![Sunset](/blog/2017-01-30_ipad-pro-next-to-my-primary-machine/images/i_07_Sunset_500px.jpg)
![This laptop lid hinge, made from metal, is designed to last - note the keyboard has keys a modern MacBook can only dream off (PageUP/PageDown, Home, End, Delete).](/blog/2023-05-01_working-offline-first/images/i_03_This-laptop-lid-hinge-made-from-metal-is-designed-to-last-note-the-keyboard-has-keys-a-modern-MacBoo_500px.jpg)
![Nokia 9300i, officially not a communicator but nonetheless a device with advanced mobile communication options for its day (2007). Running Putty on Symbian Series 80.](/blog/2017-02-16_programming-on-apple-watch/images/i_08_Nokia-9300i-officially-not-a-communicator-but-nonetheless-a-device-with-advanced-mobile-communicatio_500px.jpg)
![The ThinkPad’s keyboard is a dream to type on and features a “hate or love it” TrackPoint (I’m in the “love” department!)](/blog/2023-05-01_working-offline-first/images/i_04_The-ThinkPad-s-keyboard-is-a-dream-to-type-on-and-features-a-hate-or-love-it-TrackPoint-I-m-in-the-l_500px.jpg)
![Never underestimate the bandwidth of a car with 72TB in its trunk (72TB in my Smart Roadster)](/blog/2019-11-22_building-a-professional-72tb-nas/images/i_08_Never-underestimate-the-bandwidth-of-a-car-with-72TB-in-its-trunk-72TB-in-my-Smart-Roadster_500px.jpg)
![I had to remove the original disk because it didn't work... or so I thought!](/blog/2016-06-23_building-the-blog-in-style/images/i_01_I-had-to-remove-the-original-disk-because-it-didn-t-work-or-so-I-thought_500px.jpg)
![The modern $6499 costing MacBook Pro is one of the few laptops available that can be configured with 8TB flash storage today...](/blog/2023-05-01_working-offline-first/images/i_06_The-modern-6499-costing-MacBook-Pro-is-one-of-the-few-laptops-available-that-can-be-configured-with-_500px.png)
![See pixels on a greyish black background - the X200’s display is no match for modern HiDPI micro led or OLED monitors](/blog/2023-05-01_working-offline-first/images/i_08_See-pixels-on-a-greyish-black-background-the-X200-s-display-is-no-match-for-modern-HiDPI-micro-led-o_500px.jpg)
![iLO:](/blog/2019-11-22_building-a-professional-72tb-nas/images/i_06_iLO-sea-of-sensors-enabling-an-extensive-remote-insight-in-the-server_500px.jpg)
![A pink sheep named Beh](/blog/2017-01-30_ipad-pro-next-to-my-primary-machine/images/i_05_A-pink-sheep-named-Beh_500px.jpg)
![Plastic bag at work, with food inside protecting the contents of my commuting backpack](/blog/2018-01-08_lessons-from-a-takeaway-plastic-bag/images/i_01_Plastic-bag-at-work-with-food-inside-protecting-the-contents-of-my-commuting-backpack_500px.jpg)
![Multi user, multi screen. Two Nokia Communicators (E90/9300i) connected to my work environment simultaneously using Putty.](/blog/2017-02-16_programming-on-apple-watch/images/i_09_Multi-user-multi-screen-Two-Nokia-Communicators-E90-9300i-connected-to-my-work-environment-simultane_500px.jpg)
![Inside a HPE ProLiant DL380p Gen8 server (LFF)](/blog/2019-11-22_building-a-professional-72tb-nas/images/i_01_Inside-a-HPE-ProLiant-DL380p-Gen8-server-LFF_500px.jpg)
![Plenty of hardware ports, including a PC-card slot, integrated gigabit ethernet, USB-A and a hardware switch to disable WiFi](/blog/2023-05-01_working-offline-first/images/i_05_Plenty-of-hardware-ports-including-a-PC-card-slot-integrated-gigabit-ethernet-USB-A-and-a-hardware-s_500px.jpg)
![Upgrading the ThinkPad X200 memory and SSD is easy.](/blog/2018-01-08_lessons-from-a-takeaway-plastic-bag/images/i_04_Upgrading-the-ThinkPad-X200-memory-and-SSD-is-easy_500px.jpg)
![... apparently it needed a little encouragement from its modern cousins...](/blog/2016-06-23_building-the-blog-in-style/images/i_02_apparently-it-needed-a-little-encouragement-from-its-modern-cousins_500px.jpg)
![And so I did! Programming on Apple Watch using VIM, SSH, a Bluetooth keyboard and coffee.](/blog/2017-02-16_programming-on-apple-watch/images/i_01_And-so-I-did-Programming-on-Apple-Watch-using-VIM-SSH-a-Bluetooth-keyboard-and-coffee_500px.jpg)
![I began using the ruler and color](/blog/2017-01-30_ipad-pro-next-to-my-primary-machine/images/i_03_I-began-using-the-ruler-and-color_500px.jpg)
As part of a greater plan to optimise my entire workflow, I am doing a little experiment this month: using a 15-year old ThinkPad X200 laptop as main computer. It’s from an era before “the cloud”, popular among free/libre software enthusiasts. What can we learn from this antithesis of modernity?
Over the past few years I have been moving my data and work from local computers (mostly laptops) into the cloud. Cloud computing is done by servers in a datacenter, powerful computers that do the hard work. As my company grew, I needed more capacity. It was time to add some power to my cloud!
About five months ago I got some take away food from our local Asian restaurant. They packaged the food and gave me a plastic bag to carry it home. On my way home I was thinking about the bag. Although it has some nice styling printed on it, it's designed for single use only. What a waste... making me wonder: how long would it last if you would use it on a daily basis?
Over the past years I have been no stranger to crazy experiments, but this time I really wanted to push it into the extreme: programming on an Apple Watch. Would it be possible to actually write code on such a tiny device? Why even bother? This post is about the case for crazy experiments, and why you should try too!
I wanted see if I can find something better than my old fashioned pencil and paper that I use for designing software as professional developer. I knew iPad Pro from my test last summer, figuring out if it could replace my primary development machine. While it may not be able to completely replace my thrustworthy ThinkPad, it turned out to be a totally different story when it comes to paper.
The lack of physical clutter, distracting branding, or blinking LED's makes the iPad Pro a textbook example of minimal design. My despiction of distraction explains my interest in using the iPad Pro as only computer to test if it is up to the task. Is Apple's latest effort on iOS enough to enable it to do serious development work?
One must be a bit crazy to come up with the idea to build a blog (as in: actual programming) on an old 486 laptop with just 16MB RAM. I happen to be that crazy: I took my very first laptop from the 90s and decided to find out if it was possible to turn it into a development machine.