|
12/24 |
2013/7/3-8/23 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:54704 Activity:nil |
7/3 RIP Douglas Engelbart: http://preview.tinyurl.com/prbh3n6 (nyt) \_ Wow! What a visionary. Is he the greater visionary, or is Vannevar Bush, whose book inspired him, the greater visionary? |
2009/5/14-20 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:52997 Activity:nil |
5/14 http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com \_ play this one out keyboard cat. |
2009/1/27-2/1 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:52473 Activity:nil |
1/26 How much new computer can i buy for exactly $153.47. thanks. sans monitor, keyboard, periphs, natch. \_ #153.47 worth of computer \_ Maaaster! We will begin looking for a computer immediately to your specifications, Maaaster! We have nothing better to do than configure a computer for you for exactly $153.47! \_ I'll sell you my Athalon 2800+ for that. |
2008/11/25 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:52098 Activity:nil |
11/25 So I have this annoying problem with my mouse set-up and was wondering if the motd.collective.wisdom had an answer: 1) When the mouse focus is in the browser, scroll up works but not scroll down. It used to work in both directions. Set-up is: FF3.0.4, MacOS 10.4.11, Mighty Mouse. -ausman |
2008/10/16-17 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:51553 Activity:nil |
10/15 Anyone have experience with cleaning logitech trackman keys? The thumb button if very flakey. Blowing air into it (after i opening the case) seems to only fix the problem for a little bit. Am I better off just buying a new one? (* Its only about 3 years old *) There is no info on the logitech site about this issue. |
2008/4/1-6 [Politics/Foreign/Asia/Japan, Reference/History/WW2/Japan, Computer/HW/IO] UID:49633 Activity:nil |
4/1 http://www.cubo.cc (SFW) \_ That is pretty awesome, but why are her eyes so bloodshot? \_ Jesus! Do you really want to look at her closely enough to find out?!? Keep moving that mouse before she _notices_ you! \_ She looks Japanese. \_ 1/4 of the Asians have hepatitis. She probably has it. Yellow jaundice skin, bloody eyes. Typical hep. |
2007/8/31-9/3 [Reference/History/WW2/Japan, Politics/Foreign/Asia/Japan, Computer/HW/IO] UID:47848 Activity:nil |
8/31 More Japanese Jubblies mouse pads, and an instructive sign for those who don't get it. (Pretty much SFW) http://csua.org/u/jf5 |
2007/5/25-28 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:46749 Activity:low |
5/25 Happy towel day. Question: does anyone know of a Windows screen saver that displays the user desktop as it is, including showing updates (such as from logfile scrolling by in an application, etc.) but works with the normal MS screen lock function? -John \_ If the screen saver displays the desktop as it is, how does it save the screen? \_ screen burn-in isn't an issue anymore. \_ I've got an LCD at work. There are several images burned in. I thought that too until I was able to read the screen lock text while logged in. \_ But energy-saving is. \_ My main reason for a screensaver is the locking feature, not the burn-in feature. While it won't help John, I used to use xtrlock in unix systems which just took over the mouse and keyboard. \_ Google for transparent screensaver or clear screensaver. I looked at some a while ago but didn't find a free one so stopped. There should be several commercial solutions. \_ Try using a transparent image and load it as a custom image. I've never done this but it might work. |
2007/5/22-24 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:46719 Activity:low |
5/22 Speaking of Treos, any recommendations for portable keyboards? \_ no. There was a time when ThinkOutside has this triple-fold full-size keyboard. Since then, I couldn't find any keyboard that is full-size. When I say full size, I means 19mm between keys. Most keyboard now are designed by Asians who don't really type the way we do... for me, i don't see the point of carrying an extra keyboard when it's not full sized. \_ hard to beat the cool factor of the I-tech Virtual Laser Keyboard http://www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com \_ The cool is undeniable, but what's the typing experience like? \_ How do they type? |
2007/5/7-9 [Computer/SW/OS/Windows, Computer/Theory, Computer/HW/IO] UID:46535 Activity:nil |
5/6 Police Lineups go Virtual: http://www.primidi.com/2007/05/06.html#a1828 |
2007/2/21-22 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:45784 Activity:high 55%like:45780 |
2/20 I don't understand why this was deleted. If you shave your head, you can operate your mouse on top of it. \_ That's deeply fascinating. Thank you for sharing. \_ Is that a ball mouse or an optical mouse? \_ Optical. It still kind of sucks, though. I think I'm going to shave closer with a blade instead of clippers, and paint a grid on my head to help. \_ Ah, that's no big deal. I can use an optical mouse on my bushy head. \_ Huh. Maybe shaving my head was a mistake from a mouse use perspective then. \_ Yeah, the glare could confuse the mouse. |
2007/1/31-2/1 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:45626 Activity:nil |
1/30 Is it possible to map a keyboard key to the left mouse button on Linux? |
12/24 |
2006/9/25-27 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:44524 Activity:low |
9/25 I asked this last night but some oaf deleted it: Does anyone know of a keyboard (either avilable new or easy to find used) which has a double-height enter key? \_ May I ask why you want the enter key to be twice as high? \_ 2-row enter keys are easier to find and more satisfying to hit -OP \_ http://pckeyboards.com (from memory, sorry if thats wrong) will build you a custom keyboard. \_ Do you want it to be twice as high but not twice as wide? If so, try a French-Canadian keyboard. I have one. The enter key is really annoying. http://www.csua.org/u/h08 |
2006/7/13 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW/OS/VM] UID:43657 Activity:nil |
7/13 help. using gnome suddenly my mouse stops working. I think it might be related to vmware. I'm able to switch over to a linux virtual terminal ... I killed the vmware processes ... but still no mouse. the mouse works in the virtual terminal. anything I can do besides restarting or restarting gnome? there is work in progress i'd rather not lose. thanks. |
2006/5/20-22 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:43122 Activity:nil |
5/19 My mouse finger is hurting like hell. I'm thinking about buying a 3M Ergonomic Mouse from http://Amazon.com but it'll take at least a week for it to arrive. In the mean time, are there shareware/freeware that I can install to map one of the unused keys on my keyboard like shift or something, to simulate a mouse click? It'll really save my job in the mean time. Thanks so much. \_ If you use Windows, you could just enable mousekeys. Or you might want to look into AutoHotkey. \_ If you are injured then simply switching to a different device is not going to help. You need to change the way you work, do stretching, take breaks, and baby that hand until you recover. If you recover. \_ switch your mouse to the other hand until the new one arrives. There will be some adjustment period, but not as much as you think. Also consider your desk arrangement... maybe there's something else that's contributing to the problem, like your mouse position or the height of your chair. I agree with the above poster that you probably need to do more than just switch devices... my old boss used to switch hands every other week, and found that kept either of them from developing problems. \_ Is it from clicking, or mouse wheel scrolling? \_ Before you do anything, you should consult our noted local expert on typing and mousing injuries, williamc, so you can find out whether you're imagining the problem, or just trying to get out of work. Or, you could look at http://www.tifaq.com/software/keyboard&mouse.html. -tom |
2006/3/15-17 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:42257 Activity:moderate |
3/15 I'm having some wrist/hand pain in my right hand. I'm right handed and use the mouse with my right hand too. What mouse devices are you all using to prevent injury? Doing anything else like stretching, etc? \_ If you tend to keep your hands all tensed up when using the computer, it helps a lot to relax and go slower. It also helps if you can use your left hand for the mouse sometimes -- it's actually pretty easy to get used to. Don't remap the buttons. \_ I had the same problem and this helped: http://tinyurl.com/cphra kngharv \_ IMPOSSIBLE. There is no correlation between repetitive tasks and pain. williamc says he uses his right hand to jack off several times a day but he has no penis or left arm pain. Proof: http://csua.com/?entry=38806 http://csua.com/?entry=37970 "There's no proof that computer usage through standard I/O devices causes RSI. People with real RSI are individuals who have to deal with heavy manual labor like meat packers or jackhammer operators. -willamc" \_ I'll just ignore the infantile first comment, but that's right. I'm glad you're catching on. Also, FYI, there is no correlation between cell phone usage and brain tumors, or living close to power lines causing cancers. I think the whole thing started when someone commented that the mouse was the most RSI inducing device ever invented, which obviously is highly dubious. Since nobody ever directly refuted this with a comprehensive epi study, the statement still holds. I've been personally using computers for over twenty years with various input devices. I type well over one hundred words per minute, and I've never experienced any form of RSI. I know dozens of people who are in IT who type up a storm everyday, and they never experienced RSI. Just because you have symptoms of RSI doesn't mean that the various components of normal computer IO are causing it.Maybe you have weak fingers, may you've got diabetes (in fact, there is a correlation between diabetes and RSI), maybe it's all in your head, who knows, but it certainly isn't daily typing on a keyboard. Hell, people were using manual typewriters for decades, and there wasn't an epidemic of RSI until relatively recently. Hell, people used to wash clothes with their bare hands, and although they probably got arthritis later in life they didn't complain about RSI. So what's different now? Has the human race somehow devolved into having really weak hand muscles that can't even push a two ounce mouse around without getting neck cramps? I don't know, maybe you folks just have bad posture, maybe you're contorting your bodies in weird shapes while pushing your mice around, maybe you're sitting upside down or have your fingers in a pretzel, but the statistical data says that MICE and KEYBOARDS do NOT cause RSI. If you have some sort of problem with that, well, then maybe you also believe that consuming tiger penises will increase your libido, and since this is a free country, it is your right to believe that. -williamc \_ So are you left handed? Is that why you jackoff with your right hand? How many times do you jackoff a day? \_ Go fuck yourself. \_ 20 years?!? Wuow! You must be a Critical Intel Asset! \_ I could say the same thing about decades of typing until I changed jobs. Something about my desk/kb/mouse/chair/etc changed enough that my left arm felt like it was on fire. After making some changes, things were ok for a while until this last week, now my right hand is hurting. Maybe kb/mice use in and of themselves don't cause damage but 'improper' usage certainly can. Improper would be some combination of poor posture, height, distance, typing style, and probably a zillion other things. I'm certain that if I wasn't at this desk or never had a computer job my hand wouldn't hurt now. -op \_ ergonomics. Good seat, good monitor position, good keyboard. Does your company have someone who can help you with ergonomics? \_ Yes, I've seen them several times. They're quite helpful and willing to buy whatever. They have a number of things I've tried but they're not doing it for me so I was wondering what other people are using. \_ a really good seat is important. Good keyboard is important. Same with posture, the position of the monitor. I got a new keyboard, wireless optical mouse. I need to upgrade my chair. Also, take a break once in a while. Seriously. This is important. I've also seen hand braces that some people use. \_ it's time for dictation software! \_ I'm right-handed. Years ago I had a sore right arm, so I switched to using the mouse with my left hand. I've never switched back since. It serves as little exercise for my under-used hand. It doesn't bother my co-workers since my mouse is still a right-handed mouse and I don't swap the left and right buttons. So all they have to do is to move the mouse to the right of the keyboard when they need to use my machine. |
2006/2/18-20 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:41918 Activity:nil |
2/17 What's the best wireless keyboard to get? Looking for something that's compact and quiet. I bought the Gyration keyboard/mouse combo and it's a total piece of shit. The first package I bought was completely broken. The second package had a working mouse but the keyboard wouldn't respond. Upon researching I found out there's a whole bad batch they shipped out and many people have gone through 2-3 Gyration keyboards. Total piece of shit. |
2006/2/1-3 [Computer/HW/Laptop, Computer/HW/IO] UID:41634 Activity:nil |
