I concur with your recommendations Tim. I've been a developer 25+ years and last year bit the bullet and got an electric sit-stand desk with 3-position memory. Also got a standing mat to go with it.... useful for us 50+ year olds.
I have done almost everything Tim mentioned myself, and it works. I use a high-powered "workstation replacement" ThinkPad for my work computer, but it is hooked up with a hub to my main monitors. I have a 32" main screen at 1440P, which gives a nice clean image and a little extra room. Having a good keyboard and mouse helps out a lot. I also struggled with chairs; at our old office, we had BodyBilt chairs, and they were super comfortable, but when I worked at home, I went through a few. Finally, BodyBilt had a "Gaming" chair that is built the same as their office chars but looks cooler and comes with the headrest for a few hundred less, and the company ships it directly. It really bugs me when companies cheap out on computers and screens. They pay so much extra to employees in lost potential time when they have to sit and wait for the computer to do something or switch back and forth to a screen to get data. Getting up to get a cup of coffee, walk around, and get some fresh air is important. It causes you to change your thought process and can help you solve problems faster by not thinking about them.
Yes, 5GB for free on onedrive. For me there are 3 amazing things: 1 - Forced me to learn to organize my files 2 - Last time I formatted my machine, I didn't even checked for backup, everything important was saved already 3 - Since I learned to organize and keep important stuff only, I could afford a SSD, 'cause I needed way less space
Fair point, but usually companies (where we work) pay for these licenses. For me all I had to do was convince my management about the benefits and productivity improvements this new app brought. I hope it’s like that for other companies too.
@Scrub Dog I've used rider for several years now, I still have to use visual studio from time to time for an old web forms project, and its surprising how handicapped I feel in VS. It's just ridiculous not suggest it when you are recommending other paid for things. Also VS technically isn't free if your company is only moderately sized or has more than 5 devs. technically you need to buy a license then.
thunderbolt with a hub is pretty awesome, for swapping out like a work computer and personal computer to that end, I have preferred laptops and a nice desk/chair actually goes a long way as well I would
I have been using OneDrive for a while now. I also setup a OneDrive on my home computer so my VS projects not only go to the cloud, but also to my home system. I feel your pain about chairs! I'm slightly shorter than you (not by much), and my height is mostly in my legs. I don't like having my legs bent at a sharp angle when sitting at low set chairs. I raised my chair to a comfortable height, then had to raise my desk to match. Took a while to work out - but so worth it. Another thing that works for me is using a trackball with my left hand rather than a mouse with my right (I'm right-handed). My favored hand now never has to leave the keyboard, and using a trackball results in far less arm and wrist movements.
omg you're a giant! I didn't know, haha. I believe desktop height is also really important, specially for big guys like you. here is a suggestion for dev questions series: I'd like to hear your thoughts about being part of a team, like how to be a good senpai with the newer guys or maybe with the ones who have less experience. It might be interesting to also review how to be a good 'new guy' in a team. that's all, thank you!
14:20 I also recommend: *Ambiant* music and *Lo-Fi* music for blocking more of external noise. 28:00 I'm sitting on a stool (it's backless) to force my back to use its stabilizer muscles.
Thank for the video. Two things: (1) You mentioned about being in the zone and forgetting to move. I sometimes find when I'm "in the zone" I totally loose track of how much time has elapsed. It doesn't usually happen for professional work, but if I'm working on a personal project, there have been days where I inadvertently worked right through lunch into late afternoon without eating since breakfast. It is kind off bizarre to be so focused on coding that you don't feel hunger. To combat that, I've set alarm on my phone. (2) You briefly mentioned stackoverflow, and I think that would be a very beneficial topic for another video especially as the community moderation on that site is rather strict. Even though I've been using that site for almost 10 years, I still put a lot of effort into making sure I'm following the recommended guidelines about question structure, ensuring the question isn't a duplicate, reading documentation before asking a question, avoid questions that are "opinion based", etc. I could understand how a beginner may find stackoverflow to be a frustrating experience.
Yep, I've also used the Pomodoro technique to help with both getting in the zone and getting back out. As for Stack Overflow, I did a video on that: ua-cam.com/video/OWQx4HSd14A/v-deo.html
Oh, I am all about the arm rest and head rest. I don't use either when I am typing but being able to lean back and contemplate what I am doing is important. It gives me a bit of a rest, which refreshes me for getting back at it.
Thanks for your content as always Tim, the best I have found on the net by some margin! If you need any ideas for videos I think a back to basics review of current development technologies for beginners would be really useful - i.e. the difference between .net, .net core, MVC, Winforms, the list goes on... For me it's confusing trying to work out which ones are useful and I should learn, and which are old hat and not so important, and knowing which would be most appropriate for different types of projects. Cheers!
It was only a minor mention but I'd recommend avoiding using exercise balls as your main chair. It was a phase people tried for a while, and they make you think about your posture to begin with, but your core soon tires and you end up slouching. Best if you can get a chair that adapts to and supports your unique body dimensions - arm height, thigh length etc.
I was surprised not to hear mechanical keyboards mentioned. It doesn't really do much, maybe help avoid a few typos here and there, but if you have the extra money, it can be a real joy typing on - which we might do a lot :)
Two years later perhaps but i wasn't either until i got one that doesn't try to emulate an 80s keyboard and instead has linear switches, smoother than any membrane, durable beoynd belief and Feels fantastic. It'll cost one a good 150 bucks though
Hey Tim, if you haven't tried coding on a 49" curved monitor, treat yourself to it. You won't regret it for a second. This way you can use Microsoft Power Toys to create 3 screens while being able to make Visual Studio take up as much space as you want. VS does not play nice with multiple separate screens but on 1 large display it works great!
Nice practical Video 👍👍 A short addendum to how much RAM for your desktop... More is better I work with a local SQL-Server Instance and Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Edge. And for the first time I ran out of RAM and my machine has 32 GB. So you cannot have too much, especially if you have a lot of other stuff running (for example VMs etc). Also as soon as you start to use the nice new Intelli Code Features, VS Studio almost 16 GB alone... To the number of monitors, I think it depends what kind of development you do. I did work on a classical windows app and 2 Desktop did it nicely, but nowadays I do app develop (web and mobile) and I like to have 3 Monitors...
I recommend a desk that rises and lowers and at both points, elbows are at 90 degrees and head is perfectly straight while looking at screens all day. I’ve customized my own desk with risers and a roll out keyboard and it has literally changed my life. Also C# rocks! I wish I could get my company to move to .net Core... But at least they use C#!
If you work from a laptop, get an external mouse+keyboard or an external monitor (or preferably all three). It'll give you a better posture, and your body will thank you.
@@IvanRandomDude there is something called docking station. Plug everything to the dock then only one cable to the laptop. Or some high end monitors have USBC TB which can charge the laptop. For work, laptop is a far better choice.
@@IvanRandomDude lmao we are out of these times when laptops or whatever cannot be treated as decent machines at home (as replacement to desktop). why use headphones with a phone when a phone has speaker? TO GET BETTER EXPERIENCE moron
Yep, those are all great options for when you are working on a laptop. I use my iPad as a second monitor when I'm traveling and I bring a travel mouse.
the lowest you can go that will give you solid performance for a desktop to work on Visual studio 2019 Motherboard: AMD A320m (just make sure the bios is updated to latest version) CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3200g Ram: 2x4gb DDR4 2400MHz Storage: 500gb SATA SSD Case+PSU: any case with (80 plus bronze) psu or equivalent for i3 10 gen from Intel
I got Ryzen 5 1600AF 16GB Ram, 256GB SSD and 2TB HDD, GTX 1060 6GB, 2 MONITORS 24', just build this one a few months ago after a lot of saving for 2 years and what Tim is saying is absolutely true having a stronger machine is important my laptop used to struggle with VS. I just need to move a lot now lol
I laugh so hard about the chair part because I had the same struggle as you (6ft3 200pound) and we find the same solution an Herman Miller Chair . On my setup my chair is the most expensive thing after my PC and IT WORTH EVERY PENNY
Chair? HAG Capisco - unbeatable for those who have a herniated disc or back pain in general... . Best combined with height adjustable desk (so you can stand at it too)... .
