Why Would I Write

Category: Technology

  • Topre and Me

    Topre and Me

    A couple of years ago if you told me that I’d be spending an exorbitant amount on keyboards, I would have told you that you were crazy. Well, fast forward to now and I eat my own words. Ever since I fell in love with the hobby (if you can even call it that – since I don’t assemble my own boards yet), I’ve been on the lookout for new keyboards to try out. Different layouts, sizes and switches.

    However, one of the switches that I never had an opportunity to try were the polarizing Topre switches. There were a lot of people raving about them and on the other hand there were people saying that Topre switches were just expensive rubber domes. I had to find out for myself – but that was an impossible task since I didn’t have friends with Topre boards for me to try out and retail stores here didn’t carry them either. Fortunately, I had a friend in Japan last week and thanks to him, I have one of the most iconic 60% keyboards in existence – the HHKB Professional 2.

    While I had never tried Topre before, I was a fan of the keyboard’s design and layout so that made it an easy buy for me. Also, I figured, if I wasn’t a fan of Topre I would have no problems reselling it on the secondhand market. Turns out, I don’t even need to consider that option because man, I’m in love with the switches. Tactility is different compared to the almost non-existent bump on MX Browns, and it’s at the top of the key press instead of midway. It feels great to type on – each keypress when bottoming out gives a nice, solid ‘thock’ that sounds like music to my ears.

    In terms of aesthetics, the retro colorway and non-gamer Sans Serif font is perfect for such a timeless keyboard that hasn’t really changed since 1996. Despite it having a plastic shell, the keyboard feels extremely sturdy and is heavier than I expected.

    The learning curve is pretty much zero, since I’m used to 60% boards and I’ve been using a similar layout for the past few months. My only real complaint with the keyboard is that my control key rattles more than I’d like it to. Other than that, I love the HHKB Pro 2 so far. It’s only my first day with the keyboard but I can see myself using it until it gives up on me (which hopefully won’t be any time soon!).

  • Limited Connectivity

    One of the interesting things I experienced growing up is the state of our connectivity. I grew up in an age where internet access was non-existent, available and slow, fast, and now prevalent. These days, if we didn’t have internet access on our phones, we’d feel extremely lost and disconnected. It never used to be the case. Internet connectivity used to be a privilege, a bonus and now it’s a requirement. No, this isn’t going to be a post about how kids these days are constantly glued to their screens at dinner (I’m guilty of such behavior; damn you Six Match, why are you so addictive?) – it’s just something that I thought of while trying to connect to a public wifi hotspot today.

    There’s nothing wrong with using an internet-less computer. In fact, it helps with productivity. I can imagine if I was online now, I’d be watching Liquid vs OG at DAC instead of writing this blog post. So it’s alright to have no connectivity every now and then. I’ll just catch the NoobfromUA highlights tonight. It’s times like these I’m glad to have my music collection stored locally. Although I’ve used Spotify in the past, it hasn’t replaced my need to have music on my hard disk. Just knowing for sure that I can play any song I like without having to worry about my internet connection or if Spotify’s servers are working is a good feeling. Sure, it’s a hassle to collect discographies of obscure artists, and my music collection takes up a lot of disk space – but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

    Over lunch, there was a short conversation about tour guides and how it’s not something a lot of people enjoy these days. I hypothesized it was due to the availability of information on the internet. If you were to visit a brand new country in the coming week, I’m sure you could do a quick search to find out places you should visit, things you should avoid and so on. Then, from the comfort of your own home you could plan your whole trip without having to rely on a tour guide. Benefits of your own trip? Not having to do things you don’t want to do and being able to set your own schedule (nobody wants to wake up at seven, especially when you’re on holiday).

    The internet is wonderful, and I would dread going back to a life without it. It can help you with your work, yet it can hamper your progress as well. It’s all about self-control and moderation. Don’t let it turn into a vice – it should be a tool.

  • RIP Uber Malaysia

    So it was announced yesterday that Grab had finalized the deal to purchase Uber in the region and not long after that, I started receiving emails from the company informing me about it. As of now the Uber app still works (I checked, it will stop working on April 8th), so I guess I can still use my weekly promo codes to get around.

    While I have no opinion on monopolies (it has never really affected me since I am an informed consumer who makes choices based on research and opinions), I think it’s kinda shitty that Uber had to fold to its only competitor in the region. After all, Grab was a copycat of Uber – it makes me wonder how an imitator could outdo the original so easily.

    My favorite feature about Uber was its global presence – it didn’t matter which country in the world I was in, I could use the same app on my phone to get a ride. Since I don’t go overseas so often anymore, I guess it’s not much of an issue. But coming this April, I’ll have to install Grab on my phone. I have an account which I used once because I had a promo code, haven’t touched it since.

    I’m not sure if Grab does the same thing, but I enjoyed receiving promo codes every week for free short distance trips. Great for going to Mid Valley on those days where I didn’t feel like looking for parking. Also, I took Uber rides just because of the promo codes.

    I don’t have any complaints about Uber – it has saved me loads of money since I didn’t have to get scammed by non English-speaking taxi drivers in foreign countries. It also saved me the trouble of directing drivers to my destination since the address would be on their phones. I’ve only had one bad experience using Uber here (dude followed Waze blindly, getting me to the airport later than I had planned) and it wasn’t the app’s fault (a shitty driver is a shitty driver). So with a heavy heart, I bid Uber farewell. Grab, make me happy about the buyout.