My Future Workplace

I was referred, so to speak, from the links on Kevin's blog to his friend's (uh should be la) blog, and I saw this post.

I'm trying my best to refrain from coming to the conclusion that a Mac is a better computer solution, just because my friends and almost everyone I read praises it to the max. But it's appealing to me more and more. I really won't bet my life on a Mac's uncrashability. I've seen some of its problems and heard some of the more major ones. But it's not like it's super hard to use. I've used PCs all my life and only recently dabbled with my friends' Macs, and already I can navigate pretty well.

So here's the plan. I was thinking off pulling pieces off the Net to Photoshop into an idea, but I've not enjoyed great success in this genre of Photoshopping, and besides I'm swamped as it is with work.

Firstly, my computer systems. I will have a gaming-oriented PC, possibly self-built (I say self-built but I'll probably just pick out the parts and get someone to knock it all together for me). I'll only be getting this when I'm sufficiently running into my career, when I have the money, so I will spare no expense. I'll get a good motherboard, maximize my RAM (actually 4GB should be enough... or not?), get two disc drives, two hard drives (I'd rather get two 200GBs, instead of one 400GB), multi-card reader, a good number of USB ports both at the back and front of the CPU, a kickass video card, and a x-Fi or better audio card. And depending, I might need a cooling system (nothing flashy), and might get a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system to go with my card. The speaker system will be aligned for the PC, of course, since that's where I'll be gaming and where I'd expect to do a majority of my work. Depending on whether I'm lazy, or whether I've space, or what I decide to do with my old pair of speakers, I might plug a 2.1 for the Mac, or play it straight from the in-built speakers. I hate displaced sound, and I don't want to bother with turning speakers to follow me. And even if they can follow me automatically, they'd be all blasting from one side anyway, so no. Old 2.1 or in-built.

Mouthful, innit? Of course, a gaming computer should more or less provide for speedy navigation as well, with the huge excess of RAM at one's disposal.

At the side (yes I'm not done), I will have a Macbook Pro, or actually whatever is its equivalent at that time... a Mac laptop la. Assuming the colors stay the same, I normally like black, but silver looks better, so there it is. Mac would of course be used for designing. Photoshop (CS5?), iMovie/Final Cut, all that jazz. Might add RAM to clock up the speed as well, if possible.

As for the extra screen... I'm not sure what's the best solution, really. Remember that this concept has economy on the low end of priorities. But I'm not willing to spend for something of little use, which would only clutter up space. The most convenient would obviously be two more screens (LCD... 21"?) for each computer, but how often will I employ those two screens? If I get one screen with a switch to toggle between displaying from the Mac or PC, what if I need to run both computers? Or will it be enough to just have both computers on, and depending on which one I'm using, use the other as the monitor? But then as pointed out by the above post, one of the conveniences of a second screen is to have two desktops possibly opened to two different sections of the computer to facilitate drag&drop.

Actually, one extra screen seems the best on second thought. With the switch behind I'll work on the main computer with two screens, and use the other as a monitor.

And of course, ideally a printer and scanner, or an all-in-one PrinterScannerPhotocopier. PrinterZapper would be useful, and the scanner portion will depend on whether it's still useful in the future. And yes it will be LaserJet.

Actually (ughhhh, you say, rolling your eyes), we should add a fax/telephone to that. a FaxPhonePrinterPhotocopier(Scanner). Or maybe a seperate land phone. Or maybe I'll be working in the future from my mobile. In which case I'll want a handphone stand and my handy charger.

And that would more or less be my empty desktop. Physical desktop. I could go into what would be in my drawers, but I'll have mercy on you.

Actually, I'd probably need 6 drawers and fill them all to the brim.