So I'm sitting here doing a bit of window shopping as is my normal routine when sick. First I started out by looking at a complete overhaul, i5 to i7 and a a new GPU etc. Thankfully I realised that is a stupid idea and I could spend some money else where, eg SSD or UPS which are two things I really want (apart from an iPad). The problem with the SSD is the small capacity and the fact it gives me a headache thinking about how to install all the programs and games etc on two separate hdd, which is the suck.
So now I am onto UPS, which is making more sense as I read into it. Basically everyone needs one.
Calculate how much power you need
PC 750
Monitor 100
Modem 10
Router 10
External HDD 20
Total 890
+20% = 1068
These figures are quite rough as I guessed. So for my computer I am going to need something quite powerful. For the HTPC I have worked out it is drawing about 230w, but I'm pretty sure I put a 650w PSU in it. In any case I just need it to last maybe 5 mins while I switch the power back on in the box.
Showing posts with label Computer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Computer. Show all posts
Input Devices
The case situation is not progressing as they all look crap and cost more than the cosmos, so fuck that.
The input situation is looking a bit better. Here are the contenders
Keyboard: Logitech DiNovo Edge
Mouse: Logitech Air
Remote: Logitech Harmony One
As you can see I like logitech and infact I have a fair bit of Logitech kit already. However the reason for this is they are the best in each of the catagories.
The DiNovo edge is wafer thin, looks awesome so it wont mess up the 'look' of the lounge room and has a built in track pad so no need for a mouse when surfing the internets from the couch. I could have gone with a smaller keyboard such as the DiNovo Mini, but that would make typing difficult, but for general search and small amounts of input I can see how that could work. It also has more media buttons.
The Air mouse is quite simply an engineering marvel. It does not use IR, but very accurate gyroscopes. The fact that its 2 mice in one is also very cool as you can use it like a normal mouse but also wave it around like a Wiimote to control your computer. Fucking A.
The Harmony One is IR only (no RF, you need the 900 or the 1100 for that) but it has one click functions. So say you want to watch a movie on the HTPC it turns on the and goes to the settings required (picks the input) and turns off devices not required. It also has a docking station to keep it charged up.
I haven't actually purchased these items as yet so will do a full review when I get them. But these are my current choices. The Air mouse is overkill, but its the only situation I can think of to buy one in and I really really want one (check YouTube for some awsome vids).
The input situation is looking a bit better. Here are the contenders
Keyboard: Logitech DiNovo Edge
Mouse: Logitech Air
Remote: Logitech Harmony One
As you can see I like logitech and infact I have a fair bit of Logitech kit already. However the reason for this is they are the best in each of the catagories.
The DiNovo edge is wafer thin, looks awesome so it wont mess up the 'look' of the lounge room and has a built in track pad so no need for a mouse when surfing the internets from the couch. I could have gone with a smaller keyboard such as the DiNovo Mini, but that would make typing difficult, but for general search and small amounts of input I can see how that could work. It also has more media buttons.
The Air mouse is quite simply an engineering marvel. It does not use IR, but very accurate gyroscopes. The fact that its 2 mice in one is also very cool as you can use it like a normal mouse but also wave it around like a Wiimote to control your computer. Fucking A.
The Harmony One is IR only (no RF, you need the 900 or the 1100 for that) but it has one click functions. So say you want to watch a movie on the HTPC it turns on the and goes to the settings required (picks the input) and turns off devices not required. It also has a docking station to keep it charged up.
I haven't actually purchased these items as yet so will do a full review when I get them. But these are my current choices. The Air mouse is overkill, but its the only situation I can think of to buy one in and I really really want one (check YouTube for some awsome vids).
HTPC
I have decided that it is time to make a home theatre PC. Not that I have a hometheater, far from it, as can be evidenced by the SD plasma and PS2 running as the DVD player.
In any case I want to be able to watch TV on the couch. The second reason is my gigantic case is actually running out of room and I need another computer to stash some more storage space into.
I have done a lot of research and have decided on intel because its going to be cooler and therefore need less fans, better sound and they just 'feel' more reliable than AMD's.
