[no2pencil]

This isn't to be said for myself, being in I.T. my experience has been you usually get the cream-of the crop.

However, at almost every job I've worked at, someone gets stuck with the 486 that would be better used as a bookend, or the Gateway who's computer name is EvilComputer because things just sort of... happen.

How often does your company roll out new equipment? Or are you still vampire splicing terminals onto the BNC?

[capty99]

i provided my own computer for this one.

i had the option of working on a semi-decent mac with a cinema display (so i can't hate too much) but i'm doing web development so its a different story.

[Mikhail]

At work either IBM T60 T40, the one they provide is HP compaq desktops, but most of the time is spent in the server room with Sun Servers and my laptop.

[1lacca]

My place usually gets quite good comps for the developers. If somebody feels that he needs to upgrade something (more memory, faster CPU, etc.), he can ask, and if it is reasonable he will get it quite soon. When a developer gets a new comp, usually a business analyst will get the old one, because they simply don't run as demanding tasks as we do. So generally I feel lucky.

[baavgai]

The IT department is often involved in computer purchasing descriptions for the company as a whole. There is a budget for maintenance, replacements, upgrades, etc. As a member of said department, it not usually a problem to grab something off the top when there's a hardware replacement roll out. If you're the a computer guy in a computer department, you shouldn't do too bad.

That said, I've often seen hardware allocated by perceived company status rather than best allocation of resources. So the "power user" in a department, say a clerk, might have the oldest thing available while their boss has the newest computer destined to only read email and run screen savers. Sadly, in almost every instance I've seen, the worst computer finds it's place based on politics rather than function.

Of course, IT departments are more likely to hold on to decommissioned hardware for testing and pet projects. I currently have an old server on my desk next the the regular workstation. It's headless, runs CentOS, VMWare Server, etc., and primarily exists as a personal test bed and file sever. If I hadn't grabbed it, it would be long gone by now.

This post has been edited by baavgai: 23 May 2008 - 06:01 AM

[Amadeus]

Our company has a 3-4 year hardware turnaround (for most employees), but I always make sure my dev folks have the top of line equipment on a yearly basis.

[Nykc]

When I was employed most of the people in the bank still had machines pushing Windows 2000. A lot of them still had floppy drives in them and PIII processors.

I miss the IT field.

[Mikhail]

Hmm, The IT dept in my work place replaces developer machines every 2 years, everyone else every 3-4 years. But If I want anything added it can be done, I can even buy the part with my own money, and get the money back I pay I give the receipt to the CTO and I get the money.

[Programmist]

At most of the jobs I've worked recently, the equipment has been either brand new or pretty new. There was only one place where my computer sucked and they refused to upgrade it and refused to allow me to buy my own and connect it to their network. However, I was expected to run Eclipse, JBoss, and several other apps simultaneously on an old P4 single core (circa 2003) with 1GB of RAM a and a 17" CRT that was going bad (had a flicker). One of the many reasons I left for a better offer where I was immediately supplied with a dual core 2GHz lappy with 2GB of RAM, a solid video card, a 20" LCD, and all the standard "fixins." It's not bleeding edge, but it's a business machine. And it's so much better that what I had been using. Once you get used to dual monitors and multi cores (or SMP), it's very very difficult to go back.

[MarkoDaGeek]

I had a POS when I joined the company so I used my personal laptop for work up until about a couple months ago. I replaced my 2.8 Ghz Xeon file server at home with a more energy efficient NAS and I sold my file server to my work, it's now my everyday workstation.

I still use my personal notebook a couple times a week for any field work.

[NickDMax]

Well my understand of our IT pollocy is, "as long as your computer works, you don't get a new one" Which really means that at some point your computer has to meet an unfortunate situation.

Well this is not totally true. We just upgraded a bunch of software and those few people who still had the old laptops got new ones since the old ones were unable to keep up with the pack. But those people were just the ones who never dropped their laptops while running for a flight, or had a cup of coffee find it, or got carelessly set down next to large speakers...

...Basically the people who work at the main office...

[crcapps]

A lot of my work has been in higher ed. So often it is the case the computer labs are running 6 year old hand-me-downs, whereas the new systems end up in the hands of upper administration. Because you need a core duo to put together bad powerpoint presentations.

baavgai, on 23 May, 2008 - 06:00 AM, said:

The IT department is often involved in computer purchasing descriptions for the company as a whole. There is a budget for maintenance, replacements, upgrades, etc. As a member of said department, it not usually a problem to grab something off the top when there's a hardware replacement roll out. If you're the a computer guy in a computer department, you shouldn't do too bad.

That said, I've often seen hardware allocated by perceived company status rather than best allocation of resources. So the "power user" in a department, say a clerk, might have the oldest thing available while their boss has the newest computer destined to only read email and run screen savers. Sadly, in almost every instance I've seen, the worst computer finds it's place based on politics rather than function.

Of course, IT departments are more likely to hold on to decommissioned hardware for testing and pet projects. I currently have an old server on my desk next the the regular workstation. It's headless, runs CentOS, VMWare Server, etc., and primarily exists as a personal test bed and file sever. If I hadn't grabbed it, it would be long gone by now.

[Sneblot]

You should see the aging the machines I have to work with here Im on a powermate and if Im not sure in the courner there is a bbc in BBC in hiding

[PsychoCoder]

The last job I had we (being the developers) almost almost Carte Blanche when it came to computers & equipment. We, when I left, all had Intel Quad Core processors, 4GB DDR2, dual 23 inch widescreen monitors, the works. The got us new systems every 30 months and our old ones get recycled throughout the organization.

The company I work for now, if I ask for it I get it

[crcapps]

The company I work for now bought my workstation in preparation for my arrival last month, it's okay... it's an athlon x2 4400+, 2 gigs of ddr2 667, and a 19" monitor. The IT manager is on the conservative end of the business, a "don't take a production machine down even if it's still running Sarge," type of guy, both by philosophy and by company procurement policy. It's just fine for the code that we write here-- I don't think I've written anything that's taken more than a minute to compile.

But, for some reason, it has an 8500 GT video card with 512mb of ram.
Interesting.


However, the 16th of June, I'm getting back into higher education, so Big University told me, "When you get here, this is the guy with the credit card, it has a $25,000 dollar limit."

That's more awesome than dinosaurs.