Re: General Computing Randomness
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 12:26 am
That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons bring us some web forums whereupon we can gather
http://www.octopusoverlords.com/forum/
I've been using the Microsoft Sculpt since December with my work laptop. No major complaints. I don't use the separate keypad. I like it because it gives me room for a controller and extra mouse from my personal PC. Before I was having space issues. It's nice because it is still basically full sized; I don't run into issues with smaller keys. And I like that it's ergonomic. My wife did remind me though that I do sometimes run into problems where it seems like the left shift key won't register all the time. But that might be a battery issue. Not sure. It has been pretty reliable lately. The main drawback is that it's not mechanical - if you want that. The only small form ergonomic keyboards were a LOT more expensive.gameoverman wrote: ↑Tue Jul 14, 2020 11:23 pm Does anyone here use a small keyboard for the desktop? I mean like one of those 60% keyboards. How does that small size feel? I'm using a full size right now but I want something smaller. I'm undecided if I should just lose the number pad, which I don't need, or get something REALLY small. Is there a point where you should only get that small of a keyboard if you absolutely have no space for anything larger? I have plenty of space, I just don't need a large keyboard. I'd like key size to remain normal though, I don't want miniature keys.
It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
Yeah, it is by far the most comfortable mouse I’ve used. I like that it’s designed with programmers in mind. It’s super easy to disable the “ratchet” mechanism in the mouse wheel when you need to, and it flies in high speed mode. Very handy when scrolling through source code.Isgrimnur wrote:It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
Quite the stealthy combo. I was about to press the buy now, then realized it didn't say anything about backlighting. I work in the dark a lot. The keyboard is backlit, right?Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Jul 18, 2020 2:57 pm I got this one a year ago. It's a full-size, lightweight board with almost no bezel. My only complaint is that, because it has no edges, it's almost impossible to pick up without pressing a key. For some reason, that key is always Caps Lock. It's probably the smallest full-size keyboard you will find.
Alas, no. On the plus side, its battery lasts forever. Last time it wore down, I'd forgotten it was rechargeable and spent several long minutes trying to find the battery compartment. I think I've charged it twice in a year.Dave Allen wrote: ↑Mon Jul 27, 2020 8:21 pmQuite the stealthy combo. I was about to press the buy now, then realized it didn't say anything about backlighting. I work in the dark a lot. The keyboard is backlit, right?Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Jul 18, 2020 2:57 pm I got this one a year ago. It's a full-size, lightweight board with almost no bezel. My only complaint is that, because it has no edges, it's almost impossible to pick up without pressing a key. For some reason, that key is always Caps Lock. It's probably the smallest full-size keyboard you will find.
i have a Steam Controller (my old company worked on these, actually) and unlike console controllers, it's a usable replacement for mouse/keyboard titles and is incredibly customizable. also unlike console controllers, i don't like it for 2D games as it doesn't have a real joypad.Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 2:39 pm Any one got the Steam Controller? Is it an upgrade to say, an Xbox 360 aka Windows Reference Controller? Should I just get a Xbox One wireless controller as upgrade?
Don't overlook the good ol' Sony DualShock 4. It's mighty comfortable to use, and DS4Windows makes it effortless to set up and configure on a PC. Better yet, it's now fully supported and integrated in Steam. Meaning you can tweak the touchpad and light bar, and enjoy all of the unique custom configuration, remapping, and sensitivity options found on Valve's Steam Controller. You can also tap into the DualShock 4's gyroscope, allowing you to aim your gun in a shooter by using motion controls if you like.Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 2:39 pm Any one got the Steam Controller? Is it an upgrade to say, an Xbox 360 aka Windows Reference Controller? Should I just get a Xbox One wireless controller as upgrade?
My Xbox 360 wireless controller is started to show a 'drift' (the left stick tends to "walk left" and I had to recenter it quite a few times.