I was waiting for Tim to talk about vision, or rather about glasses or lenses. It would be interesting to hear more about extensions for visual studio for C# developer.
Great video Tim, for me, a mechanical keyboard is comforting my hand rather than a standard wireless board. I used a black MX switch btw. Oh and another important software is the versioning system (GIT, SVN, etc)
Great video. Shame about your website being massively underused. I want to see what the new one looks like because there is so much you could do to accompany these videos - like making your site contain more listicles such as the content of this video. It's all valuable data!
Hey Tim, I'm actually your size (ish, you have me beat by an inch), but over here a lot of people are. So if you're looking for a new chair at one point, I'd recommend looking at the Gispen Zinn desk chair. It's a Dutch company and I'm not sure they deliver out there where you are, but it's apparently comfortable for people up to 6'10".
Thanks for sharing! The only thing I don't see is a headrest. I'll have to look into seeing if I can get a third-party headrest for them (and if they ship internationally). If so, I'll keep it in mind for my next chair.
This isn't just related to coders, it applies to all office staff, but as many more people are now working from home, they have gone from ergonomically friendly office furniture to places like dining room tables often hunched over a laptop with no other peripherals for hours at a time. That poor posture can do slow but lasting damage to a person's musculoskeletal system. If people have the space, they can mitigate this risk but picking up cheap but functional office furniture in places like ikea. If they are lucky, their company might even tribute to the cost.
Great video! I stick with laptops but generally buy gaming laptops (MSI) so I have lots of power for developing. I don't even game. I have 2 HDMI monitors plugged into the laptop (main is 36" and other is 22"). So 3 screens but normally I use by laptop screen to watch/listen to videos or TV while I'm coding :) Use VS Ent for most coding, but sometimes for normal html and css I prefer VS Code. I'm not affiliated with JetBrains but one software I love is DataGrip. Every database I touch is in one application and it has great intellisense and red squiggly lines if something is wrong. And on final thing.... DAMN you are TALL!!!
Great video. I connect to external monitors to my Surface Pro 7 -- so I have 3 screens total (resolution on Dell 34" is is 2736 x 1824) Works well. I need the portability - can't be dragging a desktop everywhere. 16gb RAM on the SP7 of course! I also plug in keyboard and mouse -- never been a fan of laggy keyboard or mouse movement, not to mention keeping things charged. Ugh. And... you lost me at One Drive. I've never gotten it to work well -- always wreaks havoc on my Visual Studio solutions -- probably because I use TFS. There are problems, still with Surface Pros (I've had four). Battery bloat, over-heating, etc. was terrible with my SP4s. Seems better with SP7, though it's still tricky to set up video drivers. Really like your videos and content.
That works if you need the portability. I haven't had a lag issue with the keyboard or mouse (but Logitech makes a great product). As for OneDrive, yeah, TFS might cause an issue there with locking. You can always write a little sync script that backs up your VS projects to a OneDrive folder.
Thx a lot for your videos! I have 16 Gb of RAM and it is not enough! Now I want more RAM- minimum 32 Gb of RAM or even more! Especially if I work with two project at the same time.
@@IAmTimCorey thx, I have a new SSD, but I have an old CPU - Intel core i-5... I'd like to buy new parts for a new PC and make a new desktop (i7 10700k, 32Gb RAM, new good motherboard, SSD Samsung 970 Evo 1Tb M2...) But soon we'll see new CPUs (Intel Alder Lake) from Intel with a new chipset LGA 1700, with DDR5, with PCIe next-generation, etc ... What do you think about it? maybe wait for a new generation - is a better way? If I buy a PC now then in the future for an upgrade I have to change all parts-MB, Cpu, RAM, SSD, etc... The next MB and CPU will be with LGA 1700 chipset and this chipset will be with 3 next generations of Intel CPUs. And Upgrade will be easier for the future
I would recommend looking into AMD Ryzen processors. They offer a lot better performance for business-type work and comparable performance for gaming. There has been a big industry shift away from Intel because of how far AMD has come (and how much Intel has not kept up).
I have a realy good workstation/gaming pc and a crappy laptop, I use remote desktop when I want to code anywhere but at my desk. Compiling a docker container takes a few minutes compared to like 20+ minutes on that laptop.
@@IAmTimCorey One thing missing thouh, actual shot of the workspace :). What is your position on RGB lights? Checking those out at Amazon atm. Also the USB hub seems to be missing from the shop. Only the chargers.
Nice one Tim. I was thinking for some time why when we hit Start at the same time in TimCoRetailManager web API on my computer starts around 10 sec behind. 128GB of ram it's overkill but does the job by the look of it. I just noticed that Windows with VS started takes 3.5GB, add a browser and as you said 8GB sounds like a reasonable minimum.
I use a Tommaso Siena Disc Road Bike ( tommasobikes.com/products/siena-disc-tourney-road-bike?_pos=1&_sid=48609747f&_ss=r&variant=8309273657447 ) since it fits my size and it handles both paved roads and gravel roads (we have both where I live). I love it (and the customer service is beyond excellent).
Hi Tim, thanks for all of your videos that a very helpfull and always well explained. I'm happy to see that i'm not alone that have overkill set to code. It's not mandatyory, but in fact, it's confortable and make me save time. ( Dell precision 7750 / 8 Cores Xeon / 128 G / 2T NVME ). Because i use Adobe stuff too. Before, i used 2 monitor (24 in and 27 in), but now, i replaced them by a only one 49 in monitor, and it's ... very very usefull ! Following your advices, i ordered a Herman & Miller Embody chair. This is my work desktop, because i use other box to play (with same monitor). For sound, i use Astro A50 wireless Headphone that is easy to recharge. Logitech Master Key and MX are wonderfull (to use with 3 diffferents computer without changing connexion). Windows + WSL, and let's go. Thanks Tim.
I recently switched from a dual monitor(1080p) to a 34" Ultrawide Curved 3440x1440 monitor in HDR, I like it because it has more vertical lines in VS. I also use a gaming keyboard with programable G keys on the left. My workstation has an i7-8700, 16GB ram, 2 NVMe drives and a nVidia GT 1030.
I might suggest having a copy of a hard drive imaging software program like Acronis True Image. My dev box i'd consider the the OS, VS, other tools, MS Office, windows updates, component updates (video cards, other machine device updates...) and everything which will always be needed and create an image for the OS drive. A couple jobs i've worked it could easily take 1.5 to 2 days for my base low water image. Often at least once every 2 weeks I needed a clean image, sometime 2 a week and one time i needed 4. Your use might vary, many could got 6 months or a year or longer :) Another tip map your drives so that "C:" is the OS and base programs *ONLY*. Other drives D:, E:, and other drives such as your One Drive, they should effectively only be local cache for files from git/source control. One Drive may be different, often use it only to xfer files to/from work when needed, but a good USB thumb drive works good for that too, given some places One Drive wasn't allowed (security)...
It is a bit simpler for me, since I really only need Office, Visual Studio, and a few other products. It takes a day to restore, but I see that as a goo thing, though, since I'm doing fresh installs of everything. I don't bring along the baggage of previous versions, etc. As for making C only for the OS, since I got a really fast SSD for my primary drive (and it is 2TB), I use it for almost everything. I like convenience. The less I mess with my setup, the less time I take away from my real work.
@@IAmTimCorey Not to be nit picking, believe you meant your OS drive is 2 TB? I'll just assume the Coffee hasn't kicked in :) MS requires 16 GB for win 10 32-bit, 20Gb for 64 bit. I can't remember a job where i could lose multiple days per week to get a new fresh machine running. 1 day vs 10 minutes... I'll take the 10 minutes :)
Well, I have a Laptop for coding, with Linux and VS Code and I don't think in me returning to Windows ever, not even a Virtual Machine, I even deploy dotnet core Apps on Linux on ARM, because Why not. The Laptop: i7-8665U, 128GB SSD + 1TB SSD, 32GB of RAM.
