Laptop Dell D830

Yep, something completely different than I was contemplating about before. Basically the laptop will be my second brain so I need to be able to rely on its operation. After reading hundreds of forum threads on the IBM Thinkpad and MBP, which were not as positive as I would expected. I decided to go for plain-old mainstream. The Dell Latitude D830 was the next best business notebook on the market.

A notebook without software is nothing, so I have compiled the following software titles as a must have:

• Roboform (no need to remember all the passwords, there is already enough to remember)
• Microsoft Office 2007, the Microsoft Killer application
• Mindmapper, mind mapping software
• Corel Paintshop Pro, the mother of paint
• Adobe Acrobat writer and reader

Career ..!?

I have started to reach a mid-life crisis in terms of my career. After having spent +12 years in the financial industry I wonder if it gets any better ..? Better in what, you may ask. Better position on the career ladder, better company, better, better? I currently am VP of Enterprise Architecture in a sizable investment house, AUM = +€200 Billion, so bigger, better, higher is not the issue.

One just gets frustrated that we as an investment industry make it ourselves so difficult in terms of business and technology alignment not to mention regulatory requirements. I believe most investment companies could get by with half of the IT systems they actually need to do business, a green field design would compromise of fewer systems and fewer ‘core’ processes. Driven by ‘enforced’ incompatibilities (who is the leader of the standards pack?), ‘not invented here’ syndrome, and the increase of complex instruments, the industry is sliding of into managing complexity instead of doing business. Trading platforms, Algo-trading, etc will only bring so much relief by wrapping complexity behind facades … Old problems, with new faces, meaning doing the same concepts over and over again.

Is it time for a change ..? Will things eventually get better ..?

To Mac or not MAC

One of the basic requirements when you start an MBA is to have a notebook computer, of course I could not let this opportunity pass me by, I can always use a new notebook computer I have started browsing through several offerings to find one, which fits my needs, i.e. durable, fast, light, high-tech and sexy. Currently I have found only two models, which are a cut above the rest and on my (very) short list, they are:

• Apple Macbook Pro (2,4GHz/160GB/2GB/15,4 Inch – 1440×900/MacOSX.
• IBM Thinkpad T61P (2,2GHz/100GB/2GB/15,4 Inch – 1920×1200/Windows Vista).

Eventhough I grew up with Microsoft products, I favor the MacBookPro (MBP). The Thinkpad is a very good and very durable laptop, having previously owned a Thinkpad I know that they are built to last and last. The MBP however strikes a cord with me, I just love the design, the OS and … did I mention the design? The only thing holding me a bit back is that the durability and reliability are not on par as with a Thinkpad. One can purchase an expensive Apple Warranty (Apple Care) to hedge that risk … (~400Euros).

I will make my decision by the end of this year, as Apple will release Leopard in Oct it will be a more fair comparison