Randy – Page 8 – SupremeTechs

Corsair Vengeance K90 Review

After a day of use, I can finally give a review of the K90 keyboard. I will say that I’m thoroughly disappointed. Here’s why:

First of all, my board came with the wrong keycap on the “1” key on the top number row. The key cap was the same as the key caps used on the letter keys but it was printed with the correct “1” and “!”. This key is at a different angle than the other keys. The top of the key is on a different plane than the rest of the top number keys. This was the first noticeable defect.

Secondly, the caps, num, and scroll lock indicators don’t work correctly in Linux. I’ve tested this on two of the keyboard. Neither work correctly. So you have no of knowing whether the number locks, caps lock, or scroll lock are on unless you type or test them out. This makes them useless in Linux. This was a major turn off for me.

Finally, giving the keyboard the benefit of the doubt, I decided to install Windows on my main computer and try it out there. The locks indicators worked correctly here. I downloaded the latest software for the keyboard and proceeded to upgrade the firmware on the board, hoping that the firmware would contain a fix for locks keys in Linux. However, after the firmware update the back lights on the board no longer function, the volume and other media keys don’t function, and the macro keys don’t do anything either.

With all of these flaws, I can say that this keyboard is pretty much not for me. Some people love it, but I’ve found build flaws in mine that speak of faulty quality control, and the software for the board is terrible. Why does the keyboard software control the functionality of the locks indicators? Every other keyboard I’ve ever used in Linux could handle this. I feel like there’s way too much software dependency on this board. In order to use the macros you have to use Windows. Even old IBM dummy terminal keyboards had hardware controlled macros. If you are a manufacture of keyboard and you decide to put macros on them, make those macros record and save to the hardware itself.

The one thing that I was worried about when getting this keyboard was whether I’d like the Cherry MX Red switches that it comes with. These were great. They aren’t what I personally go for, but they are great switches. The linear nature of them make them fast. There’s little resistance for you fingers and I upped my WPM typing speed by 6WPM. I went from 74WPM to 80WPM just by switching from buckling spring to the Cherry MX Red switches. I think that my speeds would be comparable on MX Blue or MX Brown switches as well.

So, I’m sending this keyboard back and I’m getting a Rosewill mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX blue switches. I will probably order some o-ring dampeners from WASDKeyboards to go on the keys. That will make them much quieter. Sure, I’m giving up the back light by going to the Rosewill keyboard. However, I’d rather have a solid keyboard that works as it should than have a keyboard with a ton of features that don’t work.

Designing the Ultimate Keyboard

I’ve posted a lot over the last month about mechanical keyboards. I’ve owned two buckling spring keyboards, a host of rubber dome keyboards, a Dell AT101W with Alps slider switches, and my latest keyboard, which uses Cherry MX Red switches. I think that it’s time that I evaluate what I’m looking for in a keyboard and give manufacturers something to base their next great keyboard design from.

First of all, the keyboards need to have a selection of switch types. WASD Keyboard gives you a lot of control over the type of switches they install on your customized keyboard. Props to them for this option. After evaluating many key switches, I want more. I want to try out Cherry MX Brown switches. I think that they would be perfect for my typing preferences. I like Cherry MX Blue switches but they are probably the loudest of the Cherry line. I’m not sure they are louder than my buckling spring keyboard, but they are still rather loud. My Corsair Vengeance K90 keyboard with Cherry MX Red switches is relatively quiet, but I still tend to bottom out on them since I’m used to the buckling spring.

So I think that the ultimate keyboard would come with Cherry MX Brown switches by default. These switches are best for typing. They have the tactile bump but no click. I would also prefer that the keys have o-ring dampeners to greatly reduce the noise level of bottoming out, but I think that the manufacturers should make all key switch combinations available as WASD does.

Secondly, macros are great for gaming in Windows but they are useless in other operating systems without software. Now, this doesn’t have to be the case. I remember working with old dummy terminals at one point and they had macro keys for storing repetitive keystrokes. This didn’t use a driver. The macro functionality was build into the keyboard and it saved all the macros in on board memory. It was OS independent. If manufacturers are going to put macro keys on a keyboard, they should make it self-contained. Recording macros and playing them back should be handled by the keyboard itself, not the operating system.

Thirdly, the ultimate keyboard would be built very well using good parts. The one thing I can positively say about the Corsair K90 is that it’s built very well. However, I think someone used the wrong keycap type on my “1” key (across the top row). At first, I wondered if this was an error or a feature. Looking at videos on Youtube, I found that the on most boards is exactly like the other number keys across the top row.

Fourthly, another good point to the K90 is in how the keys are raised off the brushed aluminum base. This will allow for easier cleaning. The K90’s volume drum is a great design. It would be even cooler if the grooves on the drum had holes in them that allowed light to show through. So build quality should be amazing on our hypothetical ultimate keyboard.