Proposed Parts:
All this will cost me around $500, which is a good starting budget, I know these sorts of projects tend to get quite costly over the long run so I don't want to blow my budget on the initial purchase.
I was going to put all my HDD in the one box, but then realised that running 10+HDD whilst trying to watch a movie is not going to work. So I will need to build a server, which I will build after setting up the HTPC.
To save some money I will initially use some old parts:
At the beginning I am going to use an old wired Keyboard & Mouse, obviously I will need to purchase a wireless set and a remote. Having looked into the items that I desire this is going to cost me an additional $500 on input devices alone. So I will have to work out their importance and buy them in that order.
I think the first major upgrade will have to be the case as I suspect my Mum in particular will be dissatisfied with having a noisy beige box sitting in the lounge room. There is no budget for the case as its going to be the ‘face’ of the show and is what will sell the idea.
I realise its going cost a lot of money but once setup it will be pretty awesome and hopefully should last quite a while.
In any case I want to be able to watch TV on the couch. The second reason is my gigantic case is actually running out of room and I need another computer to stash some more storage space into.
I have done a lot of research and have decided on intel because its going to be cooler and therefore need less fans, better sound and they just 'feel' more reliable than AMD's.
Proposed Parts:
- Intel i3 530 $140
- Gigabyte H55M-S2H $100
- Corsair Select Value DDR3 1x2gb $70
- WD 2TB green $180
- Wifi Card $45
All this will cost me around $500, which is a good starting budget, I know these sorts of projects tend to get quite costly over the long run so I don't want to blow my budget on the initial purchase.
I was going to put all my HDD in the one box, but then realised that running 10+HDD whilst trying to watch a movie is not going to work. So I will need to build a server, which I will build after setting up the HTPC.
To save some money I will initially use some old parts:
- Case
- PSU
- DVD drive
- HDD
At the beginning I am going to use an old wired Keyboard & Mouse, obviously I will need to purchase a wireless set and a remote. Having looked into the items that I desire this is going to cost me an additional $500 on input devices alone. So I will have to work out their importance and buy them in that order.
I think the first major upgrade will have to be the case as I suspect my Mum in particular will be dissatisfied with having a noisy beige box sitting in the lounge room. There is no budget for the case as its going to be the ‘face’ of the show and is what will sell the idea.
I realise its going cost a lot of money but once setup it will be pretty awesome and hopefully should last quite a while.
Windows 7
I have been playing around with Windows 7 in a virtual machine for a little while and it does seem better than vista. Its still a major change from XP, the aero does nothing for me. The start button is actuall a lot more usefull and you nolonger need to short and keep it clean as you can just search and the programs you use the most will come up first anyway.
It seems quite fast, a few things are a bit more hidden and somethings are rearranged vs xp, but mostly its pretty intuative from xp once you get used to the layout. Alot of nice improvements re: task bar. with the ability to pin programs to it, so the quick launch is gone, but its a nice feature and its a lot easier to move stuff around and pin stuff and unpin, so you change your work enviroment very quickly to suit what you are doing. The system try is nice and quiet and can be made to be silent. As apposed to vista which was a source of constant annoyance. The problem with MS is that they advertised vista as the second comming, it was not. And its a pattern. 95 vs 98, 3 years difference but availability wise probably only 2. 2000 vs xp, only 2 years. Its been 2 years since vista and win 7 will be released in a few months. XP is VERY simmarly to 2000. Win 7 is very simmilar to vista, but it just works significantly better.
It seems quite fast, a few things are a bit more hidden and somethings are rearranged vs xp, but mostly its pretty intuative from xp once you get used to the layout. Alot of nice improvements re: task bar. with the ability to pin programs to it, so the quick launch is gone, but its a nice feature and its a lot easier to move stuff around and pin stuff and unpin, so you change your work enviroment very quickly to suit what you are doing. The system try is nice and quiet and can be made to be silent. As apposed to vista which was a source of constant annoyance. The problem with MS is that they advertised vista as the second comming, it was not. And its a pattern. 95 vs 98, 3 years difference but availability wise probably only 2. 2000 vs xp, only 2 years. Its been 2 years since vista and win 7 will be released in a few months. XP is VERY simmarly to 2000. Win 7 is very simmilar to vista, but it just works significantly better.