All that knowledge I had built up about using MS-DOS as a gaming platform, all wastedWe often think about the evolution of the PC in terms of hardware, especially now, with AMD and Nvidia both on the cusp of releasing a new generation of GPUs. But on the software side, many of the the things we take for granted today—such as the Start menu, or y'know, not having to reboot your PC every single time you wanted to play a game—started with Windows 95. And Windows 95 turned 25 years old yesterday, so happy birthday to you.
i was pretty annoyed with Win95 for the same reason. never owned a machine that used it myself - went from DOS (and .. ugh... Win3.1, when absolutely necessary) to Win98 in 1998. suffered with that for a while (and WinNT) until Win2k finally came along with a reasonably usable GUI.jztemple2 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 4:18 pm From PC Gamer, Windows 95 came out 25 years ago and it was a game changer for PCs
All that knowledge I had built up about using MS-DOS as a gaming platform, all wastedWe often think about the evolution of the PC in terms of hardware, especially now, with AMD and Nvidia both on the cusp of releasing a new generation of GPUs. But on the software side, many of the the things we take for granted today—such as the Start menu, or y'know, not having to reboot your PC every single time you wanted to play a game—started with Windows 95. And Windows 95 turned 25 years old yesterday, so happy birthday to you.
I have the Steam controller, and I find it a bit... fiddly. Especially in games that aren't run through Steam. I also have a XBone wireless controller that I bought a while back as a replacement for my 360 controller, and I love it.Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 2:39 pm Any one got the Steam Controller? Is it an upgrade to say, an Xbox 360 aka Windows Reference Controller? Should I just get a Xbox One wireless controller as upgrade?
My Xbox 360 wireless controller is started to show a 'drift' (the left stick tends to "walk left" and I had to recenter it quite a few times.
So I assume I should get a genuine one, not a clone? Or does that matter? Genuine ones are like 65 or so. Clones are less than half the price.Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 3:25 pm Don't overlook the good ol' Sony DualShock 4. It's mighty comfortable to use, and DS4Windows makes it effortless to set up and configure on a PC. Better yet, it's now fully supported and integrated in Steam. Meaning you can tweak the touchpad and light bar, and enjoy all of the unique custom configuration, remapping, and sensitivity options found on Valve's Steam Controller. You can also tap into the DualShock 4's gyroscope, allowing you to aim your gun in a shooter by using motion controls if you like.
Yeah, I'd recommend sticking with a bona fide Sony controller and avoiding shody knockoffs. Also, you can usually buy 'em brand new on eBay for <$50 w/ free shipping, e.g. here's a brand new Midnight Blue Sony DS4 Controller for $39.99 w/ free shipping. Keep in mind though, the necessary micro USB to USB type-A cable for charging is typically not included (but if you're anything like me, you likely have more than a few nicer, braided versions of those cables knocking around anyway).Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 12:19 pmSo I assume I should get a genuine one, not a clone? Or does that matter? Genuine ones are like 65 or so. Clones are less than half the price.Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 3:25 pm Don't overlook the good ol' Sony DualShock 4. It's mighty comfortable to use, and DS4Windows makes it effortless to set up and configure on a PC. Better yet, it's now fully supported and integrated in Steam. Meaning you can tweak the touchpad and light bar, and enjoy all of the unique custom configuration, remapping, and sensitivity options found on Valve's Steam Controller. You can also tap into the DualShock 4's gyroscope, allowing you to aim your gun in a shooter by using motion controls if you like.
About the same price for the Xbox One controllers, in fact. (And what's with the Elite controller?!)
