A floor heating pad. $30 and my feet will never be cold at the computer again!
Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
21–30 of 592 posts
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#22Bidet.
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#23Anker PowerCore 26800 (26800mAh) - 3 USB outputs, 2 inputs for charging. Removed away all worry about not having phone charging capability if you're on the move.
There's likely better options available now with USB-C inputs, but the product is still fantastic.
Oral-B Genius 9000 - looked like an overpriced & gimmicky toothbrush (with AR + Bluetooth). It is, but the carry-case is useful to double as an extra shaver->USB option, it's got a long battery life, and it has a good number of modes for brushing.
Oculus Quest 2 - initially I wasn't sure if it'd be a gimmick, but it's an effortless & fun way to burn calories
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#24Zynthian audio/synthesis platform: I got it to act as an FX processor, and it has become an extremely rich resource for creative instruments and digital music-making. Not just an FX box, its really more like an entire studio.
Synthstrom Deluge: so incredibly deep and complex, it also started life as a simple tool that is now becoming a lynchpin in my studio operation - not just for drums and sequencing, also for recording quick takes and samples and so on. This machine has replaced the DAW for pure creative modes.
NORN+Grid: Again, was purchased for one thing and is now being pressed into use for so many other purposes, un-dreamed of previously.
Arturia AudioFUSE Studio: THIS was just supposed to be a neat desktop mixer that fit on the table, but it has become so, so much more - the STUDIO in the name is no nonsense! Again, way more power than expected, and it has expanded beyond the original purpose of having a quick desktop mix available - now practically everything in the studio is going through it (ADAT for the win) and it is the central console for production. I haven't touched the other mixers in weeks ..
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#25A good dishwasher.
I resisted getting one for years because the one I had growing up was pretty bad. Nothing would dry, items would come out dirty all the time and it was loud and would "chug" for hours.
However, a good (not even fancy, just mid-range from a competent manufacturer) modern dishwasher is night and day. Doesn't even need special tablets, it just gets things clean, even on the eco mode, which is the only one I use. Its not the quietest on the market by a dB or two, but its basically not noticeable.
So much better than having a huge pile of dishes taking up the entire draining rack until dry enough to put away, getting splashed with more water every time the sink is used (and the water is medium-hard so that makes a mess, but the dishwasher has a water softener).
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#26A tiny bluetooth adapter for good old earphones. I know analog + wires is often simpler, but tangled broken wires are hell, being tethered removes opportunity for simple multitasking.
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#27A decent fabric mousepad. Night and day difference.
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#28Long, LONG ago I got a MicroSolutions 300 Megabyte External Hard drive, you could plug it in to a parallel printer port, boot the driver disk, and BAM... all of your tools were available. A decade ago, I got my first SSD drives, those were game changers. Boot times dropped like a rock, and performance went through the roof. I got a 32" HDMI monitor just before Covid hit... I'm VERY glad I did so. I've been stuck at h…
> I got my first SSD drives
And to experience it all over again with proper nvme drives was very enjoyable indeed. Cold boots in about 5s now vs 20-60s with the old ssds of back then really makes shutting down/starting up into a very different experience again
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#29I've spent a long time engineering, and adapting my workspace. It's at the point now that going to an office is a horrible experience, compared to my home office. Here's my setup
* Ikea Standing desk (I never sit). I know plenty of people who use these for sitting, simply because the height of the desk is finally suited to their specific frame.
* As many monitors as will make you happy (to each their own, but I'm happy with 2)
* Kinesys Freestyle 2 keyboard (wired, I hate wireless things, I never want to think about batteries)
* A laptop stand to lift my laptop - it turns out this made an enormous impact to my neck
* Monitor stands - most monitors are stationary, but the wrong height, even when compared with arm layout in an ergonomic setup.
* Kensington Expert Mouse
* Wacom One tablet - Now I can draw on digital whiteboards in Zoom, or even on shared websites and it's significantly better than the mouse experience.
* Sony WX-1000XM3 headphones - I use it for both music and the noise cancelling. Just having in on an cancelling noise has been an incredible improvement
* Whiteboard - This is by far the most important one in this list.
Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?
#30Air quality monitor and air purifier. Helps me to have cleaner air at home by e.g., reminding me to open the windows more regularly.