Author: Dave Farquhar

Is Windows XP obsolete or is it retro?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Is Windows XP obsolete or is it retro?

Windows XP is hard to classify. I still remember when it was brand new, and technologically it’s closer to today’s versions of Windows than it is to Windows 98. To my kids, it’s ancient history. But what should we call it? Is Windows XP obsolete? Or is it retrro?

Whatever you call it, it shouldn’t be your everyday operating system anymore. I’ve talked before about what to do if you are still running XP and need something else to migrate to.

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How soon is too soon to get another dog? It depends

Dave Farquhar Dogs
How soon is too soon to get another dog? It depends

How soon is too soon to get another dog? Unfortunately I have experience in this area. But most dog owners do. And the amount of time I’ve waited varied. Here’s why.

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Qualys duplicate assets

Dave Farquhar security
Qualys duplicate assets

One of the most frequent problems people ask me about when doing a health check on their vulnerability management program is duplicate assets in Qualys. If you simply run the tool with the defaults, it is definitely possible to end up with duplicate assets. But with a few configuration changes, you can mostly eliminate this problem.

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Why electric lawn mowers are better than gas

Dave Farquhar DIY
Why electric lawn mowers are better than gas

Over the course of two decades of home ownership, I’ve gone through several gas mowers. In 2021, after my friends bought electric mowers and raved about them, I decided to buy one myself. So are electric lawn mowers better than gas? Let’s look at the pros and cons.

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Marx Oak Park station

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
Marx Oak Park station

The Marx Oak Park station is one of three tinplate train stations Marx produced during the post-war era. They replaced an earlier, smaller, and less ambitious station from the pre-war era, and solved more than one problem for Marx.

The Marx Oak Park station had a long production run, from around 1950 to 1973. Marx named the station after the home of a Sears executive they were negotiating with.

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Lionel 115 station

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
Lionel 115 station

The Lionel 115 station is a popular centerpiece for pre-war tinplate layouts. While best suited for standard gauge trains, its design does lend itself to o gauge, and it was one of Lionel’s pre-war designs that went back into production during the post-war era. Its first run lasted from 1935 to 1942, with a revival from 1946 to 1949.

The Lionel 115 is the second largest station Lionel produced, second only to the 116 station, which has a similar appearance. Its design was inspired by New York city’s Grand Central station, but it used selective compression to give the impression of a big city station without taking the space that would be required of a true scale model.

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Pros and cons of Compaqs as retro computers

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Pros and cons of Compaqs as retro computers

Compaqs get mixed reviews among retro computer enthusiasts. I had one in 1994 so I get it. They have quirks. But the news with Compaq isn’t all bad. So let’s look at the pros and cons of these machines, and why you may or may not want one.

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Remove a sticker from a laptop

Dave Farquhar Hardware

Not everyone decorates their laptop with stickers. But what if you do, and you like those stickers and want to take them with you when you get a new laptop? Or what if you decide you don’t like one of those stickers and want to get rid of it without damaging the others? Or you want to get rid of the Intel or Windows stickers because you don’t want your laptop to look like a NASCAR racer. Here’s how to remove a sticker from a laptop.

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Hart electric mower won’t start? Try this.

Dave Farquhar DIY
Hart electric mower won’t start? Try this.

I’m seeing a lot of people complaining that their year-old Hart electric lawn mower won’t start anymore. I don’t think that’s a coincidence at all. If your Hart electric mower won’t start all of a sudden, here are some easy things to try. It’s frustrating, but not difficult to fix.

When your Hart electric mower won’t start, it’s usually one of three things. It’s often the battery, the handle not being fully extended or locked, or the discharge, all of which are fairly easy to fix.

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Convert Marx 7-inch to 8 wheels

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
Convert Marx 7-inch to 8 wheels

There’s a lot less interest in Marx’s short-lived 7-inch line, than in their other lines, but they can be useful cars. For example, with the appropriate trucks under them, they can add some variety to Marx’s metal scale cars. While they’re not quite 1:64 scale in most cases, they’re close enough that they look fine with them. Here’s how to convert Marx 7-inch to 8 wheels.

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