You may already have done a video about this, and if so please direct me to which one it is. But I was wondering if you would ever consider doing an "Advanced" video where you would discuss your approach to design and architectural considerations (granted I know that is immense). But some of the fundamental Architecture and Design aspects, such as: When migrating a large project from .net Framework to .NET 5, what is a good place to start? When should I separate a large solution with many projects into their own constituent dll's? What are some of your most significanly learned "Best Practices" when rewriting an existing solution? What considerations should be considered if migration from WinForms (as Client/Server WCF) to something like Blazor?
I'm definitely not recommending you use OneDrive instead of source control. I recommend using source control for any real project. OneDrive just backs up all of my projects, not just the "real" ones.
@@IAmTimCorey I think so, the question of whether web or desktop because there is no difference in the basics of C#, but there is a lot of web or desktop.
Try Kinesis Advantage2 Ergonomic Keyboard (KB600) - Brown Switches. The keys require 15 grams less to register a char. So you'll put 30000 grams less on your fingers for a single A4 page which prevents some health issues long run. Plus it's the most Ergonomic. Also has micro memory. You'll thank me later. I take mine with me anywhere I go since I can't type with regular keyboards anymore.
I have 32 in my laptop. Running huge Microsoft cortana services (on the dev team). One of the Largest code base out there. It may consume 16gb with other stuff running. 64 gb is even better or 128. Or 256. Reality is only few will use more than 8gb in VS. tiny projects with a few hundred custom code files. …
8 Gigabytes of RAM is completely unsustainable for development. I recently tried compiling a hobby project on a surface pro and it took 33 minutes. The entire 8gb were full just from Rider + RDP in the background, making the poor thing unusable during compilation. For reference, the same project takes 10-15 seconds to compile on a 5950x/64gb setup. I just bought a 16gb machine for my vacation home and already found myself running into its limits on occasion with just VS + R# and a few Edge tabs. 16gb is the absolute minimum if you're working on medium sized projects, 32gb I would recommend. I agree with you on a lot of the software stack you mentioned, but azure... as an individual, I can't recommend. Even a tiny 2 core VM will run you $150 a month. For that money you can get VMs with 32-64 dedicated cores from cheaper hosting providers. Azure adds a lot of value in business with uptime promises, great management, devops integration and all beyond, but if I let my hobby projects run on Azure, I'd be paying $2000+ a year for what currently costs me $27.
Part of the problem you are having is from using Resharper. That is a memory hog. As for Azure, using cloud resources for VMs is usually a waste of money. The closer you get to serverless, the more money you can save. For instance, you can host a website for free on Azure Static Web Apps (my website, www.iamtimcorey.com is hosted that way). You can host a C# web app (10, actually) for free on Azure Web Apps. Storage is practically free. Azure SQL can get as low as $5/month. Azure CosmosDB is free for your first database. You can run an awful lot for $150/month if you do it right.
This subject of "hardware" is very interesting to me. I made a mistake of switching from desktop (2 monitors) to laptop (1 external, 1 native laptop's) two years ago and hate myself for it all this time. I am looking for a small-factor desktop again now. Any recommendations will be highly appreciated, including any youtube video with detailed instructions for custom-building one. I am travelling from time to time, so factor (not weight!) is somewhat important.
If you haven't built one before, it might be better to buy one. A computer is a relatively easy thing to build (mostly, there is only one way to do things so you probably won't get things wrong), but building a small form factor can be tricky. It is an idea for a video, though. Maybe that's something I'll consider.
@@IAmTimCorey Me neither, but I accidentally broke my old XM3, so I thought "Why not give it a try if I need new ones anyway?". If I hadn't broken them, I wouldn't have bought the new ones too.
@@IAmTimCorey with the 43-in screen it is like you have four 21-in screens without a bezel running on 1080. It is the first time I don't maximize my windows and you don't have to worry about the height setup of your monitor you just move the windows around. I opted for an Asus gaming notebook even though I never game I have the feeling you get good bang for your buck. It has the new AMD processor and only 8 gig memory which I swept out for 32. I like to have just one computer even though most of my things are in the cloud still the way the desktop is organized is always the same for example
Not sure if you will be reading this, but I'm currently thinking about getting that HM Aeron Chair in C Size as well. What exactly is your experience with the other chairs you've tried? Why exactly did you end up with the Aeron and do you own the 'classic' or the 'remastered' version? And with the inflation in mind, would you still consider that chair worth getting when it costs 1400 - 1900 € depending on the configuration and +210 € for the Headrest?
Other chairs never fit my body correctly. They were too narrow, they didn't support my legs well, they broke down after a year or two, they were wobbly, etc. I bought the classic (I believe) Aeron (size C) 4.5 years ago. It looks and feels like it just came out of the box. I have it adjusted for my body and it is amazing. I don't think about my chair anymore. The price tag is quite high, but in the long run it will probably cost me less than the cheap chairs I was buying and I will be happier along the way.
I follow simple rule, if more than 80% of ram/disk space is used for tasks I'm doing with computer, then it is time to double ram/disk space. Thinking about what I should close or disable or delete to save some memory is a daily timekiller that can go away if you simply throw some $$ at it.
I haven't tried that one but I can tell you that they make exceptional chairs that they stand behind. I believe they have a good return policy. Maybe try it out.
@@IAmTimCorey I think I will, I know the importance of an ergonomically sound workspace too well, unfortunately lol. Love all your videos too Tim, they have helped me tremendously. Still working on making a switch into software but you have helped me on this journey!
How are your monitors arranged? Symmetrically left and right, and bezels in the middle; or one in front, and the other to the side (or maybe something else)?
It depends on the setup (I've had multiple). When I have two, I put them side by side. When I have three, I typically put one vertically and the other side by side (all three on the same level). When I have four, I stack them two and two to make a 2x2 box. Now that I'm back to two monitors because of my recording setup, I have them arranged horizontally but with a space between them for the camera. That way my lights also aren't at too great of an angle when the are over my monitors.
Windows pro is only 12$ if you look in the right places! (This will allow for hyper-v and docker which both are epic AF). I bought my OS on HrkGame. 2x and recommended to others who had no problems either
2 dollars ripped of licenses of discontinued devices somewhere and one lasts me over 2 years now. Actually in EU there is this initiative that you could transfer OS licenses from device to device if you bought it once.
Maybe if you’re a game developer and you want to see a demo of your game on your machine. However, after doing this for four years, I’ve never heard of any developer wanting a good video card unless they’re using their machine to play video games as well
@@kristofszabo666 I haven’t spent much time with machine learning, but I’m told Python is the way to go, or F# if you’re feeling adventurous, since the overhead is significantly lower than a bulky C language. But to learn a concept (and actually experiment with it) a fairly low end machine will be able to handle the gamut of computer science topics. I spent $300 on my first programming machine. Crappy little surface pro 3, but I wasn’t hindered in any way for my first three years of unpaid learning time.
@@kristofszabo666 also I think C++ is far more common than C# with Unity development, but I could be wrong. I think you just can’t match the near processor level control it affords. But get ready to learn pointers and memory management as well!
A video card isn't a huge deal, but for me personally, I use a GeForce RTX 2070. That helps me when I am processing videos and it allows me to enjoy computer gaming with my boys (and in VR).
Just curious about how you use Onedrive. Do you store projects that are under git source control in onedrive also? Especially when you have cloud only ON, then you would open a file, or maybe the solution it would download the .sln, VS219 would download the remaining project files, but would the .git folder automatiically download everything? If not you could be left with a corrupt git repo ? Do you have any experience with this.
No, I only store sample projects in OneDrive. Projects under source control don't need to be on OneDrive (and it can cause issues with git, I have heard, although I haven't experienced that).
Most CPUs today have more than one core and they also have the ability to run multiple threads. You definitely want a CPU that can do multi-threading, but most modern ones should work just fine.
Ok.. I thought my 12 Core Ryzen, 32Gb ram, 2TB nvme ssd was overkill for a dev (never game) desktop. :) You win sir. lol. I been using docker, wsl2, etc and I never wanted to wait for my PC to do something. It's pretty much there.
