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  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    Which macbook is this, has to be pre-2016. Doubt you would like zero travel
    High Sierra. This is a 2017 model, which I got for a 21% discount. Priced INR 77,200, got it at INR 61,000. With the JBL ear-phone and the Sony 32GB USB, it cost me 64K. Steal, as I see it.

    Good point about travel, I like it coz it's 1.3 kgs. Don't even feel the weight. Good for mobility. 13.3 inches HD screen.

    Don't understand why I am unable to see the pics I just attached. Will look into it later.
    Last edited by Oracle; 14 May 18,, 13:14.

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  • Double Edge
    replied
    Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
    One of the nice things I like about not having AC, is that I'm forced to go outside in the summer.

    My previous residence had a front yard with a patio area of sorts, a couple nice chairs, where I could sit back, relax, and drink and vape/smoke when it was too hot to stay inside. I'd spend all day out there, alternating between 15 minutes of yard and grounds work and 30 minutes of relaxing.
    Bangalore is very pleasant outdoors in the evening if you can handle the mosquitoes

    Since my current residence doesn't have that, and I'm no longer doing pro bono handyman/groundskeeping work, I'm going to spend my off-days, and probably spend an arm and a leg, on the many rooftop bars we have in Minneapolis this summer.

    I like how down South, people just sit out on that front porch all day, drinking lemonade, iced tea, and mint julips all day.

    I do wish I had a ceiling fan though.
    Ceiling fans are great, why haven't you got one
    Last edited by Double Edge; 15 May 18,, 22:52.

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  • Double Edge
    replied
    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    Come visit NE. It rained for 4 days continously. Lucky me, I stacked up on smoke and booze. :D
    Yesterday was sunny, humid and hot, but it rained again in the evening. I'd say for a tropical country, heavy downpours are a blessing in disguise. I like my weather cool. Today all I see is overcast sky. Not much heat.

    Keyboard - Thinkpad, Dell Latitude, HP Pavilion - Good. Worked on all three, liked HP Pavilion's keyboard the most. But, Apple has the best keyboard beating the nearest rivals hands down.
    Which macbook is this, has to be pre-2016. Doubt you would like zero travel

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  • Ironduke
    replied
    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    So you know the deal, this is where a UPS comes in, hooked up to batteries. Though the kind of humidity you get there isn't easily handled with a fan , but can be in Bangalore which is a mile up in the sky. I rarely need an AC here. A fast moving fan is usually enough. Other parts of the state where altitude is closer to sea level and its different.
    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    Come visit NE. It rained for 4 days continously. Lucky me, I stacked up on smoke and booze. :D
    Yesterday was sunny, humid and hot, but it rained again in the evening. I'd say for a tropical country, heavy downpours are a blessing in disguise. I like my weather cool. Today all I see is overcast sky. Not much heat.
    One of the nice things I like about not having AC, is that I'm forced to go outside in the summer.

    My previous residence had a front yard with a patio area of sorts, a couple nice chairs, where I could sit back, relax, and drink and vape/smoke when it was too hot to stay inside. I'd spend all day out there, alternating between 15 minutes of yard and grounds work and 30 minutes of relaxing.

    Since my current residence doesn't have that, and I'm no longer doing pro bono handyman/groundskeeping work, I'm going to spend my off-days, and probably spend an arm and a leg, on the many rooftop bars we have in Minneapolis this summer.

    I like how down South, people just sit out on that front porch all day, drinking lemonade, iced tea, and mint julips all day.

    I do wish I had a ceiling fan though.
    Last edited by Ironduke; 14 May 18,, 06:51.

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  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    I always like it when it rains as it cools down and brownouts are less frequent. The other factor i think would help with that is the state assembly elections are up next week so power wise generally would remain stable, can't really say that was the case. I was expecting April to be a power cut free month, it wasn't

    As far as keyboards go i've always found thinkpads to have the best, lenovo these days
    Come visit NE. It rained for 4 days continously. Lucky me, I stacked up on smoke and booze. :D
    Yesterday was sunny, humid and hot, but it rained again in the evening. I'd say for a tropical country, heavy downpours are a blessing in disguise. I like my weather cool. Today all I see is overcast sky. Not much heat.

    Keyboard - Thinkpad, Dell Latitude, HP Pavilion - Good. Worked on all three, liked HP Pavilion's keyboard the most. But, Apple has the best keyboard beating the nearest rivals hands down.

    Leave a comment:


  • Oracle
    replied
    Got the Macbook on 9th-May. Ordered on 4th, it took 6 days to deliver. With it a 32GB USB 3.1 pendrive and a JBL ear-phone.

    Review: Battery back-up is as promised. Worked straight 8 hrs in battery mode (Youtube, Coding, New sites, etc) and still 32% remaining. No heat generated that would cause any alarm. Windows machine running for 8 straight hours would usually leave burn marks on thighs. Multi-tasking is cool with 7 applications running at a time in 2 desktop backgrounds. Safari is faster, but I am a fan of Chrome, runs well on Mac too. Backlit keyboard is a blessing during power-cuts. Overall performance is very good. Well worth the money. Satisfied. Pics incoming.

