Rubenerd

Some research on how to fit a MiniITX board into my new old Compaq tower I blogged about last week lead me to this page on Bit-Tech by Alex Banks:

One of the points that definitely crosses the mind of folks wishing to jump into the territory of making a case from scratch, is definitely “How do I make everything line up?”

Alex recommends using a tray from an existing case where you can. If those aren’t available, he made a series of templates you can print out at 1:1 scale to create your own trays, or even just use to drill motherboard mounts and standoffs in an existing tray.

Très bien! Ah, so good (lah). 🇫🇷🇸🇬

I thrive on consistency, but we live in a world where that’s not always available. Life has a sneaky habit of throwing wildcards at us, challenging us in ways in which we weren’t prepared, and all those well-intentioned plans just sail away. I think Enya sang a song about that.

Having a morning routine is the best way I’ve found to mentally prepare for the coming day. Even when I’m travelling I like to establish a little base of operations at a hotel, then develop an ad-hoc schedule for myself. If I can establish some structure and control in the morning, it gives me the mental energy and space to take on the rest of the day.

My body gets me up within minutes of 07:00 every day, regardless of whether it’s a work day, weekend, or holiday. I’ve read papers that suggest waking up at the same time, even with insufficient sleep, is important to regulate your circadian rhythm; something I’ve always read as cicada rhythm. I used to joke that those people either don’t have small children, or servers that beep at them at 03:30! I have no say in the matter regardless.

I got into a nasty habit years ago of checking my phone when I first wake up. If you’re at all prone to anxiety like I am, this is terrible idea! The temptation is strong, but I try to resist it.

The next step is a shower. Always. Showers help me sleep, but somehow they also wake me up. If a shower isn’t available, I have to at least wash my face. Travelling in my early 20s with uni friends was fun, but the variable nature of youth hostel showers have meant I’m glad I don’t have to go to them anymore!

Pre-Covid, my next step was to leave the house with a small laptop for a brisk walk to a coffee shop. Both of these were just as important. I need fresh air, the sun on my face, movement, and the promise of a black coffee and a cheerful hello from a barista at the end of it! It’s not just the taste, it’s the atmosphere of a coffee shop that I find so stimulating and wonderful. The sound of the crockery, muffled conversations, the smell of the ground beans. A coffee shop in the morning is just about the best place in the known universe.

During Covid, I’ve substituted the former for pacing on our balcony, and making coffee using our Aeropress. Sydney winters are mild by global standards, but still nippy enough that people looking at me from the street must think I’m daft in all my layers. I keep a snug blanket on some IKEA patio furniture that I can drape over my lap and legs. I source the beans from local coffee shops here in the hopes that it helps them during this downturn… and because we have some excellent stuff around here!

Now I tackle the IT side of things. I check RSS first, then newsgroups, then monitoring dashboards, then email, then Mastodon, then Twitter if I’m feeling especially masochistic, and then my calendar for the day. It’s everyone’s civic duty and responsibility to stay informed and educated about what’s going on in the world, but I try to avoid reading general news first thing. I might do some blogging or novel writing first thing, or save it for the evening.

I head back inside when its time for work or, on weekends, once Clara is up. Then the rest of the day is an open book. A clean slate. A metaphor!

This all might sound a bit silly, but this routine has helped even more during Covid times. I think we all feel anxiety over this not just for the physical symptoms or the fear that we’d spread a dangerous disease to a loved one or someone in our community; it also represents a loss of control. A routine lets me feel like I get just the smallest amount of that back.

The world carries on spinning, we’re mad, innit?
(Take that, take that) …innit? ♫

I love that colours are back with the iMacs, though their soldered storage makes them a non-starter for me. Still, I thought I would be an interesting experiement to see if PC makers care at all to compete with Apple in the AiO market segment, or whether they’re saddled with PC Screen Syndrome.

I checked a few Australian online stores this morning, and the results were as surprising as discovering that I’m a bit awkward in real life:

• Acer, with the only online store that doesn’t make me want to hurl web developers into the sun, sell Aspire C27 27-inch machines from $1,400 to $1,900. Both have low-resolution, low-density 1080p displays.

• Asus is the only PC maker making AiO devices with any design sense, and their laptops have HiDPI displays, so I held out hope. They sell M241, V241, V161, and V222 23.8-inch to 27-inch machines for (price withheld). All have low-resolution, low-density 1080p displays. Asus, no! You were supposed to be one of the good ones!

