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What is Better for Programming? Laptop vs Desktop

May 28, 2017 By Nowitziki Nannes Leave a Comment

People keep on asking me –

Hey Nowitziki, What gives better value PC or laptop for programming and stuff?

Is laptop better than PC for programming? But I really like my desktop’s keyboard.

If you’re also lost into this dillema then I guarantee you that after reading this blog post you’ll be able to decide easily – whether laptop is perfect for your programming needs or you need a pc.

Before we start, I would insist you to make yourself some coffee and sit at your most favorite place, I just want you to be feeling relaxed.

Let’s start!

Desktop VS Laptop: A Battle From Programmer’s Perspective

First of all, take a time to think your requirements and needs. Consider below mentioned questions and answer to them are your main requirements to consider for deciding between PC and laptop for programming.

Where you’ll be using your computer?

While commuting? From your office? From your room at home? From your home office? At multiple places?

What you’ll be running on your computer?

Code editors? Local servers? Multiple operating systems? Movies? Games?

Number of users that will be using the new computer?

If its 1 (only you) then you’re fine otherwise you’ve to consider the requirements of other people as well.

How many years you’re expecting your computer to run?

Normally, 5 years is the time that most computers last, after that newer processors and other hardware completely take up on older ones.

Answers to the above 4 questions should help you to decide.

Now let me assume some most common answers and tell you what is right for such kind of people.

If you’re a kind of person who has to commute a lot then there are no other considerations for you. Just go and buy yourself a new laptop. Well, for other people who won’t be commuting they can choose between desktop and laptop. Now if you are the one who will be travelling but using the laptop from specific work spaces such as office and home desk then I would recommend for them a laptop because buying a seperate PC for both your workplaces will be costly and also it is better to manage the code on one computer rather than on multiple computers. So, for such people I recommend laptop for programming, let it be desktop type (17 inch).

Well, for those who can afford and take hassle of code transfer and stuff, PC is always the best.

Note – PC provides easy upgrading options. You can easily cut the cost of buying your next computer by upgrading your old PC.

Now taking 2nd question in consideration, you can run normal code editors on any computer but when it comes to multitasking in programming, you need to be picky. You’ll need a powerful CPU and even GPU according to programming you do. Also, RAM should be anywhere in between 8 – 16GB. Less than that is not acceptable according to me for doing coding and running multiple programs.

Now, laptop with these configuration will cost you anywhere in between $800 – $2000 or even high if you’re into VR game development or other similar things. And, for the $600 – $700, you can build a pretty great pc for yourself that can be beast for doing programming.

So, it’s up to you I would recommend you to go with PC if you’re on budget but if you are travelling a lot or you’re a student, laptop is must in that cases.

Uncomfortable keyboard

PC – Let’s change it.

Laptop – I can’t do that. Please manage!

We all have families. We all have to let our family members use our computer sometime or other. So, if you live in the family or an environment where computers are shared then apart from your programming requirements, you’ll also have to look at your colleagues or family member’s personal requirement.

In some cases, this may result into increase in overall cost and you may have to give up on your requirements to fulfill theirs because no one laptop is perfect and no laptops are built for your specific requirements.

So, what I would recommend here is buying a powerful laptop again if you have to use it from multiple locations or else get a home PC that can be shared with the family.

Last but not least, the span of years PC last is much more higher than of laptop. Why? PCs are upgradable. After 5 years you want to upgrade CPU of your computer? You can’t do that on laptop. You want more storage? Not every laptop supports that. Want more powerful GPU? No laptop yet allows GPU upgrade unless you’re buying external like Razer Core and using it with your Razer blade or other laptop via Thunderbolt port.

So, yeah! That’s pretty much it.

If you’re going with the laptop then don’t forget to checkout our article on best programming laptops. I think that after reading the points that I made in this blog post you’ll be able to decide on whether laptop or pc for your programming. Well, if you still can’t then comments section is always open for this post. Comment your requirements and I will do all the possible help to solve your problem.

As always, thank you for stopping by and keep visiting this blog for more programming tips.

Top 3 Best Home-Office Desks for Computer Programmers

April 29, 2017 By Nowitziki Nannes Leave a Comment

Any office whether its your home or corporate work place, for working with proper concentration and productivity, you need a proper chair and the desk that helps you maintain the right posture. While buying the proper desk for office especially for programming, you need to have a proper desk and in this post we shall run down to few of the best desks available for your home-office setup.