WAH WAH WAH!!!
The tech guy on the channel 7 morning show was briefing us on how the internet will fill up by 2012. That’s right the internet will be so full it will grind to a halt… Does this sound familiar… Sounds like a similar article released on 1 April 2009.
So now there is going to be a significant number of Australians who are going to start printing out wikipedia. Guess what, people at work are now genuinely concerned about this… If there is a god, please end it now.
So now there is going to be a significant number of Australians who are going to start printing out wikipedia. Guess what, people at work are now genuinely concerned about this… If there is a god, please end it now.
File Server
One of the things that has been on my mind is the establishment of some kind of file server. I knew I would have to do this by the end of the year, so there is still a fair bit of time left. I love the ReadyNAS its small low power, plug and play, lots of plug-ins and third party support (note the bad grammar). The only problem is the price ($1k), for the same amount of money I can build a DIY server with 4xHDD. It would not be as energy efficient and take up significantly more space. I do have some spare parts from my old ‘puter that I can use to reduce the cost. The trade off seems to be $ vs Efficiency (Where efficiency = space, energy, ease of use). It may be possible to build an efficient computer, but that would increase costs.
The ReadyNas is what I should aim to build it as.
· Hot Swap Drive Bays
· Low Power usage
· Quiet
· Easy to maintain
· Easy to add HDD
· Easy to use
· Easy to upgrade
· Easy to backup
What OS to use?
· Windows XP
· Windows 7
· MS Home Server
· Small Business Server
· Server 2008 + hypervisor…
· Ubuntu
· VM Server
Using the windows server would be good as I can use hypervisor and load windows software that I am familiar with. On the other hand Linux is going to be more efficient and I can run VM server to over come the lack of native windows program support. Being able to play with Hypervisor would be cool though, and windows homeserver has lots of cool backup features and media server to record and distribute media. But what do I need it to do?
· Slimserver
· File Server
· TV Recording
· Virtual Desktop/RDP/remote login
· Cloud Computing – remote login
If I can run virtual server then all of the above problems are solved. The TV recording is the biggest problem but also the least necessary. It would be a neat feature but not essential.
The box it self will sit on top of the bookshelf
The ReadyNas is what I should aim to build it as.
· Hot Swap Drive Bays
· Low Power usage
· Quiet
· Easy to maintain
· Easy to add HDD
· Easy to use
· Easy to upgrade
· Easy to backup
What OS to use?
· Windows XP
· Windows 7
· MS Home Server
· Small Business Server
· Server 2008 + hypervisor…
· Ubuntu
· VM Server
Using the windows server would be good as I can use hypervisor and load windows software that I am familiar with. On the other hand Linux is going to be more efficient and I can run VM server to over come the lack of native windows program support. Being able to play with Hypervisor would be cool though, and windows homeserver has lots of cool backup features and media server to record and distribute media. But what do I need it to do?
· Slimserver
· File Server
· TV Recording
· Virtual Desktop/RDP/remote login
· Cloud Computing – remote login
If I can run virtual server then all of the above problems are solved. The TV recording is the biggest problem but also the least necessary. It would be a neat feature but not essential.
The box it self will sit on top of the bookshelf
Imac Shuffle
Of course it's a joke. The site was created by @rfelix and @chriscoyier, also known as the dudes responsible for LyricSift and AreMySitesUp.
Poking fun at the interesting redesign of the new iPod shuffle, this imaginary iMac features the same VoiceOver technology, all operated from three keys—which you'll learn to easily operate with the included 72,000 page manual:
As the site says in it's disclaimer, "We love you Apple, but this is getting out of hand."
Poking fun at the interesting redesign of the new iPod shuffle, this imaginary iMac features the same VoiceOver technology, all operated from three keys—which you'll learn to easily operate with the included 72,000 page manual:
Using just those 3 buttons, remote, you can easily jump to any window, launch any program...edit multi-layered Photoshop documents, anything your heart desires, you can imagine doing.Get one today in your choice of color—"as long as it's silver on silver." Ha!