• Dell make Inspiron 23.8 and 27-inch machines, from $1,700 to $2,300. All have low-resolution, low-density 1080p displays. Not surprised.

• HP make Pavilion and HP-branded 23.8 and 27-inch machines, from $700 to $3,000. All have low-resolution, low-density 1080p displays. Clicking on their 34-inch Envy lines returned no results, but the US store says they’re 1440p, which is still low-density and resolution for the size.

• Lenovo make V30a, V50a, and ThinkCentre M90a 22 to 24-inch all-in-one machines, from $1,429 to $1,629. All have low-resolution, low-density 1080p displays. Several of the ThinkPad models have excellent screens, so this was a surprise.

I’m seeing more IPS panels, which is fantastic! Some even have touch screens, something I consider a bit of a gimmick but that Apple doesn’t ship with. But these specs and prices simply don’t compete with a 24-inch iMac with a 4.5K display for $1,900, and a 27-inch 5K iMac for $2,700. You could fit four of those AiO computer screens into one iMac, and the price is barely different!

Apple have sold Retina/HiDPI screen iMacs for years, yet PC makers continue to ship displays with a lower resolution than your phone. Yes I sound like a broken record here, but it’s only because it continues to flabbergast me! That’s a word, right?

You might think the all-in-one desktop segment makes no sense. They don’t for my use cases, either. But the fact PC makers are fine ceding technical superiority to Apple in the interest of pushing 1080p panels that were outdated a decade and a half ago, and for the same money, makes as much sense as enlisting me for your basketball team. Sure I have the height, but my hand-eye coordination is off on account of looking at crappy screens!

Focus, Ruben.

This leads me to something I’ve been mulling over for a while now. Why have PC makers lost that spark? Is it margins? Has the mindshare and innovation moved on to phones? Is it Microsoft failing to provide compelling updates for Wintel boxes that would make effective use of the new tech? Are the bean counters in charge of engineering? It seems gaming rigs are the only place where innovation is happening anymore, and have you seen some of those designs? Even teenage Ruben would look at those RGBs and say “that’s a bit much, innit?”

I still remember a time when PC makers could tout the fact that while Apple computers looked better and arguably had a better OS, they had better tech for a cheaper price. All they can claim now in an M1 world is wider compatibility, and even then the industry seems to be moving towards ARM at break arm speed. Get it, instead of break neck speed, because it’s called… oh shut up.

I’ve never exclusively been a Mac user. I’ve tended to use the Mac as my primary desktop/laptop, but delegate as much as I can to a tower and home servers running FreeBSD, NetBSD, and/or Debian Linux as required. The former gave me the best desktop experience to run work applications, and the latter let me tinker and build to an exact specification and price. I haven’t been in the market for a pre-built PC for years, but it’s been grim every time I’ve looked.

The tech is there, PC makers. Please lift your game!

This morning was like any other during the various Australian Covid lockdowns, but everyone I’ve talked with in my family and work have all complained about feeling tired. I’m exhausted too, and the day has barely begun.

I’ve long been interested in placebo effects and their natural corollaries, such as feedback loops and self-fulfilling prophecies. We convince ourselves of a circumstance or emotion, and we carry on under that assumption whether the evidence is there or not. I’ve told people I’m tired this morning for some reason, had that reinforced by others, and now I’m struggling even more to stay awake.

I’m not sure if this is related to my post earlier this week about trying to flip negative thoughts into positive action, but it does strike me as especially counterproductive that we use this incredible power of self-delusion to convince ourselves of negative things.

Part of the problem for me has always been that life coaches and those who say “think positive!” are more than a little irritating. I interpret their exuberance and optimism as insincerity, because nobody could be that happy all the time. Then I see the warmest, funniest people in the world like Robin Williams and… we all see the outcome.

The other thing acting out here is wanting perfect to be the enemy of good. The world doesn’t need to be our oyster, nor do we need to convince ourselves that everything is always going to be spectacular and fabulous. Life is a struggle, that’s expected. What I am going to do is make a concious effort to nip unhelpful thoughts in the bud before they fester and become facts. I’m not tired this morning!

For all the encouraging words I write here about everyone being able to blog, in our own spaces, and without the permission of large social networks that can will eventually disappear and take our creative works with them, there’s a darker side that needs to be acknowledged from time to time.

