Venus

  • Laptop
  • Primary/mobile workstation
  • Venus is a late 2013, 13-inch MacBook Pro. Prior to Venus, I had always had a desktop as a primary computer, with a low-powered laptop to use if I couldn't be at my desk. However, my wife and I increasingly found after having children that it was becoming harder and harder to devote time to being at a desk while at home, and that it was frustrating to have two different computing profiles -- you couldn't necessarily do everything on the laptop that you were accustomed to doing on the desktop. So, we decided to make a major change and start using a powerful laptop as a primary computer. If we were able to be at the desk, then the laptop could be attached to a monitor/keyboard/mouse for comfort, and if we were away from the desk, then we'd have exactly the same computing power.
  • Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro was picked because it is a great blend of power and portability. It's able to handle all of the tasks our desktop used to do -- video editing, word processing, photo management, some software development -- but still be compact enough to easily carry around the house.
  • This laptop completely replaced my previous laptop, Beaker, and also replaced Clementine as our primary computer. However, Clementine, with her large 2TB hard drive, didn't retire, but rather shifted to being a file server.
  • This computer was originally obtained February 13, 2015.
  • On April 19, 2017, Venus had her keyboard, trackpad, battery, and upper case body replaced after accidental damage.
  • On May 11, 2020, this computer was replaced as my primary computer by Aurora, however Venus continued to be actively used as a secondary family computer.

 


All Components:

System

MacBook Pro 13-inch

History Added Notes
1. MacBook Pro 13-inch 2/13/2015
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-4288U @ 2.6 GHz
  • Display: 2560x1600 LED Retina display
  • Memory: 8GB
  • GPU: Intel Iris 5100
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • Wireless networking: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, BCM4360 3x3 chipset
  • Webcam: FaceTime HD 720
  • SDXC card slot
  • Connections: 2x USB 3.0, 2x Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, audio line out
  • Battery: 71.8 Wh
  •  

    Operating System

    macOS 10.12 Sierra

    History Added Notes
    1. Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite 2/13/2015
    2. Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan 10/9/2015
    3. macOS 10.12 Sierra 9/21/2016

     

    External Hard Drive

    Western Digital Elements 2TB hard drive

    History Date Added Origin Date Notes
    1. Western Digital Elements 2TB hard drive 5/5/2017
    • External hard drive, intended for use exclusively as a Time Machine backup
    • USB 3.0

     

    Keyboard (docked)

    None

    History Date Added Origin Date Notes
    1. Generic Dell Wired Keyboard 2/13/2015 3/12/2010
    • Inherited from Clementine, originally came with Scooter.
    • Model 0Y526K
    2. Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad 12/24/2015
    3. None 5/11/2020 Transitioned to Aurora

     

    Pointing device (docked)

    None

    History Date Added Origin Date Notes
    1. Logitech LX7 Cordless Laser Mouse 2/13/2015 12/26/2006 Inherited from Clementine, originally from Fozzie.
    2. Apple Magic Mouse 7/12/2015
    3. Apple Magic Trackpad 2 6/30/2017
    4. None 5/11/2020 Transitioned to Aurora

     

    Monitor (docked)

    None

    History Date Added Origin Date Notes
    1. Dell S2340M 23" 2/13/2015 2/25/2014
    • 1920 x 1080
    • LED backlight
    • IPS panel
    Inherited from Clementine.
    2. None 5/11/2020 Transitioned to Aurora

     

    Speakers (docked)

    None

    History Date Added Origin Date Notes
    1. Altec Lansing FX4021 2/13/2015 12/25/2008
    • Inherited from Clementine, originally from Fozzie
    • 2.1 sound system
    • 46 Watts total power
    2. Etekcity Roverbeats T3 11/11/2016
    • Bluetooth speaker
    3. Amazon Echo 2nd Generation 6/17/2018
    • Connected via Bluetooth
    4. None 5/11/2020 Transitioned to Aurora

     

    USB Hub (docked)

    None

    History Date Added Original Date Notes
    1. Tek Republic USB 3.0 4 Port Portable Hub 2/13/2015 12/26/2014
    • Inherited from Clementine
    • Model: TUH-300
    2. None 4/22/2017
    • Removed when dock setup no longer required more than 1 USB connection.