The best ergonomic desk for yourself should have proper height. I suggest the one that will keep your computer or laptop monitor right in front of your eyes i.e you don’t have to turn your eye balls or lean down or up your neck to watch what’s on screen.

Also, the keyboard area needs to be at the place such that your hands stay ‘L’ positioned. Same goes for your leg, your chair must have height that your leg stay perfectly positioned on the cushion area of the chair and stays inclined in ‘L’ shape and your back should stay straight at the same time. You can read more about how the programmer’s chair should be in this post.

For the best office desks, checkout the below listed desks that are presently best bang for bucks.

3 Best Desks for Programmer’s Office and Home Setup

Disclaimer – The below listed desks are my own personal opinions. I am in no ways responsible for your defected purchases or late deliveries.

#1 Altra Parsons Desk

Altra parsons desk is made up of good quality wood and it comes with the disaseembled legs and the top part in the shipment.

You’ll have to assemble the legs to the top part, to get it stand and ready for work. Don’t worry the process is pretty simple and all the instructions are explained in very well manner in the guide that comes with it.

You can either use this desk for your work or just for the stuff to keep on it. I recommend buying 2 of those for fitting in your large office. That would make the setup look really good and also comfortable to work for programming.

Coming to the drawer, it is the slider drawer with the wheels mechanism. Although its height is not adjustable, it should be good in terms of ergonomics for people with 5 to 7 inch of height. Ofcourse you can adjust height of your chair for better sitting posture.

The only con of this table is, it comes with no extra drawers other than the one for keyboard but the keyboard drawer is nice and roomy to keep other things (notebook or pen).

Well, this might be the best ready made easy to setup desk for your work but building one on your own gives you an opportunity to customize as per your requirements. Refer this article on lifehacker and get started with building your own desk for computers.

#2 Cabot L Shaped Desk

This desk is a cabot type desk with L shape (perfect for corners). This desk is a multi-purpose desk because it offers lot of compartments and also has a USB ports docking station built-in!

On the right side it has a shallow compartment to keep your files and it is perfectly sized to fit in your duffle bag. Below that there are 2 drawers one is a standard sized and another is a bigger one which can store all your pile of files and also you can keep it orgranized inside.

The middle part gives perfect room for your legs and you’ll feel very comfortable stretching your legs there.

On the left hand side, there’s a tray for all your gadgets to place. It is soft cloth covered tray which keeps all your devices safe and organized. Also you will find there the USB docking station to plug the chargers of your devices. Good thing is, the gadgets tray and docking station are placed at perfect place which keeps all your gadget wires away from your actual working area.

It also has a roomy compartment with the glass door to store your other things. This table does not have a seperate keyboard drawer but it provides enough room on top to settle your monitor and keyboard. Conclusively, this is the perfect L shaped table for your office with enough leg room to program comfortably in your office for longer time.

#3 South Shore Axess Collection Desk

This desk from south shore may not be the perfect choice for your office, but for your home-office, you can’t get any better desk than this.

The multiple compartments and seperate sliding drawer for keyboard makes it the best desk for programmers. Overall size of this desk is very small and hence it occupies very little space in your room. There are 2 open compartments to store your essentials and you get one standard size drawer to keep the things in safe. The desk area is pretty good to settle your computer monitor and CPU side by side. However you may have to adjust a little if you have a bigger display than 32 inches.

As I said earlier, it is the perfect desk for your home-office for programming, however you can also use it for keeping your books and place some showpieces on it as it also has an 2 level book shelf. For the price that it comes for, I think it provides the best value for the money and it is the best desk for people who are looking for compact sized adequately roomy desk for their home-office setup.

So these are my most recommended desks to the programmers. They are ergonomic, well-built and perfect for prolonged computer usage and keeping everything organized.

So, what desk are you going with? Have any other desks worth including? Feel free to leave the comment below…

Consider sharing this article on facebook, google + and twitter because sharing is caring!

Which are The Best Laptops for Programming?

April 19, 2017 By Mehboob Durrani Leave a Comment

Laptops are the basic need of a developer, Every programmer of this era wants a perfect computer but when it comes to the selection you should be keeping some specifics in your mind before buying or selection among which the most important thing is RAM. It plays an important and key role in the performance of the machine when the development is going on. RAM basically is the memory in which executed file is loaded by the CPU when the programmer run a code or action performed by the user so the machine must have enough random access memory so it could easily process and compile the code and show output.