The web is full of people who suffer from, to use an Australian analogy, tall poppy syndrome. Someone having success or fun with something is seen as an affront, and dumping on the person and the activity it seen as the only reasonable and expected course of action. Almost as bad are those whom Merlin Mann refers to as the exhausting “why am I not a potted fern?” people who question the point of what someone is writing about, usually by acting obtuse and asking tedious questions. They’re delightful people! By which I mean I’d delight in knocking them back into the proverbial bog they came from.

(For those people, a bog is a form of wetland in which someone can get stuck. I’m using it as a metaphor here, which is a figure of speech used for rhetorical effect to make a broader point. Points are what you find on the end of a pencil, and are logical constructs you seem to miss along with your trousers and dignity with alarming regularity. But I digress)!

I’ve been on the Internet long enough to think that it’s getting worse. I think social network echo chambers are feeding a downward spiral in civil discourse, critical thinking, and generally not being a dick. And not the good kind of spiral.

Which leads us to blogging. Acknowledging the issue and wanting to improve the state of online discourse is a noble (and I still think achievable) goal, but in the meantime what can you do to stave off these people, at least in part?

Technically speaking, is a phrase with two words. I’d say disable blog comments, and accept feedback on an email address. The number of comments I had dropped after this, but the higher barrier to entry acts as a natural filter. And make it clear to any that still make it through that their posts are liable for publishing along with their name. The only attribute that eclipses troll laziness, short-sightedness, and “being in it for the lulz” is cowardice. I also suspect body odour.

Unfortunately, I have had to modify how I write a bit too. Pointless references and silliness are natural ways to disarm people, but I also review what I write from the perspective of someone who’s reading in bad faith. Even if people in a real world conversation would understand what you’re saying in context, there are those who will only serve to nitpick what you say. Sometimes that takes an overt “inb4” at the end of a post, other times I make light of the situation or idea myself in advance. I appreciate people who don’t take themselves too seriously, and try to do it too.

I wouldn’t fault anyone at this stage for wanting to cut off any avenue for feedback at all. But the positive comments and constructive feedback are well worth putting up with dull people.

My Compaq Presario spaceship post from 2013 rates among the most visited in the history of this blog. Many of you seemed to enjoy me wandering down nostalgia lane, figuring out which Compaq tower all my friends had when I was a kid in the late 1990s, and that I secretly wanted. Due in no small part to what my childhood self thought was a passing resemblence to a spaceship.

I wrote at the time:

Still, it stuck with me in my head all this time, and now I must locate one and purchase it, if only to satify that little kid in me. If you couldn’t have stuff as a kid, you can get it when you’re older, right? And I could replace the internals with a modern board and use it as a file server. This is called justifying frivolousness.

Here’s the thing. Don’t judge me, but I may or may not have just purchased one from the US, almost a decade later. If I did, it was in excellent physical condition, though it’s missing many of its internal components. That’s fine though, I intend to use it as a case for something else.

Compaq computers were notorious for their proprietary connectors and case layouts, so I’m certain to run into problems shoehorning an old 80486 DX AT board, or a modern MiniITX into it. But we also have 3D printers now, and I’ve been learning how to sketch up standoffs. The bigger question will be if the back of the case needs cutting; I hope not.

As always, I expect this to be a work in progress. But I’ll post about it here :).

My post yesterday about my new split keyboard generated a few questions already; thanks everyone for reaching out. I’ve summarised them below:

Is it USB-C, or does it come with an adaptor?

It’s USB-A, and unfortunately doesn’t come with an adaptor. Granted it’s a budget device, and I use it with a dock anyway, but a passive adaptor in the box would be good.

How is it more comfortable?

It comes down to the position of my hands, wrists, and arms when using it. The split also forces you to use the correct hand for the keys you’re typing, which is a good habit to foster if your touch-typing skills are as weak as mine.

How does it compare to the previous 4000?

Aside from being significantly less ugly, they also removed some of the controls I didn’t use. The keys also feel slightly crisper and more responsive, though that might be a function of its age. I personally think it’s a huge improvement, but reviews online are mixed. Check what features matter to you before committing; the 4000 might still be a better fit.

Your typed content is no wittier than before

Quiet, self-doubt!

Have you tried $KEYBOARD instead?

