My 'Big PC'

Sometimes I need to step up to the next level and use a desktop PC:

• Some development tools are not available for my Android system architecture (AArch64), namely Garmin Connect IQ tools and a small part of Flutter (which I use to develop Android apps)
• It’s useful to connect other devices via USB to test software on a real device (eg my Garmin watch) during development (while it may be possible to do this on Android in some cases using USB On-The-Go and wireless connections, there are likely to be parts of it that are very difficult or impossible)
• While learning completely new things, tutorials and guides will usually presume you’re using desktop software — matching their environment can ease the process

So I also have a small form-factor desktop PC, a Beelink SER4. It’s tiny, silent (after I modded the fan) and draws <10W during my average usage.

• Ryzen 7 4800U
• 32GB RAM
• Couple of SSDs
• 20V power input, meaning it fits in with my wiring setup without any extra adapters

• Beelink SER4

I have it stuck underneath a storage cabinet with velcro . It has no display, keyboard or mouse attached, so I continue using my Android tablet as a display, remote controlling the desktop via VNC (using AVNC). That way I carry on using my preferred trackball, keyboard and the OLED tablet display that I enjoy so much.

The SER4 is running Void Linux. Void is great, and it can do anything any other Linux can do, but it is quite niche, and sometimes things need to be done in different ways. So I have an Ubuntu virtual machine too, plus some other VMs like Windows and MacOS for occasional testing.

Update: Now I use Proxmox, info coming soon