That's a beefy system. Mine has to do video processing as well as software development (sometimes simultaneously) so that's why I've got the extra hardware.
Hi Tim. Do you have a recommendation for laptop size? I use a 15" laptop but need to buy a new one. Is 13" good? I mainly use it as a personal machine and don't develop much on it only some small personal projects.
It depends on your eyes. I personally like a bigger screen so I can see things better. I do use my iPad as a second screen when I am on the road so I don't have to split my screen in two. That's a nice option.
There will still be some limitations. For instance, Windows Forms, WPF, UWP, and everything .NET Framework will not work on a Mac. Those things are tied directly to Windows dlls. However, .NET Core / .NET 5+ projects for the web, MAUI, or console will all work on a Mac. You can definitely learn C# well on a Mac. It will just be a bit different.
Hello Tim, I currently have a m1 MacBook Air and I am currently learning c# would you recommend me to get a windows machine instead? and I so what laptop would you recommend me to get I do prefer Laptop than desktops. thank you!!
It really depends. Visual Studio is best on Windows and you can develop Windows-only project types (.NET Framework, WinForms, WPF, etc.) However, if you are going to do .NET Core development and don't mind things being a bit different, a Mac will be just fine. If you do decide to switch to Windows, laptop vs desktop is the first choice. I prefer a desktop because you can have more power, more peripherals, and you can get the setup just right. However, that is not portable so if you need portable then the laptop is the way to go. For a desktop, I custom-built mine but almost any desktop will do. Get one with a Solid State hard drive (SSD or nVME drive) and at least 16GB of RAM if you can. For a laptop, I just bought the Microsoft Surface Studio. It is a laptop/tablet hybrid that works really well. I have also had success with the Dell XPS 13/15 line. At the end of the day, I wouldn't move off of Mac unless you really find it valuable. Start on the Mac and see if you can make that work. You have a modern machine already. The new Visual Studio for Mac is coming soon (already in preview) so good things are coming your way. Give it a shot before spending more money.
@@IAmTimCorey thank you for the advice and your time, I do think I will be go back to windows since the M1 is my first MacBook and I did bought a dell Inspiron 15 because I was learning sql to and couldn’t installed it on the Mac. On top of that I’m getting into pc gaming and been enjoying it, and your videos make me think through better, thank you for your videos they are great!! One day o would love to become a great developer.
Tim, if you have 27" 4K monitors, why do you run them at 1080p which renders blurry text because it's not the panel's native resolution, when you can get really crisp text with 200-250% scaling, which is equivalent to the desktop space of a 1080p monitor at 100% scaling?
@@IAmTimCorey got 1 from my grandpa, bought 1 with my pc for 180$ and I can get 2 more for 180 each. that used to be less than 1 hour of your consultancy :) They're 1080p 144Hz VA panel (Super good dark colors) monitors so not bad if you ask me. As a freelance software engineer you can earn 1 monitor in 3-6 hours of work
@@rafaeltab I would strongly recommend 27" or bigger and 1440p or even 4k for your main screen, coding on one makes a big difference(for me at least) since you can see so much more without having to scroll
@@BobRossRightHand I was looking for some but they seemed quite expensive, i thought I'd buy one of the $180 ones and put it side ways. I am not zoomed out that far anyways so I dont see me benefitting from 4k very much
I do not. I have not found the benefits that it adds valuable enough to justify the speed issues it creates on my machine. Visual Studio has a LOT of refactoring tools built-in. Besides, I don't like to show off things that cost money when I am doing demos. Sometimes it cannot be helped but in this case, it is unnecessary.
I use a treadmill desk and I do 15,000 steps everyday while I code, I hope someday I can do 30,000 steps everyday. I don't like chairs, be sitting for long periods is just not healthy, even if the chair is expensive and ergonomic.
I concur with your recommendations Tim. I've been a developer 25+ years and last year bit the bullet and got an electric sit-stand desk with 3-position memory. Also got a standing mat to go with it.... useful for us 50+ year olds.
Got to take care of ourselves for the next 50+, right?
It's interesting to hear from a software engineer speaking About hardware ☺️ I really enjoyed it. Thank you ✌️
My pleasure!
You are still young my teacher 👨🏫 ..thanks for all courses that let me fall in c# addiction.
My pleasure!
I have done almost everything Tim mentioned myself, and it works. I use a high-powered "workstation replacement" ThinkPad for my work computer, but it is hooked up with a hub to my main monitors. I have a 32" main screen at 1440P, which gives a nice clean image and a little extra room. Having a good keyboard and mouse helps out a lot. I also struggled with chairs; at our old office, we had BodyBilt chairs, and they were super comfortable, but when I worked at home, I went through a few. Finally, BodyBilt had a "Gaming" chair that is built the same as their office chars but looks cooler and comes with the headrest for a few hundred less, and the company ships it directly. It really bugs me when companies cheap out on computers and screens. They pay so much extra to employees in lost potential time when they have to sit and wait for the computer to do something or switch back and forth to a screen to get data. Getting up to get a cup of coffee, walk around, and get some fresh air is important. It causes you to change your thought process and can help you solve problems faster by not thinking about them.
Thanks for sharing.
Now please make a video on the real time savers: keyboard shortcuts ! :)
I will add it to the list. Thanks for the suggestion.
I'd be interested in this video as well
@@IAmTimCorey it will be the real time savers
Yep...
Cannot appreciate Herman Miller chairs enough. I’m thinking to save up to buy one for home. Great suggestions, Tim! Thank you!!
You are welcome.
Yes, 5GB for free on onedrive. For me there are 3 amazing things:
1 - Forced me to learn to organize my files
2 - Last time I formatted my machine, I didn't even checked for backup, everything important was saved already
3 - Since I learned to organize and keep important stuff only, I could afford a SSD, 'cause I needed way less space
Thanks for sharing, I hope it motivates others.
Surprised that Jetbrains Rider didnt even get a mention. Switched to Rider after 10 years of loyal VS studio user and there is no looking back.
It is a paid product vs a free product. That's the difference and the reason I didn't mention it.
Fair point, but usually companies (where we work) pay for these licenses. For me all I had to do was convince my management about the benefits and productivity improvements this new app brought. I hope it’s like that for other companies too.
@@IAmTimCorey all the hardware you mention isn't free....
@Scrub Dog I've used rider for several years now, I still have to use visual studio from time to time for an old web forms project, and its surprising how handicapped I feel in VS. It's just ridiculous not suggest it when you are recommending other paid for things. Also VS technically isn't free if your company is only moderately sized or has more than 5 devs. technically you need to buy a license then.
thunderbolt with a hub
is pretty awesome, for swapping out
like a work computer and personal computer
to that end, I have preferred laptops
and a nice desk/chair actually goes a long way as well I would
Thanks for sharing.
the guidebook did, and now I finally understand the chanics!
Great!
I have been using OneDrive for a while now. I also setup a OneDrive on my home computer so my VS projects not only go to the cloud, but also to my home system. I feel your pain about chairs! I'm slightly shorter than you (not by much), and my height is mostly in my legs. I don't like having my legs bent at a sharp angle when sitting at low set chairs. I raised my chair to a comfortable height, then had to raise my desk to match. Took a while to work out - but so worth it. Another thing that works for me is using a trackball with my left hand rather than a mouse with my right (I'm right-handed). My favored hand now never has to leave the keyboard, and using a trackball results in far less arm and wrist movements.
Interesting, thanks for sharing
omg you're a giant! I didn't know, haha. I believe desktop height is also really important, specially for big guys like you.
here is a suggestion for dev questions series: I'd like to hear your thoughts about being part of a team, like how to be a good senpai with the newer guys or maybe with the ones who have less experience. It might be interesting to also review how to be a good 'new guy' in a team.
that's all, thank you!
Thanks for the suggestion, I added it to the suggestion list.
14:20 I also recommend: *Ambiant* music and *Lo-Fi* music for blocking more of external noise.