2/1 http://deepakr.wordpress.com/2005/12/30/next-gen-computers \_ I've said this before, the mere idea of using such a crappy excuse for an input device as a laser keyboard... well... just... UGH. \_ I doubt this will be very popular. No tactile response makes it very easy to make errors. \_ I think if they could come up with an _instant_ response short distinctive tone per key then audio response might go a long ways towards helping with this problem. \_ I'm thinking more of fingers touching keys and not pushing down while the user thinks or considers items. The error rate for mistaken keystrokes would be tremendous. \_ Agreed. This reminds me of the Atari 400 whose keyboard drove me crazy. \_ Hmmmm. Chicklets.. \_ "PENS WITH HIDDEN CAMS ?????" No, I think they're abstract illustration of copulatory positions. |
2006/1/15-17 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:41382 Activity:low |
1/15 I'm running a Gentoo box with udev-070. A handful of my devices (mouse and joystick, to name the most noticable) work fine if they're plugged in at boot time, but if I plug them in later they have some issues. For the mouse, it doesn't detect the mouse wheel; for the joystick, it doesn't work at all. I'm not exactly sure what to google for, as the howto I've found regarding Gentoo and udev just talks about setting it up, not dealing with funky stuff like this. Anybody know what the issue might be or where I can look for help? Thanks. \_ what do you mean by "mouse wheel not detected" -- in X? Do you have the zaxismapping? \_ He probably means that X doesn't recognize mouse wheel movements after you unplugged and plug the mouse back in. I have basically the same problem with a cheapie KVM switch. It has nothing to do with the X server config files, AFAIK, but it's a deeper problem with either the motherboard, the mouse drivers in Linux, or the mouse itself. I'd mess around with the BIOS settings to see if it fixes it, but on my debian box even doing a cat on the psaux port does not reveal any movements off of the mouse wheel after you unplug/plug back in the mouse. |
2005/12/11-14 [Computer/HW/Laptop, Computer/HW/Memory, Computer/HW/IO] UID:40960 Activity:nil |
12/11 NEC: products of the future http://www.nec-design.co.jp/showcase |
2005/12/9-11 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:40947 Activity:nil |
12/9 Any suggestions for cool (electronic) gadgets for myself or as gifts? \_ http://ThinkGeek.com \_ cool site. \_ Sharper Image \_ http://realdolls.com \_ You mean http://realdoll.com? BTW there is no electronic version yet. \_ faker, yer just a troll!!!1 \_ http://dynamism.com |
2005/8/3-4 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:38977 Activity:nil |
8/3 The optimus keyboard: http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus |
2005/8/2-4 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:38930 Activity:nil |
8/2 Apple debuts multi-button mouse: http://www.apple.com/mightymouse Will wonders never cease? \_ http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000450052910 Reviews on the mouse. "I've never seen a mouse with a clitoris before. Looks like it would be good digital stimulation practice for most men." \_ Hell froze over! \_ Wow! What an innovation! I wonder if the one who wrote the marketing text feels embarrassed. \_ Multiple buttons isn't the innovation: the lack of *buttons* is the innovation. It's like the clickwheel on the iPod. also it can be configured as single/multi depending on who logs in. \_ No wireless version. Poo. \_ Yeah, and its not l4z3r powered like my 1337 logitech mouse either. I'm getting a dell! |
2005/7/26-28 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:38831 Activity:nil |
7/27 anyone want to sell me a used kinesis keyboard? email me - danh |
2005/6/4-6 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:37970 Activity:moderate |
6/3 Tactiva, a new input device. Check out the videos: http://tactiva.com/demo.html \_ Looks nice, but I would think your hands would get tired like that. \_ It looks like an improvement but still not what I'm looking for. I would really prefer an input method where I could use most of my upper body for CAD work. The thing Tom Cruise used in "Minority Report" is more the direction I would like to see. -- ulysses \_ Ya, like modern mice don't tire you out. It's not a replacement for a keyboard. It's a replacement for a mouse, the most stupid RSI inducing input device ever made. \_ There's no proof that computer usage through standard I/O devices causes RSI. People with real RSI are individuals who have to deal with heavy manual labor like meat packers or jackhammer operators. or jackhammer operators. -williamc \_ You're an idiot. \_ Seconded \_ No, you're the idiot. http://www.hal-pc.org/journal/01repet.html There are no known conclusive studies linking computer usage to either RSI or CTS. Most likely the computer usage was at best a trigger. Other studies have shown that the percentage of people who develop any sort of RSI who are regular computer operators was no different than the percentage of people who develop it in the general populace period, indicating that whatver it is, it's not the computer IO that's causing it it is, it's not the computer IO that's causing it -williamc -williamc \_ Hmm. My sister had RSI in her wrists; she ended up seeing a doctor, and then eventually an ergo consultant, and her injuries healed. And, uhm, no, my 5' 1" sister doesn't operate a jackhammer or any other heavy equipment, and she doesn't pack meat. She works at a computer all day as a statistician for UCSF. -mice \_ I've had it. It was directly caused by using an old and sticky Sun Type 3 keyboard in a cold room at a shitty desk with bad posture for too long hours at a time. I had a mild case of CTS, and it HURT. I changed all of the above and it went away. Sorry, no jackhammers involved. -John \_ Wow, I guess the tendinitis in my arms was just my imagination! Thanks crazy motd tinfoil-hat guy! -emarkp \_ Have you considered that it might have been the keyboard, not the mouse, that did it? \_ What does that have to do with anything? The thread is "computer usage"--not keyboard vs. mouse. -emarkp \_ Not that I am disputing your point, but you cannot conclude anything causal from percentages alone. RSI can have equal probability of occurence in general population and computer users, and computer use could still cause RSI. In fact, can any people who are knowledgeable about courtroom arguments enlighten me on how lawyers attempt to prove causation in courts? If it's a long discussion, please email me. -- ilyas please email me. -- ilyas (continuing incoherence about science on the motd since 1998!) \_ 1998? fricken noob! -meyers (since 1992) \_ The 115 pound female I knew who had to get surgery for carpal tunnel must have been moonlighting as a meat packer/jackhammer operator. And she worked long hours on not ergonomic computer systems, but that may just be a coincidence, she's obviously lying about the heavy manual labor side jobs she must have been employed in! \_ I find it somewhat amusing that all we have is anecdotal evidence. As I stated before, there are no conclusive epi studies that support CTS with the workplace in general, although there appear to be strong causal linkages to heavy manual labor. Here's another link: http://ocsonline.net/carpal_tunnel_syndrome.htm I'm highly skeptical that CTS is caused by computer IO. If it was you'd actually see a direct statistical correlation to computer usage and CTS or other ailments of the sort. \_ To repeat myself again, no you wouldn't, necessarily. For example, it may be that people who are predisposed to computer use also have a natural resistance to developing CTS. You don't know what you are talking about. -- ilyas \_ However, it probably *is* that people who are predisposed to computer use have a natural predisposition to CTS. :) To echo your statement (I think): It may also be that computer use causes it at the same rate it is caused in the general populous by other mutually exclusive factors. (thus no correlation but STILL causation as you say below). Still though I think the broader point of the op is that typing doesn't cause it any more than doing whatever else people are likely to have to do to get by, which a lack of correlation certainly is evidence of. \_ No. You are not paying attention! You cannot conclude ANYTHING causal from correlative information alone, regardless of what that information might be. It may be that the frequencies are the same for computer users, typers, and the general populace, yet computer use causes CTS, and typing does not. In order to determine anything here you need to either force people to use typewriters or computers (which decouples the hidden common causes involved), or use randomized experiments (which fakes the same kind of decoupling). -- ilyas \_ speaking of paying attention: Who said anything about concluding anything? Certainly not me. There are all kinds of evidence. Even anectdotes are "evidence" after a fashion. The evidence may not point in the right direction and it certainly is not conclusive, but a demonstrated lack of correlation between typing for a living and CTS and increased risk of CTS certainly *IS* evidence that typing doesn't cause CTS anymore than average. Especially in the absense of any reasonable hypothosis about why people in that field would be unrepre- sentative and Especially since i'd predict that people in that field, if anything, should be more likely to get it and more likely to whine about it when they did. \_ The original quote was: 'same frequencies indicates computer use does not cause CTS.' This statement is false. That's all I am trying to say. You can resume begging off on technicalities now. -- ilyas As it stands now, we don't really know what causes CTS, and at best we can only guess. People who do have CTS may have gotten it regardless of computer IO or not. Think about it, the current generation of workers are involved with the least amount of manual labor in probably the history of mankind. Why then did our forebearers not complain constantly about CTS? Why is it a "modern" phenomenon? If you don't think working on a farm during the turn of the 20th century required constant repetitive tasks, well, what can one say... Also, one would think CTS would be much more prevalent in the past before the advent of modern soft-touch keyboards. Manual typewriters are much harder on the hands. In addition, writing in general is much harder on the hands. I get writer's cramp, I've never gotten "typist" cramp, especially on a modern day computer keyboard. Admittedly, some of these keyboards are horrid to type on, and no doubt they would lead at least hand fatigue if used in the long term, but realistically, I think human beings are better designed in general to withstand impact than what comes out of typing on a typical modern day keyboard, even if you are typing at 100 WPM for an extended period of time. Also, the average programmer probably types a lot less than a legal secretary, and it's been stated a number of times that there is no correlation between developing CTS or IRS and the amount you type, which makes one wonder... Whatever the cause is, it's not computer IO. \_ williamc, I used to have an "emacs pinky." That is, after using emacs for over 10 years I started having pains in my left pinky. The pain spread to my whole arm and I had to get physical therapy a few times. But the thing that really helped was using a Kinesis keyboard in which I have to use my thumb to press CTRL and ALT keys. From what you're saying, is there no difference between the quality of IO, one that requires more effort or more frequency on certain fingers? |
2005/5/27-31 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:37859 Activity:nil |
5/27 Notepad Invaders with a mouse http://robmanuel.blogspot.com/2005/02/notepad-invaders.html |
2005/5/25-26 [Recreation/Computer/Games, Computer/HW/IO] UID:37842 Activity:nil |
5/25 Does anyone have a PS2 -> DIN AT Keyboard adapter? Like this? link:csua.org/u/c6z Or perhaps even a DIN keyboard they don't use anymore? I want to buy it. Or have it bequeathed to me please. --maxmcc \_ you can get that at Fry's for $4.99 \_ I'll let you know when the cops find my stolen truck. Until then, please see above! --maxmcc |
2005/5/16-17 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:37712 Activity:kinda low |
5/16 Does anybody else think that optical mouse don't track as well as a good old (clean) mechanical rolling ball mouse? \_ yes they skip when I play mouse intensive games. \_ Any of the Microsoft optical mice that advertise scanning at 6,000 times per second (~ 1-2 years old now) are fine. The ones before that blew chunks \_ I used to have this problem with some older logitech optical mice, but I switched to the Kensington Pilot Mouse Optical Pro which doesn't have this problem. You might want to try the logitech laser mouse, which is supposedly very good. \_ I've got the logitech laser mouse, and it is so much better \_ I've got the Logitech laser mouse, and it is so much better than the old roller mouse I had, night and day. Way more accurate, especially in games. \_ Does it depend on any color pattern on the desk surface? |
2005/4/22-25 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:37323 Activity:kinda low |
