Is minimalism overrated?

[pangaea]

So I remember Linus tech tips made an "ultimate minimalist laptop desk setup" and I thought it was kind of funny and ironic that at the time I watched the video from a Lenovo W540 laptop connected to an eGPU (with its own full size ATX power supply), and connected to two extra monitors as well as being on a fairly cluttered desk with a USB hub full of stuff creating a mess of cords. So seriously, is there any reason I should want to sacrifice features, performance, and serviceability in the name of minimalist design or having a laptop that's a millimeter thinner? And as far as portability is concerned, I'm pretty much happy with anything I can fit in a backpack.

[Mira Yurizaki]

If you're asking those questions, then the laptop and/or that setup isn't for you. Minimalism isn't about stripping things to the bare bone, it's about only accepting things that actually serve some useful purpose while minimizing the resources (both tangible and intangible, like your time and energy) you spend on those things.

[Jurrunio]

Linus isnt exactly the one to learn 'minimalism' from....

[Windows7ge]

I'd say unless you have a real application for connecting a desktop GPU to a laptop then just use two separate systems. A stationary desktop for games/production then a laptop for the low-demand applications. That's what I do. I don't play games on the go.

[pangaea]

15 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

Linus isnt exactly the one to learn 'minimalism' from....

I've seen plenty of videos with setups from both extremes of the spectrum.

[pangaea]

2 hours ago, Windows7ge said:

I'd say unless you have a real application for connecting a desktop GPU to a laptop then just use two separate systems. A stationary desktop for games/production then a laptop for the low-demand applications. That's what I do. I don't play games on the go.

I can't say I really have much of an "on the go" lifestyle personally. I do sometimes like to carry my laptop to a different room or hang out at a restaurant though. I do seem to be able to do some moderate gaming on my W540's internal workstation GPU. Back when I was in college though I would often spend a lot of time on my laptop between classes when I had nothing better to do, and that was with a Dell M6500 which was an even bulkier laptop than the one I have now. I did have to carry it around quite a bit and I still stand by "if it fits in a backpack, it's portable enough". I like used workstation laptops, you tend to get a lot of bang for your buck for all-around use and can buy ones that need really minor repairs (e.g. a hard drive replacement) for dirt cheap.

[Syntaxvgm]

3 hours ago, pangaea said:

 So seriously, is there any reason I should want to sacrifice features, performance, and serviceability in the name of minimalist design or having a laptop that's a millimeter thinner? And as far as portability is concerned, I'm pretty much happy with anything I can fit in a backpack.

If you don't need those features and you are a visual perfectionist, do it if makes you happier. 

Otherwise keep at it, and keep adding wires and monitors. 

 

[pangaea]

13 minutes ago, Syntaxvgm said:

If you don't need those features and you are a visual perfectionist, do it if makes you happier. 

Otherwise keep at it, and keep adding wires and monitors. 

 

I suppose I could make that eGPU setup more aesthetically pleasing by making a simple enclosure of some kind. Or just tuck the messiness away behind one of the monitors (in which case it looks pretty ugly if I remove the laptop from the setup).

[Syntaxvgm]

8 minutes ago, pangaea said:

I suppose I could make that eGPU setup more aesthetically pleasing by making a simple enclosure of some kind. Or just tuck the messiness away behind one of the monitors (in which case it looks pretty ugly if I remove the laptop from its performance enhancing docking station).

or you can just make sure it's clean and easy to use and call it a day. 

My desk is a 7 foot counter top screwed down to a work bench top with 4x4 legs and supports. It has 5 monitors and a laptop mount on it currently. 

Does it look nice? Not really

Can it stop a Mack truck going 60mph? Probably. 

[Syntaxvgm]

Just now, The White Lady said:

Please do not speak of him this way. He is an infinitely thankless spirit as is. We should ferry him to the alternate plains of existence where he can collect his summoned treasures.

Wendell is the thankless one. 

[PlayStation 2]

Literally couldn't give a shit about minimalism; I'm here to do things either practically or effectively, not minimalistically. Recording VHS tapes digitally threw that out of the window anyways.

[HarryNyquist]

41 minutes ago, Syntaxvgm said:

or you can just make sure it's clean and easy to use and call it a day. 

My desk is a 7 foot counter top screwed down to a work bench top with 4x4 legs and supports. It has 5 monitors and a laptop mount on it currently. 

Does it look nice? Not really

Can it stop a Mack truck going 60mph? Probably. 

That sounds awesome, actually. Been meaning to do that and rid myself of wobby desk x 2.

 

Minimalism is good in specific situations. I like it when I can put down a computer on my desk or floor, and it doesn't take up the space of a small bookshelf while simultaneously cycling between 16,777,216 different colors. I like it when a desk is just a desk and also doesn't cycle between 16,777,216 colors on every surface.

[Mira Yurizaki]

37 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

Literally couldn't give a shit about minimalism; I'm here to do things either practically or effectively, not minimalistically. Recording VHS tapes digitally threw that out of the window anyways.

That's sort of the mindset behind minimalism anyway. It's not strictly about stripping everything away until there's nothing left to strip. It's about finding what's the most efficient for you. It just so happens that throwing away a lot of things is part of that process for a lot of people.

[PlayStation 2]

1 minute ago, M.Yurizaki said:

That's sort of the mindset behind minimalism anyway. It's not strictly about stripping everything away until there's nothing left to strip. It's about finding what's the most efficient for you. It just so happens that throwing away a lot of things is part of that process for a lot of people.

Yeah, that's my thing: I admittedly have more around than I would probably need... then again, video capture isn't the most organized thing, especially if your goal is to capture TV and VHS tapes.

[Arika]

depends on how you define it. I like minimalism to keep stuff tidy and clean.

 

for instance, two random pictures from /r/battlestations

 

Minimalist

 

 

non-minimalist

 

 

Both are "clean" but one one is truly minimal and i much prefer the top one

 

[mrchow19910319]

whatever works for you, stick to it.