After that what should be taken into account is the data storage capacity, The laptop which you are buying must have SSD (having big memory as per the user work) or for the second option HDD but of a good company or brand, The reason behind that it’s 100 times more faster than HDD as well as because of its durability. The HDD has moving parts and magnetic platters that means the more you use the more movement will happen which causes it to function improperly after a certain time but if you want a cheap cost hardware so you must go for a HDD. It’s less expensive. While SDD also have an advantage of a very low power usage therefore the battery life of the laptop with SSDs is more in compare to laptop with HDD.

The processing power also cannot be compromised at the time of selection. The laptop must have a core i7 or i5 at least processor for the best performance and accuracy(the processors are available in market in GHz, more the GHz more the power) else the laptop has an AMD processor.

All of the above are the technical aspects other than that the design, weight, the size of the screen are all the things which are something of the users choice but my suggestion is to buy a light weight laptop a one which is thin having 17” screen and soft keys. Following are some of the best laptops which I find suitable for the programmers.

6 Best Laptops for Programming in 2017

#1 HP ProBook 455

HP ProBook is a good machine of 15.6″ wide screen equipped with Quad Core AMD 1.8GHz processor with Radeon R6 Graphics. It has enough data storage capacity of 1 TB HDD 7200 rpm and SDRAM of 16GB DDR3 as well as a good battery backup of 7-hours. Other than this DVD Burner, WLAN, USB 3.0, HDMI options are also given with a webcam and Bluetooth 4.0. Its a great laptop for the business professionals as it can also be used for programming very efficiently. Operating system for this laptop is windows 10. This is a best laptop for programming in $500 budget.

#2 ASUS ZenBook 2017 New Model

ASUS ZenBook is a Ultra slim Laptop with 7th generation Intel CPU. Its a very fast and durable intel i5 laptop having an processor of 2.5 GHz and RAM of 8GB DDR3. It has a 256GB flash memory solid state drive. A very light weight machine and easy to carry. ZenBook has features like backlit keyboard so that you can code at night and when it comes to sound Harman Quad Speakers are included and they have a very good sound. Other features includes HDMI/D-SUB/USB Type C, 802.11a/c WiFi, and SD Card Reader. Its a Sleek and light weight 4.0 lbs aluminum body laptop for comfortable portability. Operating system is Windows 10 installed in this machine which makes it support all software for programming.

#3 Lenovo ThinkPad E560 Laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad E560 is 15.6 Inch HD-Notebook. It’s perfectly designed for programmers. Its a i7 intel laptop with 2.5 Ghz processor having 500 GB HDD and 8 GB RAM. It has a memory speed of 1600 MHz speed and it’s battery backup is 9 hours which is a very good backup time. Thinkpad has 3 USB 2.0 ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports. Other than this Bluetooth and Fingerprint Reader is also provided as it’s additional feature. Windows 7 Pro 64 bit is an operating system which is preinstalled on it. It is a good choice for the programmers to make as well as Lenovo is a good name in the IT industry on which one can trust while buying it’s product. Telling in general, Lenovo Thinkpad e560 is a very good business laptop and because it has comfortable to type keyboard, powerful performance and good display, it is worth to count this laptop in the list of best laptop for programming. Also, it has very enduring build quality which will make this laptop also perfect for students.

#4 Apple MacBook Pro 2016 New Model

Apple MacBook pro is a powerful laptop with more speed and accuracy ever. It is a very light weight machine with brighter and most colorful display ever with 13.3″ screen. The laptop has 2GHz Intel core i5 processor with 8 GB LPDDR3 RAM and for data storage capacity a 256 GB SSD is included in this laptop. Apple has made this laptop more better by making it’s power source more efficient, battery backup of MacBook Pro is 10-hours. This laptop would be a good choice for the people who are doing software development and core programming.

