The Technology Vent and Rant Thread

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by Quoth

ChromeBooks are ARM and x86. Only makes much positive difference having x86-64 ChromeBook if you are wiping BIOS for native Windows or Linux (and not possible with all of them). Otherwise ARM Chromebooks are better. The screens tend to be poor.

ChromeBook is the "new" Netbook: cheap, small, and cheap. Pick three.

[Quoth]

Maybe the Sega Dreamcast ran WinCE derived from NT?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ratinox

ChromeBook is the "new" Netbook: cheap, small, and cheap. Pick three.

I tried it for a few months and did get a lot of Linux stuff working on Crostini. The Android was poor. Native ChromeOS apps consisted of Google apps I didn't want and Chrom Browser.

It happened to be a Samsung x86-64, and with a solder link on Mobo I was able to reflash BIOS. Now has native Linux Mint + Mate.
I had both Linux and XP based Netbooks when they where a thing. Crippled Atom CPUs, poor screens that were too low resolution, not enough Flash (4G!) and not enough RAM.
The converted ChromeBook to an 11″ screen "Linux Netbook" is OK with an 8 port Kensington USB 3.0 hub "Velcroed" on lid (it has optional 20W PSU) with a USB sound card stick and USB ethernet. Only one USB-A 3.0 and one combo USB-C that has DP video and charging. Stupid dispensing with coax power plug on laptops and tablets if you only have one USB-C port.

[Renate]

Yeah, Ethernet is long gone from laptops. It's too thick.
I use a Hama brand C to Ethernet/HDMI/3 x USB/PD in adapter.
Two of the three USB go to ISY brand 7 port USB 2 hubs.
I hate gratuitous wireless communication.

[nana77]

Errata corrige: Apple is the sole company that has a fully ARM ecosistem, as it uses it on iPhone and on its laptops.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_18
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_16_Pro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_silicon#M_series

The Apple A18 and Apple A18 Pro are 64-bit ARM-based SoCs designed by Apple that first appeared in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro respectively, unveiled on September 9, 2024. Both SoCs are built on TSMC's N3E process and have 2 high-performance cores and 4 high-efficiency cores. The A18 has 5-core graphics (4-core for iPhone 16e), while the A18 Pro has 6-core graphics. The A18 and A18 Pro use LPDDR5X for 17% higher memory bandwidth, and the 16-core Neural Engine has the same quoted power as the A17 Pro.

**


If you talk about old Sega consoles, consider this also:

It’s like Brazil exists in an alternate universe—it’s as if Betamax beat VHS, as if Samsung flip phones outsold iPhones. And the video game stakes are high, as Brazil represents the fourth-largest video game market in the world. The story of how Sega came to dominate is part historical accident, part savvy marketing and part slap in the face to the idea that globalism has erased all regional differences in taste.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...-beat-nintendo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tectoy...2%80%93present)
Last link:

The Sega Master System is still being made and sold in Brazil 36 years later

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/techn...er/ar-AA1FsCXw

If you look at the videogames made for the common platforms (Steam etc), like on events where them shows the demos, the Brazil makes very nice pixelated and amazing handmade artworks (e.g. Latin American Games Showcases).

**so having phone's and desktop's applications on an ecosystem that's compatible/convergent.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Renate

Yeah, Ethernet is long gone from laptops.

A few still have it.

Originally Posted by Renate

It's too thick.

Does anyone remember PCMCIA cards with pop-out jacks?

[pdurrant]

Moderator Notice

Please take technological reminiscences elsewhere.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Renate

Yeah, Ethernet is long gone from laptops. It's too thick.
I use a Hama brand C to Ethernet/HDMI/3 x USB/PD in adapter.
Two of the three USB go to ISY brand 7 port USB 2 hubs.
I hate gratuitous wireless communication.

MSI has a laptop with 18″ QHD screen and an ethernet port. Also a real HDMI port.


They are making laptops too thin, an idea that Apple promoted. The stupid demo of putting a laptop in an envelope.

It's hard to decide if Microsoft or Apple or Google is the most annoying.

[DiapDealer]

I know I always hate it when someone tries to logic away a perfectly good rant of mine.

As has already been mentioned... less conversing... and more venting/ranting, please.

My rant? This thread has become technologically pedestrian.

[DNSB]

One acquaintance of mine purchased a laptop with a micro Ethernet port. Works nicely once he found an adapter with the micro-connector at one end and a standard RJ-45 socket at the far end. Of course, the price tag for that 6" cable was ridiculous. Thank you Intel and Lenovo.

[pdurrant]

Recent non-vent/rant posts have been and will be deleted.

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by DNSB

One acquaintance of mine purchased a laptop with a micro Ethernet port. Works nicely once he found an adapter with the micro-connector at one end and a standard RJ-45 socket at the far end. Of course, the price tag for that 6" cable was ridiculous. Thank you Intel and Lenovo.

What in the name of whatever is "micro Ethernet"?

Oh. It's more proprietary Lenovo hardware lock-in nonsense. Can't say I'm surprised. Lenovo has a long history of using proprietary connectors and DRM to lock customers exclusively to their hardware. Had a batch of machines about 10 years ago at a previous job. Owners wanted me to install network cards of their own sourcing. They wouldn't work because the system boards used hardware DRM to block anything not Lenovo branded.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ratinox

What in the name of whatever is "micro Ethernet"?

Oh. It's more proprietary Lenovo hardware lock-in nonsense.

Intel and Lenovo were not the only ones to use that port. It was fairly common for the short while when thinner laptops and Ethernet were mixing. Never very common but then while quite a few of the smaller versions of various ports were never all that common (one laptop I owned had two micro-DP connectors for the external monitors), they were still used by multiple manufacturers.

[madelonw]

First it was OneNote - moving the search box to the stupidest place possible.

Now it's New Outlook total asinine stupidity there. I was having issues using Old Outlook (set up for POP) on my Windows 11 machine. (Yes, I am a dinosaur, but at least I can see what I'm doing on my fairly large monitor but I digress.) When migrating to New Outlook and setting up my Yahoo account as IMAP, I moved all my myriad folders up to the Yahoo server... so far, so good. After using this setup for several weeks, I discover that my Contacts and Calendar weren't migrated to New Outlook with its fat envelope opening. I have tried everything! Copilot was generally no help at all. I did find a piece of software called Outlook Viewer that could actually read my old PST file and display all my Contacts. Yay! The description of this product says free to use for all Windows users going on to tout all the things that it could do. LIARS! When I tried to export my Contact, I got hit with a paywall $39.99 for a year, $59.99 lifetime. All I wanted to do was get my contacts. I never expected to have to use this software again. 40 bucks is pretty steep for a one-time use. Well, turns out that didn't matter because the Buy Now buttons didn't work. When I went to the site, the prices quoted were $59.99 for a month. #%$@$%@% No way! I think I may have to put my old Windows 10 machine up on my desk and read the old PST file that way.

Seriously, Microsoft is making Windows more an more difficult to use. I've been at this thing as a support specialist since 1988 - yes, I did DOS, and Windows 95 and on, and on, and on. I'm retired now (77 years old, 78 in October) so I really don't need this crap!!!!

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by madelonw

First it was OneNote - moving the search box to the stupidest place possible.

Now it's New Outlook total asinine stupidity there.

Don't use any email client with "outlook" in the name.