sC^#rambled - Computers & Other Gadgets

Summer 2019 - upgraded to a 2.3GHz i9, 32 GB 2400 MHz DDR4 w/Radeo Pro 560X. Whoo - beefy!

For awhile it was serving as our home theater PC, since it comes with a remote and HDMI-outputs. Eventually, that was just replaced with an excellent RokuTV which is much easier to manage. Now it's primarily a file server; I've tried a couple of other apps on it including a virtual Windows, but it's too underpowered for that.

It does, however, make a great DVR for home security cameras, which was a pleasant surprise for me - I tried one of those all-in-one kits and discovered it spamming my network with outrageous traffic. Now, however, I can just hook up regular POE IP cameras up to our network (or even a dedicated subnetwork with the NAS's multiple NICs) and have full control of the system. Nice!

So we settled on this guy - actually got an excellent deal on it, and it's been working wonderfully. With its hinge it also doubles as a nice Lego instructions reader for those MOCs or old builds where we're lacking some paper manuals!

December, 2019 - It has lost a key or two, but still ticking. Upgraded to a new Flex computer and handed this one down to H.

Really lacking in name creativity, I decided that since this one had an i7 in it, I'd just drop the 'v' off of its predecessor and call it Digi7. Never mind that the previous 7 stood for the version of Windows running on it...

Jan 2021 - Really? This thing is almost a decade old? It still runs our Plex server, my Lego build screen, and anything Windows I need (now that my company has prohibited Parallels on my Mac)

The name is a little lame, but one of the guides I followed for compatible parts called their system an A-6Pack, so I followed suit.

Image - from a fuzzy phone-pic I took of the whole thing one night. Given the scene, I felt a little Inception-like. I promise the basement's not always that messy - and we actually have real speakers in the system now, rather than a 14-year-old RCA system.

September 2017 - As this likes to die every time I leave on a work trip, it no longer serves as our primary household media server. I'm not actually sure what I plan to do with it, but it could certainly still be used for something, right?

With my smart phone and tablet, I'm using this less and less. But it's still good for tech work on the road, and as a backup when our desktop takes a dive every once in awhile.

Jan 2013 - Dang. This thing keeps on tickin'. It's heavy and has no battery life, but it's still an excellent tool for remote development, at least when there's an outlet nearby.

2015 - Bought a new battery for this, and now my daughters use it for various homeschooling activities!

See desk circa 2010, where I only had two widescreens... I know... shameful.

2014 - Everything's driven off a laptop now, including a 27" 1440p monitor! Check it out!

2017 - Alas, I have left the land of Epic. This computer (or one of its replacements) is likely still going strong in Verona, WI, but it will probably never drive as many monitors as it did when it was mine.

Oct 2012 - Keepin' up with updates. Jelly Bean! Still a good tablet, but performance/quality problems have plagued this model. Usually it works fine, but it does tend to hiccup more than it should.

Jan 2014 - As much as I wanted to drop-kick this down the stairs to claim my SquareTrade warranty, I'm more honest than that. Still, on its second trip to SquareTrade, they gave up and said, "we can't fix this, here's an Amazon gift card." Net result: brand new Kindle Fire HDXes for both my dad and me!

The shuttle started crashing all the time, even after a fresh Windows install. I figured it was time to replace it, since it's getting on in years. Amazingly, within a week, this one was doing the same thing! I then learned that it's a bug in Remote Desktop that crashes a computer if you connect with a high color depth while another computer is connected with a low color depth.

Nov 2013 - Power supply died for the second time. This time it took out most of the motherboard with it. Alas, while it was still running very well with the SSD, it was ultimately replaced by Digi7

When DigiMuzik died, Amanda couldn't stand being without a computer upstairs. Plus, I'd been having my eyes on the new netbooks, and the MSI Wind seemed to be the best one around. We didn't want to spend too much, but I got a great bargain on this little bugger. Now as of 2012, the battery no longer works and the wifi and webcams are wonky, but it's served as a backup in a pinch, and I keep meaning to set it up as the kids' computer.

Super-Creatively named because it's a Shuttle XPC.

Now that it's been replaced with digiv, it will likely become a media computer. It's currently hooked up to our downstairs TV, and I'm trying to get some sort of DVR software running on it. At least the lid is back on the case; the replacement power supply is too large to fit inside, so it's snaking its way in through a hole in the back.

Fall, 2010 - I finally sold this one in a purge of non-working computer parts. It makes me sad, but the thing was mis-behaving on many levels.

Trivia: Almost everything in this thing except the battery and CPU has been either upgraded (it has more memory/HD than that now) or replaced on warranty. So much for high-quality dells...

Sadly, this guy has passed on. When it overheats, it freezes, no matter what OS I try. I may continue to tinker with it, but I may end up just selling parts.

