Entries this day: asked-system-76-to-recommend-a-new-computer

asked system 76 to recommend a new computer

I just sent the following at https://system76.com/my-account/questions

Hello!

Thank you for this option to write my needs to help select a perfect fit.

Currently, I have a Macbook Pro from 2012.  It features 16GB of
RAM, 500GB SSD, and a 15 inch screen.  I've got a 4TB external
drive for local backups (and Backblaze, S3, etc for cloud backups).

I don't have a lot of CPU requirements, but need storage and enjoy
having two displays.  (laptop display and an external monitor).
HDMI or VGA is fine for the external monitor.

(A bonus would be the ability to use two external monitors, but
that's beyond my current setup.)

I do livestreams using OBS[1] as I produce a stop motion
animation[2] using Dragonframe[3] in a small studio in my room, so
I rely on USB being able to have multiple cameras and keyboard /
mouse / external HDD all at once.  I often use 1/8" audio
connection for headphones / microphone.

I also use Godot[4] for simple app development.

[1] https://obsproject.com/download requires Ubuntu 18.04+
[2] https://www.marbletrack3.com/    my pet project
[3] https://www.dragonframe.com/downloads/  supports Ubuntu 16.04+ 
[4] https://godotengine.org/download/linux   requires OpenGL 2.1 / OpenGL ES 2.0

I want the option to use my current USB keyboard.  I assume it
will work fine on your new machine.  I like the physical layout
and have a custom keyboard layout driven by software.  As far as I
can tell, xbindkeys will let me adjust the keys as I prefer.

I prefer long life + durability of the machine more than top of
the line hardware.

I am open to having a laptop or a desktop.

I don't really care about super-duper high resolution graphics or
super-duper sound.  I sometimes use GIMP to edit photos, but do
not do much gaming or really edit videos beyond Dragonframe
exporting clips.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  I look forward to
hearing your suggestions.

   best regards
   - Rob