4/22 How secure can bluetooth be implemented. I hear stories of remotely hacking into people's phonebook and such. I'm specifically wondering about bluetooth keyboards. Even if you don't advertise your presence, is it easy to remotely monitor your keystrokes? \_ In theory bt could be securely implemented. In reality it is prob. to much to expect that your bt kbd is encrypting everything that it sends to your computer. to much to expect that your bt kbd is properly encrypting keystrokes. \_ There are working bluetooth exploits--Max Moser demonstrated a few of them recently. Many peripherals (kbd, mouse, earpieces, etc.) also are weak because of simple static auth keys (1111, 1234, etc.) Bluetooth's range is not an issue either; google for 'bluesniper.' The protocol is a bit safer due to some reasonably clever fidling with keys during a session. Look at http://www.remote-exploit.org (the Auditor collection) for some very good tools and docs on the topic. That said, will anyone care enough to attack your keyboard? Probably not. -John |
2005/3/31-4/3 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:36993 Activity:nil |
3/31 First of all I hate Microsoft and Bill Gates, but I have to give them credit for integrating something that is actually somewhat usable. I just bought my first Tablet PC, with Tablet XP installed. It's got a lot of cool features that don't exist on regular XPs. After about an hour playing with it I can almost do everything without a keyboard. I love how you can dictate simple voice commands and how you can write in Traditional Chinese (with amazingly good recognition rate). I love it. I'm never going back to regular non-Tablet PCs again. \_ gimmick. \_ Is that what you said when GUI came out? \_ What Tablet PC did you buy? \_ Try writing code without a keyboard. \_ Yes it's a bitch to write code without a keyboard, that's why I got a Toshiba M200 that has both. I get the best of both worlds |
2005/3/10 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/HW/Display] UID:36620 Activity:kinda low |
3/10 So the Dell 20.1" is again at $487 shipped. Damn I am tempted!! Need to resist...... \_ I got one and returned it because it sucked (backlight bleeding). It also didn't feel as big as I hoped. The new 24" now, that could interest me again. It has 19x12 resolution too unlike the 20". But I am now kind of leery of Dell quality. \_ Interesting, I got one and the picture quality is stunning after calibration, no bleeding problem either! \_ The bleeding problem was pretty common, although not necessarily very noticeable. On mine, it was on the top corner edges a bit, mostly annoying with the lights out. I also personally found the "purple" effect at some angles to bother me. The 24" is way cheaper than Apple's 23" and seems to be the right size for me... but, I need to see it in person to judge. \_ I have lots of 2000FP and 2001FP at work and they are fine. Only one DOA. The 19" (1905?) is a better monitor as far as picture quality, though. \_ urlP ? \_ http://www.hwextreme.com/deals.shtml |
2004/12/11-12 [Computer/HW/Laptop, Computer/HW/IO] UID:35249 Activity:moderate |
12/11 Any suggestions for a desktop keyboard with light touch and action similar to an IBM ThinkPad 600? \_ IBM used to make a laptop-type PS2 keyboard (also about the size of a TP600 one.) Try: http://tinyurl.com/2kh9d -John \_ Great. Thanks :) -op \_ On a related note, is there any way at all of getting a Powerbook to use a Stinkpad-style nipple instead of that fucking touchpad? I really want a Mac, but loathe the track pad... Does anyone make alternative keyboards for ibooks/powerbooks? \_ I don't understand the touchpad bigots here. Have you used a Synaptics touchpad? I can't believe anyone can use those RSI-inducing eraser-heads. \_ I used one quite a bit and I dislike them intensely. It's personal preference. I use a USB mouse when I have deskspace, but otherwise I have a lot of trouble with touchpads. Including Synaptics. Now how about alternative Mac laptop keyboards? Do they exist? -John \_ I used to think like you but sucked it up when I switched to a thinkpad that didn't have both. after a few weeks I got used to it and eventually grew to despise touchpads. the problem w/ the eraser stick for me is that it starts drifiting once in a while. I got a tiny, very precise, optical USB mouse but find that I rarely use it. you can type and use the pointy stick w/ palms on the rest, while the touchpad or mouse require you to pretzle around on planes etc. \_ I guess I just don't have tasks that switch between mouse and keyboard a lot. When I'm mousing for any length of time, I can't imagine using that eraser-head. |
2004/12/7-8 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:35193 Activity:high |
12/7 Elite keyboard link:tinyurl.com/6jnge \_ The pirate keyboard is better. |
2004/12/1-3 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:35143 Activity:nil |
12/1 The MS wireless mouse and keyboard have quite a large range, does anyone know if it has any security feature at all? What if some nutcase decides to take the keyboard up my drive way and do win-r, cmd, format c:? \_ This is why you do not login as 'Administrator' unless you have to. \_ Aren't the mouse and keyboard tied to the specific receiver? Otherwise no one could use more than one set in an office. \_ You mean if my keyboard/mouse/receiver broke, I cannot just get a replacement? Anyone know what the button on the receiver does? \_ Does Microsoft sell the keyboard/mouse/receiver separately? How would you buy a replacement? \_ They generally use static identifiers. Like a lot of bluetooth devices that have '1234' or '1111' hardcoded as peering code. Have a look at Max's Auditor cd at http://www.remote-exploit.org for some interesting wireless analysis tools. -John \_ Anyone know if they make one that's like the Elite wireless but wired? I like the Elite's key layout and wheels, but I don't like wireless... \_ I think you should worry about the other side - tapping keystrokes from your keyboard and stealing your bank passwords. |
2004/10/6 [Computer/HW/Memory, Computer/HW/IO, Computer/Theory] UID:33958 Activity:very high |
10/6 If the technology for borgification was available, what would you do? I think it would be pretty cool to have some sort of 'mind's eye' display and an always-on network connection. The other stuff like collective conciousness and major implantation I'm not so hot on. (I thought of this when seeing someone on their cell phone using a headset) \_ Depends what you mean by 'borgification.' I think it's already happening with cell phones, and the Internet, and it will happen more and more. As long as communicating with others is not intrusive (which are the connotations when you hear about the Borg), it seems like a good thing. -- ilyas \_ If a 'direct neural interface' was available, would you get it? \_ Spam and viruses, directly to your brain, yay! \_ Well, presumably it would handle only media and not 'code' (thoughts). You could get spam, but you'd have to decide to check your mail, which would be handled by a remote server made of silicon. \_ Depends on what I would interface with, I guess. I wouldn't mind things like the ability to instantly do arithmetic, or do google searches. Of course those things don't need a neural interface -- only wearable computers. Can you give me an example of a useful functionality which needs a neural interface? -- ilyas \_ I'd like the equivalent of monitor, keyboard, microphone, and speakers wired into my head. You can have any computer you want on the backend. \_ Why do you need it wired in your head? \_ direct neural interface + Windows 2050 = new meaning for 'blue screen of death'! \_ Which includes Buffer Overrun Suite 2050, the most direct way to overwrite your memory. \_ Be the first to beta-test Microsoft Bloodstream 1.0! \_ Apple iBorg. Think Different. No, Really. (TM) \_ Beware The Phone Company! \_ I just want AR (Augmented Reality) sunglasses. They'd give me heads up GPS stuff, overlay building addresses and street names, use facial recognition to bring up info I have tagged to people, etc. I think that would totally kick ass. --dbushong \_ not sure about borgification, but if I had the holodeck to myself, I'd endulge in my wildest dream. ****DROOOOLLLLL***** \_ 7 of 9 + 69? \_ 69.777... ? |
2004/8/25-26 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:33147 Activity:nil |
8/25 Is there such a PC program that lets you map a key on the keyboard to the left button of your mouse? -mouse finger pain \_ use anir mouse. it works. google it. -ex mouse finger pain |
2004/8/25 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:33132 Activity:insanely high |
8/25 How many people prefer a keyboard that has a volumn control with play/pause/ff/back button? prefer: .. \_ as long as it works under linux not prefer: . prefer yermom w/volume control: . \_ That's what the ball-gag is for. \_ IBM MODEL M! MODEL M IS THE STANDARD! \_ Special-purpose keys make me feel like I am buying a keyboard for retards. \_ Seconded. WTF would I need that for?! \_ The only keyboard I've seen like this that I like is the logitech model that has a wheel for volume. I don't know why there aren't more wheel inputs for computers in general. \_ http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/powermate |
2004/8/2 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:32625 Activity:very high 66%like:32646 |
8/3 Kool-Aid killer? http://tinyurl.com/699ss \_ What does "Kool-Aid" refer it in this case? \_ iPod/iPod Mini, but it is usually used as a generic term for any cool apple product (not that there are any un-cool apple products) \_ one-button-mouse \_ How many buttons are enough? What is the standard, Kenneth? \_ 0: cool 1: suck 2: ok 3: good 3+wheel: best >3: annoying \_ Which OS do you use? Your standard only applies to bad OSes (XP) or horrendous jokes (X-Windows). \_ The no button bt mouse is still the coolest mouse ever (maybe not the most practical, but certainly the coolest). Even the one button mouse started out cool (how many buttons did your mouse have in 1984?) My favorite mouse to date is the Logitech Mx300 (2 btn w/ clickable scroll wheel) \_ KOOL-AID IS THE STANDARD! |
2004/8/1-2 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:32618 Activity:high |
8/1 I need to buy a decent but inexpensive keyboard (the kind you make music with, not the kind you type with). Does anybody have any recommendations or horror stories of models/makers that I should avoid? TIA. \_ Yamaha Clavinovas are usually known for their piano-like feel. \_ The Yamaha YDP223 is the same as the entry-level Clavinova, but you can get it for ~$300-400 cheaper at consumer electronics places (zzzounds.com, guitar center, etc). Only difference is warranty. My wife got one last December, and loves it - same feel as a piano, lots of great features. \_ You can't go wrong with a Roland. \_ Yamaha-- realistic feel. Roland, feels fake, but sounds really really good. -classical pianist for 15 yrs \_ When I last compared 7yrs ago, I personally felt that Technics digital pianos have better key touch than Yamaha ones for the same price, although the Yamaha ones have many more functions. I ended up buying a Technics SX-PX222. --- yuen \_ I'd actually recommend that you buy a seperate MIDI controller keyboard, which only sends and receives MIDI data rather than producing sound. Then you can find just the right feel that you're looking for and swap whatever module you like until you find a sound that you like. Most of the best "feeling" keyboards don't have particularly good sounds, and vice versa. My personal recommendation for a weighted, full-range controller would be a StudioLogic SL-880, which will run you about $600. A good piano sound module would only be another couple of hundred, but you have the option of connecting to a computer and running any manner of software samplers to get the right sound. Email me if you have any other questions...Oh, and by the way, if you think the numbers I'm quoting are "expensive," you probably want to stay out of the musician game altogether. -- lye \_ Don't a lot of regular keyboards have a MIDI out? -n00b \_ Yeah, but usually the built-in sounds are a waste of time unless you're looking at full-featured workstations or analog synthesizers, which start in the $2000 - $4000 range. You're better off spending the $600 on a keyboard that actually feels like a piano, is aftertouch and velocity sensitive, and has a pedal input, rather than some Kmart Casio action with a "computer keyboard" feel. Also, most controllers allow you to split the keyboard into seperate "zones," allowing you to play more than one sound at once - for instance, playing a "bass" sound in the bass clef and a lead in the other. -- lye |
2004/7/15-16 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:32297 Activity:high |
7/15 Does anyone actually have a datahand or keybowl? I use Dvorak and Kinesis keyword but my fingers still hurt. \_ There's no scientific proof that Dvorak is any better than standard qwerty for either typing speeds or for reducing CTS. You should also give your hands a break so they can heal. \_ I've been heavily typing for 25 years with no pain. Maybe all these CTS people just need to learn to type properly. \_ I agree, I keep thinking that CTS for a lot of poeple is just a way to collect disability insurance. For the small subset that actually does have it, I bet it's something to do with their physical makeup that causes them to have it and typing just triggers it. \_ you're a moron. -tom |
2004/7/9-11 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:32198 Activity:high |