    Leave a comment:


  • Ironduke
    replied
    There's lots of people up on those roofs in the densely populated parts of Indian cities too.

    I imagine that it would be easy for someone to access one's roof, simply by walking across other connected rooftops, and steal one's solar panels.

    If one were to have a bungalow surrounded by brick or stone walls and gates, then it would be much less risky.

    Leave a comment:


  • Double Edge
    replied
    Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
    Not enough power generation, and an inefficient power delivery system.

    When I was in Chennai, there were also often rolling blackouts. Power would be cut for 2 hours or more at a time, with different parts of the city essentially taking turns getting electricity.

    Really sucks when it's 120 degrees outside with 99% humidity, and you're just chilling in the hotel room mid-day watching TV, smoking Charms, beedis, and chugging bottled water, and all of the sudden you ain't got a ceiling fan running anymore. Or anything to watch on TV. That's when you go out, walk around, try to stay in the shade, and make sure to drink a Coca-Cola or Thums Up every 15 or 20 minutes to stay hydrated and energized.

    Rolling blackouts are intentional. There are also, of course, non-intentional disruptions to the power supply. During monsoon season, you're often halfway up to your knees wading through water in many Indian cities. The high winds and all that water can disrupt the electrical supply, much like anywhere else, by physically knocking out poles and lines.
    So you know the deal, this is where a UPS comes in, hooked up to batteries. Though the kind of humidity you get there isn't easily handled with a fan , but can be in Bangalore which is a mile up in the sky. I rarely need an AC here. A fast moving fan is usually enough. Other parts of the state where altitude is closer to sea level and its different.

    Wading in water is due to urban sprawl often times illegal in low lying areas, that used to be tanks, lakes or ponds once upon a time.

    Coconut fronds take out wires frequently

    Anyway none of this compares to what those poor people in Puerto Rico are putting up with. Six months without electricity is crazy, could be upto a year after they get back
    Last edited by Double Edge; 05 May 18,, 18:43.

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  • Double Edge
    replied
    Originally posted by SteveDaPirate View Post
    What's the deal with the power instability? Is solar getting big as a result?
    Until the monsoons begin, it gets hot, people turn on AC's, we get brownuts. It varies depedning on location in the state and between states

    Once the monsoons start it cools down and there are less brownouts

    I've been looking at solar panels to use with a UPS, but they are pricey. Apparently Canadians make the best panels able to withstand temperatures around 100-120 degrees C.

    Question is when is the break even point. To make use of solar requires needing solar during the daytime when its not always needed. There there are batteries which are required during a brownout. So the panels can help with charging and topping up.

    There are no govt incentives to encourage the use of solar as yet. Its not possible to feed back any surplus into the grid but can get a reduction on the power bill

    Leave a comment:


  • Ironduke
    replied
    Originally posted by SteveDaPirate View Post
    What's the deal with the power instability? Is solar getting big as a result?
    Not enough power generation, and an inefficient power delivery system.

    When I was in Chennai, there were also often rolling blackouts. Power would be cut for 2 hours or more at a time, with different parts of the city essentially taking turns getting electricity.

    Really sucks when it's 120 degrees outside with 99% humidity, and you're just chilling in the hotel room mid-day watching TV, smoking Charms, beedis, and chugging bottled water, and all of the sudden you ain't got a ceiling fan running anymore. Or anything to watch on TV. That's when you go out, walk around, try to stay in the shade, and make sure to drink a Coca-Cola or Thums Up every 15 or 20 minutes to stay hydrated and energized.

    Rolling blackouts are intentional. There are also, of course, non-intentional disruptions to the power supply. During monsoon season, you're often halfway up to your knees wading through water in many Indian cities. The high winds and all that water can disrupt the electrical supply, much like anywhere else, by physically knocking out poles and lines.
    Last edited by Ironduke; 05 May 18,, 17:20.

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  • SteveDaPirate
    replied
    What's the deal with the power instability? Is solar getting big as a result?

    Leave a comment:


  • Double Edge
    replied
    I always like it when it rains as it cools down and brownouts are less frequent. The other factor i think would help with that is the state assembly elections are up next week so power wise generally would remain stable, can't really say that was the case. I was expecting April to be a power cut free month, it wasn't

    As far as keyboards go i've always found thinkpads to have the best, lenovo these days

    Leave a comment:


  • Oracle
    replied
    /\/\/\ Agree. The part of India I'm in currently, battery backup makes a lot of sense, as pre-monsoon showers have started since March 20th. Raining straight for 20 hrs now. And keyboard is a very, very important factor. Use mobile for calls, that's it. Laptop is my thing, mobile not so much.