As the site says in it's disclaimer, "We love you Apple, but this is getting out of hand."
OMG WTF
Setting up companies, identities, brands, boxes etc in which to do things in is getting very easy. So if you do have an idea, but obviously unsure or nervous of what the outcome will be. It’s self-defeating. You never end up acting on the idea and the idea will never happen. Any happiness you could have got from doing turns into sludge. Also how can you predict it will be either good or bad, by not doing something you have predicted it is bad.
Podcasts. Been cleaning out and starting again. I realise now in a very conscious way that my time on this planet is limited, as is the time at all times. Time is time, and therefore I need to time my time. As in no waste time. I have to use what little time I have on things that will be of benefit to me. I have to use it constructively and efficiently. But what I am discovering is to actually be more interesting and have something to say (see problem with talking to women), you actually have to say it. This can be manifested in many ways, like talking to people, writing a blog etc.
They say you don’t have to say anything particularly interesting just as long as you say it correctly. This needs to be practiced, or even rehearsed. Now this probably sounds familiar as it’s an idea covered in the book Outliers (I have not read it yet, but will do soon), by Malcolm Gladwell.
I have recently started listening to Max Keiser on Karmabanque, and Merlin Mann on YLNT and his daily ramblings (he has also restarted his 43folders podcast, but since I’m blind I cant find the feed link so no love there yet). What I have found is that when you start out you are really shit. But you seem to learn quicker by doing it, granted the people mentioned above have something interesting to say and know what their opinion on a particular topic is.
For example when we started three mosquitos to film broom man, I had no idea you had to render the video. I just thought you save the file and hey presto its done. Instead there are many many different codec’s and settings that must be instigated to get the file out and even that is more trail and error. Then there is the whole mess of uploading to youtube.
“We are youtube, you can upload any file you like.”
WHY NOT JUST TELL US THE SETTINGS MOST APPROPRIATE AND THE FILE FORMAT THAT WILL INFACT UPLOAD SOMETIME THIS CENTURARY.
So it is with great displeasure I present my first podcast. I have no idea what I am doing, what I am going to talk about or how I am going to do it. Why I am making a podcast… well plenty of reasons, which can be found in the podcast (^_^)
No, seriously this is going to be a big pain in the ass.
Podcasts. Been cleaning out and starting again. I realise now in a very conscious way that my time on this planet is limited, as is the time at all times. Time is time, and therefore I need to time my time. As in no waste time. I have to use what little time I have on things that will be of benefit to me. I have to use it constructively and efficiently. But what I am discovering is to actually be more interesting and have something to say (see problem with talking to women), you actually have to say it. This can be manifested in many ways, like talking to people, writing a blog etc.
They say you don’t have to say anything particularly interesting just as long as you say it correctly. This needs to be practiced, or even rehearsed. Now this probably sounds familiar as it’s an idea covered in the book Outliers (I have not read it yet, but will do soon), by Malcolm Gladwell.
I have recently started listening to Max Keiser on Karmabanque, and Merlin Mann on YLNT and his daily ramblings (he has also restarted his 43folders podcast, but since I’m blind I cant find the feed link so no love there yet). What I have found is that when you start out you are really shit. But you seem to learn quicker by doing it, granted the people mentioned above have something interesting to say and know what their opinion on a particular topic is.
For example when we started three mosquitos to film broom man, I had no idea you had to render the video. I just thought you save the file and hey presto its done. Instead there are many many different codec’s and settings that must be instigated to get the file out and even that is more trail and error. Then there is the whole mess of uploading to youtube.
“We are youtube, you can upload any file you like.”
WHY NOT JUST TELL US THE SETTINGS MOST APPROPRIATE AND THE FILE FORMAT THAT WILL INFACT UPLOAD SOMETIME THIS CENTURARY.
