The "New Toys" Thread

I don't store things on my ipad, so 128GB will do fine, just like 64GB did on my previous iPad. It's just a satellite device for me.

I would have gone for 128GB even if they hadn't bumped the base storage though, just in case, because I plan on using this a bit more as an actual portable computer. I just need to get that keyboard. But I don't need a terabyte like I have on my Mac.
 
I don't store things on my ipad, so 128GB will do fine, just like 64GB did on my previous iPad. It's just a satellite device for me.

I would have gone for 128GB even if they hadn't bumped the base storage though, just in case, because I plan on using this a bit more as an actual portable computer. I just need to get that keyboard. But I don't need a terabyte like I have on my Mac.
Until my iPad Mini (1st gen) went obsolete and slow, I stored my entire photo library on it, and that is mostly with photos shot with proper cameras, so big files. That library totals more than 50GB now. I frequently used it to show photos.

That new keyboard case for the iPad Pro looks very nice, it's just that it's very expensive, costs almost as much as a base iPad.
 
I’m going to buy a keyboard case but I haven’t decided which one yet. The heavy and thick one with the touchpad and proper keyboard, or the cheaper and slimmer one with the fabric keys.
 
I’m going to buy a keyboard case but I haven’t decided which one yet. The heavy and thick one with the touchpad and proper keyboard, or the cheaper and slimmer one with the fabric keys.

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By which I mean, buy the Brydge.
 
I've called it Nigel, obviously.
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By which I mean, buy the Brydge.
No, i’m going with either of the Apple ones. I’m guessing the Brydge is Bluetooth? I don’t want that when there’s a hardwired alternative.

I also actually like typing on the fabric keyboard, and it’ll obviously be a lot more resistant to dirt and crud.
 
Just had a new 500GB Samsung 860 EVO SSD delivered, a picture just in case you didn't know what one looked like. :razz:

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Bought to replace the rather rubbish Kingston 250GB in my server as I've been disappointed with the performance. Should help boot times because it has been quite worryingly slow at times. It brings my total Samsung SSD count to six.

Edit: Moved the Kingston SSD to a USB 3 enclosure and it's still crap.
 
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Let me know how you get on with it, I saw the video and was very tempted but already have a Makita impact driver and the bigger version of that impact wrench.

Still tempted by the cheap electric ratchets they sell that use 12V Bosch/Dremel batteries, don't have one of those.

So, I finally got to properly test it, for changing tires. It undid my lug nuts just fine, but not my dad’s. The difference here that he gives ’er every single ugga dugga dug his air impact can deliver, while I typically dial it back a notch when I do mine. No, we don’t beleive in torque wrenches. :D

Electric definitely has the upper hand when it comes to treading the lugs back on. To borrow one of AvE’s words, the ”carefuling” mode on the fakita electric is a lot more gentle than any air gun I’ve ever used. You can start the thread using the fakita without risking cross-threading. When using an air gun I usually take the socket off and use it to start every lug by hand before I give it the ugga-dugs.
 
Typing this on my iPad Pro with the ”cheap” keyboard case that finally arrived last week.

Not the fancy and really expensive Magic Keyboard Folio everyone’s swooning over and giving top marks in reviews. ”The keys are made from fabric” sounds insane but you really need to try it - I actually like typing on this. Scissor switches they are not, but it’s possible to type fast and accurately and it doesn’t add much bulk. It’s also completely sealed from dust and dirt and I have a feeling it won’t care much if I spill coffee on it either. If I was trying to replace my actual MacBook Pro with an iOS setup, the big iPad with the Magic Keyboard Folio would be awesome.
 
My laptop got a tan! :eek:

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That's a late 2008 15" MacBook Pro on the left and a 2019 16" MBP on the right.

The former will continue to be used because I like Civ 3 Complete and that is from 2001. It's been a lot of fun tinkering with that computer over the years, but the hinge broke a few months ago and that was the final drop in the bucket.

The latter will hopefully last over a decade, too, just like its predecessor... or should I say ancestor?
 
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Wait... You didn't buy one of the butterfly keyboard MacBooks, right? Because just as of this Monday, Apple killed the last MacBook that used the butterfly keyboard, and that type of keyboard was notorious for its reliability issues.
 
Oh, I wrote my post just after he posted (just didn't hit post because I was multitasking), and in his initial post he just put the pictures of the laptops, without any specs. Now that I reloaded the page, I can see he edited his initial post.
 