7/9 Help, I use my Kinesis keyboard so often that some of the letters are starting to fade, what should I do? \_ do you really still look at them? (I'm assuming that those are the frequently used keys, which should mean you should just "know" where they are?) \_ Sharpie \_ one time I thought it would be cool to write all over my chest with a sharpie. when I woke up the next morning, all the ink was gone, and i think i may have absorbed it into my skin. i felt pretty odd. i'm not sure this is good for you. \_ night elves drank it. you're ok except for the little bit of your soul each one took with the ink. \_ Are the night elves female? \_ You might be thinking of the Wood Fairy. She comes out of the TV every night and is the cause of morning wood. \_ Then she hasn't done any real good. \_ one time i fell asleep drunk and i woke up with sharpie ink all over my face and body. \_ Dude! Its like that one Sopranos episode! \_ I find sharpie doesn't work that well for keyboards. I used to use it to write Korean letters on the keys to help me type in Korean, but it would always rub off after a week or so. Stickers work better. -jrleek \_ why not use a sharpie, then put transparrent tape over it? \_ why not go completely ghetto and put tape around the broken spot on your glasses, too? how's the pocket protector? \_ in case you're wondering, my M, B, then D keys are starting to rub off. I'm guessing that they occur most frequently in the English language or in Java, I don't know. How about your keyboard, which keys rub off first? \_ :,w,q \_ Java, maybe, but not English where "e" is the most common letter. \_ eiasdklcbnm, in no particular order... just looking at my kb \_ s,t,f,u \_ S, X, C, left CTRL. I use emacs. \_ stupid emacs user -- vi camp \_ pico! \_ DUDE. ED! \_ My spacebar is worn out! \_ too much usenet |
2004/7/7-8 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:31199 Activity:very high |
7/7 Has anyone tried Datahand (datahand.com) keyboards? Does it reduce the fucking wrist/finger pain one gets as a programmar? Is it worth $1000 to spend? \_ The coder in my group just got a touchstream zeroforce keyboard for $300. It takes some getting used to, but his wrist doesn't hurt anymore and he doesn't have to wear those wrist braces anymore. \_ Don't know about datahand, but I love my kinesis professional keyboard, and it makes a huge difference... takes some getting used to at first, but awesome after the first few hours. \_ If your company offers it, try to get an ergonomic expert to study your work area. There may be additional remedies that could help you in addition to changing keyboards. Once you get carpal, these injuries are slow to heal - a friend had to change professions because of it. \_ USE DVORAK AND SAVE YOUR $$$ AND YOUR FINGERS. \_Yeah, Dvorak rules man! \_ "TYPING ERRORS - The standard typewriter keyboard is Exhibit A in the hottest new case against markets. But the evidence has been cooked." http://reason.com/9606/Fe.QWERTY.shtml \_ Doh! Another misconception shattered. Thanks for the link. \_ http://www.microsphere.com \_ The keyboard in the pic is the old-style one. http://www.keybowl.com \_ No CTRL key? REALLY awsome, should check it out! \_ I've been typing for 25 years without any pain. Maybe it's your typing style? Over 25 years I've typed on every crappy keyboard ever made without lasting pain. |
2004/6/15-16 [Computer/Networking, Computer/HW/IO, Computer/HW/Drives] UID:30822 Activity:high |
6/15 Related question. Is there any harddrive enclosure that is powered by USB (so I don't need to drag an extra power cable)? \_ I have one for a laptop drive, but I suspect the power demands for a standard 3.5" drive are too high. \_ For a 2.5" notebook HDD, sure, almost all of them should do it. For a 3.5" HDD, no, USB doesn't provide enough power. Firewire can do it, but Wiebetech is the only manufacturer I know of who makes such enclosures, and they're very pricey. \_ That's not necessarily true. Certain USB ports on certain computers don't supply enough power to the USB port to run even a 2.5" hdd. This is the reasn why they include a keyboard adapter (draws power from the mouse/keyboard ps2 port). YMMV. Also, powered Firewire is only standard on Macs, on PCs it's hit/miss. \_ who makes 2.5" enclosure? \_ there are literally a dozen different ones that you can pickup at Fry's. I would guess there's at least 50 different manufacturers. \_ http://newegg.com, search "2.5 enclosure usb", or find the category |
2004/4/14-15 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:13203 Activity:nil |
4/14 Any recommendations for a mouse that makes silent "clicks"? \_ you want one with a mushy spring? for what? \_ No, I don't want a mushy spring. It's for a house-mate of mine who plays solitare. It is now like chinese water torture. We are looking for a mouse with the same action as a normal mouse but without the annoying kul-ick. \_ Three words: "deck of cards." Why anyone uses a computer to play this game is beyond me. \_ use a trackpad, tap, tap, tap. \_ Maybe he/she should stop playing solitaire and get a life. \_ Have you tried just taking some cheap mouse apart and trying to get rid of whatever makes the click? \_ it's the switches under the buttons. |
2004/4/12 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:13152 Activity:nil |
4/12 Can anyone recommend a good USB hub keyboard? I prefer clicky keys like the old IBM PC's. I prefer not to have internet shortcut buttons also. \_ All the clickey boards I know (model M) are PS/2. You could get a PS/2->USB adapter... I have a clicky IBM PS/@ keyboard which has a "trackpoint" mouse in the middle, like on thinkpads. \_ I heard there's a really good mac compatible keyboard with the features you're looking for. \_ Pricey but good: http://halfkeyboard.com/tactilepro/index.php |
2004/4/9-10 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW/OS/OsX] UID:13115 Activity:nil |
4/9 One side of my shoulder hurts very often, even when I am not doing anything but (especially) sitting. Don't know if this is repetitive stress syndrome or anthritis. Not asking for medical opinion on motd but just wondering if anyone else has had that too. \_ Totally serious: left shoulder? I had the same thing, where I would slouch very slightly on the left armrest, which could not be adjusted low enough. 2 weeks ago I unscrewed the thing and made it into an office mobile, and my shoulder's starting to feel better. I keep the right one to use the mouse with. \_ My office chair has no arm rests, and I like it that way. \_ reformatted \_ Right shoulder, but I use my left for mouse, even though I am right handed. -- op \_ Do you carry a backpack on one shoulder? Or carry anything semi-heavy unbalanced on a regular basis? \_ My g/f, who is 33, had the same problem. She went to the doc and he said it was degenerative arthritis. He put her on an exercise regimen that mostly made it go away. \_ well are you doing a certain kind of movement (e.g. sports)? \_ this is the motd. \_ i had the same thing on my right shoulder. but it was only when using my home computer after buying a new Mac (only relevant bc I stopped using an MS keyboard). I bought a new chair and the prob mostly went away. |
2004/4/8 [Computer/Companies/Apple, Computer/HW/IO] UID:13079 Activity:nil |
4/7 I would appreciate recommendation of a fully Mac compatible USB keyboard. Of course there is Apple Pro, but by experience it must be more expensive than it needs to be. tia. \_ what timing. from yesterday's /.: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/07/1630208 \_ I have a Mac and wanted the same thing. I ended up buying the Apple Pro keyboard. I'm glad I did. First, it's a very nice keyboard. Second, it's just really nice to have the Mac keys on it ... a real Apple key, volume up/down/off, eject ... sure, you could map them to something else, I guess, but I am glad I spent the extra money to get the real thing. |
2004/3/9-10 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:12579 Activity:nil |
3/8 Can someone recommend a good 3 button mouse for PC hardware? Is there any reason to favor USB over PS2? Price not an issue. \_ Microsoft Intellimouse Optical (Retail). It has two more buttons that you'll use a lot for going Back or Forward in web pages. Look, Amazon is selling it for $23.84, no tax! It's an upgrade from a year ago, it captures 6,000 images per second, which you'll notice. \_ Eh, the extra buttons are useless and get in the way. Stick with Logitech, and you'll never go back. The MS wheel-buttons have too much (or too little resistance). Logitech gets it right. Logitech also makes symmetric mice so I can use them with my left hand. And they have great drivers. \_ I really like my Kensington expert mouse v5 (the huge trackball with 4 buttons.) It takes a bit of getting used to, and the price is astronomical, but for work it's superb. Only problem with mine (I use the serial one) is that the connector to the trackball chassis is bad quality and can fall out if you move it (so not too good for active gaming.) They may have fixed this since I bought mine a few years back, though. http://www.kensington.com/html/1175.html -John \_ I appreciate the suggestions but I am looking for something 3 buttons. I would rather not get a wheel-as-button. I just use X11, no Windows. Any basic 3b mouse options? \_ Oh sorry. For bog-standard 3 button mice, I really like the older Compaq ones (sort of wide-ish and goofy- shaped. Can't find a picture, but you should be able to pick one up on ebay.) I find them pretty relaxing on my hand. -John \_ Kensington is the answer to all mouse needs. Go to their site and see their 3b mouse products. \_ We had a short-lived manager that came in here ordered a $300 kensington track ball to see how high he could get people to jump. \_ They only go to $105. \_ I like USB mouse on laptops. It has advantage of hot plugin / pull out without causing too much harm. For desktops, I prefer PS2 mouse mainly because USB ports are relatively valuable real estates. I prefer reserve USB ports for truely portable devices such as thumb drive, digital camera, etc. Personally, I use the cheap logitech optical mouse (wheel mouse) for portable needs. And, if you want an ergonomic mouse, I highly recommend this product called "Anir Mouse." http://www.animax.no it is the most comfortable mouse I ever used. email me if you got more questions. -kngharv |
2004/1/28 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:11986 Activity:nil |
1/28 best keyboarD: http://louhi.kempele.fi/~skyostil/archive/dump/images/supercoder.jpg |
2003/11/18 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:29641 Activity:very high |
11/17 Anyone know about using 2 mice at once? I want to have a PS/2 pointer and a USB mouse at the same time so i can switch back and forth at will. \_ what OS? Windows? yeah, works fine. \_ I do this in Linux (wireless USB and PS/2 mouse) and it also works fine. Keyboards, too. --dim \_ Schweet, thanks guys. -op |
2003/10/29-30 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:10834 Activity:nil |
10/28 Anyone tried the new Kengsington Expert Mouse Optical Trackball? I've got version 5 which has problem with dirt gumming up the ball. The new one has a speckled reflective greyish ball and 3 optical sensors inside the cup and some odd spinning thing around the ball which I think is their idea of a mouse wheel. \_ Spray the ball with some pledge. Make sure your internal wheels are clean. Also you might want to try to apply some anti-static spray to the ball. Make sure rolling surface is not charged. The new one has a speckled reflective greyish ball and 3 optical sensors inside the cup and some odd spinning thing around the ball which I think is their idea of a mouse wheel. |
2003/10/22-23 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW/OS/OsX] UID:10743 Activity:nil |
10/22 Just bought a Mac but I REALLY want to use a PC keyboard. Are there PC to Mac keyboard converters out there (PS2 to USB for example), and which keys correspond to Option and the Open Apple keys? \_ I think most MS Natural keyboards come with a PS2->USB dongle. grab one from a friend. \_ Only the MS Natural Keyboard Elite has the PS/2->USB adapter. The fancier and more basic ones do not. The generic PS/2->USB adapters for the most part suck. \_ If you do this, don't you lose some of the apple key functions? \_ The question implies that. \_ /Applications/Utilities/Key Caps will tell you what keys do what. If you need a key that isn't there, remap your keyboard. \_ I've got a Sun Type 6 USB on my Mac - the Alt key is Option, and the Diamond/Meta key is Apple/Command/Pretzel. -alan- \_ Any USB keyboard should work fine. Why bother with PS2? -tom \_ Because *the* PS2 keyboard is one of the best keyboards ever made. It was forged by angels working directly under God. |
2003/10/15-16 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW/OS/Windows] UID:10636 Activity:nil |
10/15 On Windows 2000, how do I stop the mouse from automatically moving to highlighted button of a popup window? \_ Control Panel -> Mouse. Turn off "Snap to", Automatically move pointer to the default button in a dialog box. |
2003/8/29-2004/2/14 [Consumer/PDA, Computer/HW/IO] UID:12240 Activity:low |
2/13 How do you tell if the "new" item you bought is really new or an open box rejected by another consumer? I think it is illegal to do so but how can I tell? I bought a pda from amazon about 1.5 weeks ago. There is no seal, broken or intact, on the box, or for any of the items in the box. Today I notice scratches and marks on the part of the circuit board exposed after the keyboard is pulled out, although I have otherwise no complaint with it. \_ You think the previous owner gnawed on the inside of the pda? You can file a complaint with Amazon. They'll probably replace it if you whine enough. |
2003/8/13-14 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/HW] UID:29335 Activity:kinda low |