So it is with great displeasure I present my first podcast. I have no idea what I am doing, what I am going to talk about or how I am going to do it. Why I am making a podcast… well plenty of reasons, which can be found in the podcast (^_^)
No, seriously this is going to be a big pain in the ass.
Floods of Information
In my life information doesn’t come in a nice orderly stream. It floods, overall/on average the amount of information is not overly massive, but it’s the drought periods which are left unproductive and make me lazy. When the flood of information comes in, systems come back. But, wouldn’t it be more productive/better to always have these systems in place so that there is no lost time. We can always be more productive, especially when its not so busy, or when we procrastinate on jobs we don’t want to do, then all of a sudden everything is due all at once. Not a nice situation to be in.
I have tried getting back to GTD, but since I never read the book the whole way through, I’m probably missing some vital information. But I understand the major concepts and I am currently trying to implement a system, mainly for work, but would also like to have something in place for home and personal projects as they are also important and need to be cared for in a professional way. My spreadsheet is basically a list, which doesn’t help to prioritise unless I use extra numerical fields and sort that way, but that’s extra work is too complex. Not that I don’t want to or couldn’t, just that I also need to be mindful I am also required to update and maintain about another 6 systems, the common denominator here are the clients they stay the same. But it’s the information that I want or need to track at a particular time that is a pain in the ass.
One area which has been seriously neglected is my weekly review. The weekly review gives my a good overview of what needs doing and keeps my workspace clear of shit that not necessary the current project/task I am currently working on. For whatever reason I need a tidy workspace and as I am learning I also need a tidy filing space, as all I have been doing is literally dumping anything I don’t want to do in great big piles on the floor. This has many problems,
The storm is here, but the bulk of it hasn’t quite hit so I still have time to board up the house, put the sprinklers on and start building a boat.
I have tried getting back to GTD, but since I never read the book the whole way through, I’m probably missing some vital information. But I understand the major concepts and I am currently trying to implement a system, mainly for work, but would also like to have something in place for home and personal projects as they are also important and need to be cared for in a professional way. My spreadsheet is basically a list, which doesn’t help to prioritise unless I use extra numerical fields and sort that way, but that’s extra work is too complex. Not that I don’t want to or couldn’t, just that I also need to be mindful I am also required to update and maintain about another 6 systems, the common denominator here are the clients they stay the same. But it’s the information that I want or need to track at a particular time that is a pain in the ass.
One area which has been seriously neglected is my weekly review. The weekly review gives my a good overview of what needs doing and keeps my workspace clear of shit that not necessary the current project/task I am currently working on. For whatever reason I need a tidy workspace and as I am learning I also need a tidy filing space, as all I have been doing is literally dumping anything I don’t want to do in great big piles on the floor. This has many problems,
- Cant Find anything
- Silverfish
- Duplication of materials
- Inability to find information when you need it, leading you to not do the task
- Lack of floor space
- General ill feeling of untidiness (OCD?)
The storm is here, but the bulk of it hasn’t quite hit so I still have time to board up the house, put the sprinklers on and start building a boat.
New Keyboard
My keyboard at work is stuffed because of the backspace getting stuck. So I decided to get something more comfortable and ergonomic since I sit here for most of the day and dont want to develop a blood clot in my wrists. There isnt much to choose from and most of the ergonomic ones are quite weird and I dont have the patience to develop a new typing style, and since I wont be using an ergo at home (I game) its too difficult. Just like when I went through the phase of using my left hand for my mousing at work and right hand at home for gaming... eventualy you do get used to it but the main problem is that you are shit at both left and right hanndedness. So you end up sucking at games and eveything. Its also weird trying to explain this to you coworkers that you want to develop your ambidexterity. I currently have the Logitech 600 media keyboard and is quite nice to use, has medium keys, like a hybrid between regular keys and laptop keys. In that respect its perfect. Its quitet and has a nice wheel to control the volume of music and some nice internet buttons AND the dual function keys which are acutally usefull. On top of that its nice looking and doesnt take up too much realestate. Some fancier keyboards take up way too much space. Its also only $30. Its also not too bad for gaming, havent had any issues on that front.
