Airjoe : ATP Development

Does anyone here actually use an ergonomic keyboard or mouse?

I was in BestBuy (ugh, don't ask) the other day with a friend who just bought a new laptop and wanted an external mouse to go with it. We went to the mouse section, and despite there being an entire row, every single one was a freaking ergonomic mouse.

I hate using an ergonomic mouse. I don't find them comfortable. I find them harder to use, because for 12 years I've been using a normal freaking mouse, and it worked fine.



That's my favorite mouse in the world. It's a simple, normal, fifteen dollar, optical USB mouse. It comes with a short cable, perfect for using with a notebook, and with a USB extension if you like to use it with a desktop.


Tell me, how is something like this comfortable?



And that brings me to my next point: cordless devices. I also hate using a cordless mouse or keyboard, because unless you get a really expensive one, they just absolutely blow.


But worse than an ergonomic mouse is an ergonomic keyboard. I mean, the curvy kind like this are bad enough, but jeez, what moron decided to split the keyboard right down the middle? We have some of these at work, and they completely suck.

Ugh. Just decided to rant while look for a mouse and keyboard for my new desktop. I decided to go with the plain and simple:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126015
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826147007

I've been accepted into my Number 1 choice for College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, up in Troy, NY, about 2 hours North of me. Now, how to come up with 200,000 dollars... I don't think RPI has a blackjack team ;]

I thought I'd make a post about all my computers' specs and see others as well.

Router:
Neptune (Linksys WRT54G v4.0)
200MHz Processor
16MB RAM
4MB Flash
Tomato Linux Firmwar 1.07


Computers:
Triton (Built myself)
2.93GHz Intel Celeron D
512MB PC3200 RAM
40GB HDD
300GB HDD
NVidia GeForce MMX 2
Linksys WUSB54G Wireless USB Adapter

Nereid (Refurbished Dell OptiPlex GX110)
1.0GHz Intel Pentium 3
512MB pc133 RAM
20GB HDD
20GB HDD
Linksys WUSB54G Wireless USB Adapter

Proteus (Dell Inspiron 1501)
1.6GHz AMD Turion-64 Dual Core
1 GB RAM
80GB HDD
Built in Wireless

Thalassa (Gateway K7-950)
951 MHz AMD Athlon
256 MB pc133 RAM
20GB HDD
Hard wired Ethernet

Naiad (Dell Dimension L800CXE)
533 MHz Intel Celeron
256MB pc133 RAM
20GB HDD
Linksys WMP54G

Despina (eMachines T2482)
2.0GHz AMD Athlon 2400+
256MB PC3200 RAM
80GB HDD
NVidia GeForce 5500
Hard wired Ethernet

Halimede (Dell Dimension XPS T500)
500MHz Intel Pentium 2
192 MB pc100 RAM
12GB HDD
Hard wired Ethernet

Unnamed 1 (HP Something or other)
700MHz Intel Pentium 3 (I think)
128 MB pc133 RAM
20GB HDD
Hard Wired Ethernet

Unnamed 2 (Compaq something or other)
266MHz Intel Pentium 2 (I think)
96 MB pc100 RAM
4GB HDD
No network card


That last one there was the first computer I ever really used. It belonged to a friend of my dad's, and when he no longer had a use for it, he gave it to me. That's how I got most of my computers, actually. The only computers I bought were Nereid, Triton, and Proteus. All the others were given to me by friends.

I know none of them are really "big rigs", but I'm not much of a gamer so I don't need anything more powerful than what I have. Proteus, my laptop, is my main computer right now. Before that, Triton, a desktop, was my main computer. Nereid is my server. Despina was just given to me a few days ago, and I may turn that into a server or a decent gaming rig since it has the best graphics card and processor out of the bunch. Naiad was given to me by Tommq when he got his laptop and built his desktop. Thalassa is the family computer which resides downstairs (all the others are in my room), and was given to us by a friend of the family. Before Thalassa was Galatea (now given to my brother), the exact same model as Halimede. Halimede was also given to me by a friend of a friend. Unnamed 2 has some problems with it and doesn't start up. It was given to me to tinker around with. Maybe one day I'll eventually get it working.


So, what do you think? Go make a blog post on your page doing what I did, as well.

I think everyone loves their first car, even if it really really sucks. I drive a 1990 Navy Blue Cadillac DeVille, and I love it (except for the fact that it gets like 14 miles per gallon, ugh). For a 1990, its got some nice features (digital gas readout, digital fuel economy readouts, electric seats and windows, etc), and it also has its quirks (water pump is leaking, bad gas mileage, some rust, dirty leather seats, etc). Overall all, despite it draining 20 bucks from my pocket every 4 days or so, I've loved it and not really had any problems.


Until Today.


I was getting gas after school today. I finish up, go to start the car, and... nothing. Alright, it doesn't always work on the first shot. Let's try again... alright, one more time... here we go... still nothing. Ten times later, the engines not starting. It doesn't even sound like it's attempting to start. Usually when I turn the key to start it, it makes a click if it doesn't actually start. This time, I heard nothing.

So I waited a few minutes and tried again several times.

Nothing.

So I figure maybe the engines overheated, I'll go buy some water and throw it in the radiator / reservoir, let it cool down and try again.

Half a gallon of water and fifteen minutes later, still nothing.


So at this point I realize I'm in a bad spot. Want to make it worse? No cell phone.

But I do have my laptop. I turn it on, hop on an unsecured wireless network (took me like twenty "refreshes" to actually pick one up), and I send out an e-mail to my girlfriend who should be heading out to work soon. I turn off my computer to save the battery. Another twenty minutes go by, nothing.

So I turn on the computer again in hopes someone I know is on IM.

The only person on is Loduwijk. He's nice enough to make a long distance call to my house and let my family know where I am. Shortly after this, I lose my internet connection.

Another fifteen minutes goes by, and no ones on there way. I figure it can't hurt to try the engine again.

Turn... nothing. Turn... click, nothing. Turn, vrrrm vrmmmmm! Finally!

I throw it in drive quick while I can and high-tail it out of there.


Freaking car >:[


Many thanks to Loduwijk for really helping me out though.