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  • Double Edge
    replied
    Originally posted by SteveDaPirate View Post
    2.6 GHz CPU
    8 GB Ram
    500 GB HD

    $159 with free shipping


    Comes with Win 7 Pro installed, but you can always dual boot with the Linux distro of your choice. At this price point you can get a new one each month if you want to.

    Any reason you couldn't spend $6 on a little roll up silicone keyboard that can take the kind of beating you deliver when typing without increasing the bulk you carry around much?

    If you think you'll still beat that one up, you could go for a $29 laser keyboard. It projects the keys on to the surface of the table or whatever you set it on.
    The exact same laptop was recommended to me by a relative around a year back when i was in the market. 2012 model i think. Elitebook is HP's corporate range which means built like a tank and will last. A good purchase at the price and VFM.

    At the time i was using a think pad T43, this thing came out in 2005 which also sold at a similar price. It won't start now because of a fan error. So will have to do something about it

    I decided i wanted something more current after a decade and a half of refurbs and splurged on a HP spectre, had it brought over from the states. Lisa Gade is the reviewer that put me on to the spectre. She's awesome

    15" 4K screen (bigger is always better)
    i7
    16GB RAM
    500GB SSD
    Win 10 Home

    $1400 from the HP e-shop at nearly top spec, didn't need a 1TB drive. Half that of a fully loaded macbook pro. So its dual core and not quad core but there's battery savings with dual

    The annoying part is this goes for much more locally and the model they're pushing a yr back was a 13 incher and older. Laptops AFAICT aren't made here unlike mobiles so the prices include import duties. I see no reason why not if high end mobiles like Sammy's Note 5 are made here. When'd that come out. Over two years ago. Pricing is competitive with the US, at least contract free.

    Best part is the battery. This was a key criteria. It lasted almost 8h on a charge brand new, a year later its down to 6h. But compared to the 1h or so i was accustomed to getting with thinkpads this thing is way better. No longer tied to a desk because the last laptop didn't even have wifi. Charges really fast, half way in a half hour with the massive 100W charger it came with. This is really competitive, its consumer grade unfortunately not corporate but really nice. HP's got a winner here. Hope it lasts. I don't sell my gear, this is a till death do us part deal.

    Considered the Dell XPS but downward facing speakers, JBL or not was a show stopper. No reviewer i came across had anything nice to say about the Dell XPS keyboard. Hello! a keyboard is real important. Are they trying to ape Apple's zero travel keys. How easy will that be on hands !!!

    Mobile OS is no match for a PC OS, i can have over 120 tabs open in 4 browser windows and still have 8GB of memory left

    I look at people pushing chrome books and wonder why. Chrome books are a lot cheaper so i expect they will take off in school & offices but damn is it limited in what it can do compared to a PC. Easier to secure.A laptop form factor with the power of a mobile OS. Is Chrome OS even that. Nah! But the mobile communities i follow can't see beyond that. Tunnel vision.

    Laptops are passe for them, no they are not. They just don't get the same coverage. But they're been cranked out as usual.
    Last edited by Double Edge; 04 May 18,, 19:51.

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  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
    I don't know what the secondhand market looks like in India, but here in the US, we have used computer shops/charities that sell computers and laptops that are either donated charitably by corporations, or are bought on the cheap in lots by secondhand shops from computer/equipment recycling companies.

    One can get a few generation old i5 laptop/PC with SSD for ~$200. Generally speaking, one would have to put a modern OS on it.

    You can get a lot of bang for your buck by shopping around the computer charities/secondhand shops. The downside is that there is a very limited period warranty on these computers, and they may come loaded Windows Vista/7 or even variants of Linux to comply with OS licensing arrangements. Putting the proper OS on the PC/laptop is often on you.

    With one exception, over the last few years, I've been purchasing nothing but pre-used laptops and PCs for myself and others, and upgraded them as appropriate for use by myself, and as gifts.

    The charities, especially, are a good place to purchase from. They simultaneously train out-of-work people for IT/computer work, and these trainees thoroughly test all the components in a PC/laptop to ensure there are no problems, and the computer is saleable. More market value labor might go into testing components than you ultimately spend on the PC/laptop. Good prices can be found, as the corporations donating equipment get a write-off on their taxes.

    The secondhand shops might not be so rigorous in testing components, as their primary raison d'etre is profit motive.
    There are some sites that sell refurbished gadgets, and many second-hand shops. The thing is, I procrastinate a lot. If there is a problem with the second-hand machine, I will waste 1 month over it. I am that lazy. I bought this Lenovo laptop in 2009, I still am using it. Plus I haven't gifted anything to myself in a long, really long time. I hope it's worth it.

    I like your idea though, back in 2005 IIRC, my Acer laptop had a RAM of 512 MB, I upgraded it to 1 GB, then sold it, and bought another Acer laptop. The aim is not to fix it, if it ain't broken. But this laptop over 10 years have degraded keyboard and performance. I have already changed the battery thrice, and the AC adapter twice. It's holding on. :D

    P.S.: Not selling this laptop.

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