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Surge protector vs power strip

Dave Farquhar DIY October 12, 2020April 19, 2023

My home office doubles as the home for most of my retro computers. That means at any given time I have up to five computers set up in there. These means I need lots of power strips. Or is it surge protectors I need? Let’s look at the question of surge protector vs power strip, because there really is a difference. And that difference can cost you money. Sometimes a lot of money.

A power strip just extends your outlet so you can plug more stuff into it. A surge protector lets you plug in more stuff, but it also provides protection for what you plug into it, though the amount of protection varies.

Are tenkeyless keyboards good?

Dave Farquhar Hardware October 8, 2020February 3, 2022

I’ll admit it. I’m a keyboard snob. There are two reasons for that. My mind races much faster than most people can type, and on a good keyboard I could type at insane speeds in my prime. Secondly, I’ve had repetitive stress injury, and after a day of typing on cheap keyboards, I can feel it. I’m an extreme case, but if you’re asking about a specific kind of keyboard, that’s probably the opinion you want. So are tenkeyless keyboards good? I thought I’d hate them, but I was wrong.

Tenkeyless keyboards offer at least three advantages over a traditional keyboard. They’re cheaper, they take up less space, and they allow a better position for the mouse. If you’re not an accountant, they’re worth a look.

Composite vs S-Video

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing October 7, 2020June 20, 2025

Vintage computers and video game systems, as well as other consumer devices, often offer more than one video output option. Composite and S-Video are two of the most common options. Let’s look at composite vs S-Video, and why one is better than the other.

S-Video separates the video signal into two components, the chrominance (color) and luminance (brightness), where composite transfers them both on a single wire. Separating the two gives a clearer picture, though the difference depends on how the circuit is implemented.

How to keep paint rollers from drying out

Dave Farquhar DIY October 6, 2020September 10, 2023

It’s inevitable. You’re painting, and you reach a point where you have to let the paint dry, or you’re just out of time for the day. And cleaning your paint roller and tray is a pain. It makes the painting go much faster than using a brush, but it takes a lot longer to clean, too. Here’s how to save time and paint, cut down on how many times you have to clean the roller, and keep paint rollers from drying out until the end of the project.

How can market penetration be achieved?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing October 5, 2020January 23, 2026

Being the best doesn’t make you the market leader. Being cheapest doesn’t either. What I’ve heard is that it’s usually the cheap enough, good enough solution that wins. But even that is an oversimplification. Here’s how market penetration can be achieved.

How to keep paint from drying out

Dave Farquhar DIY October 1, 2020September 13, 2020

Paint is expensive. And no matter how well you plan, it always seems like you have a significant part of a gallon left over at the end of a project. How do you keep paint from drying out so you’ll have it for touch-ups, or your next project? Here’s a trick an old-timer taught me.

Resize images in bulk in Windows 10

Dave Farquhar Windows September 29, 2020September 12, 2020

In case you haven’t noticed, I blog a lot. And I learned the hard way that if my blog posts don’t have pictures, no one ever clicks on them. Since I have a day job, I tend to write in bulk, and that means I tend to deal with images in bulk. Here’s how I resize images in bulk in Windows 10.

The classic application Irfanview, a favorite image viewer among long-time Windows users, includes a bulk rename feature. Here’s where it hides and how to use it.

Can a storm damage a modem?

Dave Farquhar Hardware September 28, 2020September 12, 2020

In early August 2020, strong storms blew through St. Louis, causing power outages and other disruptions. A friend shared a story about the storm causing a modem to burst into flames spectacularly, then asked if it was real. It probably was. It’s entirely possible for a storm to damage a modem, sometimes in dramatic fashion.

Although it’s unusual, it is entirely possible for a storm to damage a modem. The damage can be partial, or complete.

Can you paint drywall without primer?

Dave Farquhar DIY September 24, 2020September 13, 2022

Hanging drywall is a pain, so it’s absolutely tempting to try to skip steps when you can. So can you paint drywall without primer? It seems like an unnecessary step, but is it?

What is a PS2 keyboard?

Dave Farquhar Hardware September 23, 2020September 22, 2020

Sometimes you’ll hear references to a PS2 keyboard, or, more properly, a PS/2 keyboard. It’s an old standard, and a fair number of newer computers can’t use them anymore. But what is a PS2 keyboard? And if it was good enough to last so long, why did it go away?