8/13 Q: Is there any special knowledge required to set up an exchange+IMAP server? A friend of a friend wants to pay me to do it, and I'm wondering how much I need to know to look like I've done it before. I've installed and dealt with qmail and sendmail. \_ Not really if you can click a mouse, navigate a gui and have half a brain for a standard setup. Just don't let him stand over your shoulder. You *do* charge extra for training, right? \_ if you want to be really cool, don't expose the exchange server to the public internet, put a unix box with a mta in front of it and have it relay mail to the exchange server for future processing so you don't get immediately hacked. - danh \_ no, that's a second and larger unrelated project which his client will have to pay extra for. stop selling out IT on the cheap. \_ any monkey can set it up. that's the easy part. the hard part is support/maintenance/security. That's why you shouldnt even get involved, because it's a time-suck. \_ nonononono, the idea is you get more money each time he has to call for more help. he's not doing this free. it's for a small business. as an FTE I don't *ever* touch any windows servers and the only WS I touch is my own. as a consultant I ***loooooove*** microsoft. nothing says "I love you!" to my bank account like repeat business from my MS using clients. |
2003/6/18 [Computer/Networking, Computer/HW/IO] UID:28755 Activity:high |
6/17 Is switching to Dvorak worth it? And, how is it for programming? \_ I've read one article (in 160 I believe) that said that it really doesn't improve typing speed that much. Some friends switched to it and liked it, but also noted that their typing speed on QWERTY slowed dramatically. \_ I did it for about a year, and the benefits/drawbacks were so minimal that I reverted simply because it was a pain to switch the layouts when someone else wanted to use the computer. This was mainly an essay-writing time though, not coding. \_ don't forget about keyboard shortcuts. \_ switching was the most painful process, it was like learning typing all over again. However, it's really worth it. I use Kinesis Dvorak keyboard, it's a great combo. My emacs pinky stopped hurting after using it. \_ you should have just stopped using emacs \_ ED! \_ my ED finger hurts. |
2003/6/17 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:28744 Activity:high |
6/16 anyone using a good ergonomic mouse? I'm looking for something to reduce wrist pain. [moved up to it's own topic by !op] \_ for future reference: its, not it's. -grammer [sic] god \_ I've been using Kensington Expert Mouse trackballs for years with out *any* pain. Costs about $100, has 5 year hardware support from Kensington. I couldn't live without it. Note that they do not advertise it as an ergonomic device. Ergnomics is a nonsense pseudo science. You have to find something that works for you. \_ Kensington trackballs are superb. However, I've found that with the expert mouse 5 and friends, the connection between cord and mouse is a bit shoddy, and the wheels tend to gum up pretty frustratingly. Otherwise they are very good (but pricey) -John \_ I've been using one version or another for many many years. However long Kensington has been doing consumer trackballs. Yes, they can get gummy. I just flip it and blow out the dust once a day. That's enough to keep it from getting all gummed up. I had trouble with the version 4 mouse connector and they sent me a new one without questions. My v5 has been fine. \_ I was looking into using a wacom tablet or a 3M mouse designed to reduce wrist movement. Anyone have any experience with these? \_ I used a wacom tablet for a while to reduce wrist movement. It's nice, especially if you do a lot of mouse work or even web surfing. It's not as useful if you switch between kb and mouse often. \_ Often it's the mouse setup, not the moust that's most important. I \_ Often it's the mouse setup, not the mouse that's most important. I have a mouse on each side of the keyboard (a symmetric one for the left hand, a right-handed one on the right). The mouse is right next to the keyboard (at the same height--that's very important). And my preferred editor is Vim, so I don't need to use the mouse very much anyway. -emarkp \_ it will all depend upon what do you mean by "ergonomic." I hurt my hand because i used index finger too much. I end up using a product called "anir mouse." It is an odd-looking mouse that shaped like a joystick. It will take about a day or two to get used to, but it's the best mouse I've ever used. Having said that, I agree with post above. I usually try to use keyboard as much as I can myself. More questions, email me -kngharv \_ I don't mean to pry, but how did using your index finger too much hurt your hand? Muscle strain? \_ Putting it in the wrong place. |
2003/5/18-19 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:28471 Activity:high |
5/17 I'd like to increase the default speed of my mouse pointer on a linux laptop. I don't mean mouse "accelleration". I could have sworn that mouse "Resolution" in XF86Config did this, but is seems to have no affect. Does anybody know how to do this? \_ xset m \_ Nope. That only controls acceleration and threshold. I want to control the real speed of the mouse pointer. "Resolution" does the trick, but doesn't work with all mice. I have to pipe the mouse data through gmp. It seems like a total hack. XFree86 is missing a setting. It really needs "mouse-speed" Does anybody here know how the XFree86 folks are to work with? \_ Nope. That only controls acceleration / threshold. I want to control the real speed of the mouse pointer. "Resolution" only works some of the time with some mice. I'll have to pipe the mouse data through gpm. Seems like a kluge job. XFree86 is missing a "mouse-speed" feature. Does anybody here know how the XFree86 folks are to work with? \_ haha. "use the source, puke!" \_ xset m and change the threshold to zero and set acceleration to what you want your velocity to be. \_ Nope. Have you ever tried that? It makes the pointer skip around, not smooth, because that's not the way that accel/threshold was designed. But thanks for trying. -op \_ I haven't tried it because I don't use a mouse but it sounded like a good idea. |
2003/5/4 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:28324 Activity:nil |
5/3 Where do you want to go today? http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-999509.html?tag=fd_top |
2003/3/13 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:27677 Activity:moderate |
3/12 Anyone using a wireless keyboard and mouse under Linux? What are some good ones? --dim \_ why would OS matter? don't go reaching and making up shit either. \_ most wireless stuff doesn't work with BSD. |
2003/3/3-4 [Computer/HW/Laptop, Computer/HW/IO, Computer/HW/Display] UID:27589 Activity:high |
3/2 Can I turn off the built-in LCD display of a powerbook connected to an external monitor without having an external keyboard? I know it is a possible with an ext. keyboard and I have googled already. \_ this requires a reboot -- close the LCD immediately after pressing the power button, when the startup screen appears on the external monitor, you can re-open the LCD. --jwang |
2002/12/13-14 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:26812 Activity:nil |
12/13 Y'all down with http://thinkgeek.com? They have some funny stuff. \_ Not really: I'm not really down with it and it's really not funny. |
2002/12/5 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW/OS/Windows] UID:26710 Activity:nil |
12/4 I have an old serial trackball I'd like to use on my laptop--I've seen serial->usb converters, but none of them say they work with mice. Can I use a converter like this on win XP? \_ shell out the 2 bucks and try it. \_ It's 10 bucks plus shipping and I'm thinking of doing that. I thought I'd check here first. |
2002/11/15-16 [Transportation/Car, Computer/HW/IO] UID:26562 Activity:kinda low 66%like:26556 |
11/15 Clean your Mouse Rollers. Iso-Propanol and a Qtip and the flat side of a pin. Makes life better. \_ I just use my fingernail to scrub off the dust on the ball and the rollers. It's easy and it works well. \_ I do this about once a month but the alcohol+qtip is good to do every 3-4 months. \_ go optical. \_ If the optical mouse that comes with new iMacs is typical of optical mice, no thanks. I prefer more precision. \_ How do you get off all the splooge? \_ You put the propanol on the Qtip, and rub the wheel "across" or perpendicular to the direction it rolls. each time, turn the wheel a little bit, and eventually you'll have all the gunk saturated with propanol and then take the flat part of the pin, near the end and scrape is across the wheel, and all the gunk magically gets lifted off. gets lifted off. Then, wipe of the excess with a clean Qtip soaked in propanol. |
2002/10/28-29 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:26345 Activity:very high |
10/28 Has anyone else noticed that if you type :) very quickly on a Microsoft natural keyboard, sometimes the ) will get dropped. This has been the case for my last 3 keyboards... \_ You need to spend less time on AIM. \_ Since I don't use a Microsoft Unnatural Keyboard and none of the languages I write have :) as a common sequence, I would have to say "no, I haven't noticed". Why do you keep buying these things if they don't work? Get a real keyboard. \_ Pretty much all keyboards have similar bugs. -tom \_ My new micro$oft World Domination keyboard has a specific set of function keys with every type of smilie on them, so I don't have this kind of problem. \_ I rarely use :) so I rarely notice. And all my companies offered me either a shitty 101 keyboard or the MS. Luuuuv the MS. \_ I've bought like 20 of these over four years, and there are definite \_ d00d, yer so 1337. \_ I've bought like 20 of these over three yrs, and there are definite quality control issues (a key stops working, certain Ctl/Alt combos don't work, generally below avg quality) the cheaper and more OEM (less reputable vendors) you buy them. FYI, MS is selling the Nat'l Keyboard of the PS2/USB variety for $40 at CompUSA, retaining it in the Fall '02 line of keyboards/mice. I've also noticed the quality steadily improving ~ every half year. Haven't tried the "Office" or "Internet" ones. The "Wireless Desktop" ones, well, they require batteries, and who wants a wireless mouse which have 100% of the time tracked less well? \_ are you some kind of idiot? logitech plain jane kbd, $14, solid quality. if you keep buying shitty MS keyboards you deserve what you get. |
2002/10/5 [Computer/HW/Laptop, Computer/HW/IO, Computer/HW/Display] UID:26107 Activity:nil 60%like:26104 |
10/4 Quality protest in action: http://csua.org/u/38a |
2002/9/4-5 [Computer/SW/OS/Linux, Computer/HW/IO] UID:25766 Activity:high |
9/3 How do I capture all keyboard events under linux? I want to do "cat /dev/keyboard > keyboard_log" \_ there is an OS independent hardware solution, if you're willing spend the money($159.00): http://www.thespystore.com/pcsurveillance.htm \_ try xev \_ But how do I capture all windows? even new ones that are popped up? And what about VTYs? \_ get a life? \_ run freebsd, use the snoop device \_ rewrite keyboard drivers. \_ what are you trying to accomplish? this is not likely what you want to do, unless you're doing something really lame. \-hello, i have written a module to do this under some solaris and from my conversation with linux people it seems like this can be adapted for linux however i lack the knowledge of how to do this on intel hardware [i dont understand these IRQs real well] and linux kernel modules. if you have a good reason, i can send you this, however i think it will be a fair amount of work to adapt for linux. i vaguely remember some securty researcher said there was something for linux aready although it may not be generally avail beyond security researchers [this was for a honeypot]. ok tnx. \_ everytime I see "ok tnx." I get this warm-fuzzy all over! |
2002/8/20-21 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:25617 Activity:low |
8/20 If you use a Kinesis ergo keyboard, do you use the default keybindings or did you come up with your own? \_ Backspace=shift, Delete=Backspace. I use a modified dvorak layout |
2002/7/8 [Academia/Berkeley/Classes, Computer/HW/IO, Academia/StanfUrd] UID:25300 Activity:kinda low |
7/8 The mouse was invented by a Cal alumus IN THE SIXTIES! http://www.coe.berkeley.edu/labnotes/0702/history.html \_ bh showed his presentation in lecture when I took CS 61A. It was interesting. --dim \_ yeah, but he was working at Stanford. Engelbart also invented hyperlinks, I think. |
2002/7/1-2 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:25256 Activity:moderate |
7/1 http://slashdot.org/articles/02/07/01/129246.shtml?tid=152 If you took CS160 in Fall '97, this guy was in our class. \_ if you took CS160 in Fall '99, he was (originally) one of the TAs. \_ I lived in the same coop as Hesham 10+ years ago. Decent guy. \_ I lived in the same coop as yermom 10+ years ago. Decent guy. |
2002/6/17-18 [Computer/HW/Laptop, Computer/HW/IO, Computer/HW/Display] UID:25119 Activity:high |
6/16 Where can I get a monitor mirror (so I can tell when my boss is standing behind me watching me work on my computer)? I know it is available on http://thinkgeek.com, but I want one now. Compusa didn't have it. \_ how about a car shop? \_ I just make use of the reflection on the monitor surface. Works quite well since I use a black background. \_ try those bubble mirrors for wide angle viewing at car shops, like the pep boys. also, check out baby stores (like babies r us or the right start) for those rear-view mirrors (so parents can see their babies in the back from the front seats). \_ Fry's has some \_ why don't you just tell your boss to get off your back? \_ It doesn't work that way. -twice fired |
