Ideal Developer Computer

[EricM85]

I am a new FileMaker Developer, working with version 8.5, and I need to invest in a new computer. This machine will be used primarily for *designing* databases. It will not be used for hosting, etc.

I understand the minimum requirements...

http://filemaker.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/filemaker.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=6036

... but I'd like to understand what components I should pay attention to in order maximize FileMaker's performance. For example, when I click and drag a set of fields in design view, I want it to happen in real time. The computer I'm currently using has a delay of a few seconds when I do this common task.

While a Mac is on my wish list, I am limited to buying a Windows machine. That said, what components are most important for me to invest in, i.e., processor, RAM, hard drive? What would be the ideal computer for a FM 8.5 developer? What does the dream machine look like?

Warm Regards,

Eric

[xochi]

Here are my recommendations:

1) Get a Mac: Reason 1 it's very easy to load and run multiple versions of FileMaker at the same time. This makes debugging limited user accounts much easier. For example, I have FM 8.5Advanced and FM 8.5 (regular) on the same machine. Frequently, I'll use 8.5Advanced to develop, test, run scripts and change group permissions, while testing a limited user account login on FM8.5. I think it's either impossible, or very difficult to have more than one version of FM installed on windows.

2) Get a Mac, install Parallels, and then you can have multiple Virtual Machines (VMs) for testing. I have Windows2000, XP, and Vista running all on my mac, so I can quickly test FM in all OSs, browsers, etc, from one machine.

3) Don't host your files locally. Set up a server machine and host your files there. Set up a robust backup system in FMServer (e.g. hourly, daily backups along with some sort of off-site backups). Although there is a moderate speed penalty for some operations (such as large Imports) when using Server, I've found that it's much more reliable overall -- if your local copy of FM crashes, it's much less likely to corrupt the database if it's hosted on FM Server. Presumably, the files will eventually be hosted on FM Server anyway, so developing on FM Server is a good way to make sure it's all working.

4) Big 2nd monitor -- very helpful for development.

My dev machine is a MacBook Pro Core Duo 17" with 2Gigs of ram and OS X 10.4.9, hooked up to a 20" 2nd monitor, with copies of FMAdvanced 8.5 and FM8.5 installed, along with Parallels VMs containing Win2000, XP, and Vista.

[IdealData]

Easy...get a Mac!

The whole environment is developer oriented. I've been developing 10 years using Mac, and I'm only biased by the fact that I've tried on Windows (yuck!).

The latest Parallels is fantastic with COHERENCE mode. The main reason not to go for Windows as your development platform is that you'd still end up getting a Mac for Mac based systems - they're getting more popular - ask Steve Jobs!

All that aside, Windows has a restriction in that your database windows are restricted to the screen space provided by the application Window - not so on Mac.

[EricM85]

Thanks for the input so far, but to clarify, I'm looking for advice on the ideal configuation for a Windows computer.

A Mac is already on my wish list, but it's not in the cards for me right now.

Eric

[Stuart Taylor]

I may get shot down for this ... but i have always thought the best developement environment and configuration for developement is that of the computer of my user with the lowest spec.

I use an iBook G4 12inch 512MB Ram (when my iBook G4 14inch 768MB died I downgraded) and will be upgrading it/running it parallel to the lowest spec intel in the next few months. I keep my OS and FM patches up to date ... ( well give or take a week to see if any major bugs arise ).

If i can get my solution running at lightning speed then my power system users machines will perform even better.

If i develop on a high spec machine and a user encounters my solution with a lower spec i can not count on my experience of the performance.

(oh and i bought a 20 inch cinema display and a signal converter to develop for larger monitors... its great ... make sure your machine and screen is compatible if you do this it took alot of fiddling to achieve as the iBook signal was wrong and the iBook OS was locked for multi-screens ... cost an extra $200 dollars to pull off)

Just a thought.

[Genx]

Well, i suppose i can see the logic... but i doubt your user would have anything more than FileMaker open during use...

The thing is though, i can't develop just using FileMaker...FireWorks, lately flash and dream weaver, lots of I.E. windows, lots of firefox windows (at the least) are always open as well.

I don't think it's realistic to assume that your end user will be doing the same -- So why suffer with low speed for it?

Why don't you use your laptop as a testing computer instead and just test features every once in a while -- that i can understand.

[Stuart Taylor]

Hey Genx,

Congratulations that was post 3333 for you

My users tend to have FileMaker + Mail/Entourage/Outlook + Photoshop + Firefox/Safari + Skype + Word open at the same time. ... oh and sometimes iTunes too.

I worked in the industry i develop for, for 10 years.

I think i said once before to you that i kill a laptop every 14 months and i can't see the point in spending £2000+ per year on a higher spec machine (which i have in the past) when few of my users are on a high spec machine.

best

Stuart

[Genx]

Lol re the post :

Mmmm, yeh, but i still think development is higher intensity than use... Pounds, what a funny currency, I want some

Anyway, I'm not saying high spec but at least get an extra stick of ram, it can't hurt...

[Stuart Taylor]

I agree the extra bit of ram is what i tend to do ... i think that is all you need. No more, No Less.

Is Pounds stirling any funnier that the AUS Dollar hehe!!! ... ps i moved to NY so i still think in pounds but i pay in US Dollars ... which would probably make a higher spec machine considerably cheaper this year ... but at the moment i refuse to budge ... lets see what i do when i get to the bright lights of the 5th Avenue apple store. hmmmm i wonder.

[EricM85]

In the interest of aiding my quest, I'm forwarding a post I made on another forum. It was in response to a very good point made by another user.

Other user wrote:

> There's one very important factor you left out of your spec, which is your budget. There is a different "dream machine" at every price point.