Initial installation works great out of the box. Most importantly its nice and comfy, the mouse is tehawesomz on the fly dpi change :-p
However, after restarting about 78 times the keyboard is not recognised in setpoint, the mouse is so I could change the settings, but not the keyboard. Hopefully I will find a solution soon.
Initial installation works great out of the box. Most importantly its nice and comfy, the mouse is tehawesomz on the fly dpi change :-p
However, after restarting about 78 times the keyboard is not recognised in setpoint, the mouse is so I could change the settings, but not the keyboard. Hopefully I will find a solution soon.
Backspace
Peripheral problems are plaguing me at the moment. The backspace on the keyboard is stuffed so I can’t do anything without deleting it immediately, in addition to the other problems with holding down the backspace brings… The el cheapo k/b I have replaced it with as an interim measure its atrocious. It is loud and the ergonomics have left both hands sore after 2 mins of typing. Additionally the dollar symbol key doesn’t work. The dollar key is kinda useful for me since I’m an accountant.
For most users this will never be a problem, but my mouse is too slow after maxing out the speed setting in windows. So I’m thinking I need to get a new mouse also. My home mouse is ok since it has a high dpi/resolution. I’m thinking of getting cordless mouse and k/b set since that will eliminate the problem of not having a long enough cord. I should also be able to place my box under the desk and free up some valuable real estate, not to mention the potential for lower noise levels…
But I am mostly against cordless k/b mouse because it is unnecessary for devices that will not be moved around much. USB hub solves the cord length problem. And I would have to take back all the mean things I said to cordless k/b & mouse users.
For most users this will never be a problem, but my mouse is too slow after maxing out the speed setting in windows. So I’m thinking I need to get a new mouse also. My home mouse is ok since it has a high dpi/resolution. I’m thinking of getting cordless mouse and k/b set since that will eliminate the problem of not having a long enough cord. I should also be able to place my box under the desk and free up some valuable real estate, not to mention the potential for lower noise levels…
But I am mostly against cordless k/b mouse because it is unnecessary for devices that will not be moved around much. USB hub solves the cord length problem. And I would have to take back all the mean things I said to cordless k/b & mouse users.
Recently I got shaped, but with 2 weeks remaining till I get back to full speed.... its a strugle...
So I figured I would do something unpreductive since most media rich site are out of the question. FaceSpace. I'm sure there are more HB's that want me but I can't be bothered replying... Actually I just want the spam to go away... Alas, I was unable to start FaceSpace because of my shape. Which is disapointing as I am feeling creative. Basicly if you have dial-up you are unable to use facespace. The 'freedom' you thought you had no longer exists.
Which is why Australia needs a bill of rights. To stop internet shaping to the extent basic social websites such as face space work. I'm not talking about streaming HD webcams of womens taking their clothes off. Just good old fashionedstalking healthy human interaction. Freedom to express.
Bill of Rights +1
So I figured I would do something unpreductive since most media rich site are out of the question. FaceSpace. I'm sure there are more HB's that want me but I can't be bothered replying... Actually I just want the spam to go away... Alas, I was unable to start FaceSpace because of my shape. Which is disapointing as I am feeling creative. Basicly if you have dial-up you are unable to use facespace. The 'freedom' you thought you had no longer exists.
Which is why Australia needs a bill of rights. To stop internet shaping to the extent basic social websites such as face space work. I'm not talking about streaming HD webcams of womens taking their clothes off. Just good old fashioned
Bill of Rights +1
Two Monitors
I have gotten to the point where I think I need 2 monitors. Tabbing has its limits. I know I can use some kind of multi desktop widget. But thats just the same as tabbing. You want to be able to see 2 different things. Atleast work on 2 different things. Say you are playing a game, but also want to burn some CD's or get some actual work done. You can do both without tabbing. Just to have email, IM and various other reference type material on one screen whilst you do your main work on the other. Even a small screen with some info on it would be advantageous.
The remaining question is of monitor size. Its ideal to have 2 exactly the same. But to save funds could have 2 different sized monitors. I have an idea to turn my current monitor on its side to get more 'lines' as I don't need the width for reading. Text is ideally not too wide, so having it verticaly mounted would be awesome. It would look weird. But awesome.
