Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 1001 posts

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#91

Post by azemetre »

dbg31415 wrote: post #69

Just about anything Razer. Razer Taipan & Razer BlackWidow are wonderful. Totally reliable, precise, and pleasantly tactile. I've had a few Razer mice over the years and the earlier ones had a rubberize finish that would wear off eventually... had my Taipan for 4 years or so and it still feels like it's brand new. Trackpads will work in a pinch, but after you get used to a high-DPI mouse it's hard to use anything els…

Really? I find Razer products to be cheaply made and "flashy."

When it comes to mice I prefer Logitech, they are the only company whose mice have lasted me more than 5 years. I use to own a MX518 until it died on me after nearly 8 years. Now I own a G502 since they no longer make the MX518.

For keyboards I've been using a Noppoo Choc Mini with blue switches at work and at home I have a Pok3r with red switches.

Both have been in use longer than the Blackwidow I use to own.

If you want to get really crazy about mechanical keyboards checkout https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/

Might buy a full Ducky in the near future as well.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#92

Post by Willamin »

sprobertson wrote: post #19

The mid-2014 MacBook Pro. I fear that one day I will have to upgrade to a poorly reviewed newer model, or change my system entirely.

I made the jump from a late 2011 MBP to the late 2016 MBP with touch bar. While I wouldn't recommend it to just everyone, I've been very pleased with it. If you're the kind of person that regularly needs all of the ports that the new MBP lacks (specifically without dongle or dock) then it's not the computer for you.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#93

Post by boulos »

closed wrote: post #33
boulos wrote: post #29

The Lido 2 Coffee Grinder: http://www.oehandgrinders.com/OE-LIDO-2-Manual-Coffee-Grinde... Heath Coffee Mugs Trains in Switzerland (including the great app!) Hosu (chair) Cutipl (silverware) Emile Henry Flameware (Dutch Oven) Mountain Collective Ski Pass Black Diamond Hiking Poles

What brewing method do you use the grinder for? I've been using a blade grinder for French press, and the grind is so uneven that part of me feels like it probably doesn't matter, but the other part feels like a barbarian.

The point of the Lido 2 is that it's incredibly consistent (I do French press myself). I'd highly recommend that if you have a standard (presumably electric) blade grinder that you consider an upgrade to say the basic Bodum burr grinder. It makes a world of difference.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#94

Post by eappleby »

I love my Fogless Shower Mirror: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BQ6QXK?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_1

Most others use chemicals (I believe) to stop the fogging, which fades in effectiveness over time. Had this one for 5 years and it works perfect! Wish everything I owned just worked like this does.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#95

Post by boulos »

whitepoplar wrote: post #34
boulos wrote: post #29

The Lido 2 Coffee Grinder: http://www.oehandgrinders.com/OE-LIDO-2-Manual-Coffee-Grinde... Heath Coffee Mugs Trains in Switzerland (including the great app!) Hosu (chair) Cutipl (silverware) Emile Henry Flameware (Dutch Oven) Mountain Collective Ski Pass Black Diamond Hiking Poles

You have good taste! The Hosu chair looks very comfortable, though I'm too poor to afford one :(. Anything else you'd add to your list?

It was definitely a challenge to go with it! It's not popular enough to have spawned knock offs, but the various Eames chairs have (particularly the black leather lounge chair). The main distinction between knock offs and the real thing comes down to materials: the colors will fade, the foam will compress, etc. but comparing $X00 to $X000 means you probably won't mind. If there are consignment or vintage shops in your area, you can often get a really good price on a great piece of furniture that just needs a new foam cushion. Best of luck!

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#96

Post by agjacobson »

Macintosh II with Finder 4.6. Never has a computer system maintained a technical lead for so long, 1987-95, with Finder upgrades you loaded from floppies. Bridgeport milling machine. People just copy it. They can't improve it. Ashlar Vellum 2D drafting software for the Mac. Imagine. Drafting objects have properties you can edit. Lambda Physik (Coherent) FL2002E dye laser. Excel 4.0 for the Mac. Wrote invoicing and coating design macros that ran a whole business. Solidworks 2003. Used it till 2008, until I got the "better" newest edition which was a little more capable, but less efficient. Ipad Air. Still use it, smashed-in screen and all, but it's panting.

You can see I'm mostly stuck in the past. Many of these products had more capable successors, but felt bloated, and were harder to use.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#97

Post by poisonarena »

jimmies wrote: post #84

Software: Winamp. It is so simple and stupid and it works really well.

years and years, programs like itunes just kept adding more and more features I never use and getting more and more bloated, winamp really kicks the llamas ass

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#98

Post by trelliscoded »

kchoudhu wrote: post #74
apankrat wrote: post #67

Aeron chair. Aeropress. EIZO monitors - http://www.eizo.com uTorrent, the older versions. Dead serious about uTorrent. One of the best designed and engineered pieces of software ever. Everything you need, where you expect it to be, doing exactly what it should be doing, and nothing more.

I haven't used bittorrent since about 2010. Would a 2006 era uTorrent client still be able to speak to today's network?

Yes, mostly due to protocol backwards compatibility. If you stopped using it because of ads, check out pi-hole.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#99

Post by SwellJoe »

pgreenwood wrote: post #87

Almost every bicycle. Our noblest invention.

Agreed. Even a cheapish bike is a miracle of modern engineering, and a great force multiplier even for poor folks or folks too young to drive. I love my bike (a 20 year old Giant mountain bike that I bought to ride to college and have put thousands of miles on since).

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#100

Post by joe563323 »

pencil, paper and eraser

dell keyboard Model number: SK-8115 (felt like machine gun for the first time) http://dellparts.us/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2...

org-mode

emacs macros

git

Qt c++ framework

unix pipes

matlab

npm install --save # dont have to edit the package.json, awesome

tmux

pm2 # npm package to make the node app as service. Just mindblowing.

ssh-copy-id user@ip # no need to type password always for ssh session

Post reply on HN