#5 Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4 Laptop

It is a 7th Generation Intel Laptop. Aspire E15 make itself unique because of its 15.6″ Full HD Widescreen Comfy View LED-backlit display supporting Acer Color Blast technology, having a 2.5 GHz core i5 processor with 8GB RAM makes it more powerful and fast. Data storage capacity of Aspire E15 is 256GB solid state drive. Windows 10 is preinstalled in this laptop. Acer has make this latop a good package by adding a graphics coprocessor NVIDIA Geforce 940MX. Other than these more option have been given like 8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive (M-DISC enabled), Secure Digital (SD) card reader, Acer True Harmony High-Performance Sound System which is upto the mark, Two Built-in Stereo Speakers, 802.11ac Wi-Fi featuring MU-MIMO technology, Bluetooth 4.1, Gigabit Ethernet, Built-In HD Webcam (1280 x 720) supporting High Dynamic Range (HDR), 1 – USB Type-C port: USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps), 2 – USB 3.0 Ports (One with Power-off Charging), 1 – USB 2.0 Port, 1 – HDMI Port with HDCP support, when it comes to power source Acer is good in that they have included 6-cell Li-ion battery (2800 mAh), up to 12-hours battery life which is way good than other. Sure for short its a good laptop for a programmer to use.

#6 Alienware AW15R3 Laptop

This is a 6th generation intel laptop having an 15.6 inch FHD IPS Anti-Glare Display [FHD]. Alienware has given this laptop very powerful specs than ever, having a 3.5 GHz core i7 processor makes it very faster. Programmers cannot have a better choice than this. It processes up things quicker than ever because of it’s 16GB DDR4 RAM. In this laptop for data storage capacity 1TB HDD as well as 128 SSD is given which is very good enough. Its graphics co-processor is NVIDIA GTX 1060 which is an intense graphics card. Alienware 15 is capable of producing high-end VR experiences. Windows 10 is installed as an operating system for this high performance laptop for programming and gaming. This laptop is also very good choice for college students because they are only people who are generally have desire of playing games along with little coding. So, if you want then alienware 15 is good choice of laptop for information technology/computer science student also.

For the people trying to make a good setup for their office where they code. I recommend checking out our guide to get best keyboards and also chair. We will soon publish the guide for desk and other stuff. Till then you can checkout this video to see how desks of programmers around the world looks like.

Every user has a different need in aspect of technology so when to choose or buy something one should have core knowledge for it. I suggest that programmer or a gamer first do a little research that what they want and by what things they will get the complete package as per their need in short for programmers while buying a laptop four things they should be focusing on are RAM, Processor, hard disk and battery backup. These are the things needs to be very much powerful while you are doing programming.

Featured image – Forbes

Programmer’s Guide to Buy the Best Keyboards for Programming of 2017

April 14, 2017 By Mehboob Durrani Leave a Comment

The selection of peripheral devices are always not very much considered while choosing or selecting them. Especially keyboards, if we talk about mouse so relatively it might be something which is considered but when it comes to keyboard it’s like that we have to type from it so we can take any of it of a good brand ignoring the things which should be considered. However anything that we are going to buy must be after some research we have done for it. Same goes for keyboard for programming.

Today I’ll give you some good info related to a keyboard that will be used mainly by the programmers. It will be helpful to you while buying one for your desk. There are different type of keyboards as well as having different type of layouts like QWERTY,AZERTY,QWERTZ,HCESAR. These layouts are based on the arrangements of keys just like a QWERTY keyboard has the arrangement of keys of letters in the first row of alphabets are like Q ,W,E,R,T,Y. Types of keyboards varies with the features in it. Now First of all you should have an idea that while choosing a keyboard for programming what are the key things you must take into account.

Key things to check while buying a keyboard for programming…

Size
Design
Wireless or Wired
Connector type
Membrane keys or Mechanical keys

Size –

Keyboards are available in different sizes in the market. We should choose the size as per our need , It also depends what you like most some people get their self comfortable using mini keyboards and some people like to have big keyboards with big keys. The mechanical keyboard with bigger size is our favorite and best go-to choice for programming.

Design –

Design of a machine or a device you are working with is very much important. In keyboards technologist have given this device an ergonomic design. Now, what is an Ergonomics?

It’s a science which involves the design engineering of the products use by the human beings in their daily work routine of any field. It’s also known as human factors engineering. Products which are not ergonomic design based can cause fatigue, stress or sometime injury. – Wikipedia.

Well, as far as Keyboards are concerned they are available in very good ergonomic designs and I suggest that it would be a best choice for a programmer to buy this type of keyboard the reason behind it is because these guys spent much time on computer so if they will not use appropriate thing so that would definitely cause or effect their health in a longer run. But if you are a random user and does not spend much time on computer so you can look into other design as well which are not ergonomic but have a good design to work with comfort and ease.

