I finally gave in to reality and got reading glasses for coding. Didn't realize how much I was suffering.
I got a prescription for monitor distance, about 30in or 70cm, and ordered the glasses from Zenni. It makes my computer time much better.
Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
171–180 of 592 posts
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#172Wireless ANC earbuds. (Airpods pro or similar)
Having high quality silence and/or music available in my pocket at all times was definitely more of a game changer than I expected.
Using a 8K 55" tv as a monitor.
I usually run it scaled, so I have basically the pixel area of a 4k screen but with retina resolution. Everything is crisp and large enough that even content placed in the corners is easy to read. Truly a game changer for work, so much so that I am puzzled why there are basically no 8k proper monitors available at sensible prices. This TV was manufactured and shipped halfway across the world where I bought it brand new for less than 1000 usd. And its a TV, with a TV OS, remote control, TV tuners and whatnot - HDR even. A normal monitor without all the TV stuff and sensible inputs (I have to use HDMI 2.1) should be even cheaper.
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#173Earlier quoted context omitted.
People over here are insane and remodel perfectly fine kitchens when moving in to a new apartment, and sell all the appliances for a pitence. I picked up a year old Miele for 100€, it’s been chugging along like a tank.
My mum has a Miele washing machine that is almost 30 years old. As far as I know, it's never needed a repair. Which is probably just as well as Mieles can always be repaired, but the cost of parts is, let's say, dramatic. My fridge has a broken egg tray lid and a dent in the door. Replacing the former is £35, a freezer door is almost £300 (nearly half the cost of the whole fridge freezer). The fridge door is almost £…
Apparently, eggs stored in the fridge are more likely to break yolk when cracked. Chuck your egg tray in the bin.
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#174A self-emptying Roomba. It's unreal how much time this has saved our family. Well worth the money, and it's been going strong for years now.
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
Summary? I can't watch video now.
https://youtubetranscript.com/?v=_rBO8neWw04&t=538 The video pretty much says “use detergent in both pre-wash and wash receptacles”. Using the pods makes this hard. Using powder lets you do this easily yourself. That’s pretty much it.
Aren't there tablets made of two layers, one which dissolves during prewash, and the other mostly during wash? I mean the two-colored ones.
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#176A good coffee machine at home. Unbelievable ROI, one of my favourite purchases.
Maybe tangential, but would most folks be likely to discern the difference vs. a glass French press? Most drip coffeemakers I’ve used are both more expensive and make worse coffee (not to mention harder to clean), so I’ve largely given up on the category, but admittedly haven’t done proper research in quite a while.
It looks like you can make the difference since you prefer a glass French press. There is no "superior" brewing process, and if you like the French press, use the French press. Arguably, the pourover method is strictly better than drip coffee, in term of quality, but it is more involved, and you need to know what you are doing. With drip coffee, you just have to press a button, you can even run the machine on a timer and have coffee ready when you wake up, which is not a negligible advantage.
Personally, I have an espresso machine, which is by far the way I prefer coffee, but the machine (+ grinder) is expensive and it gives you a new hobby.
Really, it is all up to you, there is no bad answer. The French press is a perfectly good brewing method, so is drip, and many others: moka pot, Aeropress, etc...
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#177Ethernet cabling in the house, esp to desk and TV. Nice to avoid all wifi problems .
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#178Earlier quoted context omitted.
sounds kind of insane that a 2-3k$ laptop can't compile stuff and allow you to browse the web at the same time lol
That’s a 6 year old laptop. Highly dependant on what you compile as well.
Sorry, I said 2016, but I meant 2019. I was (in my head to be fair) comparing an 8 core Mac Pro 2019 to a 8 core 2019 MacBook. I did later upgrade to 16 cores though
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#179A self-emptying Roomba. It's unreal how much time this has saved our family. Well worth the money, and it's been going strong for years now.
I feel like you have to design your lifestyle with a Roomba in mind. For example, we have a hard floors in a single story flat. Perfect for a Roomba. But we also have a few area rugs with tassels on the ends. It would get snagged on the tassels so I would have to run around and collect the rugs before running the Roomba. Now I don't even bother; it just sits there charging because I can't trust it to run unsupervised.
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#180Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Doesn't even need special tablets […] A thirty minute video explaining why tablets are bad and that you should simply use powder: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rBO8neWw04 Also, a follow-up video: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll6-eGDpimU
Summary? I can't watch video now.
TLDW
Tablets aren’t bad but if you don’t fill your prewash compartment with detergent you’ll get worse cleaning. The prewash compartments are meant for loose powder or gel so might as well just use that detergent for both compartments