Clavinova CVP-307

What would a musician be without a piano? And what would a computer-loving musician be without a digital piano? In the spring of 2009, I finally purchased my pride and joy: a Yamaha Clavinova CVP-307. This baby has it all: the touch of a baby grand, beautiful sound that uses microphones in the cabinet to sample reverberations in the room to give the sound richness and texture, hundreds of sounds, styles (to auto-accompany whatever you play) and songs (which you can play from music directly on the screen), USB storage, digital recording, video out (for large screen playback. including karaoke), and dozens of vocal harmonization configurations.

Check out the whole story on my family blog!

Roland JV-90

Prior to the Clavinova, this was my only piano. Well, I guess the girls probably have a dozen keyboard toys between the two of them, but they don't count. It's the same one my sister had when I stayed with them in high school for a summer. At the time, she was leading the worship band for her church, and this is an excellent performance keyboard. It's small enough to be portable, has lots of expandability options, and most importantly, is very easy to control / switch between patches during a live performance. You even get a mini-mixing console to adjust levels! My two biggest complaints are that it doesn't have a very good 'piano' sound (though MIDIed Grand is a decent pop alternative), and its 28-voice polyphony is VERY low, especially when some voices use up to 4 samples per note. I also never really liked having the sound come out of a big amp (which is starting to get old and flaky), and I didn't have the space or money to set up nice studio speakers for it. I do, however, like the rest of the sounds, including an expansion board I got with the thing, and I still use it from time to time at my church when I want something more than a plain piano (the ALESIS we have is terrible at switching patches!).

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 - December, 2012
The Desire was showing its age, even running the fastest custom ROM possible. At the time, the Samsung Galaxy GS3 was out, and I could possibly imagine using something that big. My team lead at work had a Note1, and we were all making fun of him for having such a huge device. Well, I was pretty unimpressed with all the other devices available at the time, and I figured if was I going to have a big phone (GS3 was about the only viable option), I might as well get the best one out there, with an active stylus to boot. In all honesty, it's smaller than the Note 1. And with the case and holster combo I bought (my gadget nudity preference outdone by US Cellular's awful Belief plan bait-n-switch - a different story - canceling my self-insurance plan), it's not a pocket-killer. It feels great to use, and I honestly do use the stylus for certain specific uses.

October, 2014 - Upgraded to a Note 4. I love this series of phones!

September-November 2016 - Went through two Note 7's and an S7 edge before going back to a Note 4 due to the Note 7 battery kerfuffles. Alas, I need to wait a year and hope there's a Note 8.

September, 2017 - Yay! There's a Note 8, and somehow I got an amazing deal on it!

September, 2019 - Really odd experience where this phone stopped charging. Tried getting it "repaired" twice (both places just tried to replace the battery), but eventually it was dead. I'm a holdout for the headphone jack, so even though the Note 10 was available, I went with a Note 9 to keep going a little longer (and to not pay $1000 for a new phone...)

Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" - January, 2014
When I got the Note, I found I was using a tablet a lot less. And when the Transformer Prime started driving me crazy by freezing and underperforming at everything, I began looking for alternatives. My kids, however, were starting to use the tablet a lot more than I, so when I heard about Kindle FreeTime, a service that locks down apps, removing IAP's and advertising, just for kids, it seemed like a clear win for a device. Plus it was the cheapest "real" Android tablet option out there. I initially got the previous-gen model last October, since I got a killer deal on it. While that's still a great tablet, when I finally got the Prime declared dead through StraightTalk, I splurged and got the newest model...plus one for my Dad! (The Mayday feature should come in very handy there!) This thing is zippy fast and really light - a great bonus for my carpal-pained wrists.

October, 2014 - This was becoming a kids' tablet (Kindle FreeTime is awesome), but Amazon has some issues with how they store apps (5 different profiles on the device = quickly running out of room!). So I bought a pint-sized 64-gig Fire HDX 7" for the kids with a cool bumper case, and am keeping this one for myself. Maybe now I'll put a real Android OS on here...

January, 2021 - Would you believe this thing is still going?! My wife has mostly laid claim to it, though I still returned to it from time to time, usually to view comics on a bigger screen. Last Black Friday, though, I ended up getting the new HD 10 (uh, twice, but that's a long story), so I'm not about 50 Android versions behind. Also, it has a slightly larger screen (and great speakers). Still, there's nothing quite as elegant as that original HDX!

HTC Desire - September, 2010
Androids... everybody needs good androids... (In an episode of the awesome Red Dwarf show). Despite my comments about cell phones (see the Rokr Z6m section), my time with an iPod Touch and the Dell Axim before that showed me that a pocket device can be so much more. In the fall of 2010, I joined the Android craze, and it couldn't have been at a better time. The operating system really has many of its kinks worked out, and the app store is very mature. Moreover, however, US Cellular finally has these, so I didn't have to jump ship to Verizon. I am very happy with my HTC Desire (rooted and modded with CyanogenMod), and seem to post about it often.

