A week of ups and downs
Written on March 27, 2020 by Kelly ShipmanThis was a pretty wild week. Well… as wild as being stuck at home writing code can be.
Adjusting to Working from Home - William in Labs
Written on March 26, 2020 by William GeorgeThis is the first entry in a series of blog posts from various folks here at Puget Systems, showing how each of us are coping with the changes to our normal life and work routines during the COVID-19 quarantine. In this installment, William George shows his work-from-home setup and talks about the struggle to focus on work in the midst of a family of five.
Working Remotely Part 2
Written on March 22, 2020 by Brett NordquistNearly seven years ago, I began working remotely when I moved my family from Auburn, Washington to St. George, Utah. I knew a few people who worked from home, but the practice wasn't as accepted by in 2013 as it is today. Given my background in software, I spent a few weeks researching the tools that I'd need to make the transition to a home office. That I worked for a tech-savvy manager and owner at Puget Systems, helped immensely, and both showed a lot of patience as I worked through gathering the right hardware and software tools to do my job.
Making the benchmark more flexible
Written on March 20, 2020 by Kelly ShipmanWith much of the scripting done, I turn my attention to making the benchmark somewhat customizable.
The Search for Scripts Continues
Written on March 13, 2020 by Kelly ShipmanAfter a couple weeks of smooth sailing, things get a bit rocky.
Puget Systems Response to Coronavirus
Written on March 10, 2020 by Jon BachThe spread of COVD-19 is having significant impact on our company, and the computer industry as a whole. In this post, I'll fill you in on what's happening, and what we are doing to mitigate the impact, and keep YOU up and running!
Scripting in 3ds Max
Written on March 6, 2020 by Kelly ShipmanThis week we continue the development of a new benchmark and dive into scripting within 3ds Max
Developing a New 3ds Max Benchmark
Written on February 28, 2020 by Kelly ShipmanAn ongoing series on creating a benchmark, from inception to completion. This week, identifying areas of 3ds Max that hardware creates slowdowns or bottlenecks.
3D Artist Joins the Labs Team
Written on February 25, 2020 by Kelly ShipmanAs the newest member of the Puget Systems Labs team, I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself and give a brief glimpse into what we have planned.
I run both Lightroom and Photoshop, which hardware should I choose?
Written on February 24, 2020 by Jeff StubbersPuget Systems lists Recommended Systems for Photoshop, and Recommended Systems for Lightroom. This is great when you are just running one of those programs, but which hardware should I use if I run both Lightroom & Photoshop?
New CPU Announcement: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Written on November 14, 2019 by William GeorgeAMD has launched the top-end model in their 3rd gen Ryzen processor family, a 16-core processor named Ryzen 9 3950X! We've tested it across a wide range of real-world applications, and are very excited about being able to offer this CPU in our workstations after AMD releases it for sale November 25th, 2019.
Real world benchmarks are about more than just competing for big numbers
Written on November 8, 2019 by Matt BachOver the last year, we have been hard at work improving, polishing, and making our internal benchmarks available to the general public. But why are we spending so much effort on this project? After all, this kind of development takes a significant amount of time, and is often much harder to do than you might realize since most applications are not made to be used in this manner.
Will Artificial Intelligence End up Replacing Creatives?
Written on November 5, 2019 by Matt BachAt events like Adobe MAX, NAB, or SIGGRAPH, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is always a hot topic. Creatives love what it is already doing to speed up or enhance their work, but there is almost always an underlying fear that one day, AI will replace them. Is that a valid worry, or is AI just a fad that will pass?
Samsung SSD Speed Comparison
Written on October 29, 2019 by William GeorgeOur systems have moved to almost entirely to solid-state drives (SSDs) for primary storage, making our old video looking at hard drive vs SSD boot times rather outdated. But are all of the SSDs we use equal, or are there benefits to one over another for typical computer usage? We compared four of the Samsung models we carry to see how they compare in boot up, file copy, and application launch times.
Rethinking SaaS
Written on October 25, 2019 by Brett NordquistI had an experience with Office 365 that's made me reconsider how I feel about the SaaS (software as a service) model. When Microsoft began offering Office as a subscription, I jumped at the opportunity. The idea of paying a reasonable monthly fee in exchange for the latest version and features seemed like a great deal.
Windows 10 Training Options
Written on September 22, 2019 by Brett NordquistI spend a good portion of my time speaking with customers. Many times, they just recently took delivery of their new computer, and they are getting acquainted with it. For some, this is their first experience with Windows 10 because they came from the Mac or an older version of Windows. One question I get asked often is: Where can I find good training on Windows 10?
Spending More
Written on August 30, 2019 by Brett Nordquist"What do I get if I spend more?" This question comes up quite frequently when I'm speaking with customers, especially if they are considering upgrading from an older computer. I believe most people are referring to "more" performance, but that's not always the case.
RSS is Still Alive
Written on August 9, 2019 by Brett NordquistIf you stick around long enough, you'll recognize that many technologies come and go without a lot of fanfare. That has certainly been t he case when it comes to online news consumption.
How Customer Feedback Makes Us Better
Written on June 3, 2019 by Brett NordquistAt Puget Systems, we have both formal and informal avenues by which we collect feedback from our customers. In terms of informal feedback, customers speak to sales and support staff on a daily basis and often share their experiences about our people and products. Feedback like this might be shared with the team or escalated to a manager if there's an issue to which we need to react.
New Photogrammetry Benchmarks
Written on May 3, 2019 by William GeorgeWe have published three new benchmarks for photogrammetry applications. Whether you use Pix4D, Metashape (formerly PhotoScan), or RealityCapture we now have a utility you can use to measure and compare system performance. These benchmarks will be featured in upcoming articles from our Labs department, so check them out and see how your workstation stacks up!
However Long It Takes
Written on April 26, 2019 by Brett NordquistFresh out of college, I entered the workforce with a lot of enthusiasm, energy and the assumption that my education had taught me everything I needed to succeed. It didn't take long for me to realize I had a lot to learn, and that began one morning when my first manager called me into his office.
Puget Systems' Production Process
Written on April 4, 2019 by AshleyHave you ever wondered happens during our Production process? I'm here to give you a high-level overview of what we do!
When a deal is not a deal
Written on March 30, 2019 by Jeff StubbersDuring a recent computer component purchase, I learned that purchasing isn't just about acquiring a product. You are creating relationships. Even if they may be micro-relationships, they are relationships all the same. So you just have to determine which type you wish to have.
Earning a Customer
Written on March 24, 2019 by Brett NordquistI took my Honda Odyssey into have its oil changed last week. Within a mile, I have a choice of no less than five quick lube and oil shops. My selection often comes down to which shop has the shortest wait time.
Big Enough
Written on March 3, 2019 by Brett NordquistDuring a recent discussion with an engineer who was considering having us build him a workstation, he made a comment about our company: "You're big enough, but not too big."