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VIM on Willem's Blog

Vision Pro

Exploring Spatial Computing

Feb. 16, 2024
My thoughts on using Vision Pro to get some real work done, exploring what Spatial Computing means and how it can be useful.

Currently, I am overlooking a lake at Mount Hood while writing this. I hear birds in the distance and see the lake calm, with subtle waves and some mist in the distance. Yet, it is fake, as I am sitting on our top floor, a barely furnished room full of items belonging to a family house with two young kids. I am using Apple's Vision Pro to explore what Spatial Computing can be. I am in awe; let me explain in this blog post.

Tablet as Tool

Appreciating iPad Pro: A Different Perspective

May 8, 2023
Discover the hidden advantages of the iPad Pro in this insightful blog post, offering tips and personal experiences to help you maximise the tablet's potential and redefine your workflow.

The iPad Pro's utility has sparked much debate recently. Some users argue it's a disappointment, failing to meet expectations set by traditional laptops. However, there are less obvious benefits to the iPad worth considering. This blog post delves into these advantages and shares insights into the personal experience of using an iPad Pro.

Designing and implementing a (micro) payment system

Monetising my blog with coffee, Apple Pay and Mollie

Mar. 25, 2020
Designing and implementing a micro payment system with an emphasis on simplicity. Read about how I did it in this post.

Online payments are now more important than ever as businesses are disrupted by the COVID-19 virus. It drives my customers to seek new ways to make money online. I designed and implemented a (micro)payment system. This post is about achieving simplicity by solving complex challenges.

Tablet as main computer

Comparing the Microsoft Surface Pro to iPad Pro

Mar. 7, 2018
I have been using a tablet as my main computer for quite some time now. In this blog post I share you my experience on using Surface Pro and iPad Pro to get my work done.

For the past few weeks I have been using the Microsoft Surface Pro as my main computer. It's a modern tablet computer that can be used as laptop with the type cover. With the Surface Pen, it's a versatile PC that works in a lot of different ways. Time to find out if it's any good and how it compares to my other tablet computer, iPad Pro.

Clouds below my floor

Building a little datacenter in my basement

Aug. 31, 2017
Building a little datacenter in my basement utilising a very fast internet connection.

At my home I have this crazy fast optical internet connection. It is a 600MB up and down fibre connection which directly arrives in my home (no copper cables involved). It's like a private internet highway. Reason enough to find out if I could do something to make better use of all this speedy fiber galore...

The day I killed my LAN

Turned off my local network and went 4G only

July 31, 2017
I killed my office LAN and went 4G only. Saves a lot of clutter, energy and money.

Today I called my provider to quit my office's ADSL internet subscription, I don't need it anymore. I have turned off my local area network and switched my workflow onto mobile internet only. The simplicity and savings actually surprised me so much, that I made blog post for it.

Programming on Apple Watch

Serious about crazy experiments

Feb. 16, 2017
Programming with VIM over SSH on Apple Watch using a bluetooth keyboard

Over the past years I have been no stranger to crazy experiments, but this time I really wanted to push it into the extreme: programming on an Apple Watch. Would it be possible to actually write code on such a tiny device? Why even bother? This post is about the case for crazy experiments, and why you should try too!

iPad Pro as primary computer

testing iOS as primairy development platform

Aug. 15, 2016
Is the time right to use an iPad as primary development platform to get some real work done?

The lack of physical clutter, distracting branding, or blinking LED's makes the iPad Pro a textbook example of minimal design. My despiction of distraction explains my interest in using the iPad Pro as only computer to test if it is up to the task. Is Apple's latest effort on iOS enough to enable it to do serious development work?

Building the blog... in style!

Developing on a 20-year old computer with 16MB RAM and Windows 98

June 23, 2016
Find out if it is possible to turn a computer from the 90s into a modern development machine.

One must be a bit crazy to come up with the idea to build a blog (as in: actual programming) on an old 486 laptop with just 16MB RAM. I happen to be that crazy: I took my very first laptop from the 90s and decided to find out if it was possible to turn it into a development machine.

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And so I did! Programming on Apple Watch using VIM, SSH, a Bluetooth keyboard and coffee.
And so I did! Programming on Apple Watch using VIM, SSH, a Bluetooth keyboard and coffee.
Graphs from the connection monitoring system (from the real datacenter) cleary show when I tested my little server
Graphs from the connection monitoring system (from the real datacenter) cleary show when I tested my little server
The kickstand is a clever piece of design and engineering, being both functional and sturdy.
The kickstand is a clever piece of design and engineering, being both functional and sturdy.
Message from my buddy Niels, suggesting I take my
Message from my buddy Niels, suggesting I take my "working on a smartphone"-idea to the next level, complete with a Photoshop mockup.
Hello World - a selfie of sorts
Hello World - a selfie of sorts
Feeling old already, my trustworthy old local area network (LAN)
Feeling old already, my trustworthy old local area network (LAN)
The source of the Magic: my ThinkPad X1 connected to the local network.
The source of the Magic: my ThinkPad X1 connected to the local network.
Handling payment status updates
Handling payment status updates
You can look around them, move closer to them, or rearrange them by dragging them through your room
You can look around them, move closer to them, or rearrange them by dragging them through your room
Clouds below my floor: my little basement datacenter.
Clouds below my floor: my little basement datacenter.
Developing software with Microsoft Visual Studio on a Surface Pro tablet
Developing software with Microsoft Visual Studio on a Surface Pro tablet
Music from the office cabinet - iPhone as a connected music player. Quite the solid rock show in combination with Apple Watch as remote.
Music from the office cabinet - iPhone as a connected music player. Quite the solid rock show in combination with Apple Watch as remote.
Chromebook only took a few minutes to become usefull after unboxing.
Chromebook only took a few minutes to become usefull after unboxing.
Talking about hazards... drinking coffee is a real challenge with Vision Pro - ha!
Talking about hazards... drinking coffee is a real challenge with Vision Pro - ha!
Microsoft Surface family
Microsoft Surface family
Though a hatch near my front door I have access to the space below the floor.
Though a hatch near my front door I have access to the space below the floor.
Reading in portrait using Safari's
Reading in portrait using Safari's "reader mode" removes all distractions from (almost) any website
If you're in a virtual environment, the Vision Pro will warn you if you risk walking into something - which can be a real hazard if you're sharing the house with some kids, ha!
If you're in a virtual environment, the Vision Pro will warn you if you risk walking into something - which can be a real hazard if you're sharing the house with some kids, ha!

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