November 2011 Update - Tried to upgrade to a Motorola Electrify, but this Desire more than holds its own, so I'm going to hang onto it a bit longer. Plus 4G is coming next year...

January 2013 Update - This is still a great little device, but with the obtention of my Note 2, this has turned into a gaming device for the kids...which is great, since they no longer need to "play with the iPod."

Amazon Kindle 3 - December, 2010 / Paperwhite - October, 2012 / Voyage - ??? / Oasis - November, 2020
A year ago, I was trying to decide between a Kindle and an I-can't-believe-I'm-considering-it iPod Touch. Since they were running around the same price, it seemed crazy to get something that could ONLY read books (though since I didn't have a smart phone at the time, the free-for-life Internet browsing was tempting). A year later and realizing that I don't read as many books as I thought I would (partially because I hate staring at a glowing screen at night), I started looking at the Kindle again. Plus the fact that it's less than half the price it used to be makes it even more tempting. But this year people are saying: Get an iPad that does so much more than read books. Well... yes... at 3 times the weight and price. Plus now that I've re-converted away from Apple again (Android is SO freeing), I'm not that tempted to go back. The Kindle is so light and easy to read, I've gone through 3-4 full-sized books in less than two weeks (a big deal for a full-time software developer and devoted husband/father). I try not to spend money on books, since I can get them at the library for free, but so far, I have a pretty good backlog of promotionally-free books plus another half-dozen brand new ones from my 'Professional Development Fund' at work, so I should be good for a couple of months, at least!

October 2012 update - Okay, now I'm interested in the new Kindles with the light and capacitive touch screen. After a Craigslist sale and some cashback rewards, I have upgraded for a total cost of $6!

November 2020 update - At some point I had upgraded to the Voyage...for some reason. Both it and the Paperwhite are still doing fine (in fact, I picked up a SECOND Paperwhite for something like $25 at one point), but I was lured by Black Friday sales and pandemic stimulus checks to finally upgrade to the Oasis. I've been in a bit of a reading lull lately, and I thought maybe some new tech would stimulate me.

2021 Update - It's been several years since Pebble was acquired by Fitbit (whom I believe, now has been acquired by Google... *sigh*). But I still love this watch. I did have to replace it after a year or two after the glass cracked and then moisture seeped in while hiking atop Mauna Kea, but its replacement is still going strong. Well, maybe not "strong." That battery doesn't last as long as it used to, and sometimes it's been stubborn to charge. I've thought of replacing it a time or two, and even tried what most people say is the closest replacement, the Amazfit Bip, but it just couldn't replicate the features of the Pebble - even though I only use a couple primarily. When this finally dies, it will be a very sad day. Replacements are still available on eBay, but they're getting more expensive, and the batteries are just getting older.

Casio Telememo - So, this is a bit of a stretch as far as a 'computer', but I love this watch. I appreciate analog watches and prefer them to digital chronometers, but I like some of the abilities you get with a digital watch. This thing has both! The analog portion lights up and also glows in the dark (which is a bit creepy when I just come in from outside), and the digital has all the normal features and then some. I especially like the countdown timer, so when timing food or other activities, I just carry the timer with me. Even more neat (but, unfortunately, something I don't use that often) is the watch's capability to store phone numbers (or other numbers). Programming them in is a bit of a pain, but before I changed my SPAM phone number to a more memorable one, this was really nice to be able to quick reference it on my wrist (you know, for filling out the occasional mall sweepstakes entry form!). Now, I currently have a couple rewards program's numbers in there. I amazed a Marriott desk clerk when I read off my number from my watch.

Jan 22, 2012 - This watch made it into My Blog!

2013ish I must've stopped wearing this because as of getting the Pebble Time, I was watch free for a couple years.

After playing around with floppy-based Sony Mavicas in high school (that was fun...) and checking out a few different models from the awesome IT building at IA state, I finally purchased a Canon Powershot S230. (Maybe I had an A20 before that, or maybe it was just one that I checked out from the IT services) It was a display model at Best Buy, so I bought their extended warranty plan... something I would never do today. It was a good thing, however, since almost 2 years and 11 months into my 3-year warranty, I realized the camera had a stuck spot on its image sensor... a blue pixel appeared in the same position on every picture. Somehow, the staff at the Best Buy I visited figured it qualified, and I traded in for the aforepictured gutted SD1000 which has been our pocket camera ever since.

