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Ask HN: What discontinued company/product do you wish was still around?

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Re: Ask HN: What discontinued company/product do you wish was still around?

#821

Post by luxpsycho »

bryogenic wrote: post #777
luxpsycho wrote: post #762

Not the product itself, but there were only two features of Spotify around ~2010 that I used, which have both been removed: * Set as Current Playlist: would allow me, with one action, to set the next playlist, but not interrupt the current song. Song would finish playing, then only song from selected playlist would follow (until I'd set a new 'Current Playlist' again). * Empty Playlist: I used to have a plsylist call…

In order to achieve the NULL playlist you could have a playlist with one song which is silent.

Ah but that would keep the audio devide alive, and my headphones )both the wired pair and the bluetooth pair) would keep emitting that white noise.

But that's only a problem if I want to keep them in. Otherwise Cage's 4'33" might well do ;)

Re: Ask HN: What discontinued company/product do you wish was still around?

#822

Post by bfrydl »

ramses0 wrote: post #227
wishinghand wrote: post #202

The Macbook Pro chassis before the OLED touchstrip. I'm a web developer and learned on MBPs. The touchpad was the right size, the keys had the right amount of travel, the form factor and weight were perfect. Right now I'm considering moving to developing on a Galaga Pro and using Windows/WSL. I've got most things setup on my desktop how I like using HyperTerm (I had too much trouble with Cmder), VS Code, and ZSH. I c…

WSL is terrible. It's basically a tech demo (look up what happens if you `cp` a file from `C:\...` to `/home/user` versus `copy` or going the other direction. It's alright to boot up a linux "VM" using docker, but then you have to pay extra for windows pro or whatever so you can unlock hypervisor privileges. I recently bought an extra SSD to put into the windows desktop I bought and am happily running linux, don't mi…

This is not accurate. I used WSL professionally for 2 years until recently switching back to Linux for unrelated reasons¹. The only issue I have had with WSL is filesystem performance. However, that is largely a result of the real-time virus protection in Windows Defender. Real-time protection is practically useless and slows down the rest of your computer as well, so disabling it is a pretty easy fix.

WSL is actually a fantastic piece of software. I can't believe how easy it is to install literal Arch Linux onto my Windows machine. It's also fairly simple these days to integrate VS Code with it.

¹ I've gradually lost enough vision in both eyes that I frequently lose track of the mouse cursor, so I switched to Linux for i3wm and better keyboard controls. Otherwise I would likely still be using Windows + WSL.

Re: Ask HN: What discontinued company/product do you wish was still around?

#823

Post by rogerhoward »

function_seven wrote: post #296
wishinghand wrote: post #202

The Macbook Pro chassis before the OLED touchstrip. I'm a web developer and learned on MBPs. The touchpad was the right size, the keys had the right amount of travel, the form factor and weight were perfect. Right now I'm considering moving to developing on a Galaga Pro and using Windows/WSL. I've got most things setup on my desktop how I like using HyperTerm (I had too much trouble with Cmder), VS Code, and ZSH. I c…

Apple has ditched so many cool things in the MacBook line. 1) MagSafe. I know they really want to go all in on USB-C, but the original MagSafe connector was awesome. Even the weaker 2.0 version was nice. There were two instances where that connector saved my laptop. 2) The laser-drilled power indicator. That was so cool. It looked like the light magically appeared through the aluminum. Now there's no indication whats…

My current Macbook Pro is probably the first bit of Apple hardware in two decades that's made me actively consider alternatives. It's been the one laptop - premium at that - from Apple which I've had continual frustrations with compared to its predecessor, for all the reasons listed above.

I love USB-C, but not for power. Already, two of my ports are loose. I've never had that on any previous Apple power connector. MagSafe was a brilliant solution to real problems, and just dropping it without a superior alternative is not at all what I expect from Apple.

I also like the universality of USB-C, but it's not like Apple didn't opt to keep one legacy port for usability reasons - that little headphone port. SD and HDMI would have been enough.

And yes, the keyboard is terrible. For a machine I spend all day on, designed for pros, its a disappointment. Like most people here, it always takes me a little time to adapt to a new keyboard; unlike in the past, after more than a year I still loathe this one.

