David L. Farquhar, computer security professional, train hobbyist, and landlord
When you study the history of computers, one recurring theme is that computers get smaller, cheaper, and faster over time. So why is there a floor on computer prices? Why aren’t computers getting cheaper anymore, especially at retail?
Back in July, I went to Micro Center to get a video card for my son. The selection wasn’t great. They had a few $50 cards. They had three $110 cards. Not three different ones. Three GT 1030s. Total. And nothing else under $2,500. And they didn’t have a ton of those either. Other parts were less scarce, but not what I’m used to. So why is it so hard to find computer parts?
Can a computer last 10 years? People tend to have very strong opinions about that. It is a matter of perspective in some ways. And a lot of it depends on the type of hardware you buy, and what you expect it to do. And at one time, that was an absurd idea. But not so much anymore.
To say the IBM Model M keyboard has a cult following is an understatement. Although it fell out of favor for a time, it’s made a comeback in recent years. Mechanical keyboards as a whole have also made a comeback in recent years. Cherry MX Blue switches are popular because some say they have a clicky IBM like feel. So let’s take a look at the IBM Model M vs Cherry MX Blue.
Back when the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities came to light, we had a spirited discussion after work about the mitigations. On some systems, The mitigations required a BIOS update. My boss asked, who updates their BIOS? Fair question. So should you update your BIOS?
I said I wanted to start using that as a job interview question. I could be convinced either way, but I want someone to be able to defend their answer. So let’s go over the pros and cons of updating your BIOS.
Membrane gaming keyboards cost less than mechanical keyboards, but they’re expensive enough that they’re worth fixing. Here’s how to clean a membrane gaming keyboard when it gets fouled with debris.
Faraday Electronics was, for a brief period of time, a leading maker of integrated chipsets for XT-class PC clones. But if you’re fixing an old XT clone and need a Faraday chip, they can be hard to come by. Knowing what happened to Faraday Electronics can help you in locating spare parts.
If you’re shopping around for mechanical keyboards, you’ve undoubtedly heard a lot of weird brand names and, of all things, colors. It can get confusing. One popular choice is the Cherry MX Red switch. So what are Cherry Red switches? Are Cherry Red switches loud? Are Cherry Red switches quiet? And are Cherry Red switches good for typing? I’ve been using them for more than three years, so let’s dive into these questions and more.
It’s probably not news to you that the hot trend in computing in 2021 is moving from on-premise computing to cloud computing. And that’s been a hot trend for several years. But what comes after cloud? What will replace cloud? It’s possible to predict what it will look like–just not the specifics.
My friend was building a new system. And like many new builds when you haven’t done one in a while, not everything went as smoothly as it could have. Here’s how he solved a phantom CPU fan error.