Wireless or Wired?

Wireless keyboards are very common now a days. They work on the principle of radio frequency (RF), Infra Red(IR), Bluetooth for connectivity. It communicates using signal which ranges from 27MHz up to 2.4 GHz. It’s a portable device so that you can work with ease in any position no matter lying on the couch you can easily manage as far as you’re in the range.

The main benefit of wireless keyboard is they create less clutter as compare to the wired keyboard. Other than the advantages of mobility, portability and lack of clutter there are many disadvantages also. These keyboards have less functionality for the users who types at a faster speed rate. They faces problems using it, Else it’s not a plug and play device you first need to install its software and then configure it (only applicaple in few cases). Batteries are a sort of worry for the users which uses these keyboards either they are normal lithium batteries but the user have to take care of changing them or charging them on time. The another thing to consider is, wireless keyboards have lesser number of variants compared to wired keyboards. There might be a case when you find a very good wired keyboard but that same type of keyboard isn’t available in wireless!

Connector Type –

When you are buying a keyboard, you should know which type of connector you will be needing to plug it in. For that you just have to look on the back of your PC or the ports of your device in which you are going to attach your keyboard. Usually 4-pin USB connectors are used in new and latest computers and laptops but some older ones might have 5-pin DIN connector or 6-pin PS/2 connector.

Mechanical or Membrane Keyboard?

The term mechanical keyboards simply means that keyboards which has switches under the keys for sending the signal to PC are called mechanical keyboards. Today the technology is advanced and membrane keyboards are available in which there are pressure pads under each key which you press, they have a flat surface board which has printed as per the keyboard layout. Every time you press a key it exerts a pressure through the pad on the print and signal is transmitted. It depends on you that what you like mechanical or the one with the membrane. Some people like mechanical keyboards because they get a satisfying sound while pressing a key as compare to membrane which is a very quite keyboard. So it depends which one you like it. Performance of both are fine.

Some of the good keyboards which we found good and appropriate for programmers are listed below. I have also mentioned the one that I personally love and use for programming.

Top 5 best keyboards for programming/programmers

#5 Logitech K350 2.4Ghz Wireless Keyboard

Logitech has always given its best in products when it comes to peripheral devices. K350.2 is an ergonomic designed keyboard , a big one wavy design giving hands the space to adjust. Taking ease and comfort into account a cushioned palm is provided to make users to use their hand and can rest on it. Most importantly it has a longer battery life estimated three years that is a very good life of a battery. Additional feature includes Logitech unifying receiver which stays in your notebook, so there ‘s no need to unplug it when you are away or not using it. As a wireless keyboard all useful features are provided. This keyboard is an ultra-ergonomic keyboard which is best for programming or for anyone who spends more time in typing.

#4 Anzio Large Print Tri-Color Backlit Wired Black Keyboard

Azio Wired Keyboard is a good choice for those who people work usually in low light. It has large printed keys lightened up so that one cannot have any sort of eye strain. Additional features includes multimedia and quick access hotkeys. It’s a plug and play device having a cord of 5ft. The User also have choice of changing the color of the light to red , blue or purple based on preference and surroundings. Shortcut keys make its way easy to navigate your favorite programs. AZIO’s KB505U is a great way to work on your home or office while adding much needed functionality and readability.

For troubleshooting purposes :

1. Unplug the USB Transceiver.

2. On the keyboard, press and hold L.SHIFT and ESC. The Blue LEDs should start flashing.

3. Insert the USB Transceiver into the computer.

This should reset the keyboard to factory defaults and then you can again customize it as per your choice.

#3 Earth Mechanical Feel Wired Keyboard

This keyboard of Emarthtech is a great gaming tool for the gamers as well as programmers having so much heavy features is suitable for programming also. Emarthtech has designed this keyboard as per Ergonomic standards so that the user can work with ease and in a very comfortable way. Backlit options has also been provided to be used when the person is in a dim or low light. One can change the color of the light, having options of seven lights as well as darkening or brightening the light make it more wonderful. Letters are printed in bigger size clearly. It has one hundred and four Normal keys, Nineteen non-conflict and twelve hot-keys, four joystick movement keys, a big space bar as well as a concave key cap. It gives the user experience of a mechanical keyboard. It has suspension key cap and sounds clear tone. It’s a plug and play device, no need of installing any sort of software. It works with every operating system and computer.

