Random thoughts.... [Tech Edition]

Ooh, an unexpected Switch rival... sort of. I can't quite get over how big it is, maybe a little too big. Annoying that they saved the better screen glass for the most expensive one.
 
This has been rumored for the better part of a decade. I will wait for reviews, but I am interested.
It comes pre-loaded with Half-Life 3.
 
It comes pre-loaded with Half-Life 3.
Don't joke about that stuff, man!

Honestly though, I'm also a bit baffled by the whole thing:
- the size / unwieldiness of the thing
- full blown AMD zen2 + RDNA2 APU (so there should be some power at least)
- but still mobile (so... not so much?)
- the awkward "vent" at the top (so... maybe a little power after all?)
- the simple fact that steam is a PC platform first and foremost? bear with me here... what i mean: most of these games are optimized to be played on a PC. Yes there's a bunch of "gamepad friendly" games available, but for the rest, it's again going to be an awkward balancing act of making the controls work somehow. I see the same issue as with the canned steam controller (I actually have one and like it): it always feels sort of weird and half-baked, because (understandably) devs will not want to adapt to this niche system, so rather the weirdo controls have to adapt. ugh.

... i'd actually love to like it and succeed, but the whole concept I feel is much better suited for the likes of nintendo (where, honestly, the power doesn't matter and the typical games are much better suited to the concept).
 
Don't joke about that stuff, man!

Honestly though, I'm also a bit baffled by the whole thing:
- the size / unwieldiness of the thing
- full blown AMD zen2 + RDNA2 APU (so there should be some power at least)
- but still mobile (so... not so much?)
- the awkward "vent" at the top (so... maybe a little power after all?)
- the simple fact that steam is a PC platform first and foremost? bear with me here... what i mean: most of these games are optimized to be played on a PC. Yes there's a bunch of "gamepad friendly" games available, but for the rest, it's again going to be an awkward balancing act of making the controls work somehow. I see the same issue as with the canned steam controller (I actually have one and like it): it always feels sort of weird and half-baked, because (understandably) devs will not want to adapt to this niche system, so rather the weirdo controls have to adapt. ugh.

... i'd actually love to like it and succeed, but the whole concept I feel is much better suited for the likes of nintendo (where, honestly, the power doesn't matter and the typical games are much better suited to the concept).


I don't see the size as a problem, the switch is to thin to be comfortable with my big hands.

It is a decently powerful processor, so it requires cooling. The port is in an area that will provide the air movement it needs while putting it in an area that won't cook you.

I have some concerns about the controls being attached directly to the device. They will wear out eventually, so how hard will it be to replace/repair? And how much?

Gamer's Nexus has a video out, just need to watch it to hear his thoughts.
 
@eizbaer You may be overestimating the power needed to drive an 800p screen, even at ultra.

On a chassis that size with limited cooling capacity, they may be aiming for graphically intense games to hover around the 30 FPS mark while more casual fare will sit happily at 60.

As for the controller situation, the fact that a lot of gamers use controllers on their PCs (48 million, according to steam and distributed across genres as you would expect) means that this should generally be a non-issue unless you want to play something like Civ or Starcraft. It should also be pointed out that the screen does support touch input if you desperately need a pointer, and bluetooth if you also carry a portable keyboard with you.
 
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That is another thing, will you be able to install games from other platforms? I want to be able to use my Blizzard and MS games, among others. Then I want to be able to use streaming services too.
 
@eizbaer It should also be pointed out that the screen does support touch input if you desperately need a pointer

It also has two small "mouse pads" on each side, built into the unit...which I think it quite a nice idea (but I'll admit I haven't thought about it any more than my initial first reactions)

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Apparently, this is a thing: a cryptocurrency-based NFT-based "skins" sold at an auction for use as DLC for virtual digital horseracing. And not like "here's a game where you race a horse, instead of a car", but, like...passive "go to the track and watch horses race" style "horseracing".

1626470375749.png
 
I try to be careful with my expensive Apple gear but as they are portable devices and used as such, they get dropped a couple of times in their lifetime. I’ve owned ipads since they came out but never damaged until now. As far as I can tell this happened while it was in my backpack on my back seat, wearing an OEM Apple case no less.

There’s a chip in the bottom right corner and a nice crack that arcs across the screen into the other bottom corner.

I guess this is what home insurance is for.
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AMD GPU drivers are fucking atrocious.

That is all.
 
I know. It's the "year of Linux on the desktop" of the GPU world. And my particular complaints are my fault entirely. it is especially egregious because I was recommending @Punisher Bass NOT to purchase an AMD GPU precisely because the drivers are dogshit at around the same time I was planning this build.

However, I got a 5600XT NIB for just over $240 (this is pre-shortage, they retailed for $289, IIRC). That one was a double whammy. Not only were the drivers shit, but I also had to get that particular one RMA'd A port decided to fail, and then it began showing small artifacts that evolved into full-blown "my screens are now abstract art" ones. Shipping from Honduras alone was like $200, let alone shipping it back. And, of course, now that I have it, I find out more and more that the drivers are utter bullshit.

I will indeed go team green for my next purchase, estimated to be in about two years or so unless the market crashes so spectacularly I can get a 3070ti for, like $250.

Similar software annoyances are why I am thinking about abandoning windows as a daily work platform and promote it to wintendo while using an Mac Mini for actual work. There's just money issues and how to make the existing peripherals work across the machines without having to shell out $500 on a KVM.

TL;DR: Do as I say, not as I do.
 
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I've made an impulse buy on the cheap ones from Decathlon that @Eye-Q recommended and already used them last night when cycling to visit friends. They seem like a good choice, especially for the price (€30).
So.... update on the Kalenji earphones I bought.
Some time ago, I lost one of the rubber thingies that come in different sizes with the earphones to put into the ear. I've used the other size , but that doesn't quite fit me. Those also sit very loose on the actual earphones, whih is not good.
Sadly Decathlon does not offer spares.

So now I'm again looking for some Bluetooth earphones suitable to wear while walking or cycling, meaning they have to let through outer noise quite well so I can hear cars approaching. :D
 
They’re not in the €30 price range but earbuds with ANC might be of interest to you. There’s usually (always?) a setting to pass noise through for when you need that.
 
I had the exact same problem but apparently you can just buy the rubber thingies seperately, so now I have like 10 of them in various sizes


Linky
 
The AIO pump RGB on my PC has started having a shit fit.


This is the replacement cooler for the one that started leaking just before the 2019 roadtrip, so I haven't had it for two years yet. I haven't done anything that would cause the CPU to run unusually hot, the games I play and even video encoding is more reliant on the GPU.
 
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