28:00 I'm sitting on a stool (it's backless) to force my back to use its stabilizer muscles.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank for the video. Two things:
(1) You mentioned about being in the zone and forgetting to move. I sometimes find when I'm "in the zone" I totally loose track of how much time has elapsed. It doesn't usually happen for professional work, but if I'm working on a personal project, there have been days where I inadvertently worked right through lunch into late afternoon without eating since breakfast. It is kind off bizarre to be so focused on coding that you don't feel hunger. To combat that, I've set alarm on my phone.
(2) You briefly mentioned stackoverflow, and I think that would be a very beneficial topic for another video especially as the community moderation on that site is rather strict. Even though I've been using that site for almost 10 years, I still put a lot of effort into making sure I'm following the recommended guidelines about question structure, ensuring the question isn't a duplicate, reading documentation before asking a question, avoid questions that are "opinion based", etc. I could understand how a beginner may find stackoverflow to be a frustrating experience.
Yep, I've also used the Pomodoro technique to help with both getting in the zone and getting back out. As for Stack Overflow, I did a video on that: ua-cam.com/video/OWQx4HSd14A/v-deo.html
Nice to hear about your chair. Really, no irony there, since we had to discuss about getting arm-rests for our chairs in the office! 🤷♂
Oh, I am all about the arm rest and head rest. I don't use either when I am typing but being able to lean back and contemplate what I am doing is important. It gives me a bit of a rest, which refreshes me for getting back at it.
@@IAmTimCorey I see it the same way. It's tedious to debate such issues with your boss...
Thanks for your content as always Tim, the best I have found on the net by some margin! If you need any ideas for videos I think a back to basics review of current development technologies for beginners would be really useful - i.e. the difference between .net, .net core, MVC, Winforms, the list goes on... For me it's confusing trying to work out which ones are useful and I should learn, and which are old hat and not so important, and knowing which would be most appropriate for different types of projects. Cheers!
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm adding them to the list.
It was only a minor mention but I'd recommend avoiding using exercise balls as your main chair. It was a phase people tried for a while, and they make you think about your posture to begin with, but your core soon tires and you end up slouching. Best if you can get a chair that adapts to and supports your unique body dimensions - arm height, thigh length etc.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I was surprised not to hear mechanical keyboards mentioned. It doesn't really do much, maybe help avoid a few typos here and there, but if you have the extra money, it can be a real joy typing on - which we might do a lot :)
I've never been a mechanical keyboard person.
Two years later perhaps but i wasn't either until i got one that doesn't try to emulate an 80s keyboard and instead has linear switches, smoother than any membrane, durable beoynd belief and Feels fantastic. It'll cost one a good 150 bucks though
Thanks Tim! this video answered pretty much every question that I had in my mind :) Thank you.
You are welcome.
Good recommendations. Active noise-canceling headphones are handy in some cases.
Yep, I love them.
Thanks Tim, always following you
I appreciate that!
Hey Tim, if you haven't tried coding on a 49" curved monitor, treat yourself to it. You won't regret it for a second. This way you can use Microsoft Power Toys to create 3 screens while being able to make Visual Studio take up as much space as you want. VS does not play nice with multiple separate screens but on 1 large display it works great!
Thanks for the tip. A friend of mine got one and, frankly, I was in awe!
Nice practical Video 👍👍
A short addendum to how much RAM for your desktop... More is better I work with a local SQL-Server Instance and Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Edge. And for the first time I ran out of RAM and my machine has 32 GB. So you cannot have too much, especially if you have a lot of other stuff running (for example VMs etc). Also as soon as you start to use the nice new Intelli Code Features, VS Studio almost 16 GB alone...
To the number of monitors, I think it depends what kind of development you do. I did work on a classical windows app and 2 Desktop did it nicely, but nowadays I do app develop (web and mobile) and I like to have 3 Monitors...
Thanks for sharing
I recommend a desk that rises and lowers and at both points, elbows are at 90 degrees and head is perfectly straight while looking at screens all day. I’ve customized my own desk with risers and a roll out keyboard and it has literally changed my life.
Also C# rocks! I wish I could get my company to move to .net Core... But at least they use C#!
Thanks for sharing
@@IAmTimCorey hey! Thanks for commenting on my comment! It’s like when I got a low five from Shaquille O’Neil!
Make sure laptop or desktop has (PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD)
Some websites mention that (PCIe 3.0 NVMe M.2 SSD) had performance issues
Hi Tim, Thanks for this info. I do enjoy all of your videos. Thanks.
Glad you like them!
Great man ,u're making developer's life quite easy 😎
Glad to hear that.
If you work from a laptop, get an external mouse+keyboard or an external monitor (or preferably all three). It'll give you a better posture, and your body will thank you.
Why use laptop then if you are going to plug-in everything external?
@@IvanRandomDude there is something called docking station. Plug everything to the dock then only one cable to the laptop. Or some high end monitors have USBC TB which can charge the laptop. For work, laptop is a far better choice.
@@IvanRandomDude lmao we are out of these times when laptops or whatever cannot be treated as decent machines at home (as replacement to desktop). why use headphones with a phone when a phone has speaker? TO GET BETTER EXPERIENCE moron
Ivan So you can work in different locations.
Yep, those are all great options for when you are working on a laptop. I use my iPad as a second monitor when I'm traveling and I bring a travel mouse.
Great topic especially when quantifying amount of being saved by investing in better hardware as well as software.
Absolutely! Thanks!
the lowest you can go that will give you solid performance for a desktop to work on Visual studio 2019
Motherboard: AMD A320m (just make sure the bios is updated to latest version)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3200g
Ram: 2x4gb DDR4 2400MHz
Storage: 500gb SATA SSD
Case+PSU: any case with (80 plus bronze) psu
or equivalent for i3 10 gen from Intel
Thanks for sharing.
I got Ryzen 5 1600AF 16GB Ram, 256GB SSD and 2TB HDD, GTX 1060 6GB, 2 MONITORS 24', just build this one a few months ago after a lot of saving for 2 years and what Tim is saying is absolutely true having a stronger machine is important my laptop used to struggle with VS. I just need to move a lot now lol
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you TIM.
Very welcome
I laugh so hard about the chair part because I had the same struggle as you (6ft3 200pound) and we find the same solution an Herman Miller Chair . On my setup my chair is the most expensive thing after my PC and IT WORTH EVERY PENNY
I'm glad it worked for you as well. There aren't a lot of options out there for people like us.
Chair? HAG Capisco - unbeatable for those who have a herniated disc or back pain in general... . Best combined with height adjustable desk (so you can stand at it too)... .
Thanks for the insight.
Great video as ususal!! You help me a lot.
Glad to hear it!
I was waiting for Tim to talk about vision, or rather about glasses or lenses. It would be interesting to hear more about extensions for visual studio for C# developer.
I do have some Gunnar glasses I use occasionally but that's it.
@@IAmTimCorey thanks.
Great video Tim, for me, a mechanical keyboard is comforting my hand rather than a standard wireless board. I used a black MX switch btw.
Oh and another important software is the versioning system (GIT, SVN, etc)
Yep, git is a great piece of software.
Great video. Shame about your website being massively underused. I want to see what the new one looks like because there is so much you could do to accompany these videos - like making your site contain more listicles such as the content of this video. It's all valuable data!
Hey Tim, I'm actually your size (ish, you have me beat by an inch), but over here a lot of people are.
So if you're looking for a new chair at one point, I'd recommend looking at the Gispen Zinn desk chair. It's a Dutch company and I'm not sure they deliver out there where you are, but it's apparently comfortable for people up to 6'10".
Thanks for sharing! The only thing I don't see is a headrest. I'll have to look into seeing if I can get a third-party headrest for them (and if they ship internationally). If so, I'll keep it in mind for my next chair.
Good video. Liked tip about putting the visual studio files on one drive and just downloading them when needed 👍
Glad it was helpful!
This isn't just related to coders, it applies to all office staff, but as many more people are now working from home, they have gone from ergonomically friendly office furniture to places like dining room tables often hunched over a laptop with no other peripherals for hours at a time. That poor posture can do slow but lasting damage to a person's musculoskeletal system. If people have the space, they can mitigate this risk but picking up cheap but functional office furniture in places like ikea. If they are lucky, their company might even tribute to the cost.
