Why the IBM Model M is the best keyboard ever.

1. Patented Buckling Spring Key Switches
In other words: Each time I press any one of the keys on my keyboard, it feels like the sexy “gears & cogs” mechanical spring-loaded movement. And it feels springy.

2. It won’t jam.
Well it will, but not when you use jam; when you use glue—industrial strength glue.

3. Durability
Does your keyboard have a steel plate?

4. Security
Can you use your keyboard to beat up would-be burgalars?

5. It still works
Even a decade—and—a–half into its life

6. It’s old
It’s a proven fact that old things are cool. Id est, pocket watches, zeppelins, propeller planes, fountain pens, typewriters, revolvers, steam engines, steam trains, steam punk, telegraphs, & c.

7. It’s your best excuse for not using your typwriter.
It feels as almost as nice as typing with a typewriter. It sounds almost as nice and loud as the clickity-clack of the typewriter keys hitting the paper and rubber-coated steel drum.

Computer Mice These Days SUCK!!!

I know I’m going to get tons of hate mail (at least if people cared about this blog I would) about this, but I just want to bring it out straight and simple.

You see, I’m a fan of “plain and simple” input devices. I don’t need a mouse with a stupid magnify button. All I need are the left and right mouse buttons and scroll wheel (though fwd/back buttons are a plus as well). Know what else I like? Mice shaped like they’re SUPPOSED TO! Remember the 90s? Remember those generic mice with the ball inside them? Remember the comfort? I do.

And I am sick of seeing shit like this all over the market. My little brother’s mouse broke a while ago, and he has one like that. It has a stupid magnifier button that has actually crashed some applications (especially older ones using paletted colors or fixed resolutions).

What’s more, the design. Has anyone else noticed how now the mice are so small you have to curve your fingers, or that now they have those stupid pointless indentations? What happened to the traditional design?

Another rant of mine is scroll wheels. The ones that scroll “freely”, aka not in “clicks” are so annoying, as they get “stuck” basically on half of a “click” since you can’t tell, causing some scrolling when you let go due to gravity. They also feel less controllable and less responsive.

So yeah. Mice suck now. I don’t need a smooth scroll wheel or fancy extra buttons or wireless connectivity.

That’s why if I had the choice I’d be using this to the end of my days. Sadly mine got flakey a while ago and now I’m stuck with a shit Logitech mouse, which I’ll rant about tomorrow.

Seriously, why can’t they keep things consistent anymore? “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”

Computer Troubles, the Return of Pain

My Power Supply Unit is broken. I must get a new one.

Getting the RMA’s going to be a bitch…

Please, someone, end my existence…

Computers…

Have you ever tried to upgrade hardware? If you have you would know that of is one of the most frustrating activities ever. Now imagine building your own computsr for the first time.
You should have a pretty good idea of what I am good through right now.
I’ll just give you the highlights.

I spent most of my time on the motherboard trying to get tiny screws in with my pocket knife’s screwhead. I gave up and elwent shopping for a proper screwdriver; I found that I could use and should haveused the screws with the large threads after.

I don’t know how to mount my 120mm fans to the case. I used aluminum tape at first; now, I am using the plastic drywall screw thingies you use before you put the a actual screws in.

I had to use pliers to break my case in order to fit my graphic card. It’s a nice case…

I had to use the same pliers to bend the sound card to fit too, but the sound card is probably OEM. So, I don’t care.

How the hell am I going to know if I connected the little pins correctly?

There is this burnt plastic smell coming from my power supply.

I have a 500Gb harddrive, unlike my necrophilic friend.

And I’m typing on my iPod Touch again. Everything is hard to type correctly.

Intel Inside Sticker

My processor arrived in the mail a few minutes ago. I read over the cover of the Intel Manual, and there was sticker on the back.

What do you know? It was the Intel Inside sticker. I thought to myself, “Why would I really want to put this on my computer case?” Well, I read the back cover a bit more, because my motherboard hasn’t arrived yet (DAMMIT UPS TRUCK ARRIVE NOW!).
What do I find?
I find out I need to sign a bloody trademark license, to use the sticker I did not find very attractive in the first place.

If Intel considers the Intel Inside Sticker an advertisement, they did a wonderful job at encouraging people to use it.

Ab-so-lute-ly Won-der-ful.