minimal
> cost, but that won't give him the flashy quad core machines with 16GB RAM
> he craves.

Disks are not an issue. The case I need to make for upgrading those is
trivial and easily handled.

> He should get used to having less powerful machines at work than he's used
> to having at home for his gaming and internet use.

My home PC happens to have exactly the same CPU (single thread, single
core Pentium 4 running at 2.4GHz) as my work PC. Admittedly its inside
an IBM ThinkCenter box instead of a Cyclone box but it's the same CPU.
Personally, I find it more than adequate for my home use but that same
CPU no longer 'cuts the mustard' at work.

FYI, my home system is second hand. I bought it off a local reseller
that buys up ex-lease systems from banks and sells them on for a
modest profit after cleaning them up. It was a good bargain for NZ$400
two years ago.

I don't play games on my home, or work, systems. Computer games have
never interested me.

I have no interest in "getting used" to what I have at work. It was
perfectly adequate when I started there in 2003 but our tooling and
needs have moved on since then. It seems perfect reasonable that my
team and myself should use the right tool for the right job. That tool
is no longer a singly threaded, single core CPU.

> That's almost always been the case for the last decade or more, at least
> for technical/dev staff (see my earlier reply for what I've seen happening
> for upgrade cycles in several places I've worked).

I have seen better behaviours in most places I have worked before. In
general, engineers have always got the better 'tin' because they need
it for their jobs. CEOs, sales and marketing people have tended to get
the flashy laptop with 3 year lifespans. Front desk people get the
cast-offs from engineering.

I think I have been fortunate to date but there is a lot to be said
for taking a good look around the office when you interview in the
first place.

Regards,

Gordon