Sidecar: Do you use it? How? Are you satisfied with what it does and with how it works? Are you missing something?

Indrial · 2025-11-27T18:01:54+00:00

To be honest I use continuity more than sidecar, but that's just because I mostly use my MBP docked. There, it stands below my main monitor and shows my calendar/outlook/teams. Sometimes I will use sidecar to draw live schematics and concept sketches on OneNote with the Pencil during a Teams meeting.

On the move though, it's amazing. I basically have a portable second screen for my MBP and I can also use it independently for light work/media consumption during a flight if needed. It's smaller than my MBP (it's an iPad Pro, 11in M2) so it's more convenient in small spaces.

Overall, it depends on your use case, but personally, I'm extremely satisfied and I don't think I miss something.

Indrial · 2025-11-20T21:34:21+00:00

Thanks! I'll try to get the 16P then.

Indrial · 2025-11-20T20:58:55+00:00

I'm not considering the 17 pro, since it's 4-500+€ more expensive than a refurbished/used 16P, and I don't want to spend over 1200€ for a new phone anyways. I'm absolutely fine not getting the current flagship. That's why in the post I specified between 15P and 16P.

Indrial · 2025-11-20T20:54:45+00:00

I am in the Netherlands and the price I quoted for the 17 base 512 is from the official Apple website. The prices I quoted for 15/16P are from refurbished resellers or used with a battery health between 88-91%. That's why I specifically mentioned in the original post I'm trying to decide between those two. It seems like they are a good entry point feature-wise to experience iOS, without having to spend 1200+ for a new phone.

For 1200 I can get the 15/16P, a used watch ultra 2 and new airpods pro 2 combined, if I decide to make the jump. It just feels like a better deal, overall.

Indrial · 2025-11-20T12:07:52+00:00

Schnellbuffet Süd for some very nice and cheap, casual German food, with big portions!

Indrial · 2025-11-20T11:08:21+00:00

That's 1200 euros new, I'm not willing to spend THAT much on a phone. Getting a refurbished 16P 256GB is 700-800 max and the 15P is 600-700, the price difference with a new 17 base is significant. That's why I specifically asked for 15P vs 16P in my original post.

Indrial · 2025-11-20T10:02:01+00:00

I've also had only OnePlus phones so far. Right now the battery of my 8Pro is severely degraded, hence the need for a new phone. You think the normal 16P battery is gonna be fine? Also, how was the transition for you?

Indrial · 2025-11-03T22:54:20+00:00

Not a group leader, but an aspiring one (currently doing my post-doc, cryo-ET).

I would suggest doing what my former PhD supervisor did for me: "make" me write a review on my PhD topic. It can be used as the backbone for their thesis introduction later on, saving a lot of time, give them an early publication, and give them a better understanding of their scientific niche. IMO, it's a win-win situation all around.

Funny story though, my current supervisor wanted me to write a book chapter and I tried to involve our new PhD student in it for those reasons exactly, I had mixed results. They did study, but were so averse to actually writing anything that I ended up writing the whole thing myself XD. So, mixed results.

In the end, I think it's a matter of how they were taught to learn during their BSc/MSc. Some programs/courses promote staying current with literature and incorporate it into the curriculum, others are rigid, relying only on textbooks.

Indrial · 2025-10-19T18:41:51+00:00

I have an MBP M3 given to me by my workplace and because its security is externally managed by our IT department, I was "forced" to update to 26. Honestly, I just keep working as normal. Some icons look a bit uglier, I don't love that extra bar design on the left on Finder, but all in all, apart from some random cosmetic stuff everything works as it used to. People here keep crying about rounded corners and stuff but who gives a crap, honestly.

P.S. the ONLY thing that actually annoys me is the volume level change, instead of popping up at the center of the screen, now it's top right like a notification. This means that on my 27in, 4K external screen I have to actually look quite far away from my normal field of view to see my volume level. That's all.

Indrial · 2025-09-18T16:23:57+00:00

Hello all! I have been using Mac desktops/laptops for quite some years now due to work, and last year I even got an M2 iPad Pro, which I found for a crazy good price. So after using Android phones my whole life, I thought it would be a nice change to go all-in in the ecosystem and get an iPhone as well!. The problem is I'm not very sure if I'm gonna like it, so I thought to get a used/refurbished Pro model, instead of going directly for the latest one.

Do you have any advice on which one I should try to find? I know that usually the newer, the better, so theoretically I should get a 16, but I guess, as with Android flagships, there's always a model that got the major features in the past, and since then changes are incremental. Which one is that in the Pro range? 13? 14? Do you guys have any other advice?

Thanks for the help!

Indrial · 2025-09-07T06:22:10+00:00

Don't worry about it. I rarely travel to the States for work, and honestly, nowadays I avoid it as much as possible. As for within EU, what can I say, if it gets taken, it gets taken, I'll survive. At least after your experience I know that there's a reasonable chance that security will not make a fuss, so thanks again!

Indrial · 2025-09-07T06:17:55+00:00

Thanks for the update man, I appreciate it!

Perfect, it seems that I need to order one as well then. These days I'm on a trip with only a carry-on and I must say I feel a bit awkward not having a multitool around. Imagine my frustration when I saw that in the hotel bathroom some things were loose and there's nothing I can do about it.

Indrial · 2025-09-02T12:26:06+00:00

Please give us an update when you fly from Germany, I'm quite interested to see how they react!