Perhaps the only thing that doesn't bring out my inner rage is the Touchbar. I'm largely ambivalent about it - the lack of esc/f-keys was annoying for a few days but I adapted. Obviously, others disagree, but on this list its the one choice I could have found a way to rationalize.

Re: Ask HN: What discontinued company/product do you wish was still around?

#824

Post by spazmoose »

I really wish the Logitech Y-RAU7 wireless keyboard was still around.

1. In my opinion, its ergonomic/split keyboard design is much more comfortable than the standard 108-keyboard layout (which I find causes wrist cramping). 2. The mechanical keys offer key feedback that is often not found in a wireless keyboard 3. The four programmable buttons, the seven media buttons, and the sleep button offer convenience without being obstructive. 4. Even being a wireless keyboard, it is responsive enough for playing most video games. 5. The overall construction of they keyboard is quite solid, without being overly bulky (though it is slightly larger than an average keyboard). I've had mine for more than a decade.

In my opinion, this is one of the best keyboard designs I have ever come across. I like the design so much that I have one for work, one for at home, as well as a backup for at home in case it ever breaks.

Re: Ask HN: What discontinued company/product do you wish was still around?

#826

Post by rayiner »

function_seven wrote: post #296
wishinghand wrote: post #202

The Macbook Pro chassis before the OLED touchstrip. I'm a web developer and learned on MBPs. The touchpad was the right size, the keys had the right amount of travel, the form factor and weight were perfect. Right now I'm considering moving to developing on a Galaga Pro and using Windows/WSL. I've got most things setup on my desktop how I like using HyperTerm (I had too much trouble with Cmder), VS Code, and ZSH. I c…

Apple has ditched so many cool things in the MacBook line. 1) MagSafe. I know they really want to go all in on USB-C, but the original MagSafe connector was awesome. Even the weaker 2.0 version was nice. There were two instances where that connector saved my laptop. 2) The laser-drilled power indicator. That was so cool. It looked like the light magically appeared through the aluminum. Now there's no indication whats…

> I'm going to keep my 2012 MBP going as long as I can. But when it dies or is no longer supported, I'm pretty sure ThinkPad is where I'm headed.

ThinkPads have garbage quality control. My last three: two T450s that had bad backlight bleed. Then a X1 Carbon 6th Gen that doesn't have backlight bleed, but LTE that just stops working randomly. (At least once a day, usually when waking up from sleep--so bad I've just disabled it.) Also, the X1C6 has the best trackpad on the ThinkPad line, or so I'm told, but it still sucks compared to a MacBook Pro. My next machine is going to be a Surface Laptop, I think.

Re: Ask HN: What discontinued company/product do you wish was still around?

#827

Post by jki275 »

biztos wrote: post #551

DEC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Equipment_Corporation I always thought they were really cool. Though admittedly this might just be nostalgia as a DEC server running Digital UNIX was the first system I got to write "real" software on as an adult.

DEC running VMS was my first real programming experience... FORTRAN 77.

DEC was awesome. VMS was the foundation of Windows NT as well.

Re: Ask HN: What discontinued company/product do you wish was still around?

#828

Post by appleiigs »

highace wrote: post #705
renegadesensei wrote: post #512

I miss variety in smartphone design. Everything looks the same these days. Samsung and Apple endlessly copy each other and virtually every smartphone has the same phablet aesthetic now. I miss the variety in shapes, sizes, physical keyboards, gaming features, operating systems, etc.

I'm cheering for the Razer Phone 2. It has no notch, it isn't obsessed with a high screen-to-body ratio. It isn't that thin or particularly light. But it does have a 120hz screen that nobody else has, and once you see it with your own eyes you'll be wondering why other manufacturers aren't pushing for it too. It does have unashamedly large stereo speakers for market-leading volume and clarity. It does have a unique g…

How's the build quality tho? Razer keyboards and mice I have bought were trash.

Re: Ask HN: What discontinued company/product do you wish was still around?

#830

Post by rhspeer »

H.D. Smith perfect handle tools.

From my understanding they went out of business in the great depression. However their hand tools endure through quality and continued utility.

If you ever get to hold a he Smith 660 screwdriver it is a surprising joy

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