2002/4/10 [Recreation/Computer/Games, Computer/HW/IO] UID:24395 Activity:nil |
4/9 What is "khooker?" in windows. \_ http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist_k.htm |
2002/3/22-23 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:24186 Activity:low |
3/21 In plain DOS, is there a way to programmatically stuff a key sequence into the keyboard buffer as if the user presses those keys, so that the next program that reads keyboard input will receive those keys? Any references will be helpful. Thanks. \_ Try http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/47187.html -- misha. \_ Learn VB! There's a sendkey() function. |
2002/3/7 [Computer/HW/CPU, Computer/HW/IO] UID:24043 Activity:high |
3/6 How many people have a "webcam"? Do you need a special software to view it? Do you need to register with a central server? Also, what is a good webcam package (Intel or Logitech)? \_ trying to get all the teeny bopper real time porn from 14 year olds in south carolina putting their little titties on their net for you to jack off to? \_ urlP \_ Ewww. \_ I'm not making this up. A friend of mine "confessed" to having a few chats exactly as I describe. \_ And in which correctional facility does he live now? \_ http://www.spotlife.com & http://www.camarades.com are two services that host webcamming. There are many different ways to do it: p2p, client/server, etc. Each service has it's advantages and disadvantages. For example, some don't do audio and some scale based on your available bandwidth. |
2002/2/12-13 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:23849 Activity:high 50%like:24816 |
2/12 Where's a good place to start a Dvorak keyboard club? \_ far, far away \_ I'm genuinely curious as to what you'd talk about in a club for a keyboard layout. What'd be the mission statement? "Bringing people to better layouts one letter at a time?" \_ why is Antonin Dvorak pronouced "Di-Vor-Zhak" and Dvorak keyboard pronounced "Di-Vorak"? \_ Because the composer was born speaking Czech and thus knew how to pronounce it, whereas the inventor of the keyboard was, to the best of my knowledge, Czech only in the Nth generation, for N>1. BTW, it's not exactly "r-zh" in the former case either; it's a rather peculiar sound that _sort_of_ combines those two simultaneously; it's observed in virtually no language other than Czech. -alexf other than Czech. Oh, and there shouldn't be a vowel between the "d" and the "v" in either case. -alexf \_ It's a mix between "sh" and "zh". -dvorak \_ No, not really. -alexf |
2002/2/5 [Computer/SW/Editors/Emacs, Computer/HW/IO] UID:23777 Activity:high |
2/3 3 weeks into using Dvorak (pain in the ass to learn) I am almost as proficient at it as I was with qwerty. However my wrist+fingers still hurt and now I'm looking at alternatives like ViaVoice or Dragon speech software. Any comments? \_ You lack sufficient faith, my son. \_ have you tried Datahand or Kinesis? They're soooo cool... \_ datahand is indeed way c00l! But as a starving student a $1000 keyboard is a bit too much! \_ Make sure that its not your fingers and hands getting _tired_ Also, make sure to use one of those broken "M$" natural keyboards. When switching, I noticed significant fatigue in my hands and fingers when learning the new keymap- it did go away... On the other hand, two hours of qwerty will nuke my hands for the next two days. Also helpful- do away with the evil emacs control key. \_ eh, without CTRL emacs is useless! |
2002/1/6-8 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:23476 Activity:high |
1/5 Dvorak keyboard, yey or ney? \_ Do you plan to carry your own keyboard with you? Do you ever have to use other people's computers? \_ What the hell are you talking about? Why do you need to CARRY your keyboard around? It's the same bloody keyboard, just a different layout. A kinesis on the other hand, that is a different keyboard. \_ Let's hear what nweaver has to say, he uses Dvorak. \_ A: I can still type (but not as fast) on QWERTY. B: Most OSs these days support soft remapping. Once you can touchtype dvorak, it is a simple matter of mapping and unmapping the keyboard layout. C: No wrist pain since I switched. -nweaver \_ My wrist pain disappeared after I used a wrist pad with my QWERTY keyboard. \_ My wrist pain disappeared after I got a girlfriend and cut down on my frequent masturbation. This course of action might be a little difficult for some CS types, but I heartily recommend it! \_ Also, do other people ever have to use your computer? \_ Not an issue, at least not on Windows, as it supports switching between the two quite easily. \_ When you learned a foreign language, did you forget how to speak English? The answer is Yay. \_ When I learned French I didn't forget English but I didn't have to bring my French keyboard with me to France. Your analogy is false. Good try though. The first answer is still the questions above which imply "no". \_ how is the analogy false? if you're on your normal keyboard, you "speak" your normal "language". if you're using someone else's, you speak theirs. Big fuckin' deal. -tom \_ I'm sure this is fine for someone who types 20 wpm on your shitty Dell keyboard but some of us are used to better which makes it a "big fuckin' deal". \_ can you actually touch-type at similar speeds on both qwerty and dvorak keyboards, or are you talking out of your ass? I would think that "muscle memory" severely would limit any kind of "keyboard fluency." I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's also not easy to be TRULY fluent in multiple languages, without requiring concentration. \_ a friend from work, who came to the US from Germany for his post-doc, travelled back for a conference. another German asked him where he learned German, because it sounded better than most American's accents! \_ My mother (who is Dutch) gets this when she goes back to visit from the USA. "You speak Dutch so well..." --dim \_ Dvorak! I can't type on a qwerty keyboard anymore for > 1 hour without my wrists hurting / going numb for the next two days. I can type 80-100 wpm all day and never have my hands complain when using the dvorak layout. Learning the keymap takes about 2 hours to memorize, about a month to get faster than the qwerty layout. If you are the sort of person who thought it was fun to spin in circles until falling over as a kid, you will probably enjoy the experience of remapping your neurons! All this questioning of linguistic memory- its crap. I can type qwerty at exactly the same speed as before, after a good 2 years of dvorak. Spend the effort. Use dvorak. People will freak when they try to type something into your keyboard, but there are some nifty programs that let you switch layouts ala hotkey. When you start learning- make sure that you don't have a termpaper due during the 1st month or so- it will only be a frustrating experience. -joshk \_ How do you know the change to Dvorak isn't just delaying the inevitable: the day that you can't type qwerty -OR- Dvorak without wrist pain? Maybe you just have destroyed your wrists Dvorak style yet? How many years of qwerty did you use? have before it was a problem? \_ I am sure Dvorak is good for the hands of regular people, but is it any good for programmers who use a lot of all those funny characters which normal people don't usually use? Because I don't find typing English much of a problem. It's those !~@#$&*() that is a pain in the ... fingers and wrist. Maybe someone should design a keyboard standard for programmers. Remember to name it after me. \_ Very good point! (Though I don't know the answer.) \_ "TYPING ERRORS The standard typewriter keyboard is Exhibit A in the hottest new case against markets. But the evidence has been cooked." http://www.reason.com/9606/Fe.QWERTY.html "Typing Tangles" http://www.reason.com/9611/ltr.sl.html -- yuen \_ Finally listened to nweaver...and have never looked back. Haven't had wrist pain in 4 years. Doubled typing speed. How long until I see wrist pain? Does it matter? I would rather put it off than get it now! Does it hurt programming? No. Was the muscle memory hard to re-learn? A little. Can I type qwerty? When needed, and yes, the muscle memory is still there, too. I would give the original question a whole-hearted YES! In a production environment, it has been no problem. We're using WinBloze, and I set my machine up to switch seamlessly (by setting it up under multiple languages) with a hot key. When I use other machines, either I use QWERTY or, if I'm going to be at it a while, I get the drivers off my shared drive and set their machine up with dvorak as an alternate without a hot key, so they can't accidentally switch to it (and tell the machine owner). -djyoung |
2001/11/13 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW/OS/Windows] UID:23024 Activity:kinda low |
11/12 Anyone know how to stop Win2K from turning off my computer when I shut down? I don't want to disable ACPI. \_ what do you want it to do instead and why? \_ My computer is behind my desk on the ground so it's a pain to reach the power switch to turn in on after Windows shutdown. I want it to show that screen that says "It's OK to turn off your computer now," so I can turn it on and off with the power strip on my desk. strip on my desk. However, if I turn off all the power management features it can't turn off my monitor when I'm away for a while. \_ even if you get to the "It's OK to turn off your computer" screen and manually turn it off, you may not be able to turn it back on via the power strip. does your motherboard support waking up via the keyboard? \_ isn't that ATX specification? |
2001/11/12 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:23003 Activity:very high |
11/11 I just got a MS mouse with a couple of extra buttons on the side. I want to set one up so that when I click on a link in Internet Explorer it opens the link in a new window. Any ideas? I can get it to work with two clicks, or pressing two buttons at once, but not with just one button. For example, I can map one of the buttons to shift, and in IE shift+left click opens in a new window. However, this requires me to press two buttons at once. I ask because my hands have been hurting from using the mouse, and I think this would help. Thanks! \_ You bought the wrong mouse. Get a Kensington. Their mouse \_ Why didn't you ever model for me, Mrs. Kensington? \_ $99 for top of the line. software has had this and a million other functions for years. You can map any button or 2-button combo to just about anything. \_ Huh? Using Netscape on UNIX, I just click on the middle button Loud conversations, especially in foriegn languages, annoyed me (if you're discussing the project, do it in English so other people can join in - if not, talk quietly so you don't disturb everyone else). -alum \_ You are essentially suggesting that people should be able to speak loudly and annoyinging only if they speak in English. to open the link in a new window using a default mouse. \_ It's browser/version/os specific what happens when different buttons get hit on a link. |
2001/10/15 [Consumer/PDA, Computer/HW/IO] UID:22742 Activity:nil |
10/15 http://www.handspring.com/products/treo/details.jhtml?sub_nav_section=Details&prod_cat_name=Treo 4.3"x2.7x0.7? This seems a bit too small to be useful as a traditional palm device (i.e. screen display/touch surface area). the 180 device (2nd gen?) comes with a tiny keyboard in lieu of the drawing area of the palm. this seems even a worse use of realestate; what do you guys think? \_ i'd be surprised if people don't throw that thing in frustration from trying to use that stupid keyboard \_ You are mistaken. Go talk to a blackberry user. |
2001/10/15 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:22741 Activity:high |
10/15 Which one is faster? Graffiti inputing or tiny keyboard? PDA user please comment. \_ Tiny touchscreen keyboard or tiny button keyboard? You can't use the touchscreen keyboard in Palm OS without keeping your eyes on the screen. Graffiti's pretty fast and accurate if you write big. \_ I prefer Graffiti. I've also never understood why manufacturers give tiny keyboards qwerty layouts. --jameslin \_ The developers at my company all use Graffiti because it is faster. Our customers are split 50/50. |
2001/4/1 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:20886 Activity:nil |
