I take my dev server and my workstation everywhere with me in a single small backpack.
My “dev server” is an intel macbook that dual-boots Linux and OSX. My workstation is a windows laptop. Most of my work is done with the macbook booted into Linux and my windows laptop running an SSH client that I use to write all my code on the linux/macbook. I do this because most of my users run Windows and I can write code in my ssh client and test immediately on Firefox, IE7, IE6 (using Virtual PC) and Opera. I also do graphic design in Fireworks on my windoze laptop.

So most of the time my macbook sits quietly in the corner and plays server, unless I need to boot into OSX to test something in Safari.

On my recent road trip I needed to do some dev and the wireless network at the hotel had a firewall set up so that one machine on the wireless network could not connect to another machine on the same network. So my windows laptop couldn’t connect to my macbook server.

I had two ethernet cables with me and no hub. So I googled how to make a crossover cable to connect the two laptops directly to each other using a single ethernet cable and no hub.

I started cutting up one of the cables with my leatherman and after I’d stripped the insulation off but right before I’d cut the first wire, just for the hell of it I plugged the cable into the two machines without it being crossed over.

…and it worked.

I couldn’t believe it. Finally someone has designed an ethernet port that auto-detects if it needs to be in crossover or regular mode. As far as I can tell it’s the macbook that’s doing this piece of pure genius.

So now I have a half trashed crossover cable – but it still works – and I can connect my dev workstation and “server” directly to each other with any old ethernet cable.

Sometimes Apple sucks. But sometimes they well and truly rock!!