Yep, work from home when you aren't set up for it or supported can be really hard.
That's the video I needed from 1 year
We are glad it helped.
Great video! I stick with laptops but generally buy gaming laptops (MSI) so I have lots of power for developing. I don't even game. I have 2 HDMI monitors plugged into the laptop (main is 36" and other is 22"). So 3 screens but normally I use by laptop screen to watch/listen to videos or TV while I'm coding :) Use VS Ent for most coding, but sometimes for normal html and css I prefer VS Code. I'm not affiliated with JetBrains but one software I love is DataGrip. Every database I touch is in one application and it has great intellisense and red squiggly lines if something is wrong. And on final thing.... DAMN you are TALL!!!
LOL - Thanks for sharing.
Great video. I connect to external monitors to my Surface Pro 7 -- so I have 3 screens total (resolution on Dell 34" is is 2736 x 1824) Works well. I need the portability - can't be dragging a desktop everywhere. 16gb RAM on the SP7 of course! I also plug in keyboard and mouse -- never been a fan of laggy keyboard or mouse movement, not to mention keeping things charged. Ugh. And... you lost me at One Drive. I've never gotten it to work well -- always wreaks havoc on my Visual Studio solutions -- probably because I use TFS.
There are problems, still with Surface Pros (I've had four). Battery bloat, over-heating, etc. was terrible with my SP4s. Seems better with SP7, though it's still tricky to set up video drivers.
Really like your videos and content.
That works if you need the portability. I haven't had a lag issue with the keyboard or mouse (but Logitech makes a great product). As for OneDrive, yeah, TFS might cause an issue there with locking. You can always write a little sync script that backs up your VS projects to a OneDrive folder.
Thx a lot for your videos! I have 16 Gb of RAM and it is not enough! Now I want more RAM- minimum 32 Gb of RAM or even more! Especially if I work with two project at the same time.
Check to be sure you have a good SSD first - that will ease the pressure on your RAM a LOT.
@@IAmTimCorey thx, I have a new SSD, but I have an old CPU - Intel core i-5...
I'd like to buy new parts for a new PC and make a new desktop (i7 10700k, 32Gb RAM, new good motherboard, SSD Samsung 970 Evo 1Tb M2...)
But soon we'll see new CPUs (Intel Alder Lake) from Intel with a new chipset LGA 1700, with DDR5, with PCIe next-generation, etc ...
What do you think about it? maybe wait for a new generation - is a better way?
If I buy a PC now then in the future for an upgrade I have to change all parts-MB, Cpu, RAM, SSD, etc... The next MB and CPU will be with LGA 1700 chipset and this chipset will be with 3 next generations of Intel CPUs. And Upgrade will be easier for the future
I would recommend looking into AMD Ryzen processors. They offer a lot better performance for business-type work and comparable performance for gaming. There has been a big industry shift away from Intel because of how far AMD has come (and how much Intel has not kept up).
I have a realy good workstation/gaming pc and a crappy laptop, I use remote desktop when I want to code anywhere but at my desk.
Compiling a docker container takes a few minutes compared to like 20+ minutes on that laptop.
That sounds like a good solution.
You keep coming up with interesting topics. :)
People are asking great questions.
@@IAmTimCorey One thing missing thouh, actual shot of the workspace :). What is your position on RGB lights? Checking those out at Amazon atm. Also the USB hub seems to be missing from the shop. Only the chargers.
Thank you very much ^^
No problem
Nice one Tim. I was thinking for some time why when we hit Start at the same time in TimCoRetailManager web API on my computer starts around 10 sec behind. 128GB of ram it's overkill but does the job by the look of it. I just noticed that Windows with VS started takes 3.5GB, add a browser and as you said 8GB sounds like a reasonable minimum.
Yep, it really does help. I get to not worry about Chrome being open, what I am processing, etc.
I loved coding on my Laptop, but it sounds like a Jet taking off every time I compile.
lol yeah, I've had that happen.
LOL
I can recommend bicycle :D
I second this
I use a Tommaso Siena Disc Road Bike ( tommasobikes.com/products/siena-disc-tourney-road-bike?_pos=1&_sid=48609747f&_ss=r&variant=8309273657447 ) since it fits my size and it handles both paved roads and gravel roads (we have both where I live). I love it (and the customer service is beyond excellent).
Hi Tim, thanks for all of your videos that a very helpfull and always well explained. I'm happy to see that i'm not alone that have overkill set to code. It's not mandatyory, but in fact, it's confortable and make me save time. ( Dell precision 7750 / 8 Cores Xeon / 128 G / 2T NVME ). Because i use Adobe stuff too. Before, i used 2 monitor (24 in and 27 in), but now, i replaced them by a only one 49 in monitor, and it's ... very very usefull ! Following your advices, i ordered a Herman & Miller Embody chair. This is my work desktop, because i use other box to play (with same monitor). For sound, i use Astro A50 wireless Headphone that is easy to recharge. Logitech Master Key and MX are wonderfull (to use with 3 diffferents computer without changing connexion). Windows + WSL, and let's go. Thanks Tim.
Nice, thanks for sharing
Thanks Tim!
You're welcome!
I recently switched from a dual monitor(1080p) to a 34" Ultrawide Curved 3440x1440 monitor in HDR, I like it because it has more vertical lines in VS. I also use a gaming keyboard with programable G keys on the left. My workstation has an i7-8700, 16GB ram, 2 NVMe drives and a nVidia GT 1030.
Nice! Thanks for sharing
Hi Tim... Thank you for the great videos... Just curious to learn about the kind of security setup you have like antivirus, vpn etc...
I use Windows Defender (comes with Windows 10). I don't use a VPN.
I'm using a mac M1 and running a VM on Azure for my workstation
8C 32GB for $1-2 a day on spot instance
Interesting, thanks for sharing.
I might suggest having a copy of a hard drive imaging software program like Acronis True Image. My dev box i'd consider the the OS, VS, other tools, MS Office, windows updates, component updates (video cards, other machine device updates...) and everything which will always be needed and create an image for the OS drive. A couple jobs i've worked it could easily take 1.5 to 2 days for my base low water image. Often at least once every 2 weeks I needed a clean image, sometime 2 a week and one time i needed 4. Your use might vary, many could got 6 months or a year or longer :) Another tip map your drives so that "C:" is the OS and base programs *ONLY*. Other drives D:, E:, and other drives such as your One Drive, they should effectively only be local cache for files from git/source control. One Drive may be different, often use it only to xfer files to/from work when needed, but a good USB thumb drive works good for that too, given some places One Drive wasn't allowed (security)...
It is a bit simpler for me, since I really only need Office, Visual Studio, and a few other products. It takes a day to restore, but I see that as a goo thing, though, since I'm doing fresh installs of everything. I don't bring along the baggage of previous versions, etc. As for making C only for the OS, since I got a really fast SSD for my primary drive (and it is 2TB), I use it for almost everything. I like convenience. The less I mess with my setup, the less time I take away from my real work.
@@IAmTimCorey Not to be nit picking, believe you meant your OS drive is 2 TB? I'll just assume the Coffee hasn't kicked in :) MS requires 16 GB for win 10 32-bit, 20Gb for 64 bit.
I can't remember a job where i could lose multiple days per week to get a new fresh machine running. 1 day vs 10 minutes... I'll take the 10 minutes :)
lol, yeah, 2TB.
Well, I have a Laptop for coding, with Linux and VS Code and I don't think in me returning to Windows ever, not even a Virtual Machine, I even deploy dotnet core Apps on Linux on ARM, because Why not. The Laptop: i7-8665U, 128GB SSD + 1TB SSD, 32GB of RAM.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing the info, I think it can help others.
You may already have done a video about this, and if so please direct me to which one it is. But I was wondering if you would ever consider doing an "Advanced" video where you would discuss your approach to design and architectural considerations (granted I know that is immense). But some of the fundamental Architecture and Design aspects, such as:
When migrating a large project from .net Framework to .NET 5, what is a good place to start? When should I separate a large solution with many projects into their own constituent dll's? What are some of your most significanly learned "Best Practices" when rewriting an existing solution? What considerations should be considered if migration from WinForms (as Client/Server WCF) to something like Blazor?