Probably not. I did try a Kinesis Freestyle Pro back in the day, but it didn’t feel better enough to justify the price delta, and it frustrated me that they were two separate pieces that could move around. I’d be willing to try more in the future; this was mostly just to test if split keyboards were the way for me to go again. Keep sending me recommendations!

Can I steal the Sailor Mercury fig you linked to?

No! But I can vouch for her awesomeness. Game prize figs have come a long way. One day I’ll get Sailor V or Sailor Venus as well, if I can ever find her.

Here’s a thought. What if that self-doubt we’re feeling at the moment is what we’re supposed to be thinking? What if that negative emotion is the impetus or spark to do something different, or to tackle the causes for that negativity?

This is among the most half-baked ideas I’ve ever posted here. It came to me while brushing my teeth before bed, but I wanted to jot it down before I forgot. On a new keyboard, no less.

Does it count as jotting if I typed it? Yes.

I’ve done the rounds with buckling spring IBM Model M clones, Northgate Omnikeys, Cherry MX browns, even Topres. They’ve all been tactile and fun to use, as was wandering around keyboard stores in Nipponbashi and Akihabara in search of them. Keyboards, like camera lenses and coffee gadgets, are dangerous rabbitholes. It’s why I’m avoiding watches, despite finding them fascinating too.

Yet here I am typing this post using the latest budget split Microsoft keyboard, and I’m surprisingly happy. It’s like discovering you like the taste of Singles after years of real cheese… if unwrapping Singles made my wrists feel better.

But let’s take a step back for a moment. I haven’t seen much peer-reviewed evidence that split keyboards are more ergonomic than their unsplit cousins. Health is something you need to talk to qualified professionals about, especially if you’re dealing with pain. All I can say, anecdotally, is that split keyboards orient my hands in a more comfortable position, especially for extended typing sessions.

The indie mechanical keyboard scene has plenty of its own split keyboards, but I saw this latest Microsoft unit for less than AU $100 and couldn’t pass it up. It was delivered from JB Hi-Fi the day after I ordered, and coincided with a colleague dropping off my beloved LG 21.5-inch 4K monitor from work. Alongside my Kensington Orbit wired trackball and Sailor Mercury fig for motivation, it’s just about the best home office setup I could ask for.

But back to the keyboard! The 2019 edition of Microsoft’s Natural Keyboard, cleverly dubbed the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard, has the perfect mix of features for me. It’s the budget version alongside the swish Microsoft Sculpt and the Surface Ergonomic, but features proper keys rather than the chicklets everyone has (unfortunately) copied from Apple. It’s also wired unlike those units, meaning I don’t need to worry about keeping a stationary desk object charged for no reason, or transmitting my keystrokes over a broken, insecure wireless channel.

The keyboard is slimmer and more understated than the 4000 it replaced, with a similar non-detachable palmrest for when you’re taking a typing break. The Scroll Lock, Pause, and Num Lock keys are located closer to the Page Up/Page Down cluster which has been controversial, but I can’t say it’s bothered me. It has a row of multimedia function keys, some of which work on macOS and FreeBSD without any configuration.

You can tell it was made to a cost; the letters are silk-screened onto the keycaps, and the whole thing feels like plastic. But the board feels nicely balanced, and its sheer horizontal size and rubber feet keep it from moving around. The keys themselves feel mushy after using mechanical boards, but not as much as I’d have expected; it feels improved from what they released before. The keycaps don’t rattle or move around, and their stacked positioning makes them easier to reach then a standard layout.

The only major sticking point for me is the spacebar. It feels tighter and more responsive having been struck for a few days now, but from the factory it felt mushier than a pancake, and took way too much force to actuate. My hope is it’ll continue to improve, because right now it’s still borderline frustrating. I’m also one of those weird people who’d prefer a two-tone classic beige colour over just black, but as Jim Kloss famously said during a morning rant on Whole Wheat Radio in 2004:

That’s why I got me a black keyboard… I got a black keyboard right ’ere. Ain’t never get no dirty on it!

I’m glad Microsoft is still making these tradtional-style split keyboards after all these years, with the same separate function and multimedia keys, and layout that everyone has come to appreciate. I personally know developers, system administrators, factory engineers, and even a legal professional who refuses to use anything else. There’s a reason these boards have a following.

I’ll write up how one goes about using these boards on FreeBSD and macOS in a future post.