Ohbalto Online Welcome to the new blog. Same as the old blog.

Always InnovatingPosted by dhoffman on March 2nd, 2009

I’m something of a nerd when it comes to hardware toys.  It’s . . . well, it’s not-so-much a problem as it’s just a fact of life.

It comes in handy: I’m always the guy who could program your VCR (hey, remember VCR’s?) or get your computer up and running.  The price of that, though, is that you have to, um, play with the hardware toys so you know how they work.

And every now and then I see something that makes my mouth water just a teeny bit.

For example, here’s Always Innovating’s Touch Book, a netbook laptop running what looks like a customized Linux operating system and sporting a detachable keyboard and a “monitor” that doubles as a tablet PC.

Yeah.

My biggest problem with netbooks has been the keyboard.  When I look at one, it’s with the expectation that I might travel with it and, as such, might use it for writing.  I’m a touch-typist, though, so if the keyboard isn’t standardized, it tends to screw me up.

So, before I go and buy anything, I’m going to need a good look at this interesting little gizmo.  After all, even if you can stick it on the fridge or bring it on the train to watch movies or read books, if you can’t type on it, then what’s the point?

Alright, I’m kidding — it’s cool as hell.  Here’s hoping it’s got a good keyboard . . .

Posting From My TouchPosted by dhoffman on December 27th, 2008

Figured I’d see if I could set my iPod Touch up to connect and post. So far it seems to be pretending to work.

I’m only online with this gizmo via wifi, so it’s not like I can use it anywhere. That’s probably a good thing, though. A little mobile blogging is a nice thing. Too much, though, would just get dull.

Now, if only this thing had a camera . . .

I Love My MacPosted by dhoffman on October 27th, 2008

Last night I set to writing and, after fiddling around with various computers, trying to decide which one to actually write on, I decided that, while I was writing, I’d reinstall the OS on my main machine.

I also had a wicked stomach ache, but that’s not really germaine to the story.

It’s a Mac Tower, one of the big suckers.  I was running an upgraded version of 10.4, I think (whatever the latest is) and it’s been chugging.

We’re talking, constant hard drive activity, applications crashing, system hanging, general annoynances.

I try to reinstall the OS of whatever computer I’m using the most on an annual-at-least basis.  This one’s been going strong more than two years now.  I even, as stated above, went the “Upgrade” route in bringing the OS up to the latest and greatest — something I can honestly say I’ve never done before.

I’ve been reluctant to go back to scratch, though.  I have an external backup drive, so I wasn’t worried about losing data.  It was more the hassel of having the main machine out of commission.  Laziness, basically.

About 11:00pm, I plopped the CD into the cup-holder and set things a-rolling.

I was done a little after midnight.

Now, I still need to install a handful of applicaitons — Office, Creative Suite, stuff like that — but the machine is working.  More, it’s positively humming.  I don’t know what the problem was, but damn if doing a fresh install doesn’t have everything working like new again.

I work with Windows machines at the office and we have at least one or two at home (we have too many computers.  The only excuse I can give is each and every one of them was bought for a good reason and does see use).  When you reinstall Windows it’s a major undertaking.  Drivers to update.  Hardware that hates you.  Software that’s waiting for a better offer from an out-of-town computer.

I’ve performed fresh installs on the MacBook, of course, but that’s not a machine that sees the kind of use my main machine sees and so it wouldn’t take — I thought — near as much to get up and running.

I love my Macs.  I love the nuances to the OS.  I love how it feels like a machine that wants to work with you and not against you.

It’s nice to see that in this other aspect — the clean install — they’re on my side as well.