I would use a Source Code Control like Azure DevOps instead of Onedrive even when working alone. Altough its free for up to 5 users.
I'm definitely not recommending you use OneDrive instead of source control. I recommend using source control for any real project. OneDrive just backs up all of my projects, not just the "real" ones.
I got:
Disk: Samsung 860 Evo 500GB
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Power supply: Corsair CV 550W CP-9020210-EU
Graphics: MSI Radeon RX 570 ARMOR 8G OC
RAM: 2x HyperX Predator 16GB [1x16GB 2666MHz DDR4 CL13 XMP DIMM]
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450M DS3H
Screen: 2x Philips V-line 243V7QDAB/00
Software: Visual Studio 2019 Community + ReSharper
But I don't have C# skill :D
Practice over time will give you the skill.
@@IAmTimCorey I think so, the question of whether web or desktop because there is no difference in the basics of C#, but there is a lot of web or desktop.
Thanks Tim
Welcome
I’ve given up on visual studio. Jet brains Ryder is great.
OK
Try Kinesis Advantage2 Ergonomic Keyboard (KB600) - Brown Switches.
The keys require 15 grams less to register a char. So you'll put 30000 grams less on your fingers for a single A4 page which prevents some health issues long run. Plus it's the most Ergonomic. Also has micro memory. You'll thank me later. I take mine with me anywhere I go since I can't type with regular keyboards anymore.
I can see why you can no longer use other keyboards. Fascinating layout, thanks for sharing.
@@IAmTimCorey More than welcome mate.
if you're working on enterprise scale projects I would recommend 32 GB of RAM.
It is nice if you can get it.
I have 32 in my laptop. Running huge Microsoft cortana services (on the dev team). One of the Largest code base out there. It may consume 16gb with other stuff running. 64 gb is even better or 128. Or 256.
Reality is only few will use more than 8gb in VS. tiny projects with a few hundred custom code files. …
I used to do wireless but have moved back to wired. Tired of changing batteries and the response times are better :).
I understand!
8 Gigabytes of RAM is completely unsustainable for development. I recently tried compiling a hobby project on a surface pro and it took 33 minutes. The entire 8gb were full just from Rider + RDP in the background, making the poor thing unusable during compilation. For reference, the same project takes 10-15 seconds to compile on a 5950x/64gb setup. I just bought a 16gb machine for my vacation home and already found myself running into its limits on occasion with just VS + R# and a few Edge tabs. 16gb is the absolute minimum if you're working on medium sized projects, 32gb I would recommend.
I agree with you on a lot of the software stack you mentioned, but azure... as an individual, I can't recommend. Even a tiny 2 core VM will run you $150 a month. For that money you can get VMs with 32-64 dedicated cores from cheaper hosting providers. Azure adds a lot of value in business with uptime promises, great management, devops integration and all beyond, but if I let my hobby projects run on Azure, I'd be paying $2000+ a year for what currently costs me $27.
Part of the problem you are having is from using Resharper. That is a memory hog. As for Azure, using cloud resources for VMs is usually a waste of money. The closer you get to serverless, the more money you can save. For instance, you can host a website for free on Azure Static Web Apps (my website, www.iamtimcorey.com is hosted that way). You can host a C# web app (10, actually) for free on Azure Web Apps. Storage is practically free. Azure SQL can get as low as $5/month. Azure CosmosDB is free for your first database. You can run an awful lot for $150/month if you do it right.
This subject of "hardware" is very interesting to me. I made a mistake of switching from desktop (2 monitors) to laptop (1 external, 1 native laptop's) two years ago and hate myself for it all this time. I am looking for a small-factor desktop again now. Any recommendations will be highly appreciated, including any youtube video with detailed instructions for custom-building one. I am travelling from time to time, so factor (not weight!) is somewhat important.
If you haven't built one before, it might be better to buy one. A computer is a relatively easy thing to build (mostly, there is only one way to do things so you probably won't get things wrong), but building a small form factor can be tricky. It is an idea for a video, though. Maybe that's something I'll consider.
Sony WH1000-XM3? Haha I didn't expect that. But yes, I have the XM4 and the Noise Cancelling is so important because it's very loud around my area.
Exactly! I haven't upgraded to XM4 because I didn't see enough value to upgrade.
@@IAmTimCorey Me neither, but I accidentally broke my old XM3, so I thought "Why not give it a try if I need new ones anyway?". If I hadn't broken them, I wouldn't have bought the new ones too.
Maybe a strange combination, but I have a notebook with a 4k tv LG attached of 43 inch. I used to have 2 monitors but this one monitor is way better.
I did that for a while - I broke it up into four parts using a utility so that I could simulate multiple monitors without the bezel.
@@IAmTimCorey with the 43-in screen it is like you have four 21-in screens without a bezel running on 1080. It is the first time I don't maximize my windows and you don't have to worry about the height setup of your monitor you just move the windows around. I opted for an Asus gaming notebook even though I never game I have the feeling you get good bang for your buck. It has the new AMD processor and only 8 gig memory which I swept out for 32. I like to have just one computer even though most of my things are in the cloud still the way the desktop is organized is always the same for example
Not sure if you will be reading this, but I'm currently thinking about getting that HM Aeron Chair in C Size as well. What exactly is your experience with the other chairs you've tried? Why exactly did you end up with the Aeron and do you own the 'classic' or the 'remastered' version? And with the inflation in mind, would you still consider that chair worth getting when it costs 1400 - 1900 € depending on the configuration and +210 € for the Headrest?
Other chairs never fit my body correctly. They were too narrow, they didn't support my legs well, they broke down after a year or two, they were wobbly, etc. I bought the classic (I believe) Aeron (size C) 4.5 years ago. It looks and feels like it just came out of the box. I have it adjusted for my body and it is amazing. I don't think about my chair anymore. The price tag is quite high, but in the long run it will probably cost me less than the cheap chairs I was buying and I will be happier along the way.
Strange, I was just thinking yesterday that I should move to Azure and get rid of my servers. A course on Azure will be welcome.
Great! I actually have a couple coming.
For me it's a the Microsoft approved mouse, keyboard, monitor, desk, chair, and PC.
Thanks for sharing!
I have a standing desk, which I stand 85-90% of the time. The other time, I sit on my exercise ball.
Good for you - literally!
Visual studio on 8g of ram? No way. 16g is a minimum, 32g preferred.
32 wtf ???
maybe disable some of those extensions you are not using.
I follow simple rule, if more than 80% of ram/disk space is used for tasks I'm doing with computer, then it is time to double ram/disk space. Thinking about what I should close or disable or delete to save some memory is a daily timekiller that can go away if you simply throw some $$ at it.
Hey tim, can you make a video to talk about Agile development, what it is and how and when we should apply it?
I will add it to the list. Thanks for the suggestion.
Anyone have a Herman Miller embody chair? Been thinking about getting one but seeing it cost as much as my dirt bike has made me a little hesitant lol
I haven't tried that one but I can tell you that they make exceptional chairs that they stand behind. I believe they have a good return policy. Maybe try it out.
@@IAmTimCorey I think I will, I know the importance of an ergonomically sound workspace too well, unfortunately lol.
Love all your videos too Tim, they have helped me tremendously. Still working on making a switch into software but you have helped me on this journey!
How are your monitors arranged? Symmetrically left and right, and bezels in the middle; or one in front, and the other to the side (or maybe something else)?
It depends on the setup (I've had multiple). When I have two, I put them side by side. When I have three, I typically put one vertically and the other side by side (all three on the same level). When I have four, I stack them two and two to make a 2x2 box. Now that I'm back to two monitors because of my recording setup, I have them arranged horizontally but with a space between them for the camera. That way my lights also aren't at too great of an angle when the are over my monitors.
Thanks for your .net and c# courses. Although When will you offer a UWP course?
I doubt I will be doing a UWP course. There just isn't enough demand.
