Multi-Monitor Computer

[OTHGbronco82]

Then you don't want to be an engineer....

Where I work, the engineers (Mainly mechanical) sit in front of a computer all day running calculations and simulations. And the Mechanical program at the school mines, most of the homework is done/turned in on the computer. And after all the entry level classes, where you do hand calculations, are finished you start to use MatLab for all the grunt work. You just need to find all the parameters and know what equations and analysis techniques to use to solve for something.

I don't think it matters what type of engineering you get into, you'll be in front of a computer 70% of the time, 20% will be meetings, and 10% will be spent actually testing stuff.

You may thinking that as a ME you'll be building mechanical systems after you design them, but unless your at a very small company, that won't happen. The engineers design and simulate the part. The technicians (who are paid significantly less than the engineers) build the part and set it up for testing. Then the engineer does a quick test, collects data, then goes back to their desk and analyse the data to determine if it meets the contract spec. Our EE's (at my work) spend more time running the mechanical systems than the MechE's do. Because it's free for us to test real world and debug stuff. Change afew lines of code, press program, then run the system. Where, to tweak/change the mechanical part itself, requires alot of machine time (which isn't cheap).

And, I also think it's safe to say...most modern engineers needs to be competent at programming of some sort. ElecE's use C extensively. MechE's use MatLab alot (which is matrix based programming, very similar to C), CompSci does everything, C++/Java/etc, PetroE's use MS VBA, Mining E's just need to know excel thoroughly. I can't comment on other fields as I don't have any experience or friends in the other fields of engineering.

Ah, I guess I'll just have to adapt and learn. My main thing is enlisting in the air force and then I was going to get a degree in engineering as a back up plan if I don't want to do a full 20 or more.

 

[sdmf]

At work I run 2x21.5" screens for my workstation. For my operating systems, I setup 2x19". The op systems are used primarily for writing code, and troubleshooting. My workstation, I have 2 computers hooked up to an expensive kvm, so I can run an op system and my workstation. At home, I run my desktop through my receiver. So I just have 1x50" at home. I don't do any real work at home anymore, so I barely even use my laptop. Especially now that I scammed work into getting me a custom built laptop in an hp aluminum case, with a SERIAL port. Yeah, I still use serial rs232 on my ancient automation devices.