My response:

Yes, I mistakenly left out my budget information. Sorry. Money is indeed a big issue for me.

I am hoping to spend less than $300, but I'm prepared to spend up to $450. Obviously, I can't afford any of the new Macs, even the Mini. However, I know I can build a new (or slightly used) Windows machine within that price range.

So, I should clarify that I am not so much looking for a dream machine. Rather, I need to understand how to best invest that limited amount of money. I don't have a handle on which computer components are most critical to the FileMaker development environment. Processor speed? Hard disk size/speed? Memory/RAM? All of the above? Something else? This is the part I most need to understand.

The reason I am limiting myself to a Windows machine is due to my budget constriants. And it is not just the cost of the computer itself. It is the software that I will need to do my other work. If I were to buy a Mac, I'd also have to put my money towards the Parallels application since I already own a set of Windows programs. Specifically, the Windows OS, the Microsoft Office suite, etc.

Again, a Mac remains on my wish list. But it is going to be a while before I can afford going down this road. I'd appreciate it if folks could explain which computer components (on a Windows box) are most important for FileMaker development. I want to stress that this machine will *not* act as an FM server at any point. It will primarily be used designing layouts, scripting, etc.

Thanks again.

Eric

[Stuart Taylor]

Are you buying componants for upgrading your existing machine, or starting from scratch?

If so ...

What are your current specs?

[Genx]

Well, your basic computer will consist of:

Motherboard / Graphics Card - http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/20809 (99)

CPU - http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/22053 (139)

RAM - http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/22149 (60) -- though your better off getting two sticks

HD - http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/6259 (99)

CD/DVD Drive - http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/22128 (35)

= 432 AUD (492 with 1gig ram)

You know i've never built anything this cheap before but... it should probably last you a while..

[Genx]

Ahahaha, i forgot the case / power supply... i knew something was missing.

http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/12918 (55)

482 AUD (532 w/ 1 gig ram)

Current exchange rate is about .8 (OMG that's jumped) so you work it out - plus you're components might be cheaper in us.

Edited April 9, 2007 by Guest

[Stuart Taylor]

You could always make your own case ... :(

[Genx]

Ahahahaha... yeh but what about the power supply?

[Stuart Taylor]

Ok, you got me on that one... + Stained glass don't come cheap :(

[xochi]

Yes, I mistakenly left out my budget information. Sorry. Money is indeed a big issue for me.

I am hoping to spend less than $300, but I'm prepared to spend up to $450. Obviously, I can't afford any of the new Macs, even the Mini. However, I know I can build a new (or slightly used) Windows machine within that price range.

If you are getting a computer to do FM development on, it's safe to assume that this is not just a 5 hour project -- if it was, you could just borrow someone else's computer. So assume that we are talking dozens, probably hundreds of hours.

Having a slow/cheap computer will slow you down. Time is money. You are in danger of "saving" money up front by getting a cheap development machine and wasting money in the long run by wasting your time... Developers who are serious about their trade have no qualms about spending money on quality tools (ironically, because most of us are lazy and want to spend as little time as possible futzing with bad tools) -)

[K1200]

I'll weigh in with an opinion on this -- because my definition of a dream system has cost efficiency as a primary consideration. I look for a system that will do a good job -- not just adequate -- at the lowest cost. For the past year, I've used an eMachines PC with 3Ghz pentium, 1Gb memory and a 160Gb SATA drive, plus a Samsung 1280 x 1024 flat panel monitor. Total cost of system? Less than $800.

It's been a great system and performance has never been an issue. But I must add, I insist on doing my development in an offline environment -- although I commonly have illustration software, a word processor and FileMaker started for instant access. What I don't have to share resources with, of course, are all the overhead tasks required for the online environment (firewalls, virus checkers, adblockers, etc., etc.)

Hope this helps.

[Badbert]

Up until version 7.0 I preferred FM development on a Mac. Versions 7.0 and up are much more PC friendly.

If I'm working in a pure PC environment, I develop on a PC, in a Mac environment, a Mac.

Cross platform issues:

Graphics - use Mac

Font spacing - not the same on both

File Paths - Platform specific

Window control - Minimize vs. Hide

User's environment:

If the organization has a standard for workstation deployment, specifically monitor size, optimize your layouts to the smallest user monitor.

[gadsystems]

No matter what you do... get multiple monitors!!!

My main machines has 4, others have 3 and two, one screen is useless!

Also - some simple things after so many years...

Get a good phone headset... and get one of those footrest things from staples...

If you have those things, and plug them into any old pc or mac, you will surely be much more happy

Also moving air, ( a small fan, or usb flyfan (love this) ) And one of those college-sized fridges for your office!

Also, - invest in a projector for when you meet with clients, you won't regret it!

[Ender]

No matter what you do... get multiple monitors!!!

My main machines has 4, others have 3 and two, one screen is useless!

I never liked working with multiple monitors. I always lost my cursor. Instead, I have multiple computers. This way, it's a little easier to development and testing at the same time.

[Genx]

I'm with Ender... Never got the whole multiple monitor thing -- I guess I'm not cool enough to do that yet.

Not that i don't have 2 or 3 LCD's lying around that aren't being used but... i just don't get it, one screen is enough for me.

The projector does do wonders though.

I'm just waiting Till apple brings out the "iScreen" which will hopefully be a really cool touch screen, that could justify a second monitor and / or even an apple just for graphics editing.

P.S. the screen doesn't exist nor is a product to my knowledge, but they've done all the work with the iPhone soooo... next logical step i guess. And no, i am not an apple fan boy, but i will be getting myself an iPhone!