3/30 Optical mice. Good? Bad? Just a fad? \_ gr8. Logitech is coming out with a wireless optical one that lasts 3 months on batt. it could suck, but i wanna hear about it. \_ good. how would they be bad? \_ if you're a super 7331 G@M3|2 it's possible the optical sampling \_ my girlfriend is an 7331 DiabloII G@|\/|3R rate isn't as good as regular mice, or could be less deterministic when you make quick sweeps, again mostly sampling rate issue. another thing is, without the ball, the mouse could be too light which could make it more susceptible to the cord moving it etc. the wireless one sounds supa fly ill sick phat dope. \_ the wireless I used had very poor tracking, though it was from a previous generation. -tom \_ Actually optical mice are great for games. I have an Apple mouse and I recommend it highly over the regular kind. I used to have a Logitech mouse which constantly got crap in it which screwed up my aim. I could never clean it completely and the surface got crapped up too. \_ bleah. I dislike the apple optical mouse for games... with the whole thing one big button, I found it too easy to hit accidentally. \_ Remind me not to be on your team in team games. I don't want to get shot in the back when you meant to jump or switch weapons. :) \_ Optical mice are nothing special. Wireless means replacing the batteries. Wired means no battery replacements but you still have to deal with having "just the right surface" for it. If you work in an ideal environment, sure. If your desk looks like my floor when I was in 3rd grade, stick to trackballs. \_ Uh. What does wired/wireless have to do with the surface you use the mouse on? \_ Nothing. I didn't say it did. I was saying that wired optical mouse have one less issue than wireless ones. That issue is the surface problem common to both. \- Optical mice can be really good, if you get the right one. Im using M$ optical, wired and its great (I know, we all hate M$, etc, etc, but their optical mouse is really good). Really good sampling and great resolution. I get much better precision than I used to using a ball mouse. You can use it w/o a mousepad, but with it, the results are better. \_ So why the hell didnt you buy the Logitech one for the same price? and format your message properly next time. \_ Logitech has an annoying habit of putting crap in your 'doze system tray that just won't go away. Quite annoying. \_ Young D0ze Jedi, you must increase your M$ Registry Fu! \_ honestly, where can I find out info on cleaning out my registry? \_ Ijut. It's a STANDARD PS/2 (and USB) mouse! You dont need to install any extra drivers/software!!! \_ yeah, that's kind of like the drivers for the M$ mouse... 29 mb? how about 0 mb since I don't need the stupid side buttons? \_ won't go away? uh, go your mouse properties and uncheck the option about having an icon in the system tray. \_ I've got a Logitech USB optical mouse. I've been pretty happy with it. Works fine via USB, works fine with PS/2 adapter (included). I've used it on a bunch of different surfaces, and have yet to use it with a mouse pad. Fine for first person shooters. -dans |
2001/3/14-15 [Computer, Computer/HW/IO] UID:20789 Activity:nil |
3/14 virtual university: http://www.zdnet.com/gamespot/stories/features/0,12059,2694634-1,00.html http://www.virtual-u.org |
2001/3/9-10 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:20727 Activity:high |
3/9 I'd like to be able to connect two keyboards to a single PC. The keyboards can be ps/2 or 5-pin DIN style but not USB. I've looked at the Y-Key-Key (cute name), but it costs ~$50. I don't need to use them simultaneously, so a switch would be sufficient. Are there any cheap devices that can do this? (... and if so, what?) \_ You just want a keyboard switch? And you think $50 is expensive? My last KVM switch was about $495. \_ yes, I think $50 is expensive for a keyboard-only switch. And I would expect a device that lets you use a single keyboard (and mouse, and monitor) on multiple PCs to be a bit more complex than one that lets you use multiple keyboards on a single PC. \_ $50 too expensive for a piece of hardware? Look, son, go find the parts at radio shack, add up the cost, now figure in what it'll take to develop, market, package, and ship your niche hardware item. Basic econ: low demand = low your niche hardware item. Basic econ: low demand = high price for commodity items. If you can beat that $50 kb switch for the same quality and still make a profit, I'm going to buy your stock when you go public. Until such or do a search on the net. time, however, please stop whining about $50, go get a job, or do a search on the net. [corrected, thanks. mental typo] \_ $50 for a switch? An inkjet printer costs about the same these days. \_ Hello? Certain costs are static no matter what the object and since a keyboard switch isn't a commodity item (only geeks want them), you're going to pay more than something like the $50 inkjet printer I got my mom. She needs a shitty printer. She doesn't need two keyboards or a switch. Econ 1... econ 1... econ 1.... \_ build ur own. |
2001/3/5 [Computer/HW/Printer, Computer/HW/IO] UID:20723 Activity:nil |
3/3 what's the smallest size case you can get for a desktop (ATX)? \_ 8.5" \_ unless you want rackmount 1.5" high cases, microATX: http://www.in-win.com/framecode/index.html http://www.supermicro.com/PRODUCT/Chassis/Sc350M.htm \_ These things are huge. There are *much* smaller cases (4" high, 14" wide, 12" deep) at fry's. And I've seen even smaller ones in low end HP vectra's. I considered getting one of these, but the whole problem with PCs is that they need a keyboard, mouse, monitor etc. and can't boot on serial console. PCs suck, get a real computer. |
2001/1/29-31 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:20462 Activity:high |
1/28 anyone managed to get NT emacs to display an I beam pointer when the mouse is over the text? the arrow pointer is lame for text editing. -ali \_ Yes. See <DEAD>www.alisucks.com<DEAD> \_ why doesn't this site work? - ali #1 fan \_ [moronic ali bashing removed. get a life. answer the damn question] \_ Why should I? He never manages to answer the question himself \_ you see, sophisticated ali bashing has its place. {sophisticated {ali bashing}} or {{sophisticated ali} bashing} \_ Why should I? He never manages to answer any of my questions without throwing in one of his infamous "ali flames". \_ i never flame people who ask questions. i flame people who answer stupidly to questions. -ali \_ {moronic {ali bashing}} or {{moronic ali} bashing}? \_ I think the latter is redundant. \_ Sure, i'll answer the question. Come to Triple Rock this sat. around 8 pm. \_ Ali? Is that you???? D0000000000d!!!1!! -- #1 Ali Fan! |
2000/12/12-13 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW] UID:20072 Activity:nil |
12/11 Using less to read multiple files. How do I jump to the next file when the first is finished? \_ :n \_ thanks. Is there a quicker shortcut? \_ sure. get a keyboard with a ":n" key on it \_ uh, when you're finished with the first file, it should advance to the next one automatically. \_ you know i don't think it does \_ does for me. use "less -e" or "less -E" \_ +1 point for asking "How do I..." instead of "How to...". -1 point for the "Using less..." fragment. |
2000/11/29-30 [Recreation/Activities, Computer/SW/Editors/Emacs, Computer/HW/IO] UID:19945 Activity:nil |
11/28 How do you make a frame smaller in emacs when running in terminal mode? In X its easy, just use the mouse, but I can't figure it out in terminal mode. \_ Something like meta-x-shift-6 if I recall. I'm not kidding. \_ ESC - 1 C-x ^ -- yuen |
2000/10/16 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW/OS/Windows] UID:19494 Activity:nil |
10/15 I'm running NT 4.5 and it binds the middle mouse button to that scrollbar thing. Is there a way to disable that? This is creating problems with my reflection X xterm windows. I can't copy and paste and paste and left and middle mouse buttons! Thanks. |
2000/9/6-7 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW/WWW/Browsers] UID:19177 Activity:high |
9/6 I use netscape 4.73 under Linux. When I hold down the button to go forward or backward with my mouse, a list pops up for me to select from the forward or backward history. Also, the mouse cursor switches from pointing top left to pointing top right. Sometimes, after I release the mouse, the cursor does not return to its normal direction and netscape "traps" all my mouse & keyboard input, essentially locking me out of my computer. I can't even switch to the console. Anyone know why this happens and how I can solve this? \_ I don't know the answer, but I FEEL YOUR PAIN. \_ you're probably using an early release of GNOME. Upgrade to the latest Helix GNOME; this was a known bug. -tom \_ No, I don't use GNOME. I only use E. \_ well, then update your E. -tom \_ you fucking idiot. I am running the latest version of E. \_ GNOME and/or E is your problem. Ditch them for a real WM (WindowMaker/AfterStep/FVWM/TWM) \_ Get a real OS or a real WM. You don't have a choice of real browsers without an OS change, unfortunately. \_ Oh I'm sorry. Was I supposed to be running Windows? \_ No, OpenBSD + { WindowMaker,AfterStep } + lynx is acceptible. As is MacOS + Netscape. \_ Did I say windows? No. I said dump your shitty linux box and install *anything* else and dump your wannabe- windows95 gnome crap and install *anything* but kde. This is one of those, "This is my rifle, this is my gun, this is for shooting, this one's for fun" issues. If you're just having fun, then keep gnome/linux. |
2000/7/27-29 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:18784 Activity:high |
7/27 What's your favorite mouse? (pointing device) \_ The hockey puck. \_ Buttonless optical mouse. \_ Mus Musculus \_ The green Toshiba clitoris \_ MS IntelliMouse (non-optical) w/tweezers \_ tweezers to do regular cleaning? \_ yes \_ why not just get the optical one? \_ I bought one. I've used both the big one and the little one. Too jittery. I'm used to the mechanical ball. \_ Logitech has a new line of economy optical mouse, under 30 dollars. \_Ms has a new line of economical optical mouse as well, selling just at $29.99. Actually the same price as the Logitech's one. However, Logitech's looks nice. Reliability wise, don't know how the two mice compare. \_ Apple Pro USB Mouse. \_ Logitech "Cordless Wheel Mouse" is pretty cool \_ Idea is cool but it is laggy, droppy, and has bad wheel feel. \_ Logitech non-cordless wheel mouse with thumb button. |
2000/7/26-27 [Computer/SW/Languages, Computer/HW/IO] UID:18777 Activity:high |
7/24 Does anyone know Alyosha Efros? Do you know what kind of research he/she is doing? \_ http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~efros He does computer vision. \_ Computers can't see. This is an interesting choice. \_ yes they can. - cog. sci. student \_ No they can't, although they may be programmed to emulate sight. - Prof. John Searle \_ And they can translate Chinese but not understand it.... \_ malik grad. cocky. russian. ali is smarter than he is. \_ Poshel ty na huy, kozel \_ Preach on, brother. -- ilyas \_ Translation? \_ Try http://babelfish.altavista.com. Unfortunately it doesn't know how to translate one important word... \_ The words may be there. The essence is not. \_ I'm trying to think of a deeply insulting remark in a language no one understands. Can anyone help me?? \_ "no one"? ilyas, you don't exist. that was meant to be understandable only to those who could understand it. \_ huh? \_ "if you have to ask, you don't know" \_ fuck ali and fuck his mother -- the anti-ali association |
2000/4/25-26 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:18112 Activity:moderate |
4/25 I'm looking for a box that will let me use the same keyboard and mouse on multiple machines - I was wondering if anyone has seen one that supports the latest Logitech mice? (like the Mouseman Wheel) - everything that I have seen so far only supports very basic (microsoft) mice. Thanks! - mds \_ The decent boxes from BlackBox should support everything. The cheesy "four wires and a switch" boxes might not. -tom \_ This is true. I bought this generic switch box from Fry's, attempting to share keyboard / mouse between my PC and UNIX station, but whenever I switch back to the UNIX box, the mouse refuses to work until I unplug/replug the mouse cable. \_ My company just bought some OmniView PRO 8-Port boxes by Belkin. One box lets you connect the same keyboard, mouse (serial or PS/2) and monitor to up to eight PCs. -- yuen \_ I use several Omniview-PRO 8 ports in colocation sites. They are very useful, and if you interconnect them you can manage upto 64 machines from a single keyboard+monitor station. KVM switches in general are often expensive, but the omniviews look to be amon the cheapest. If you want to search out other options, do a web search for KVM switch. Slashdot also had an article not too long ago on KVM setups. -ERic \_ raritan, cybex, nti --jon |
2000/4/17-18 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:18037 Activity:moderate |
4/17 My mouse pointer on my linux box (RH) keeps jumping to the top right hand corner no matter what i do! i changed it out (and even the keyboard) to no avail. HELP. -user111 \_ This means that XFree86 or gpm or both are misconfigured. \_ How do you configure gpm? (The problem manifests itself in gpm, X-win, and X-win after killing gpm) \_ X11 probably doesn't know what kind of mouse you have. Edit XF86Config or run XF86Setup or run xf86config. --Galen |
2000/4/5-7 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:17934 Activity:high |
4/5 want my old pentium 166? has disk drive, keyboard, mouse, OS - danh \_ I ll take it if it's free. -- ilyas \_ tell us of emergent behaviorsss - the stars \_ turn it into a MP3 jukebox. \_ I am nearly deaf and listen only to Martika. \_ Donate it to soda/csua. \_ jj could use it. \_ I will either donate it to an elementary school when a certain soda person coughs up the phone number, or I will give it to someone without a computer. |
2000/3/26 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/SW/OS/Windows] UID:17857 Activity:moderate |
