Quote:
Originally Posted by mjh215
Don't whine about slow connectivity, I downloaded my first Linux build in the early 90s at 1200 baud... I think it took about two weeks. And that was in the snow, uphill, both ways.
-MJ
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I Know I'm spoiled
Seriously the main problem is that in the first of those places I'll only has a Microwave connection, with a peak speed of 128K down/ 16K Up with actual real world speeds of closer to 24K / 6K. Or use GPRS which is as slow there and even more expensive.
Lebanon has really poor connectivity, at least in the area where the house is.
There's a satellite link available at the office, but I'm wary of download large files there, as the charges for going over the limit are horrendous.
Egypt is nearly as bad, as while you can get 3G connectivity with decent speeds, the charges are pretty high, and until the exchage hooks up up with a landline, we can't even get dialup, let alone DSL.
And there are no Cafe's nearby where you can go use the Wifi as the Factory is in an Industrial area. You have to go about 20-30 Miles to get to the city, and its not really economical, dispite the cheap gas prices there (You can usually fill up the tank for $10-15)
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm
I have almost everyone where I work well trained - they mostly know to do that before they call me 
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Lucky You.
Thats still the first question I have to ask and walk the through. Its especially difficult when they've called me on Skype from that same machine
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patricia
Laptops are a bit of a mixed bag, when used as one's main machine. They are neat, so take up a smaller amount of desk space. And you can take them to work in the garden on a nice day.
But there are downsides. The keyboard is not as ergonomic as a separate keyboard. It is flat and small. Also laptops encourage a slouching posture.
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True, that's why it has to be a personal decision based on how and where you work. I've personally gone down from a larger 15" laptop to a 12" as while the screen and keyboard is smaller, I wanted the lighter weight and size, and the ability to actually be able to open it in flight in Coach if I needed to.
As for keyboards, well they have gotten better over the last few years. Lenovo, HP and Dell have some really nice keyboards on their Ultraportable and Portable machines, especially if you compare them to machines just a few more years older.
The thing is that if you're going to be spending a least some amount of your day working at the desk, a Docking station is really useful. Hooking one up to an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc means that you get the ergonomics of a desktop, but are assured that all your work is available on your machine for portable use. Keeping two separate machines, a Desktop and a Laptop can be quiet a pain, even is you use automatic sync programs to help.