In the past, computers had blinking LED lights, noisy disks, and loud fans, which were considered “features” that helped developers identify performance issues. However, modern computers, like Macs, have become quieter and no longer have indicators, making it harder for developers to spot inefficiencies. The author gives examples of real-life situations where indicators would have been helpful, such as excessive logging, slow actions, and rogue background processes. To address this, the author recommends installing a performance monitor that shows CPU load, memory pressure, disk I/O throughput, and network traffic. They suggest iStat Menus for macOS but acknowledge the need for different solutions for remote development.
https://blogsystem5.substack.com/p/hard-disk-leds-and-noisy-machines