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User: bhtooefr

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  1. Re:Typewriters are instructive, too on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    I think you want a keyboard with Cherry MX black stem switches. A lot less force than a manual typewriter, but they're linear feel, yet actuate about halfway through their stroke.

    Most Cherry G80 keyboards on eBay have black stems... and there's some gaming keyboards that have them, too.

  2. Re:Best programming keyboard? on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    Unicomp makes a Linux layout keyboard with Ctrl and Caps Lock swapped, and the CVT Avant Prime and Stellar have a switch to switch the function of those keys.

  3. Re:15 year old keyboard on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    Sure it wasn't an XT board you tried? Those will never work on a modern computer without a protocol converter. AT just needs a pin converter to go to PS/2.

    Alternately, a lot of AT keyboards drew more than 100 mA. In that case, refer to the various references about which PS/2->USB adapters work best with a Model M, and pick the most reliable of those. (I have a Belkin that I got for $10 or so at Wal-Mart, IIRC.)

  4. Re:Weird priorities.... on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    He didn't say "Home," he said "Home Page." As in, a button that makes your web page go to the predefined home page.

    Yeah.

  5. Re:Really bad review on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    Actually, you can type faster on a keyboard that actuates about halfway through the key travel, and it's better on your fingers, too, to not bottom out. I'm looking at alternatives to the Model M now because I think the key force is a bit higher than I'd really like on the Model M, but I still want something that actuates high up in the travel.

  6. Re:Really bad review on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    You know, I think you might like the Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless 87-key with Cherry MX brown or blue stem switches.

    Lower force than a Model M, and no numeric keypad. The IBM buckling spring is rated at 70 g +/- 30%, IIRC. The Cherry blues are rated at 60 g, and the Cherry browns are rated at 55 g, both with tighter tolerances.

    If you don't want to spend $180 to import a Japanese keyboard that you're not sure you'll like, and want to try Cherry blue switches... the Ione Scorpius M10 is about $50 new. For Cherry brown switches, the cheapest bet is probably a Compaq MX 11800 on eBay, but that's not what you want for layout. (IIRC, it was meant as a compact server board with a trackball built in, but the point is, it's probably one of the cheapest boards with Cherry brown switches, to try them out.)

  7. Re:There is only one keyboard on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    The Model M's body is plastic, too, actually.

    But, the Unicomp boards do have thinner plastic.

    Both keyboards mount the membrane and the buckling spring modules on a metal plate, although the Unicomp's is thinner, IIRC.

  8. Re:Sun Type-5 on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    That's not ironic.

    Anyway, the CVT Avant Stellar has additional F-keys in the same place as the XT and AT layouts. If you can stand an L-shaped enter, go for it. (I hate L-shaped enters with a passion.)

  9. Re:There is only one keyboard on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    As the poster above me said, the patent's expired, so it's better than open source, it's public domain.

    And, Unicomp owns the factory that most US Model Ms were built in, and is making buckling spring keyboards today, based on the Model M design. However, you can now get 104 keys, USB, and/or a smaller profile plastic case (in the SpaceSaver and EnduraPro 104 - unfortunately, you can't get the smaller profile case with 101 keys. But I like the Windows keys (and originally bought my EnduraPro for use with a Mac, which really needs them a lot more than a PC.))

  10. Re:There is only one keyboard on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 1

    Some of us like full travel, though, and you have to be careful when you say "more precise." Yeah, the key doesn't wiggle around, but I feel that a buckling spring keyboard is much more precise about letting you know when the keystroke is sent. ;)

  11. Re:There are a few actually on The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion · · Score: 2, Informative

    The problem is, all three of those earlier keyboards listed are only sold in Asia. ;)

    But, yeah, there were quite a bunch of great keyboards that they missed. And some that you missed (granted, some of these have already been mentioned:) IBM Model M, the Unicomp boards, CVT Avant Prime or Stellar (successor to the Northgates,) Ione Scorpius M10 (cheap, with clicky Cherry MX switches,) Das Keyboard III (yes, I know about the rollover bug, but...)

  12. Re:Eh? on First Look At Windows 7 Beta 1 · · Score: 1

    Except it would've also allowed them to give each user an XP sandbox to play in.

