Let's get Geeky

Recently I have set up a computer that I had sitting in storage and using it again I had forgotten how much I loved this machine. I love the keyboard especially - it has such a great feel and key response. I feel like a better typer when I use it. I also missed the dual monitor display, so handy when you are ripping CDs to iTunes and surfing GRM.

Don't get me wrong, I like all things gadget-y, but some things just make you geek-out, per se. The keyboard I actually discovered while at a UPS store. I was directed to use their computer to fill out the label information and I loved the feel of the keys so much I flipped it over and got the model number off the bottom before I left. The clerk probably thought I was nuts, but somethimes you gotta geek-out.

The Keyboard: an HP KU 0316

So, what have you geeked out over recently?

I have a dual monitor set up at work. I never knew how awesome it was until I had it.

I geek out about a lot of things. Television, cars, Porsche specifically, and lately, photography.

Standard HP keyboard, typically issued with business rigs. I have several. They are good.

Keyboard thread not about the great Model M?

I still use a genuine Apple one-button mouse.

Me too. Simple and effective. Of course those guys with PCs need more than one button cause their command structure requires more strokes.

Hey man, diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks!

EastCoastMojo wrote: The Keyboard: an HP KU 0316 So, what have you geeked out over recently?

I love the compact Dell keyboards:

I've been on the CR48 and Amazon AWS lately: Ubuntu 11.10 running on Amazon EC2, viewed on a Chromebook by way of VNC through Guacamole HTML5 VNC client, accessed through an SSH tunnel. Next step is to get a S3 bucket mounted so I can distribute my music to Amazon Music and Spideroak without two lengthy uploads on my weak DSL.

Lots of *nix window managers require all three buttons for normal use

I've got a bunch of these keyboards, both for home and work:

Thanks to a nerve injury in one of my arms I can't work on a regular keyboard for a whole day. On these, I can work all day and post to GRM in the evening. The only thing I don't like about the ones I have are the function key, which are made from a ca 1980s home computer rubber key material. The regular keys have super light action and good feedback.

Which reminds me, I need to replace one of them, it's becoming a little worn after a good 10 years of continuous use.

I want a keyboard that is physically two different pieces. I want to have my hands on the armrests and be able to type.

The used to make (still do?) one handed cording keyboards. I always thought they would be great with a mouse in one hand, the keyboard in the other.

I just loaded Ubuntu on my Mac through Parallels, though I've had it on a Dell I use daily for quite a while.

I'm very impressed in how far Linux has come, I just wish Wine supported more Windows programs, or that people would start developing for Linux like they do for IOS.

petegossett wrote: I just loaded Ubuntu on my Mac through Parallels, though I've had it on a Dell I use daily for quite a while. I'm very impressed in how far Linux has come, I just wish Wine supported more Windows programs, or that people would start developing for Linux like they do for IOS.

Have you looked into the use of aftermarket virtual machines running windows? I have never done it myself, but I have heard good things about linux + vmware +windows + windows apps

Maroon92 wrote: *blah blah blah...* and lately, photography.

Yes. Photography diddles my geek happy spot. Haven't messed with it lately, but I feel the time is nearing. I've always had a good eye for what would make a good photograph. I still need to print some out now that I have my new super sweet printer.

carguy123 wrote: Me too. Simple and effective. Of course those guys with PCs need more than one button cause their command structure requires more strokes.

I use OS-X with a proper 3 button mouse. They created the one button thing so mouth-breathers who don't really need a computer in the first place could pretend to use it. Primarily slow kids and artists but sometimes researchers will allow the monkeys to use it for communicating with each other on the web.

Oh... to the original poster... I bought an Arduino Uno to replace my fuel gauge with a progressive LED array from an old amp I had but since my car is in cold storage for another month... I've been making all kinds of silly little things with the kids to try to show them how stuff works.

Last weekend we made a motion alarm for "spies" to place somewhere and when someone gets within a foot it turns on a siren.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

carguy123 wrote: Me too. Simple and effective. Of course those guys with PCs need more than one button cause their command structure requires more strokes.

I use OS-X with a proper 3 button mouse. They created the one button thing so mouth-breathers who don't really need a computer in the first place could pretend to use it. Primarily slow kids and artists but sometimes researchers will allow the monkeys to use it for communicating with each other on the web.

Ouch!

Digging on TeamViewer remote log in software. It allows me to (with permission) remote access / control a customer's computer behind almost any firewall to help them sort out issues. It's saved me 6 hours of travel in the last 2 weeks. It also lets me log in to unattended computers like those in our signs even with dynamic IP addresses and troubleshoot/repair. For funsies, there is a free app where I can log in to those same computers from my iPhone.

Cooooooollllll......

I've looked at arduino a couple times but haven't made the committment to learn it yet. It seems SO cool.

JoeyM wrote:

petegossett wrote: I just loaded Ubuntu on my Mac through Parallels, though I've had it on a Dell I use daily for quite a while. I'm very impressed in how far Linux has come, I just wish Wine supported more Windows programs, or that people would start developing for Linux like they do for IOS.

Have you looked into the use of aftermarket virtual machines running windows? I have never done it myself, but I have heard good things about linux + vmware +windows + windows apps

VirtualBox in place of VMWare but... for most of everything work-related you need windows for you can use a virtualized machine. For 3D games... you have to run native so the dual boot setup you already have is great.

I've spent the last week working on a rather large and complicated spreadsheet for our personal finances. I wish I knew how to Conditionally Format several cells at once, it would have made things much easier.

Drewsifer - if you select the entire range of cells you want to conditionally format before you hit the Conditional Formatting button, that will apply the Conditional Formatting to all the cells at once. Of course, doing it this way assumes that you want all of the selected cells to be formatted the same way with the same rules.

In reply to JoeyM:

Yes I'm planning on loading Win-7 on here too, just waiting on our company to get more licenses. But then I should be able to support my customers across all-3 platforms from one machine(mostly) without the need to reboot to switch OS. 8)

BoxheadTim wrote: I've got a bunch of these keyboards, both for home and work: Thanks to a nerve injury in one of my arms I can't work on a regular keyboard for a whole day. On these, I can work all day *and* post to GRM in the evening. The only thing I don't like about the ones I have are the function key, which are made from a ca 1980s home computer rubber key material. The regular keys have super light action and good feedback. Which reminds me, I need to replace one of them, it's becoming a little worn after a good 10 years of continuous use.

so what is it? I have a weak wrist from falling years ago, and too much wrenching, keyboard work, or anything repetative tends to make it sore and cracky

Yes, I am aware that is a tape measure. But when you extend it, it locks in place automatically. You have to push the button to get it to come back in. It's genius. It's the way it should have been done in the first place. It's so much better than the standard type. I am totally geeked out by it and can't stop measuring things.