OT My Company is hiring.

[drboom]

[quote=captcha]You pick a tool that best fits the task at hand. Hanging on to the shiny one just because it gave you so much joy in the past is immature.[/quote]

Erm, we’re talking about tools. They give joy because they are well made and, in the right hands, deliver superior results.

My Snap-On stuff hasn’t been “shiny” in a long time, and my ’80s and ’90s vintage Fluke multimeters look downright ratty. But they are outstanding tools and I’ve grown accustomed to working with them–which makes me a better and more efficient workman.

Once you get into professional tools, “shiny” is just the usual by-product of excellent design and execution.

One exception is in software development. It seems that the shinier the tool, the more it sucks. This applies to server platforms, fancy text editors and their obese IDE cousins, database design and admin tools–the list goes on. I’ll take something that Just Works™, please, like emacs and Unix sans X. Save the chrome for the end user.

[afx114]

I read Piggington with Lynx.

[afx114]

I read Piggington with Lynx.

[afx114]

I read Piggington with Lynx.

[afx114]

I read Piggington with Lynx.

[afx114]

I read Piggington with Lynx.

[drboom]

[quote=ibjames]Just MCSFT is huge doesn’t mean everything they create is horrible either. IIS, SQL, etc can fill then need.[/quote]

They can “fill the bill” in the sense that they will run more or less as intended a good deal of the time, but I gave up on that junk after being bitten once too often. I was a MS fanboy in the DOS 5.0 days and an enthusiastic NT 4.0 user circa 1997-98, so it’s not like I have some genetic predisposition against the Borg.

[quote]Have you seen 2008? Core is a 100% different ballgame altogether. MCSFT is finally looking at things from a performance perspective. Troubleshooting tools are better now also.[/quote]

I’ve done a couple of projects where I used my tools (Mac OS X or a stripped down Ubuntu install depending on needs, PostgreSQL, Apache 2.x, PHP 5.x) and another part of the project used theirs (Windows, IIS, SQL Server, C#). The awful performance and unreliability of the Windows-based stuff was startling, even to me, and they had a lot more hardware at their disposal.

[quote]I like snap on, I lived in Kenosha till I was in 7th grade. I use craftsman though because it is easier to get a replacement.[/quote]

Have you looked at Craftsman tools recently? It used to be an OK choice for the home or beginning professional mechanic, but I went shopping for a starter set of tools for my son this summer and was disgusted at the decline in quality of most of their hand tools. I used to date a Sears tool department manager, so it bums me out to run Craftsman down. 🙁

As far as replacement, quality tools don’t break unless you abuse them. My 20 year old Makita drills saw daily service for most of the ’90s and still work great. I have some of my father’s ’60s vintage Craftsman tools, and they’ll outlast me just as they did him. Replacement is the last thing on my mind when I buy a hand tool.

Speaking of tools, I took a chance on a Chinese import line (Toptul, see wrenhandtools.com) for my son’s tool kit and I’m impressed. His $28 1/4″ drive ratchet is smoother and apparently as well made as my $70 Snap-On.

[drboom]

[quote=ibjames]Just MCSFT is huge doesn’t mean everything they create is horrible either. IIS, SQL, etc can fill then need.[/quote]

They can “fill the bill” in the sense that they will run more or less as intended a good deal of the time, but I gave up on that junk after being bitten once too often. I was a MS fanboy in the DOS 5.0 days and an enthusiastic NT 4.0 user circa 1997-98, so it’s not like I have some genetic predisposition against the Borg.

[quote]Have you seen 2008? Core is a 100% different ballgame altogether. MCSFT is finally looking at things from a performance perspective. Troubleshooting tools are better now also.[/quote]

I’ve done a couple of projects where I used my tools (Mac OS X or a stripped down Ubuntu install depending on needs, PostgreSQL, Apache 2.x, PHP 5.x) and another part of the project used theirs (Windows, IIS, SQL Server, C#). The awful performance and unreliability of the Windows-based stuff was startling, even to me, and they had a lot more hardware at their disposal.

[quote]I like snap on, I lived in Kenosha till I was in 7th grade. I use craftsman though because it is easier to get a replacement.[/quote]

Have you looked at Craftsman tools recently? It used to be an OK choice for the home or beginning professional mechanic, but I went shopping for a starter set of tools for my son this summer and was disgusted at the decline in quality of most of their hand tools. I used to date a Sears tool department manager, so it bums me out to run Craftsman down. 🙁

As far as replacement, quality tools don’t break unless you abuse them. My 20 year old Makita drills saw daily service for most of the ’90s and still work great. I have some of my father’s ’60s vintage Craftsman tools, and they’ll outlast me just as they did him. Replacement is the last thing on my mind when I buy a hand tool.

Speaking of tools, I took a chance on a Chinese import line (Toptul, see wrenhandtools.com) for my son’s tool kit and I’m impressed. His $28 1/4″ drive ratchet is smoother and apparently as well made as my $70 Snap-On.

[drboom]

[quote=ibjames]Just MCSFT is huge doesn’t mean everything they create is horrible either. IIS, SQL, etc can fill then need.[/quote]

They can “fill the bill” in the sense that they will run more or less as intended a good deal of the time, but I gave up on that junk after being bitten once too often. I was a MS fanboy in the DOS 5.0 days and an enthusiastic NT 4.0 user circa 1997-98, so it’s not like I have some genetic predisposition against the Borg.

