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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?

#451

Post by t-3 »

solarmist wrote: post #425
t-3 wrote: post #207

Wireless charger - it doesn't really save time, and I still have a ton of cables everywhere, but it totally eliminates battery anxiety and provides a surprising amount of peace of mind. Obviously, you have to have hardware that's capable of charging wirelessly, but it's becoming more common these days. Also, you never lose your phone anymore. Ebook readers - I've been using them for years, and recent models with flat…

I like the wireless chargers, but until Apple added the MagSafe to ensure your alignment was correct I wouldn't have recommended them to people. My wife and I had too many times where we'd put our phones on the charger and in the morning realize it hadn't charged. ...not sure how that leads to never losing your phone though? I don't see the connection. How would wireless charging affect that? You still have the hardw…

I'm talking about charging pedestals, using inductive charging.

Edit: Apple apparently does carry inductive chargers, but I don't know anything about alignment issues. I use a OnePlus phone.

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

#452

Post by cushychicken »

tra3 wrote: post #387
cushychicken wrote: post #21

A floor heating pad. $30 and my feet will never be cold at the computer again!

Can you share which one you have?

I legitimately don't remember. Just search "foot heating pad" on Amazon.

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

#453

Post by t-3 »

Cr0s wrote: post #358
t-3 wrote: post #207

Wireless charger - it doesn't really save time, and I still have a ton of cables everywhere, but it totally eliminates battery anxiety and provides a surprising amount of peace of mind. Obviously, you have to have hardware that's capable of charging wirelessly, but it's becoming more common these days. Also, you never lose your phone anymore. Ebook readers - I've been using them for years, and recent models with flat…

Any specific ebook readers you would recommend? I have been thinking about getting one recently.

Right now, Kobo is the best, IMHO. Pocketbook is overpriced and underpowered, Onyx Boox run locked-down Android, Amazon is full of customer-hostile practices and spyware.

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

#454

Post by ssss11 »

BiteCode_dev wrote: post #37
ssss11 wrote: post #8

A good coffee machine at home. Unbelievable ROI, one of my favourite purchases.

Brand?

I have a delonghi. Only a few hundred dollars but the support service has been fantastic which I didn’t really expect either.

I’ve noticed a few responses to my post mentioning drip coffee machines - the one I have steams milk, makes lattes etc

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

#455

Post by madvoid »

Calamitous wrote: post #408
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…

I’m curious why you switched from kindle to kobo? I’ve used a few kindles over the years, what does the kobo offer that’s better?

Recently switched from a Kindle to a Kobo and here are my findings so far:

Kobo Pros:

* Natively handle .epub files

* Overdrive integration for library books

* Dropbox integration so it's quick to transfer files from my laptop

* Pocket integration. Being able to read long form web articles on an e-ink screen is a game changer for me.

* OS is generally better

* Minor, but I like seeing the book I'm reading on the sleep screen

Kobo cons:

* Buttons are slightly worse than the Kindle's

* For the Sage, the battery life is worse than the Kindle. I've heard the other models are better though.

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

#456

Post by BuckRogers »

tbrock wrote: post #189

The 3dFX Voodoo2 - amazing leap in 3D gaming The oculus quest 2 - VR for the masses, so much fun, actually works well for the first time without $$$ The Intel Core CPU - multi core computing for the masses, huge performance and efficiency gains over prior gen merging pentium M tech Most recently Apple Silicon, specifically the Apple M1 MacBook Air: - it runs dead silent - it runs cool on my lap - it has a tiny charge…

Most of your examples are not actually the big leaps. I had a Diamond Monster 3D 4MB and then a Voodoo 2, and the revolutionary one was the original.

You mentioned the Pentium M which was the accurate choice.

The M1 has a better argument as being first but I probably would’ve selected the A series chips since the M series is really an extension of how great those are.

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

#457

Post by runjake »

lucumo wrote: post #381
runjake wrote: post #317

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Maybe the M1s are better. I have a 2019 MacBook Pro. And two external screens, maybe that makes a difference. It was especially bad after upgrading to Monterey. I don't "parrot" the claim. I've experienced the problem. It's day and night. After installing Monterey I couldn't run MS Teams on the external monitors anymore. It more or less locked up and I couldn't move the window back to the laptop screen. This was repe…

I have an i9 2019 MBP 16” at work and also don’t notice a slow down when I bring it home. Maybe it’s a GPU bug?

I’m pretty sure my i9 model has the lower end 5300M.

Another question: what are you using to connect the monitor to your laptop? USB-C to DisplayPort, here. I formerly used HDMI off of a USB-C hub but it was a bummer.

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

#459

Post by Jackdanie1s »

solarmist wrote: post #407
yokto wrote: post #251

My ZSA Moonlander keyboard [1]. When I bought it, I was just looking for a sleeker and more ergonomic keyboard with a split design, but the ability to easily reconfigure every key on the layout brought a new meaning to the word "ergonomic" for me. It means that when a particular motion or shortcut that I frequently use is puts too much strain on my hands, I can simply change the layout to make the keys more natural t…

This seems like a low-profile version of the ultimate hacking keyboard. https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/ I'd be interested to see a comparison between the UHK, Moonlander, and Dygma Rise. They all seem to be converging on the same design principles. I agree, though; having a good split keyboard has been a requirement for me since I first got the original MSFT natural keyboard.

Didn't look low profile to me

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

#460

Post by Jackdanie1s »

yokto wrote: post #251

My ZSA Moonlander keyboard [1]. When I bought it, I was just looking for a sleeker and more ergonomic keyboard with a split design, but the ability to easily reconfigure every key on the layout brought a new meaning to the word "ergonomic" for me. It means that when a particular motion or shortcut that I frequently use is puts too much strain on my hands, I can simply change the layout to make the keys more natural t…

Do you miss the function row?
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