Maybe I just need a bigger monitor, then just resize windows accordingly.
The remaining question is of monitor size. Its ideal to have 2 exactly the same. But to save funds could have 2 different sized monitors. I have an idea to turn my current monitor on its side to get more 'lines' as I don't need the width for reading. Text is ideally not too wide, so having it verticaly mounted would be awesome. It would look weird. But awesome.
Maybe I just need a bigger monitor, then just resize windows accordingly.
Johnny Lee is a Genius
Basicly turns a TV into a 3D window with a wiimote. Also of awesomeness is the wiimote touchscreen. Someone give this guy loads of money so he can make cool shit like this. PLEASE!
Back on the Tubes
After I think 6 weeks of slow torture I have my computer setup on a desk connected to the internet. When I first started my computer last Thursday I had a keyboard problem. Basicly anything connected to the PS/2 port would not work, which means I had to go buy a new keyboard. My first instinct was to get the G15 (version 2). $100 seems like a lot for a keyboard, but considering you cannot buy a keyboard that isnt wireless its a small price to pay to not have to use batteries for no reason. Oh and the LCD display and back lit keys.... I never remember keyboards being so expensive, mainly because they are wireless and the masses think this is somehow better. I never thought spending more than $50 on a keyboard unless it was somehow special. A lot of the keyboards I saw were just standard keyboards with a wireless module.
The quality of the keyboard was lacking, the key mechanism hadn't changed. And apart from adding a few media buttons its just stupid. Most manufacturers are focusing on wireless which means they are not updating the wired keyboards except in the gaming section. I figured since I am most likely to be buying a new computer early next year, I would wait till then to get something decent. But until then I did not want to live in the poverty of a shitty keyboard. So I went to buy a middle of the ground Logitech Media keyboard. Its an entry level keyboard. But they were sold out. So I ended up getting the 600. I didn't think there was much difference between the 2 except the volume jog dial. But after getting it home it really is better. The keys don't move around and its a lot quieter to type on. It also had low profile keys, much like a laptop, but a bit more depth and normal size keys. Its actually quite pleasant to type on. As you don't need to waste energy on pressing so hard. Another feature is its spill resistant. Didn't understand what this meant. What they have done is drilled some holes in the bottom so that any liquids just pass through it (think pencil in space) and the shiny black plastic is actually quite nice. I also thought the lack of a wrist rest would mean its uncomfortable, but the fact that its so damn skinny means you don't need it. I have a pretty standard MS keyboard at work it has a wrist rest and it seems that you only need the wrist rest if the actual position of the keys are far away from the desk. Also whats the point of having a plastic wrist rest. It should always be padded somehow with fake leather.
The quality of the keyboard was lacking, the key mechanism hadn't changed. And apart from adding a few media buttons its just stupid. Most manufacturers are focusing on wireless which means they are not updating the wired keyboards except in the gaming section. I figured since I am most likely to be buying a new computer early next year, I would wait till then to get something decent. But until then I did not want to live in the poverty of a shitty keyboard. So I went to buy a middle of the ground Logitech Media keyboard. Its an entry level keyboard. But they were sold out. So I ended up getting the 600. I didn't think there was much difference between the 2 except the volume jog dial. But after getting it home it really is better. The keys don't move around and its a lot quieter to type on. It also had low profile keys, much like a laptop, but a bit more depth and normal size keys. Its actually quite pleasant to type on. As you don't need to waste energy on pressing so hard. Another feature is its spill resistant. Didn't understand what this meant. What they have done is drilled some holes in the bottom so that any liquids just pass through it (think pencil in space) and the shiny black plastic is actually quite nice. I also thought the lack of a wrist rest would mean its uncomfortable, but the fact that its so damn skinny means you don't need it. I have a pretty standard MS keyboard at work it has a wrist rest and it seems that you only need the wrist rest if the actual position of the keys are far away from the desk. Also whats the point of having a plastic wrist rest. It should always be padded somehow with fake leather.
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