Also, NKRO (n-key rollover) over USB is a must. The Corsair Vengeance K90 has full anti-ghosting and 20 Key rollover over USB. There are very few keyboards that offer NKRO over USB. 20KRO is plenty enough for anyone.

Finally the keyboard should give the customization opens of WASD Keyboard. This includes laser etching of lettering and custom key caps. The ultimate keyboard could also use LED back lights like the K90.

So my ultimate keyboard would be a Corsair K90 with hardware set macros, custom key caps, Cherry MX Brown switches with o-ring dampeners. It should be fully mechanical (not a hybrid). Media keys are a waste since keyboard shortcuts can be created to handle the same functionality. I’m getting used to the rubber key cover on the K90 as well. I would include that in my ultimate keyboard.

Corsair Vengeance K90 – First Impression

I just received my new Corsair Vengeance K90 keyboard. It was a Christmas present from my sister. She bought my wife and I both one. Of course, she let me pick them out. I’m using mine to type this post and I can say that I’m pleasantly surprised by the board. I’m experiencing some weird behavior from it in Linux, but it really is designed for Windows and gaming.

The keyboard has the strangest feel to it that I’ve ever experienced. The top of the keys have a rubber coating which doesn’t feel anything like the hard plastic of most keyboards. The linear Cherry MX Red switches don’t have the tactile feedback or click that one would find on Cherry MX Blue switches. I’m coming from a buckling spring keyboard so the keyboard is very different from it.

I feel that the action on the keyboard is much faster than the buckling spring design, however. Once I get used to it, I’m sure I’ll be able to type faster. I hammer on keys pretty hard typically and that went along well with the buckling springs. They require a lot more force to depress than these Cherry MX Reds. I will need to retrain myself on typing with this keyboard. I shouldn’t bottom out as much as I presently do. However one of the bad things about the Cherry MX Reds is that they don’t have the tactile bump that lets you know that the key is engaged. However, it takes very little actuation of the key to engage it. So, you can barely touch the keys and they will register.

On Linux, you lose a few of the features that the keyboard comes with, from what I can tell. I’m not sure there’s a way to get the macros to work with it. Also, the caps lock and num lock indicators don’t seem to work correctly in Linux. I may just need to reboot, as I plugged the keyboard in and started using it. I’ll revise this post if that fixes the problem.

How to remove launchers from Gnome 3 Panel

I’ll cut to the chase on this post because this is a silly change to make between Gnome 2 and Gnome 3. If you add a shortcut launcher to the panel in Gnome 3 (classic mode), you will find that a simple right click doesn’t show “remove”.

If you want to remove a launcher from the panel in Gnome 3, you need to press the alt key and right click the launcher. You should then have the ability to move or remove the icon.

Netbean’s Menus Don’t work in Linux Mint 12

Gnome3 has some issues. I really like the look and feel of Linux Mint’s Gnome3 + Mate interface. However, looks aren’t everything. Functionality is important as well. Almost everything works with it but Netbeans is an exception. The menus are completely unusable with it.

The quick solution is to select “Gnome Classic” when you login. I like the look of it as well, and at least everything works in it.

While I’m on the subject, why did Gnome decide to take the path it did with version 3. It’s too much like Unity, and I hate Unity. Why are they moving to this type of desktop? Gnome 2 may not be the prettiest thing available, but it has been the most usable desktop environment for years. They should have just concentrated on improving the look of it, added a few new features, and worked on any bugs they had laying around. Most people don’t like Unity or Gnome 3. This doesn’t leave much of a choice other than KDE and XFCE4. Of those, I’d pick XFCE4, but if you have a large userbase like Gnome has, why screw that up by making your new version look like and act like the DE most people are wanting to avoid? I just don’t get it.

Codeigniter Controllers Give Server 404

I often take shortcuts when setting up my development servers. I recently installed Linux Mint 12 x64 on my main box and wanted to setup a web developing environment on it. To cut corners during package installation, I’ll typically install phpmyadmin which grabs most of the dependencies I need to have a full LAMP dev stack, such as Apache2 and Mysql-server.

That’s how I initially set up my stack in Linux Mint. I also enabled user directories in Apache so I could develop within the public_html directory inside my home directory. All was working well until I copied a CodeIgniter project over and tried it out. I couldn’t access my controller functions from index.php. It worked well for the default controller because it was accessing it from index.php, but when I changed the URL to point to a controller like index.php/admin, it didn’t know what to do with it and I would receiver a server 404 error.

