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Computing Al Fresco?
ear1grey writes "With summer fast approaching in the northern hemisphere, do any readers have experience of taking their 'working from home' one stage further and 'working from the garden'? Any tips for making the screen more visible in the bright sunshine? Any problems with direct sunlight and overheating components? Are there other issues that we should be aware of before we venture, blinking, into the great outdoors?"
Get yourself one of those fancy deck tables with the umbrella that comes out of the middle. Voila - sunlight problem solved.
"It was hell!" recalls former child.
You want to do that? Keep it indoors, please!
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
From experience, the following are useful.
#0 - Laptop - easily moved and re-moved
#1 - Go wireless. For both network and power. Don't put any AC current anywhere near the pool!
#2 - Think Dark places -Stay in the shade. Install/build shade if you have no alternative, especially next to the pool. Go for blocking out as much sunlight as possible.
#4 - LTSP.org - Use your laptop as a wireless thin client. It reduces local CPU power consumption, extends the life of your battery, and your server, (any desktop machine), does all the heavy lifting so you can still go fast.
#5 Cheap Sunglasses and a hat. Brim helps block out sunlight, Iris will dilate just "a leetle bit" so you can see the screen easier.
#6 Pump spray bottle of sunblock! SPF 30+
#7 Ice tea. (Or caffinated beverage of choice)
#8 Extra towels
You mean (gulp) outside? You can't do that. There's like plants and animals out there. They eat you and stuff. And the sun! What about the sun? I'm sure you've been working on your geek tan. Why would you want to ruin that? Mine's a lovely blue. The star burns you know.
I hear there's even girls out there. Dude, it's not worth it. Trust me - I've heard the stories.
Pass the cheetos will ya?
Refuse to make a statement in your sig!
Isn't that the room outside the server room, where the ceiling is sometimes blue, and sometimes black with little white lights? The HVAC doesn't work to well there either.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
I worked from home for about 6 months a few years ago on a consulting gig. I lived on the beach so whenever it was sunny I would want to bring my laptop on the deck with the wireless and work out there, but I couldn't see the screen. The key is to construct a highly technical cardboard shutter that you can tape around the screen of your laptop - 2 sides and top. Neighbors think your staring into the screen of some peep show, but regardless of the 73 other distractions that come with working outside, at least the sun won't be one of them. Tslim