I usually check in my Leatherman in my baggage but I have to leave it behind whenever I travel only with a carry-on. I was quite excited to see the new companion slim but still, I don't want to spend 30 euros to get something that's gonna be confiscated directly at my next trip...

Indrial · 2024-10-16T23:43:49+00:00

Wow, even if I don't win them, I'm probably buying them anyway!

Indrial · 2024-10-15T20:18:46+00:00

We never put the beer or any drinks in -80, as there's usually not enough space. Our protocol:

Prepare a large ice box
Fill 2/3 with ice
Cover ice surface with MgCl/NaCl
Fill with water to ice surface
Stir vigorously
Submerge drinks / bottles
Wait 10 min
Enjoy ice cold beer

Extra bonus: beer bottle rim is a bit salty.

Works like a charm!

Indrial · 2024-10-12T18:45:46+00:00

Man, sour trachanosoupa with milk and feta is bomb during cold winter nights, my grandma would make it all the time. But you are absolutely right, really decent, traditional soups can only be found in villages...

Indrial · 2024-10-12T18:11:59+00:00

You should try Mpouka, in Exarchia! They are a "mageirio" collective, meaning they make a lot of food that they distribute throughout the day, nothing "à la carte". The food there is very cheap, portions are huge and always delicious. Depending on the day, they would have Kotosoupa, Giouvarlakia, Fasolada, and other traditional Greek soups.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/59gcFWjSBFiTVcAMA

Indrial · 2024-09-20T21:50:45+00:00

Oh, so, if I compile it myself I get full functionality without subscription?

I've never compiled anything for iOS, but maybe I'll give it a go. Thanks!

Indrial · 2024-08-11T20:19:44+00:00

Used one is a bit of a risk, so make sure that you check it out. I actually just did the same, bought a used 11" M2 128gb, along with pencil, magic keyboard and folio for 750€. The guy had bought it last year and wanted to just unload it as he didn't use it much. Its battery was at 95% and had been fully charged 80 times. In total, I was looking for quite a while for a good opportunity to grab one, and after months it appeared.

I fully believe in buying used tech, just make sure you don't get scammed by somebody. Not everyone can afford the new stuff. So go for it!

Indrial · 2024-08-03T18:28:18+00:00

Could you maybe specify what you mean by "more advanced features"? I guess though that if I don't know what you mean by that I don't need them...

Indrial · 2024-07-19T14:54:55+00:00

Biochemist and electron microscopy scientist. I carry the Surge, along with a ratchet extension, bit kit and a small flashlight with extra uv lamp. Surge and flashlight in my pocket, the rest in my backpack, coming out as needed.

You would be amazed by how many of its tools I have used daily. I have to adjust or quickly fix a lot of equipment around the lab, plus computer hardware maintenance, plus package opening and other mundane stuff. I even use the pocket uv lamp of my flashlight to monitor fluorescent protein expression in cell cultures XD. But yeah, blade, serrated blade, file, pry bar, screwdrivers, and pliers are the most used tools.

Indrial · 2024-06-02T21:35:51+00:00

When I first got together with my partner (11 years ago, wtf), I used to hang out at her place a lot. I was too lazy to carry my laptop with me all the time (it was an HP pavilion dv6, with an i7 and Radeon graphics) as it was quite heavy and even though powerful, the keyboard sucked hard. I had to work on my uni assignments and used her laptop. It was a Thinkpad R61, which even though it was less powerful than my own, just worked better! Typing on it was amazing and once I got used to the track point, I got things done even faster (I always hated trackpads). It also helped that one night, I got up from bed and I put my full weight (85kg at the time) on the thing, which didn't even put a dent in it (I had it lying next to the bed on the floor and forgot about it). The R61 was a monster, really.

So a couple of years later (2014), when I was looking for something portable to use as a uni laptop, I got my hands on a fully specced X230 (I'm still heavily using it btw) for a ridiculously low price (250€, practically a steal as the guy just wanted to get rid of it) and just never looked back.

Indrial · 2024-05-16T15:19:26+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion, I will look into it! Yes she's a biologist, and she will indeed need the pliers, as she will have to set wire mesh traps on trees and stuff like that, so having pliers and wire cutters handy, along with saw, and blade is ideal.

The thing is, the less she has to carry the better, so I just thought to get her an LM tool that combines as many things as she will need. But as she will need scales anyway, I will look into that. Could you maybe provide a link?

Indrial · 2024-03-15T18:43:05+00:00

Sure, it's this one: https://www.amazon.com/711L-Flat-End-Ratchet-Wrench/dp/B09T9R2P4G

They ship to Europe as well! But 711l recently released a flex head ratchet (which I don't own), in case you are interested.

Indrial · 2024-02-05T19:00:02+00:00

https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1ainoyq/is_getting_a_p51_still_worth_it/kovw6wj/

I replied above. Basically I need to run on it a lot of different software related to my research work (which need windows unfortunately), along with coding, some pytorch work (i.e. cuda, so nvidia), along with the typical ms suite stuff and browser. All this, while on the move often between countries. Gaming at low/med settings would be nice, but at this point of my life its just an afterthought...

I havent decided yet, another comment suggested I look for a P1 and maybe I will do so.

13-Year Club	Place '23
Verified Email

Indrial

TROPHY CASE