After digging around for a solution, I realized that when I installed my LAMP stack, apt had installed libapache2-mod-php5filter instead of libapache2-mod-php5. I’m not very familiar with this module or what benefits come from using it, but the quick fix was to:

sudo apt-get install libapache2-mod-php5

This removed the php5filter module and installed the plain php5 module. After that, I no longer have an issue with the controllers giving 404 errors.

Best Mechanical Keyboard

I’ve recently started searching for a new keyboard. I don’t really need one but I’ve been wanting a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches. I have three mechanical keyboards already, a Dell AT101W (with Alps key switches), an IBM Model M (buckling spring switches), and a Unicomp Enduro Pro (buckling spring switches). I’m currently using the Unicomp and I’ve been pretty satisfied with it. First I’d like to talk about some of the cons with each of the keyboards I own.

The IBM Model M is a classic. I’ve had mine for a few years. I purchased it on eBay for around 50 bucks. I love the feel of it. That was my reason for purchasing the Unicomp. The IBM doesn’t have Windows/Super keys because it was made before those became standard. This isn’t a big deal because I use Linux primarily and don’t need the Windows keys (at least I can get by without them). However, I was cleaning the keyboard one day and messed up a spring on the left control key. I purchased some replacement springs but in the process of trying to replace the spring, I inadvertently broke some plastic rivets on the board. This didn’t cause any immediate problems, but I never got the control key working correctly. It doesn’t always register when I press it. As a frequent user of this particular control key, I can no longer use that keyboard.

As a replacement, I bought a Dell AT101W on eBay for around $40. I actually have no complaints about this keyboard. It’s has a great feel and sounds real good while typing. The only reason I don’t it any longer is because I bought the Unicomp.

I bought the Unicomp because I love the buckling springs of the Model M design, and since Unicomp has the rights for the Model M design, they make a modern version of it. I opted for the more expensive Enduro Pro model because it came with a handy track point reminiscent of the IBM ThinkPad series of Laptop. However, this track point was actually a con. The track point is unusable. I mean it’s terrible. You could use it if your mouse went out, but it’s not something you would want to use all the time. Trust me, the track point on the Enduro Pro is awful. Not only is it useless, but it also gets in your way when you are typing. I used to hit it all the time when reaching for the G, H, and B keys. I’ve learned to type around it pretty well over the last year, but I would love if it were just gone. If you get a Unicomp, get their plain Model M version. Stay away from the track point. Other than that, the Unicomp is basically an IBM Model M keyboard with Windows/Super keys. There are three other things I’ll add that aren’t really cons but things I’ve noticed about the Enduro.

First, the keys don’t have the same design as the original Model M. On the original, there is a key and on it is a key cap. You can remove the key from the spring assembly, and you can remove the key cap from the key itself. Most of the old IBM keyboards were like this. The Unicomp’s key caps are one piece.

Secondly, the keys themselves have a slight amount of glitter on the sides. I don’t care for this really. It’s in the plastic and makes the plastic itself look a little cheap.

Finally, the key action is a bit different from the old Model M. The click is not the same pitch. There’s more of a ringing in the original Model M click. It’s hard to describe but the click sound just isn’t the same. It’s closer than you’ll find in any other keyboard, however.

So I started looking at the various other keyboards on the market. My friend Lynn really likes Cherry MX key switches. He recently purchased a WASD keyboard. It’s an awesome keyboard. WASD allows you to customize the keys in many ways. You can change the lettering and upload your own images to be etched into the key caps. He ordered his keyboard with Cherry MX Blue key switches, which he prefers. Those were also the key switches I was looking for as well, but I’ve changed my mind a few times upon reading various reviews. Here are some of the keyboards I’ve looked at:

Corsair Vengeance K90

The K90 uses Cherry MX Red key switches, which are linear. They don’t have the tactile “bump” or an audible click. These are quieter than the MX Blue keyswitches. However, I think this is the keyboard I’m going to go with. The reason is in the construction and features it offers. It’s a beautiful brushed alumimun and black plastic keyboard. It has a rubber coating on the keys and comes with a rubber coated wrist rest. It also features one of the coolest volume controls I’ve ever seen on a keyboard. Besides those features, it has a nice blue LED back light on every key. If you are looking for a quieter mechanical keyboard with a backlight and great macro support, this is the only one to check out. I’ll probably be getting two of these, one for my wife and one for myself.

Razor Black Widow Ultimate

This was originally the keyboard I planned on purchasing. It also has blue LED back lights behind every key, macro support, and media keys, but it has a super shiny plastic finish which collects fingerprint and smudges. I also read many bad reviews of it on Amazon.com. Most of the complaints dealt with bad key placement. One review said that he tried three of the keyboards and all of them had a defect. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to drop $120 on a keyboard that may be flawed from the factory. Overall, this looked like a very promising keyboard, but there were just too many complaints about the quality control.