In terms of functionality, I think the DualShock 4 still comes out ahead of the Xbox One controller. Sony’s analog sticks are more responsive and a tad stiffer than the Xbox One controller in a good way. They allow for more precise movements and are sturdy enough to remain that way for a long time (unless you're super heavy-handed with it). The Xbox One d-pad certainly improves over the infamously crappy Xbox 360 d-pad, but transitions from one direction to another remain rigid and are followed by loud clicks. That unfortunately prevents it from being used comfortably for 2D movement. Conversely, the DS 4 d-pad has a barely audible sound with no rigid transitions between directions making it much more comfortable for 2D movement. The Xbox One controller also misses out on the DS 4's nifty built-in gyroscope/accelerometer combo. If you've never tried it, it's a surprisingly useful and convenient feature which allows for more accurate and intuitive camera movement, and is especially useful for fine-tuning one's aim in shooting games. On top of that, it provides a much easier way to use a cursor than an analog stick. Another feature that the DS 4 has and the Xbox One controller does not is the touchpad. Apart from the obvious application as a means of camera or cursor control, the touchpad is also clickable and highly customizable with DS4Windows. The point being, the DualShock 4 offers everything that the Xbox One controller does, but also includes some useful additional features that the Xbox One controller lacks.Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 3:56 pm Found XBone controller, supposedly Windows compatible too, for $43 w/ free shipping.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Black-Micr ... 4844660801
I built a 36TB home server this month, and before I tell you about it, I need to make one thing clear: I really don't need 36TB of storage. It's excessive, and the majority of that space will lie empty and unused for years. You could call it overkill, but I'm going to go with prepared. The build is the same either way, but isn't it more fun to be optimistic?
Hah, I have the ORIGINAL Top Gun thrustmaster stick somewhere... Joystick port, anyone? But then I have a whole collection of these oddball controllers lying around. I think I still have the Dual Strike somewhere... and I think my Strategic Commander still works...hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:33 pm i was wondering how supported the 'extra' DS4 functionality was on PC titles. i'm still using a 13 or 14-year-old Xbox 360 controller and i still complain about the d-pad. i did dislike the DS3 greatly due to its stupid L2/R2 buttons - it felt like my fingers kept slipping off those. in any case, i'm waiting to see what the next-gen console controllers are like. (i was one of those people that used a hardware adapter and the redcl0ud drivers to connect the original Xbox controller to PC before USB console controllers became a thing. i also have a parallel port adapter for Playstation 1/2 controllers.)
Thanks to DS4Windows and the built-in Steam support, PC users arguably get a whole lot more useful functionality and customization from a DualShock 4 controller than the console it's designed for. Steam support is also mighty useful if you're on Linux, and you can use ds4drv for further Linux customization.hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:33 pm i was wondering how supported the 'extra' DS4 functionality was on PC titles. i'm still using a 13 or 14-year-old Xbox 360 controller and i still complain about the d-pad. i did dislike the DS3 greatly due to its stupid L2/R2 buttons - it felt like my fingers kept slipping off those. in any case, i'm waiting to see what the next-gen console controllers are like. (i was one of those people that used a hardware adapter and the redcl0ud drivers to connect the original Xbox controller to PC before USB console controllers became a thing. i also have a parallel port adapter for Playstation 1/2 controllers.)
I haven't used the DualShock 4 back button attachment personally. Adding some textured silicone thumb grip caps to protect the analog sticks and improve upon the original grip isn't a bad idea though, especially while they're new. Doing so will help prevent them from becoming decayed or worn-down.Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2020 9:26 pm Okay, you guys convinced me. eBay ordered one. That link has expired, but I found a V2 for $45 and free shipping.
Now, what do you guys think of that "back button controller" add-on?
I use a set of these, which I saw recommended by some competitive players. You put a regular one on the left (move) stick, and a taller one on the right (aim) stick. It increases the distance you have to move the right stick, just a bit, which increases your precision when aiming, as it lets you make smaller adjustments.Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2020 10:08 am I haven't used the DualShock 4 back button attachment personally. Adding some textured silicone thumb grip caps to protect the analog sticks and improve upon the original grip isn't a bad idea though, especially while they're new. Doing so will help prevent them from becoming decayed or worn-down.