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Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

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Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#311

Post by Arkanosis »

The list could be very long, but here are a few things which I have started using lately and which have proved more useful than expected:

- A dish draining rack: that's very inexpensive and I'm wasting way less time and space than before arranging dishes.

- A vertical desktop file sorter: exactly the same thing, but for papers.

- Thin, fingerless gloves I can type with: while this has not solved my dry hands problem in winter, it has helped a lot.

- Monitor and speakers stands: that has bought me a lot of desk real estate.

- Pan lids: cooking is faster, smells less, and consumes less energy; also some food is less dry.

And the thing I've been using for a few years now, but which has been waaaay above my expectations:

- A headset with ANC and multipoint Bluetooth: a real life changer for work, gaming and phone calls; the most expensive item in this list, but definitely worth the price for me.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#312

Post by jerome-jh »

teleforce wrote: post #293

For me it is the Nintendo Wii Balance board [1]. It is still running strong even after more than 13 years of usage. I hope Nintendo will introduce a new balance board for the Switch console and together with the new Ring Fit it will be a blast for indoor fitness and exercise. [1] Wii Balance Board: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Balance_Board

Turns out last week I played Wii with my kids. We had great fun with Boom Blox. The combination of a pointing device and a motion sensor is what enables the Jenga-like mini-games. Something impossible on a Switch.

Then I showed my kids the balance board, which is basically older then them and sat unused for a decade. Not a huge success. Personally I never got used to that gameplay. I think it is just dull, maybe because it remains completely static after all.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#313

Post by miller_joe »

bsenftner wrote: post #126
trabant00 wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait till you get a 32 inch 4k one. I am shocked a lot of IT professionals still use 1080p when the above can be found for as low as 250 usd with discounts

I have four 4K screens, and it is heaven. I got spoiled early in my career by a Unix system that had a greyscale newspaper layout monitor in the early 90's. That monitor could crispy display an unfolded two page newspaper layout with space on the left and right for tool/editing interfaces. For a while, 4K monitors were landing right near US $300, so I got 4 over a period of months. Simply being able to array referenc…

Do you recall the name of that monitor from the 90s? Sounds interesting

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#314

Post by mastermedo »

parkingrift wrote: post #233

Air purifiers and air monitors. It is shocking and disgusting how much dust and particles these air purifiers suck out of the air. The air monitors detect when to open windows for CO2, among other things. My allergies no longer exist. Edit: A few people have asked for recommendations. I recommend the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH for larger spaces and Blueair Blue Pure 411 for smaller spaces. For the air monitor I have the…

Hm, I'm looking to eradicate smells from my house. Do air purifiers help getting rid of that old-house smell?

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#315

Post by odiroot »

Amazon Kindle (only bought two devices over 10+ years of usage), even the cheapest version. I find myself reading much more, I love having dictionaries and Wikipedia built-in. Travelling is so much easier than even with a paperback novel.

Bluetooth keyboard and wireless mouse. I have (maybe unreasonable) dislike for cables on my desk. Currently my Thinkpad is raised on a mount, with just one USB-C cable coming out. It hides nicely under the mount's arm.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#316

Post by odiroot »

Arkanosis wrote: post #311

The list could be very long, but here are a few things which I have started using lately and which have proved more useful than expected: - A dish draining rack: that's very inexpensive and I'm wasting way less time and space than before arranging dishes. - A vertical desktop file sorter: exactly the same thing, but for papers. - Thin, fingerless gloves I can type with: while this has not solved my dry hands problem…

> Monitor and speakers stands: that has bought me a lot of desk real estate.

Can you share what speaker stands do you use?

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#317

Post by runjake »

lucumo wrote: post #252
clarkdave wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've tried a lot of different monitor setups for productivity - ranging from three 24" 4k displays to a single 49" ultrawide, and ultimately have found the best setup for me is dual 27" 4ks, each running at a "scaled" 2560x1440. MacOS in particular does an excellent job of rendering 2560x1440 to a 4K screen, and the increased DPI over a regular 1440p 27" screen is very noticeable. Another option if you're not a fan o…

> MacOS in particular does an excellent job of rendering 2560x1440 to a 4K screen, and the increased DPI over a regular 1440p 27" screen is very noticeable. MacOS in particular gets amazingly slow when you don't use a 1:1 or 2:1 scaling. I too have have two 27" 4k screens and they made the machine unbearably slow. It got so bad that I now treat them as 1440p screens and let the screens do the scaling. It's not pretty…

I don’t notice the slightest decrease in speed or any benchmark going from native 1440p to 1440p hidpi at 4K.

If there is a speed decrease, I can’t notice it on an M1.

I’ve seen a lot of people parrot this claim or claim it renders awfully but have yet to experience any evidence. On the contrary, it’s been glorious.

Edit: if you do 1440p scaling on a 4K on macOS make damned sure you select “1440p (Hi-DPI)” other you get a pixelated mess.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#318

Post by packetslave »

ywain wrote: post #249
drakonka wrote: post #160

* An ereader (Kindle, now Kobo) * Stadler Form George air washer. Not a full on humidifier, but does help keep humidity up in my dry bedroom. Also judging by the state of the water during my weekly cleaning it really does help to "clean" the air somewhat. * More recently, a high quality drying rack (inspired by the drying rack article linked here a few weeks ago). Helps me keep humidity up in my apartment and prevent…

Is the Litter Robot really good? Most reviews I've seen said all those auto-cleaning litter boxes are meh at best, but man this is one chore I could really do without.

The Litter Robot is (in my experience) the one auto-cleaning litter box that 100% lives up to the hype. Totally worth the (high) price to never have to scoop cat poop again.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#319

Post by runjake »

ddek wrote: post #303
thebean11 wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The new MacBook pros can handle it

Hell, not even the pros. My work laptop is a 2019 i7 MBP, it struggles with my 4k monitor regardless of scaling. I bought the cheapest mac mini last year to see what the M1 fuss was about, and it has no problem with the 4k screen, even with scaling. Other OS's? Windows is passable until you start transitioning in and out of full screen. Linux...

I think the parent means the new Apple Silicon-based MBPs, not the 2019 models. I may be misreading the way you phrased your comment though.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#320

Post by mastermedo »

Retr0id wrote: post #241

A subwoofer. No matter how high end your headphones, bookshelf speakers, or studio monitors are, they will never be able to punch you in the chest in quite the same way as a decently sized dedicated subwoofer. It's a night-and-day difference for listening to music and watching movies, or even just listening to human voices in youtube videos. Just, be careful not to bother your neighbours with it.

I can vouch it affects neighbours, I've gotten many complaints from neighbours in the apartment below me. Especially when watching a movie. Cue a helicopter flying into the scene.
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