Programming Mom

The other day, my brother talked about getting a new computer, as he’s starting a business of his own and wants an updated machine. One of his big concerns was whether he should buy a laptop or a desktop. I’ve been both routes, so we talked about the pros and cons of each, to help him make a final decision. I know others have had the same question, so I thought I’d jot down my notes to hopefully help someone else out there.

• Speed - This is a big one if you use programs that have a lot of CPU need, like Photoshop (or in my brother’s case, movie making programs). Though not always the case, laptops generally don’t have the same speed that a desktop has if you’re spending the same amount on both. A lot of money goes into making components portable and small when you’re talking about a laptop. So if you’re interested in a system that will work with this type of program, a desktop might be a better choice for you.With that said, the laptop I bought runs just as fast, if not faster, than the desktop I bought a year ago. I don’t use those CPU intensive programs, and maybe I’d notice it more if that was the case. But I don’t – so for me, the laptop doesn’t have any noticeable lags in this department. I didn’t buy the cheapest laptop in the store though. So it’s very important to look at the power behind a machine, ask the store reps, etc. to make sure the one you buy is powerful enough for your needs.
• Freedom - This seems to be a no-brainer at first! A laptop gives you so much more freedom. If you want to take your kids outside to play, you can bring your laptop outside and work. If you plan to go on vacation, you can choose to keep checking email with a laptop. Wanna head out to a friend’s house for the day, or just go downstairs and watch a TV show? A laptop keeps you connected.But wait! I think you’re seeing a pattern here, aren’t you? A laptop means you’re always connected, all the time. Always. And when you’re a home business owner, one of the big struggles is that it’s hard to separate yourself from the business. If you choose a laptop, you *can* take that laptop with you on vacation – and is that really needed?
• Clients - This is actually a very important consideration when you’re looking at your decision from a business point of view. If you start a business in which a client needs to look at programs you’ve developed, ask yourself if you want clients to come to you or if you want to go to clients. If the answer is ever going to clients, that makes your decision really easy – a laptop is best.There is another scenario though. If you only plan on going to clients once in a great while, consider asking someone else if you can borrow their laptop in the case you’d like to go meet with a client. Or better yet, partner up with someone else (anyone who knows me well knows I love partnering!) who has a laptop to double present. That way you keep your desktop but have access to the laptop if needed.
• Displays - If you’ve used a laptop before, you know how teeny the keyboard is (usually with no number pad) and how small and hard to read the monitor display is. Not to mention that the screen itself is way too low for the placement of the keyboard. It makes for a pretty difficult every-day scenario.Before you completely nix the laptop though, keep in mind that it’s usually very easy to connect an external monitor and keyboard to a laptop. So you can use the laptop just as you would a desktop, hooking all your equipment to it. Then when you want to go out, unplug all of those extras and take a cordless mouse with you.
• Kids - Here’s one the computer stores won’t mention. But when you’re a Mompreneur, it’s absolutely imperative that we take our kids into consideration when doing anything business related! The bottom line? Laptops are much, much more easy to ruin by dropping or spilling. As someone whose child just spilled some bubble stuff into my laptop while reaching over to turn Crazy Frog on, I can tell you that it’s a big concern when you have kids.The solution? Keep the laptop up high when you’re not using it. And no matter what else, do not ever, ever buy a laptop unless the store has a very aggressive spill policy! If you have kids, it’s going to happen. I don’t care if you have a very strict no-food-or-drink-in-the-office policy. It’s going to happen. Kids get sick, water globes break, things fall down, etc. And if it’s just a keyboard, you can replace it for twenty bucks. If it’s a laptop, you’ve got a thousand dollar item that needs replaced!

  One big plus with the laptop though is that you can close it when you’re not using it. This is a huge one for me! My daughter’s play area is in the back of the office, and there are times that I’ll be out of the office cooking or cleaning or going to a PTO event, and she’s in the play area by herself playing. She has her own computer, but it’s an older one and nowhere near as cool as the laptop, so she always wants to use mine. I can just set it on standby and snap it shut though, and I don’t have to worry about her getting into it. Yet. (She’s going to figure out the latch soon enough!)

So what did I pick? If you couldn’t guess, I picked a laptop for my needs. I really wanted to be outside while my daughter played in the back yard, and I wanted to be able to take my computer with me if I was meeting with clients. And because I can use an extra monitor and keyboard, and purchased a decent enough laptop with the power I needed and a good spill policy, I felt that was my best choice. I wouldn’t trade it – I doubt I could go back to a desktop at this point!

My brother, on the other hand, chose the desktop because he doesn’t want to be tied to the computer. This way he has one place that the computer lives, and he prefers ‘going to work’ instead of taking work with him. It also gives him a little more processing power for his graphic and movie programs, which is his most important need. We’ve already discussed working together should he need to go visit clients, since our businesses compliment each other but don’t compete.

In the end, the most important thing to do is to weigh all the pros and cons and decide on the best course of action for your particular needs. Keep in mind your lifestyle, your CPU/program needs and even your kids’ tendencies, and you should start noticing yourself leaning in one direction.

Susan

A few years back, I met a woman for coffee, and she made the comment that she was surprised to see a programmer with long hair who wore lipstick and earrings. I think that was the first time I really thought of my profession as more of a male-dominated job, one with certain stereotypes attached.

To me, programming is a natural extension of my professional me. When I started my business, I knew I wanted to work on web development, but web design just wasn’t playing to my strengths. But I love solving problems, and programming played to those interests. My parents always enforced the idea that I could do whatever I wanted in life, and I guess that thought carries over to my business today.

I couldn’t be happier with my path! It’s fun doing something that not a lot of other women do. I do often wonder why more women don’t get into programming though. It’s a great job that’s very much in demand – not only is there a huge need for good programmers, but other women owned businesses seem to really prefer hiring women programmers. And it’s a perfect outlet for a mom who loves puzzles and detail work. Plus it’s a great ‘in between’ kind of job – you can work fit this type of work in between your kids’ naps or hash out code while waiting in line at the bank.

With that said, I do tend to go out of my way to add the ‘girlie’ component into my in-person appearance, because it is so much harder for a techie mom to break the ‘computer programmers should be guys’ barrier. For instance, my office is bright pink with lots of colorful flowers and butterflies (my daughter and I picked out the decor together, since it doubles as a playroom!), and I use lots of pink and purple feather top pens and flowery, lacy notebooks at meetings. It’s a little over the top, sure. But those who aren’t very computer oriented tend to naturally bristle when you talk tech, and this puts people immediately at ease. You just can’t feel intimidated by a programmer who has a pink butterfly pen and glittery notebook, and that’s exactly what I’m going for.

I strongly recommend that anyone out there who thinks that they can’t start a certain business because it’s not generally one women start should think again! Find your passion and your best fit and go with it, regardless of whether it’s a field you normally think of as one for women. Then make it your own. You just might find that being a woman in a male dominated business is an asset, not a liability!

Susan