[quote]Have you seen 2008? Core is a 100% different ballgame altogether. MCSFT is finally looking at things from a performance perspective. Troubleshooting tools are better now also.[/quote]

I’ve done a couple of projects where I used my tools (Mac OS X or a stripped down Ubuntu install depending on needs, PostgreSQL, Apache 2.x, PHP 5.x) and another part of the project used theirs (Windows, IIS, SQL Server, C#). The awful performance and unreliability of the Windows-based stuff was startling, even to me, and they had a lot more hardware at their disposal.

[quote]I like snap on, I lived in Kenosha till I was in 7th grade. I use craftsman though because it is easier to get a replacement.[/quote]

Have you looked at Craftsman tools recently? It used to be an OK choice for the home or beginning professional mechanic, but I went shopping for a starter set of tools for my son this summer and was disgusted at the decline in quality of most of their hand tools. I used to date a Sears tool department manager, so it bums me out to run Craftsman down. 🙁

As far as replacement, quality tools don’t break unless you abuse them. My 20 year old Makita drills saw daily service for most of the ’90s and still work great. I have some of my father’s ’60s vintage Craftsman tools, and they’ll outlast me just as they did him. Replacement is the last thing on my mind when I buy a hand tool.

Speaking of tools, I took a chance on a Chinese import line (Toptul, see wrenhandtools.com) for my son’s tool kit and I’m impressed. His $28 1/4″ drive ratchet is smoother and apparently as well made as my $70 Snap-On.

[drboom]

[quote=ibjames]Just MCSFT is huge doesn’t mean everything they create is horrible either. IIS, SQL, etc can fill then need.[/quote]

They can “fill the bill” in the sense that they will run more or less as intended a good deal of the time, but I gave up on that junk after being bitten once too often. I was a MS fanboy in the DOS 5.0 days and an enthusiastic NT 4.0 user circa 1997-98, so it’s not like I have some genetic predisposition against the Borg.

[quote]Have you seen 2008? Core is a 100% different ballgame altogether. MCSFT is finally looking at things from a performance perspective. Troubleshooting tools are better now also.[/quote]

I’ve done a couple of projects where I used my tools (Mac OS X or a stripped down Ubuntu install depending on needs, PostgreSQL, Apache 2.x, PHP 5.x) and another part of the project used theirs (Windows, IIS, SQL Server, C#). The awful performance and unreliability of the Windows-based stuff was startling, even to me, and they had a lot more hardware at their disposal.

[quote]I like snap on, I lived in Kenosha till I was in 7th grade. I use craftsman though because it is easier to get a replacement.[/quote]

Have you looked at Craftsman tools recently? It used to be an OK choice for the home or beginning professional mechanic, but I went shopping for a starter set of tools for my son this summer and was disgusted at the decline in quality of most of their hand tools. I used to date a Sears tool department manager, so it bums me out to run Craftsman down. 🙁

As far as replacement, quality tools don’t break unless you abuse them. My 20 year old Makita drills saw daily service for most of the ’90s and still work great. I have some of my father’s ’60s vintage Craftsman tools, and they’ll outlast me just as they did him. Replacement is the last thing on my mind when I buy a hand tool.

Speaking of tools, I took a chance on a Chinese import line (Toptul, see wrenhandtools.com) for my son’s tool kit and I’m impressed. His $28 1/4″ drive ratchet is smoother and apparently as well made as my $70 Snap-On.

[drboom]

[quote=ibjames]Just MCSFT is huge doesn’t mean everything they create is horrible either. IIS, SQL, etc can fill then need.[/quote]

They can “fill the bill” in the sense that they will run more or less as intended a good deal of the time, but I gave up on that junk after being bitten once too often. I was a MS fanboy in the DOS 5.0 days and an enthusiastic NT 4.0 user circa 1997-98, so it’s not like I have some genetic predisposition against the Borg.

[quote]Have you seen 2008? Core is a 100% different ballgame altogether. MCSFT is finally looking at things from a performance perspective. Troubleshooting tools are better now also.[/quote]

I’ve done a couple of projects where I used my tools (Mac OS X or a stripped down Ubuntu install depending on needs, PostgreSQL, Apache 2.x, PHP 5.x) and another part of the project used theirs (Windows, IIS, SQL Server, C#). The awful performance and unreliability of the Windows-based stuff was startling, even to me, and they had a lot more hardware at their disposal.

[quote]I like snap on, I lived in Kenosha till I was in 7th grade. I use craftsman though because it is easier to get a replacement.[/quote]

Have you looked at Craftsman tools recently? It used to be an OK choice for the home or beginning professional mechanic, but I went shopping for a starter set of tools for my son this summer and was disgusted at the decline in quality of most of their hand tools. I used to date a Sears tool department manager, so it bums me out to run Craftsman down. 🙁

As far as replacement, quality tools don’t break unless you abuse them. My 20 year old Makita drills saw daily service for most of the ’90s and still work great. I have some of my father’s ’60s vintage Craftsman tools, and they’ll outlast me just as they did him. Replacement is the last thing on my mind when I buy a hand tool.

Speaking of tools, I took a chance on a Chinese import line (Toptul, see wrenhandtools.com) for my son’s tool kit and I’m impressed. His $28 1/4″ drive ratchet is smoother and apparently as well made as my $70 Snap-On.

[barnaby33]

Well so much for a thread about my company and its trend bucking hiring…
Josh

[barnaby33]

Well so much for a thread about my company and its trend bucking hiring…
Josh

[barnaby33]

Well so much for a thread about my company and its trend bucking hiring…
Josh

[barnaby33]

Well so much for a thread about my company and its trend bucking hiring…
Josh

[Author]

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