3/26 What kind of useful things can I do with the "Windows 95" keys on this lame keyboard if I am running Linux for example? \_ Get a real OS. Throw out Linux. Use Windows instead. \_ NO! Use Mac OS X! Screw Windoze! \_ I said "for example". I run Linux, Solaris and OpenBSD on my PCs. Have a nice day in your wintendo world. \_ Now I understand what all of the rants on the motd about only WinDOS running thier "apps". They were taking about games. \_ Don't be stupid. We're talking MS Office and no, Star Office isn't a dropin replacement and yes, I *must* use MS Office because my clients and customers do. \_ throw the keys out with the keyboard? \_ There was a /. thread about the "free" AOL keyboards with 17 hardwired URL keys at the top--some of the comments involved the possibility of running a daemon to catch keyboard signals from these keys (or the Windows key) and having them do something useful with it. Have a look, there might be a link to projects in that directiony. -John \_ Here, Here! Weird Stuff has plenty of excellent keyboards with the PS/2 and AT interface that don't have the WinDOS key. \_ Dump your shitty mushy clone windows keyboard and get a real one. |
2000/3/6-7 [Recreation/Food, Computer/HW/IO] UID:17697 Activity:high |
3/6 Can somebody give me some pointers on building a compost pile? I'm thinking of composting my garabage. Also can grass be "composted"? I want to find some use for this little pile of grass generated every week when mowing the lawn. Thanks. \_ You basically need some kind of box that won't rot. We had one made out of wood, with one side made out of removable panels that made it easy to get at the contents (our compost box was large; roughly cubical, about 7' on a side.) You need to turn the compost over every once in a while so that it decays evenly. You can compost grass, but be careful of weeds (compost is highly fertile.) Any gardening manual worth its salt will have more information for you. -brg \_ Ew. Glad you're not my neighbor. \_ Reminds me of the "Mouse Friendly" compost pile at Casa Zimbabwe. \_ I trapped mice in my room when I lived there. I felt sorry for the little bastards. After a time, they figured out that my room wasn't a good place to go. I guess they moved on to someone else's room, since 99% of the folks didn't trap them. --dim \_ No. One of your neighbors either trapped them and broke their little necks or poisoned them which causes them to dehydrate and then go find water somewhere else and die there or used a glue trap and left their furry faces stuck in a plate of glue unable to move or breathe, every twitch putting them further and further in until someone would have to pretty much rip the little thing out to free it which would almost certainly not only kill it but be far more painful than leaving it to die in the glue in the first place. The best is when you used the standard snap trap and get a fast mouse and it nails the head as it tried to evade the snap bar instead of it's neck. Sometimes it'll crush the skull nearly flat. Other times, the mouse is fast enough that it only crushes its face against the wooden base plate and it survives like that until you come by hours later and 'rescue' it by crushing it under your boot or drowning it in the sink or a bucket. God damn, I loved living in the USCA co-ops! \_ Yeah, in Cloyne I got 18 mice (in standard rat traps) in just a week. My neighbors said their mouse problems disappeared too. Go figure. -emarkp \_ My CZ neighbors swore my mice problem wasn't their fault and they had no food in their room. After killing about 7 or 8 with more still running around, I saw the huge stash of food they were hoarding. Killed another 3, told them to dump the food or I'd rat them out as food thieves and wouldn't you know it? No more mice problems. Amazing. |
2000/1/4-5 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:17158 Activity:moderate |
1/4 Anyone have one of those MS optical mice / get one for Christmas? How is it? I'm considering getting one but I'm not sure about it's dropability and feel. \_ Optical mice suck. Stay away from them. \_ you realize this mouse is a little different from the optical mice which require reflective mouse pads? \_ Jeeez. trade it in for a "real" one, eg logitech. Do not fund the evil empire. \_ Just cuz they are the evil empire and they make some lousy software doesn't mean everything they produce is bad. I still think the original Microsoft Nautral Keyboard is the best out there. \_ Yah, what he said. Your stoopid. \_ Dont support the evil empire. Get a Logitech one \_ Don't support the evil empire. Don't buy AOE II. \_ Support Ensemble Studios, freed from Microsoft. Buy AOE II. \_ seriously? URL? \_ No, sorry. (the closest thing to a real answer so far) |
1999/5/17-18 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/HW] UID:15821 Activity:nil |
5/17 MS Internet Info Server and Site Server vulnerable to hackers. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2255919,00.html \_ Phew! It's a good thing *I* run Apache and Linux, because I *know* that neither of *them* have *ever* been found vulnerable to hackers! Never! Ever! Senator Palpatine is really Darth Sidious |
1999/5/10-12 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:15784 Activity:very high |
5/10 Anyone knows if there's anywhere where I can still buy one of those super heavy IBM selectric computer keyboards? Mine just broke down after 6 years of use. \_ http://www.cdw.com might have something like that. \_ no luck there, but thank anyway. \_ no luck there, but thanks anyway. \_ Huh? Try http://www.cdw.com/product/default.asp?EDC=40316 or search for "keyboard" in their product index and page down to the IBM section. You can buy them online at a number of other places, I've seen them at Fry's, or if you're adventurous, visit your local Silicon Valley surplus electronics store . . . \_ Thanks, I will check it out. \_ Weird Stuff and Halted just got in a couple of crates of old IBM keyboards last week, check them out. \_ Thanks, but where is "Weird Stuff and Halted". Sorry but I've been out of school (and the Bay Area) for a couple of years. But I will be visiting during Memorial Day. \_ Weird Stuff: Sunnyvale - see http://www.wierdstuff.com Halted: Santa Clara - see http://www.halted.com \_ You can't find items in online catalogs and don't know where WierdStuff is? What kind of EECS major were *you*? \_ I have never even heard of WeirdStuff. I don't think it existed when I was in school or in the Bay Area. As for cdw, the item was labelled as a Thinkpad keyboard. In fact, I am still not sure if it is the keyboard I wanted. Maybe you can help me out since you are such a smart EECS major. Give me 2 or 3 URLs to the keyboard. Thanks. \_ WeirdStuff has been around a *LONG* time, certainly back as long as when I was in school. -ERic \_ while I was in school, there was one in Milpitas... --tsang Fremont/Milpitas... --tsang \_ so does WeirdStuff even predate psb? \_ When does psb date from? WeirdStuff was the place of legends when I was in High School (1992). Back then it was across the street from Fry's. I bought my first weather balloon to make a remote controlled blimp from WeirdStuff. Halted is apparently older than WeirdStuff. \_ I was a freshie in 87. Partha was old even then.... :-) \_ not likely, since Partha's reign started in 86. Though I guess he had some moral authority even in 87. \_ bought first hard drive (ST-225) for Apple II SASI<->MFM card at (store that became Weird Stuff) around '84. --tsang \_ I thought it was like 87 or 88 when you bought that HD. \_ was it? could be -tsang Or are you talking about a different disk? Anyway, Weird Stuff has moved twice since then, and it's now a mere shadow of its former self. One of the original owners has a store near the SJ Airport, and the original Weird Stuff doubledecker is even parked outside. -tse WierdStuff recently underwent _/ major (re-)expansion (they're in the same place, but they reclaimed a big chunk of the space that was roped off for auctions and turned it into browsable retail space). I'd say it's at least as big/interesting as Halted/HSC now. I agree that the place with the double-decker bus, RA Enterprises (http://www.raenterprises.com is very much worth a visit. -- kahogan \_ if you want real history, go to mike quinn electronics near the oakland airport... it's in a quanset (sp?) hut and has very old relics and lots of strange discrete components for high-power WWII-vintage circuits. ever seen a 100 mF capacitor? you gotta have imagination to appreciate it if you're a modern digital boy. |
1999/3/18-19 [Academia/Berkeley/CSUA, Computer/HW/IO] UID:15611 Activity:high |
3/18 does anyone have a snake? I just caught a mouse and am keeping it in a soda can - tpc \_ I don't have a snake, but my bent penis is pretty ravenous. \_ does anyone have a polar bear? I just caught a tpc and am keeping it in a closet. \_ does anyone have some clorox and a firehose? i just captured some soda users and am keeping them in a basement computer lab. \_ just take a rectangular bear and apply a coordinate transform |
1999/3/2 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:15509 Activity:high |
1.44 floppy, mouse, keyboard. Pro Alpha deluxe midtower case (a la Dec Alpha's) Email: sheenc@hotmail.com \_ Freaking fantastic deal if you ask me! \_ and who are you? You can get a better new machine for that much. $20 K6-1 200 $70 64 MB non-PC100 SDRAM DIMM $115 4.3 GB hard disk $150 Creative Labs 2x DVD kit (with decoder) $80 ATI All-in-Wonder (non-Pro) 4 MB $65 56K modem (assume US Robotics non-Winmodem) $40 Sound Blaster 64 AWE $150 15" monitor $15 3.5" floppy $10 Mouse $10 Keyboard $50 Mid-tower case --- $775 non-depreciated cost if you buy new from a reseller who doesn't lie through his/her teeth |
1999/3/2-3 [Computer/HW/IO, Computer/HW/Drives] UID:15507 Activity:high |
3/1 For sale: $750 (or best offer) full computer system: K6-200Mhz, 512kcache, 64 MB SDRAM, 4.3 GB HD Creative Labs DVD + decoder ATI all-in-wonder 4MB /w TV, video conference, TV-out, etc. 56.6 X2/v.90 fax/voice/modem Sound Blaster 64 AWE 15" digital control hi res monitor 1.44 floppy, mouse, keyboard. Pro Alpha deluxe midtower case (a la Dec Alpha's) Email: sheenc@csua \_ Freaking fantastic deal if you ask me! \_ and who are you? You can get a better new machine for that much. $20 K6-1 200 $70 64 MB non-PC100 SDRAM DIMM $115 4.3 GB hard disk $150 Creative Labs 2x DVD kit (with decoder) $80 ATI All-in-Wonder (non-Pro) 4 MB $65 56K modem (assume US Robotics non-Winmodem) $40 Sound Blaster 64 AWE $150 15" monitor $15 3.5" floppy $10 Mouse $10 Keyboard $50 Mid-tower case --- $775 non-depreciated cost if you buy new from a reseller who doesn't lie through his/her teeth \_ these prices appear to be floored to the 10's digit. \_ please! go to http://www.pricewatch.com if you want exact no. you'll still come in well below $750 even after factoring in shipping for all these dated components. \_ Apparantly none of you understand the concept of "or best offer". What the fuck do you all care how much the guy asks originally? I'd put in an offer for $500 except that: [soda]~/[12:03pm]> finger sheenc finger: sheenc: no such user - (fucker) \_ it's the 'fantastic deal!' thing that makes me care I think someone changed @hotmail.com to @csua - weird |
1998/8/21-22 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:14496 Activity:nil |
8/20 http://www.cultdeadcow.com/tools/bo.html \_ old news. |
1998/7/25-26 [Computer/HW/IO, Politics] UID:14384 Activity:kinda low |
7/26 http://cnnfn.com/hotstories/companies/9807/22/microsoft_pkg/gates3.mov \_ is that an Ultra 30 they leave on the curb? \_ I guess they couldn't figure out how to use it \_ too many buttons on the mouse for them. \_ Looks more like an Ultra2 to me? |
1998/2/12-14 [Computer/HW/IO] UID:13661 Activity:very high |
2/12 Sun Ultra 1 crashed recently and never got back up again. It always gives the following error: No keyboard. Using input device ttya. Using output device ttya. Borrowed another department's Ultra 2 to move our data elsewhere and it worked fine for about a day, then suddenly, we got the same message. Tried every combination of different keyboards (we have 3), different processors, even different monitors to workstations. The Ultra 2 still won't boot up anymore. Has anybody else seen this kind of a problem? -- newbie. \_ from the monitor, you can do a bunch of diagnostic tests. Hook up a tty to ttya and do the tests. \_ time to move to NT.. \_ This kind of reminds me of the saying "In order to cure the patient, you end up killing them." or better yet "Kill the patient in order to cure them" \_ yeah, that way, you don't have to worry about trying to fix it. There's nothing you can do. \_ That's *not* true! You can reinstall. Duh! \_ This sounds like a hw problem. You can reinstall solaris too, you know... \_ No mouse. Panic. Logging in as Administrator. \_ Then why don't you set up a NT machine with the same hardware as Soda, and give us accounts. Then we can test the performance, how well walling works, how many users it supports, how motd's look etc. \_ sounds like you just basically fried the keyboard controller.. if no keyboard work then definitely.. replace motherboard.. it may still be under warranty so check w/ Sun. -shac \_ this happened to me with a sparc 5. my keybd cable was loose, but after reconnecting the cable and rebooting, i got the mesg that you got. I forgot exactly what i did to fix it, but it might have been something like disconnecting the keybd and/or monitor, rebooting, and then reconnecting everything back up and rebooting. just experiment, then again it might be a hardware problem. \_ maybe your power's dirty. \_ this means that the sun thinks you've got it hooked up to an external terminal, so it doesn't need to activate the keyboard. You need to hook up a terminal (a pc with term software, or another sun running tip) to its serial port and reset its terminal mode from the boot prompt. |
12/24 |