    Win32 apps may well have ended up running more securely in this setup than they do in Vista, with better backwards compatibility (it isn't running on something sorta kinda like XP, it IS XP under the hood, in the VM.)

  13. Re:Yeah, right... on Fairpoint Pledges To Violate Net Neutrality · · Score: 1

    Well, if you don't want either Comcast or Fairpoint, what about some fiber provider? T1s sure as hell aren't cheap, but...

  14. Re:Eh? on First Look At Windows 7 Beta 1 · · Score: 1

    There's a third route they could've done... ran XP in a VM for 32-bit stuff, and used a completely different API for 64-bit stuff. Make the VM clunky on purpose. (The Classic approach, except make the VM clunkier than that. I'm thinking full-screen only.)

    Then, 32-bit stuff will run just fine, but it'll be slow and sucky. 64-bit stuff will (in theory) run great.

  15. Re:No Idea what the techspecs are on this but on First Look At Windows 7 Beta 1 · · Score: 1

    I think the BSA would either have a REALLY HUGE PAYDAY, or will be so overwhelmed that they give up.

    Mark my words, if Windows 7 sucks... XP piracy is going to go through the roof, and it's going to be legitimate businesses doing it this time around.

  16. Re:Yeah, well who do we use? on Fairpoint Pledges To Violate Net Neutrality · · Score: 1

    Actually, you could probably get EvDO for $50/mo through Sprint or Verizon...

  17. Re:DVDs still don't have everything on Last Major Supplier Calls It Quits For VHS · · Score: 1

    Or buy a server in some country that doesn't respect copyright, and put the movies on that server. Voila, problem solved.

  18. Re:Security systems on Last Major Supplier Calls It Quits For VHS · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There was also a time that cassette tapes were used for [b]primary[/b] data storage. ;)

  19. Re:Notification for everything on Interesting Uses For a USB LED Screen? · · Score: 1

    Part of it is the annoying tendency of ODOT to put "THROUGH TRAFFIC KEEP LEFT" signs in cities. Good job, ODOT, now you've made everyone into a left lane hog.

    (I keep as far right as possible, myself.)

  20. Re:Since Lenovo took over, Thinkpads suck on Lenovo's New ThinkPad Has 2 LCD Screens, Weighs 11 Pounds · · Score: 1

    Wrong.

    Winstron did manufacturing on the R and X Series, Great Wall (one of Lenovo's biggest competitors when they bought IBM) did manufacturing on the T series.

  21. Re:Nothing in the EULA on Realtek's Wireless Driver Drives Thoughts of an Apple Netbook · · Score: 1

    They never made any G5 laptops. ;)

    As for the G4s, they're all Mini-PCI, but with a proprietary form factor, IIRC. (And, IIRC, G3s with the original AirPort card had a hidden PCMCIA slot for it.)

  22. Re:Sorry, it's insoluble. on Long-Term Personal Data Storage? · · Score: 1

    Scanners will still be around, in some form.

    Paperdisk.

    Then, file formats will be your only problem. Stick with open formats, and it'll be able to be figured out.

  23. Re:Let's cut the conspiracy theory on When Teachers Are Obstacles To Linux In Education · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There's another argument that your donation line opens up.

    You could say that the developers are donating the software for free to anyone who wants it, because they feel that everyone will be better off that way.

  24. Re:Yes, but! on Google To Sell Truly Open Android Dev Phone · · Score: 1

    Actually, if you're transmitting with too much power, you could crowd out legitimate users - there's a reason why power levels are reduced at high signal strength, and why it's called cellular.

  25. Re:Yes, but! on Google To Sell Truly Open Android Dev Phone · · Score: 1

    Changing the ESN/MEID on many CDMA phones actually isn't that hard, if you find the right tools... I cloned my (MEID) phone's pESN onto an ancient phone's ESN, so that I could use it as a backup phone. (Sprint is actually required by the FCC to not activate any phones that don't support AGPS, so...)

    (FWIW, if you've got a Kyocera QCP-6035, and need to change the ESN... KWCESN FTW. :))