Oh, I wrote my post just after he posted (just didn't hit post because I was multitasking), and in his initial post he just put the pictures of the laptops, without any specs. Now that I reloaded the page, I can see he edited his initial post.
:angel: Yeah, I made a few edits, mostly because I had taken the photos on my phone and uploaded them before adding text on the laptop.

And yes, I like this keyboard a lot more than what the spousal unit has on her laptop.
 
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Wanted a VR headset for a long while, wasn't sure which one to get and when. But after looking around for a while, eventually settled on the Oculus Quest. Reasons:

- Standalone play capability + PC-based VR in one unit (via Oculus Link)
- Good resolution, better than the Rift S and the same as the Valve Index
- No beacon installation required, inside-out tracking
- Relatively affordable.

Took some time to find one in stock at a reliable retailer, but eventually one showed up, and I got it. Now that a couple days have passed, I'm happy to report: complete success.

- Standalone play is awesome, it boots up really quick and works well. Beat Saber, Superhot and other "simpler" games run great and are a heap of fun.

- PC-based VR is even better than I expected: it doesn't need the Link cable! In fact the Link system is a bit crap using a third-party USB-C cable, and the original cable is both overpriced and not available. But there's a 20€ app called Virtual Desktop that allows wireless VR streaming from the PC, complete with SteamVR game support including controllers, using WiFi-5G. I didn't expect much from this, but was completely blown away by how well it works. Played several hours of Elite: Dangerous and Tabletop Simulator so far - there doesn't seem to be any noticable latency, picture quality is great, and it just works as if this was the way it's always been designed. Will be definitely getting HL:Alyx next, probably come weekend.

- Inside-out tracking works just as well as beacon-based tracking on the HTC Vive that I've played a bunch at a friend's place. Even when moving the controllers behind my back they are still tracked correctly for a while, the IMUs in the controllers seem to be doing the bulk of the work necessary there. Having four cameras in the headset also allows for a "passthrough" mode, and in contrast to the Vive it's full stereo and has a wide FoV, allowing one to actually walk around unimpeded and do stuff IRL without taking the headset off - which has come in handy much more than I expected.

- The only downside is the resolution. It's better than the earlier Rift developer kit headsets and the Vive that I've tried before, but still far from "really good". For simpler games, especially room-scale stuff where things are large and happening close to you it's absolutely fine. But in games like Elite: Dangerous with cockpit displays in the spacecraft you do notice the text bluriness, and sometimes you even have to lean in to a display a bit to read it properly, and far-away ships and space stations are hard to discern any detail on until you get very close indeed. However, it's definitely within the "good enough" zone even for that, and after getting into a couple dogfights in a dense asteroid field you completely forget about any bluriness or other issues :)

All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase, and am pretty sure the thing will see regular use with a whole bunch of games for me. And can definitely recommend one to anyone looking to get into VR.
 
So I, um, stopped by the Apple store on my way home from work today. I need to stop doing this.

If a global pandemic isn't going to stop you, I've got bad news I'm afraid. :p

If they released the damn things in black I'd probably buy them, I know they're tiny but I just hate the bright white.
 
I got them as a work headset. Got rid of my original AirPods a week later. I found the originals more comfortable, but the sound quality in Pros is better, microphone is much better, and ANC is of course awesome.

Ideally I'd need a pair of ear tips for them that's between the S and M sizes. For me, the M size fits well and isolates perfectly, ANC is really good with them - but they get painfully uncomfortable after ~15-20 min or so. The S size I can wear for hours, but it doesn't hold in perfectly and requires a correcting "push" every once in a while, and ANC definitely lets in a lot more noise - even though the built-in "fit test" says they should be fine. Anyone any recommendations for third-party tips to look at maybe?..
 
Adam Savage has been using them for his live videos since the lockdown started, the sound has been impressive despite being massively compressed for YT.


I have a ton of spare tips for Sony headsets as they're all interchangeable, can't comment on the Apple ones but you would hope that they're a standard size.
 
I haven’t bothered with the standard Airpods since they’re a copy of the wired version, which won’t stay in my ear for more than a second before they fall out. I need the rubber tip.

The AirPods Pro *feel* like they’re going to fall out, but I haven’t managed to shake one loose yet which is a very good sign.

They sound excellent, too. I don’t think my cheap Sennheiser ANC cans will see much use going forward.
 
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