Windows pro is only 12$ if you look in the right places! (This will allow for hyper-v and docker which both are epic AF). I bought my OS on HrkGame. 2x and recommended to others who had no problems either
2 dollars ripped of licenses of discontinued devices somewhere and one lasts me over 2 years now. Actually in EU there is this initiative that you could transfer OS licenses from device to device if you bought it once.
@@brandon-22 Yup, you can even use a Windows 7 key to activate. Once you activate a new PC, Microsoft will deactivate the old one.
I am glad you found something that worked for you.
Thank you Tim! Only 1 question: What about the video card? In what workloads are they necessary/useful?
Maybe if you’re a game developer and you want to see a demo of your game on your machine. However, after doing this for four years, I’ve never heard of any developer wanting a good video card unless they’re using their machine to play video games as well
@@FrodoMcNuggets And for machine learning? And, with C#, you can develop video games in Unity, too. 😀
@@kristofszabo666 I haven’t spent much time with machine learning, but I’m told Python is the way to go, or F# if you’re feeling adventurous, since the overhead is significantly lower than a bulky C language. But to learn a concept (and actually experiment with it) a fairly low end machine will be able to handle the gamut of computer science topics. I spent $300 on my first programming machine. Crappy little surface pro 3, but I wasn’t hindered in any way for my first three years of unpaid learning time.
@@kristofszabo666 also I think C++ is far more common than C# with Unity development, but I could be wrong. I think you just can’t match the near processor level control it affords. But get ready to learn pointers and memory management as well!
A video card isn't a huge deal, but for me personally, I use a GeForce RTX 2070. That helps me when I am processing videos and it allows me to enjoy computer gaming with my boys (and in VR).
Just curious about how you use Onedrive. Do you store projects that are under git source control in onedrive also? Especially when you have cloud only ON, then you would open a file, or maybe the solution it would download the .sln, VS219 would download the remaining project files, but would the .git folder automatiically download everything? If not you could be left with a corrupt git repo ? Do you have any experience with this.
No, I only store sample projects in OneDrive. Projects under source control don't need to be on OneDrive (and it can cause issues with git, I have heard, although I haven't experienced that).
Have you tried a standing desk?
I haven't. My setup is difficult enough with all of my recording equipment that I can't really add in the ability to raise and lower my desk.
Other than mentioning One Drive’s version history, I don’t think you talked about back up. What else do you use in terms of backup strategy?
Synology is a good local option. Backblaze, Carbonite, and Crashplan are good online options.
250 punds?! You are BIG as a teacher and also a man Tim 😉
Yup.
Jetbrains rider is way better than VS and cross platform (win-mac-linux), for anything else than WPF & Winforms
I haven't used Rider in a while. Glad you are enjoying it.
Better on what parts ?
How important is single vs dual CPU? Does single CPU mean you can't utilize parallel computing technics like Async?
Most CPUs today have more than one core and they also have the ability to run multiple threads. You definitely want a CPU that can do multi-threading, but most modern ones should work just fine.
Ok.. I thought my 12 Core Ryzen, 32Gb ram, 2TB nvme ssd was overkill for a dev (never game) desktop. :) You win sir. lol.
I been using docker, wsl2, etc and I never wanted to wait for my PC to do something. It's pretty much there.
That's a beefy system. Mine has to do video processing as well as software development (sometimes simultaneously) so that's why I've got the extra hardware.
Hi Tim. Do you have a recommendation for laptop size? I use a 15" laptop but need to buy a new one. Is 13" good? I mainly use it as a personal machine and don't develop much on it only some small personal projects.
It depends on your eyes. I personally like a bigger screen so I can see things better. I do use my iPad as a second screen when I am on the road so I don't have to split my screen in two. That's a nice option.
i just got my new desktop pc. went for AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, 1TB SSD, 32 GB RAM and 2060 RTX graphicscard so im ready to code and game. 😂
Excellent!
get second one! working and gaming on same computer is bad
So is being a Mac user going to hinder my progress/success with C#? I was planning to use Jetbrains Rider as my IDE
There will still be some limitations. For instance, Windows Forms, WPF, UWP, and everything .NET Framework will not work on a Mac. Those things are tied directly to Windows dlls. However, .NET Core / .NET 5+ projects for the web, MAUI, or console will all work on a Mac. You can definitely learn C# well on a Mac. It will just be a bit different.
Can you please make a full tutorial on mvvm cross wpf?
Its on the list, along with many other items.
"I feel like Doctor Seuss here..." Tim, luckily I wasn't drinking milk when you said that.
lol
whats do I recommend ? first and foremost, Herman Miller AERON
It is a great chair.
Hello Tim,
I currently have a m1 MacBook Air and I am currently learning c# would you recommend me to get a windows machine instead? and I so what laptop would you recommend me to get I do prefer Laptop than desktops. thank you!!
It really depends. Visual Studio is best on Windows and you can develop Windows-only project types (.NET Framework, WinForms, WPF, etc.) However, if you are going to do .NET Core development and don't mind things being a bit different, a Mac will be just fine. If you do decide to switch to Windows, laptop vs desktop is the first choice. I prefer a desktop because you can have more power, more peripherals, and you can get the setup just right. However, that is not portable so if you need portable then the laptop is the way to go. For a desktop, I custom-built mine but almost any desktop will do. Get one with a Solid State hard drive (SSD or nVME drive) and at least 16GB of RAM if you can. For a laptop, I just bought the Microsoft Surface Studio. It is a laptop/tablet hybrid that works really well. I have also had success with the Dell XPS 13/15 line.
At the end of the day, I wouldn't move off of Mac unless you really find it valuable. Start on the Mac and see if you can make that work. You have a modern machine already. The new Visual Studio for Mac is coming soon (already in preview) so good things are coming your way. Give it a shot before spending more money.
@@IAmTimCorey thank you for the advice and your time, I do think I will be go back to windows since the M1 is my first MacBook and I did bought a dell Inspiron 15 because I was learning sql to and couldn’t installed it on the Mac. On top of that I’m getting into pc gaming and been enjoying it, and your videos make me think through better, thank you for your videos they are great!! One day o would love to become a great developer.
Tim, if you have 27" 4K monitors, why do you run them at 1080p which renders blurry text because it's not the panel's native resolution, when you can get really crisp text with 200-250% scaling, which is equivalent to the desktop space of a 1080p monitor at 100% scaling?
Not every application scales correctly. I haven't had any issues with blurry text, so it has been fine for me (maybe my eyes are just going).
If your going to work with visual studio doing blazor...you need RAM. ALOT OF RAM. Damn vs2019 eats more of it then chrome.
It never hurts to have extra RAM
Imma go for 4 monitors :) 1 youtube/music, 1 code, 1 discord and one the result of what I'm coding
if you have the money...
@@IAmTimCorey got 1 from my grandpa, bought 1 with my pc for 180$ and I can get 2 more for 180 each. that used to be less than 1 hour of your consultancy :)
They're 1080p 144Hz VA panel (Super good dark colors) monitors so not bad if you ask me. As a freelance software engineer you can earn 1 monitor in 3-6 hours of work
@@rafaeltab I would strongly recommend 27" or bigger and 1440p or even 4k for your main screen, coding on one makes a big difference(for me at least) since you can see so much more without having to scroll
@@BobRossRightHand I was looking for some but they seemed quite expensive, i thought I'd buy one of the $180 ones and put it side ways. I am not zoomed out that far anyways so I dont see me benefitting from 4k very much
Tim, do you use Resharper?
I do not. I have not found the benefits that it adds valuable enough to justify the speed issues it creates on my machine. Visual Studio has a LOT of refactoring tools built-in. Besides, I don't like to show off things that cost money when I am doing demos. Sometimes it cannot be helped but in this case, it is unnecessary.
@@IAmTimCorey thanks for such extended answer
I use a treadmill desk and I do 15,000 steps everyday while I code, I hope someday I can do 30,000 steps everyday. I don't like chairs, be sitting for long periods is just not healthy, even if the chair is expensive and ergonomic.
Wow! Just Wow!