#2 TeckNet Gryphon LED Illuminated Programmable Gaming Keyboard

TechNet Gryphon keyboard is a complete package for gaming as well as for programmers. It is a water resistant high performance ergonomically designed keyboard enabling user to have an enormous experience while gaming. Gryphon has an aggressive design and it’s a illuminated keyboard giving backlit option in which lights can be changed into three different colors as well as brightness can be adjusted. Multiple multimedia controls are available. Nineteen keys are calibrated to prevent anti-ghosting. Ten programmable keys are on command. Game/Desktop mode is given for the gamers it disable the windows and contacts menu keys so that game is not interrupted. It has a US keyboard Layout. Furthermore additional features includes WASD keys that can swap functions. It’s a suitable Wired keyboard with 1.5m USB cable cord for Windows XP, Vista , 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.

#1 Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for Business

Well what can we say about Microsoft. We all know they have always given the best of the best in the market. The Microsoft 4000 keyboard can set as an example of a very perfect ergonomic design, Approved by different professional Ergonomists as its name says it’s actually a very natural type of design one can feel when rest hand on this perfect thing. It can give you better support with the plush palm rest and lift which will get your wrist position in a relaxed mode, one having a natural angle with the keyboard’s curved key bed ,ergonomic arc and reversed slope. Giving the forearm position makes it more ergonomic .The keyboard have multimedia keys for music and video control. It also comes with a hot key support with sufficient amount of programmable switches and it also supports all the variants from Windows XP to Windows 10 operating systems. All I can say is that it’s a perfect keyboard for a programmer to make for the stressful and hectic work load they have in their lives. I personally use this keyboard and would recommend it to all of you. It does take little time to get use to its controls and layout but after that it makes typing very comfortable.

Conclusion

I have concluded that Keyboard is such a device that must be taken or chosen as per need of yours. If you are a gamer so there is a variety of gaming keyboards available in the market with different additional features and very good designs. If you are a programmer so you must take a keyboard with ergonomic design because that is the most important and effective feature of it. An ergonomic design Keyboard has a shape which give you ease to type and adjust your hands and fingers. It become less stressful and gives comfort to a longer programming times. Furthermore there are some other keyboards which are not ergonomic but have a good design to work with comfort and ease design is an especial feature for the people who types very much. Other than that one can see the multimedia features the soft keys, internet etc.

If you like this post then do share it with your friends on facebook and twitter. You can comment in comments section below and discuss about the different programming keyboards there.

SDO Available in PHP

April 10, 2017 By Nowitziki Nannes Leave a Comment

Published on developerworks, an excellent article introducing Service Data Objects in PHP.

SDO is IBMs proposed norm/standard to fold object trees from a server and send them to a client. There is a Javascript implementation (Javascript SDO), used in their JavaScript browser framework. But SDO is also being used in Lotus WorkPlace (Rich Client Platform / Eclipse).

What is SDO?

SDO is an implementation of the Active Record Design Pattern. SDO is not meant to remplace JDO or an O/R framework. Its at a lower level than JDO or EJB3. JDO, EJB3, Hibernate and others are layer oriented (domain layer), while SDO could be used as a Value Object to communicate between the layers.

The concept is a bit like :

folding object trees in the NatSTAR Client/Server CASE (fr=AGL)
using WDDX (Web Dynamic Data Exchange) to send data structure to the client browser and back in Adobes ColdFusion Application server (formerly Macromedia / formerly ColdFusion)

Why use SDO in PHP?

Backed by ZEND and IBM
Reduced database overhead
Single API for data
Knowledge of the structure

Among the features :

XPath-ish API to traverse the data
lazy loading is possible (dunno if IBMs implementation does this)
disconnected DataSets

SDO has been submited to standardization commitees but its only one of a number of different proposed techniques.

WDDX (which was pushed by ColdFusion) is for instance a norm but, to my humble knowledge, no one uses it except CF programmers.

Abstract :

Service Data Objects (SDOs) have been around in the Java™ technology world since November 2003. They are designed as a means of simplifying and unifying working with heterogeneous data sources. In February 2005, IBM and Zend announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on the development and support of the PHP environment. One aspect of this collaboration has been the definition and implementation of SDOs for PHP. This article gives an overview of SDOs and the motivations for using them in the PHP environment. A simple contact management scenario is used to illustrate key concepts.