As I started noticing the blue-pixel problem, but before remembering the warranty card I had stashed in a drawer somewhere, we bought a Canon S2IS megazoom camera. I had always hated the tiny zoom on my camera, and I loved the flip-out LCD screen. I tried out the slightly more expensive S3IS over Christmas 2006 but realized I we didn't need a $450 camera, when the S2IS had a great deal going on. (I really didn't care about megapixels after 5 at that point) The S2IS has been great for trips and scenery, though its bulk means it doesn't end up being used as often as the pocket cameras. The image stabilization and zoom during movies, however, make this my current favorite camera.

October, 2011 - We haven't used this much over the last year, as the Lumix does pretty much all this does in a smaller package. I passed it on to a fellow employee to get a few more years of enjoyment out of it before it becomes totally obsolete.

Since I seem to be extremely loyal to Canon, we figured the most logical way to replace the SD1000 was with its bigger brother, the SD1300IS. Image stabilization and 4x zoom: nice (though the 4x is a bit of a gimmick considering it starts out at widescreen...which as I've used it over the last two weeks is actually pretty nice). Performance: Argh! Maybe it's the 12 megapixels it has to write to the card every image (though lowering the resolution didn't seem to help), but if it doesn't take a picture instantly when I click the shutter (even with the half-shutter-to-focus trick), I lose the moment I'm trying to capture. We sort of made fun of a relative's Kodak that took forever to take a picture, but I'm really surprised by Canon on this one. Maybe the more expensive SD1400IS doesn't have the problem, but from the reviews I've read, the Canons aren't that fast any more. Which is sad, since while the SD1000 was running, I compared these two, and the SD1000 ran circles around the SD1300IS from shutter lag to shot-to-shot time. This one's probably going back...

As I write this (actually, the inspiration for writing this), I'm awaiting delivery of a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. I've read reviews on a lot of cameras, and tried several out at the store, and this one just excites me. (Well, okay, that and the fact that I got it for $90 under retail with an Amazon sale + coupon) But it has more zoom than our S2 in a pocket-sized package. It's a bit bigger than other pocket cameras (but potentially comparable to our older PowerShots), but it's a 12x zoom camera that fits in my pocket! Supposedly it can do 16x intelligent zoom without looking too digital, and since I'll definitely not run it at 12MP, I should get a tiny bit extra even then. It has the dedicated movie button both Amanda and I have come to love, and you can zoom during video (also very important). Speaking of video, it records HD video in AVCHD format (hopefully taking up less space than Canon's MJPEG I've been stuck with for years). I don't exactly care about HD yet... still a bit behind the bandwagon on getting a big TV... but it's nice to have the option. Aside from what reviewers I've read say is an excellent auto mode, this thing has so many menu options and other bells and whistles to keep this computer engineer satisfied. Oh... it also has GPS to auto-tag photos. Neat! Perhaps I'll update this page when it arrives... which might actually be... right now!

Jan 2012 - So the lens quit focusing. Did you know that most credit cards extend warranties for an extra year?? With the warranty money, we moved up to a ZS-9... which actually has fewer bells and whistles than this, but has better quality results, is faster, and has a wider and longer lens. The ZS-10 (which is the realupgrade to the ZS-7) apparently takes really bad pictures thanks to a much faster lens/sensor that sacrifices quality for speed.

The iPod was a painful thing for me (to actually buy an Apple product), but I got a relatively good deal on it (and it was a Fall-'09 pseudo-birthday present!), and I'm certainly in love with it. I don't use it as much as an MP3 player, as a replacement for the X30 as a pocket computer. E-mail/calendar/web surfing are a breeze. E-book and Biblereaders are awesome (Olivetree transferred all my previously-purchased translations just fine). Plus, with over 100,000 apps, there are plenty of games and other utilities I can use. And with 32 gigs (as opposed to the 512MB card in the Axim), I can have most of my music and videos that I'm watching (Yay, Red Dwarf!) on the device at the same time.

So now we're in the unique position to compare iPod vs Zune. Honestly, if I just wanted an MP3/video player, I'd stick with Zune (and perhaps get a Zune HD, so I could get web surfing and potentially apps down the road). The Zune Pass is incredibly worth it to listen to all kinds of music legally. But for a pocket PC replacement, definitely the iPod Touch hands down. It's much more (to me) a pocket computer rather than an MP3 player.

2013 update - the iPod has been sold (yay! My home is iFree again!), and the Zune sits in a drawer. Anybody want a Zune?

May, 2011 - Aww, I'm no longer super-cool. But on the upside, I don't have to carry a blasted pager around for work anymore!

January 2021 - I still have this thing, but it fails more and more to read codes on newer vehicles. Maybe time to upgrade....

2017 - As of moving to Iowa, we haven't gotten these to work too well. Giant house and all....

2021 - Now that there's an Echo device of some sort, we can pretty much do without these... that don't work anyway

2021 - Our house is slowly becoming Alexa-ized...along with several smart switches and bulbs. We still have a couple things on X10.... but their days are numbered!