XArmor U9Plus

The U9Plus looked like a good deal at $89 on Amazon, but I watched a few reviews on it and one complained about the backspace and spacebar keys being wobbly. This keyboard, like the Black Widow, features Cherry MX Blue key switches. Another complaint about this keyboard was that the LED lights behind the num lock, scroll lock, and caps lock indicators bled over onto one another. So when the num lock is on, it almost appears like the caps lock is on as well. There were also a few reviews stating that the overall sturdiness of the keyboard wasn’t all that great. This and the Black Widow are probably very good keyboards, but I get spooked easily when shopping for new peripherals.

In conclusion, I’ll probably buy the Corsair Vengeance K90 keyboards, even though I’m not quite sure if I’ll like the Cherry MX Red key switches. If this keyboard came with a MX Blue option, I’d be all over it. That’s the only thing that kept me from making this my first choice right off the bat. I think the most important thing to take away from this is that you should read reviews and make sure that the keyboard is as good as the price. Mechanical keyboards are expensive. Some are better than others. The key switches themselves may all be the same, but everything else about the keyboards can be a deal breaker.

Windows 7 Freezes Randomly

I recently reinstalled Windows 7 on my main box because I wanted to do some good screencasts for my PHP Video Tutorials site. After installing a few updates for Windows 7, I started getting a strange issue with audio and video. The OS would glitch. I would get short pauses in video and distortion in the audio.

After killing some processes and services, I soon found out that the problem was with Windows Superfetch. The issue has to do with my SSD drive. So if you have an issue like this and you have a solid state drive, you should try disabling superfetch. After stopping the service, give it a few moments. Play videos and see if you still get the problem.

If you want me to write up a howto on disabling superfetch, leave a comment. If there is any interest, I’ll write it up.

The Best Safety Razor

If you have trouble with your skin after you shave, you may be shaving with the wrong type of razor. There are other things that can cause skin irritation and ingrown hairs but I’ve found that the cause of mine was the multi-blade razors like the Fusion and Mach III. These products have been promoted as the ultimate shaving experience. The marketing behind this has enabled companies like Gillette to sell expensive blades, when there is a much better and cheap alternative available.

The good ol’ double edge safety razors that people used decades ago, are becoming increasingly popular lately. This is due in large part to the fact that these razors deliver a much better shave than expensive multi-bladed razors. The marketing behind the multi-blades has been that the first blades lift the hair up a bit before the next blade comes along and cuts it. Whether this is true or not, one thing is for sure. The shave tends to cause irritation of the skin, and it causes the hairs to regrow under the skin.

My theory is that the hair is indeed lifted before it is cut, and this produces a super smooth shave but also causes the hairs to sometimes grow back under the skin producing ingrown hairs. The multiple blades also cause skin irritation and razor burn. To alleviate this issue, razor manufacturers add a lubricant to the blade itself, but this lubricant doesn’t last very long. After about one or two uses, the blade is not very good for shaving any longer.

The solution, as I stated earlier, is to switch to a double-edge safety razor. The up-side to safety razors is that they alleviate the issues with razor burn and ingrown hairs. However the process of shaving is a bit more involved, but it’s actually more enjoyable. When using a double-edge, it is important to keep your face wet with warm water and to keep it covered with shaving cream or shaving soap. A good lather is important to keep the razor burn down. Proper use of the razor is important as well.

I switched to a double-edge about four months ago and I haven’t looked back since. It’s a much better shave, and it’s way cheaper. A good quality safety razor costs about $35-$50, but the blades cost about $10 per 100. That’s right, around ten cents each. Compare that to the cost of four Mach 3 blades. Amazingly enough, a single blade lasts longer on the safety razor too. I shave my head and face three or four times with a single blade before I require a replacement. There is actually a honing technique one can use with their shower towel that can lengthen the life of the blade even more.

Here are some important things to note about shaving with a safety razor:

Use the weight of the razor to cut through the hair, don’t put a lot of pressure on it.
Always warm your skin up with some warm water or a warm towel.
Use plenty of lather
Make multiple passes (three seems to work well for me)
Shave with the grain first, then across the grain, and finally against the grain if needed for a super close shave.

I should also mention that shaving soap in the bar form is much more economical than shaving creme from a can. I’ve been using a single 1.75 oz bar of Williams’ Mug Soap for the past four months and it’s about halfway gone. I should be able to get another four months or so out of it. A 1.75 oz of this shaving soap costs about 99 cents. That’s a far better deal than a single can of shaving creme from Gillette.

I can not stress enough how awesome this switch has been for me. As someone who regularly shaves his head and face, this has been both a money saver and pain saver, since my skin is no longer irritated from shaving.

I started out with an Edwin Jagger DE89 razor and I highly recommend it. Here are some good deals on it and other quality double-edge razors and supplies.

Best Safety Razor