Build a Ballin’ Rig
00:00 - Introduction
We start out today with some small talk–or maybe short talk–about online meetings. We share our complicated experiences with meeting people in person after establishing relationships online or over the phone. We also share some speculations about how avatars may affect this in the future.
Then, of course, we express our affection for Bluey because… well, because he’s Bluey. Then things briefly take a dark turn as Tyler shares some of his own dog blues.
06:22 - Welcome, Ken
Ken is Director of AEC Alliances and Solutions at Dell. In this role, he leads strategy related to the construction industry, geospatial industry, and some parts of the manufacturing industry.
Ken’s background is more in software than in hardware. He brings the voice of the industry into the engineering groups to help them understand how Dell’s towers, laptops, and rugged hardware are used by people in industry.
Ken shares about his work with drafting–from 2D AutoCAD to floor designs. He walks us through the path he followed into Revit design work and training and eventually consultant work. He worked as a BIM solution owner for Kone, a Finnish elevator company.
Eddie asks about Kone elevators, and Ken geeks out in a way that reveals his detailer/designer roots.
13:28 - Tyler Goofs Up
Tyler raises the painful story about one of his recent interactions with Ken. It had to do with a rugged laptop that Ken graciously shared for a video shoot. Tyler decided to get kind of Tyler-ish with it and… Let’s just say Tyler pushed it too far. The laptop handled an amazing array of challenges. Then Tyler saw the 40,000-pound boom lift.
Tyler talks through the numerous other tests he conducted with the rugged laptop. Ken glosses over his request for a replacement laptop.
18:51 - A Broad Update
We ask Ken to bring us up-to-date on what’s going on in computer technology within the construction industry. He talks about the numerous demands on computers operating in the current landscape. He touches on the annual updates to internal hardware components. With a growing number of demanding software packages, these updates make noticeable differences.
We spend some time talking about AI integration and its effects on computer performance. This leads to a discussion about the NPU (neural processing unit) on Intel’s 14th-gen processors. Ken explains how this low-latency unit can help to conduct behind-the-scenes performance enhancements.
Tyler asks about reality capture and the use of AI with registration, stitching, and object classification. We get into some point-cloud talk and photogrammetry. Ken addresses the interplay among ISVs (independent software vendors) and computer companies. He also fesses up to using advanced features to make his house look clean during online meetings.
25:50 - Helping the Lost
Eddie raises the concern that many people feel overwhelmed or lost when choosing hardware that can meet the demands of their software. He also asks about battery life. Ken shares some scenarios related to battery consumption as well as the heat mitigation that affects computer performance.
We discuss the need for computer down-time–proactive or reactive–that was needed while using early versions of Revit and other demanding software. Ken shares some early-career stories about workloads growing because his boss saw the cool things that he could do in design software.
32:42 - Processor Talk: Core vs. Xeon
Tyler asks Ken to explain the difference between Core processors and Xeon processors. Ken explains that a Xeon processor is like a bus or a train that can get you and all of your friends to your destination reliably and quickly. A Core processor is like a Corvette, that can get just you and one friend to your destination, but will get you there really quickly. Ken also explains single-threading and multi-threading and how those things affect daily tasks.
Eddie asks for some specific advice on devices. Ken explains the Precision 3680 is the bulldog of the industry as far as tower workstations, and he suggests that you load up on as much RAM as possible. He also discusses the benefits of graphics cards, including some specific NVIDIA GPUs. As far as mobile units–especially for reality-capture specialists–he recommends the 7780 Precision laptop. We discuss additional component specifics
41:58: Where Are We?
Eddie asks if the industry is as far along as we think we are in computing. Ken discusses costs and processing power. Ken shares about the challenges of having an entire team that is properly trained and properly equipped to leverage the features that are out there. We also discuss how to cope with lacking IT support.
49:14: Megaphone Message
Ken wants the industry to know that you can’t just throw more software at new challenges without investing some time in knowing what hardware is required to make that software operate at its full potential.
Find Ken on LinkedIn
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