Author Archives: n9io

Best tablet? Microsoft Surface Pro 4.

Hello, dear reader! In this post, I will tell you about the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, my new and best purchase. I really love it! 

What is the Surface Pro 4?

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a tablet with a keyboard. You can see pictures on my Twitter (X). It features an Intel Core i7 6650U, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and 256GB NVMe storage. The 

12″, 4K touchscreen has very good quality; it’s an IPS display that looks like retina. Yes, it’s a fully functional computer in your small backpack, with a weight of only 1.1kg (with the keyboard). Pretty awesome, isn’t it?

Why did I buy it?

Before this, I had a MacBook Pro 15 from 2017. You can read my post about it. You might think everything was good, and I liked it; I even called it the best laptop. So, what went wrong?

Firstly, it was too heavy and big for me. I didn’t need or like the big 15″ screen at all. I couldn’t carry it with me anywhere easily. It was not nice at all. I wanted to take it outside, to a cafe or a park, but I couldn’t. Even carrying it a little bit made my hands hurt a lot.

Secondly, it got too hot. Even simple tasks made it very hot, and it was uncomfortable to use it on my lap, etc.

Thirdly, there were software issues. Over time, macOS became a bit laggy for some reason. There were problems with the touch bar; it stopped working normally. Some clicks were ignored, among other iss

ues. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed this problem.

Why did I choose the Surface?

There are a few reasons.

Firstly, it’s something different and completely new for me. It’s post-PC! I always wanted to try a post-PC device. A tablet PC sounded really nice and interesting. I was afraid to try it and end up with something bad, but I took the plunge and didn’t regret it. It’s really awesome and very convenient.

Secondly, being a tablet, it’s small and lightweight. I can carry it everywhere in my very small backpack and not feel any strain on my back. It’s very portable.

Thirdly, it’s powerful for a tablet. It can handle all my tasks and works great. It also has an amazing screen and an awesome keyboard. I can type on it very quickly and easily. I called the MacBook keyboard the best one, but this one is even better! (Although the new MacBooks with non-butterfly keyboards are the same!).

Fourthly, it has a very nice design. It looks really awesome, and the materials are neat. The tablet is made from aluminum, and the keyboard is made from alcantara—a unique choice of material. However, the lighter versions might get dirty quickly, so be careful with them! It also has a stand behind it, which is really useful. You can see it on .

How do I use it?

I use it for tasks like messaging, email, entertainment, and so on. I watch videos on it, chat using Matrix and Telegram, post tweets on Twitter, write this blog, and many other things! I haven’t tested demanding tasks like video editing (just for testing) or gaming yet. It’s powerful enough for gaming, and I will surely test it later and tweet about the results, most likely.

Microsoft doesn’t sell devices, Microsoft sells a lifestyle

What? Why?..

Of course, this can vary for everyone, but that’s how it was for me. After getting the Surface, I always want to go out, travel, and use it outside. For instance, recently I spent some time outside, sitting in the park and chatting with my friend, and later I wrote half of this post. It’s so small and gives me the feeling of “oh, I should take it outside!” and so on. It’s really nice. Just like Apple, Microsoft sells a lifestyle! (For example, their Apple Watch might make you more active, even though they are quite expensive. I might consider getting a Series 3 later, but I’m not sure; I’ll think about it).

It’s important to remember that this is how it happened for me. It depends on the individual. I used to be someone who would spend all my time at home, and the Surface changed that. However, for you or someone else, it might not change anything.

Conclusion

The Surface tablet is the best laptop. Really, it is. It’s an awesome tablet, easy to carry anywhere, powerful, with an awesome screen. It can be an awesome device for travelers—much more convenient than laptops. It has a useful touchscreen and more!

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Written by Alina Lunaris for the n9io blog.
Please send any comments to ahr@anche.no.

Don’t say cisgender.

Hello, dear reader!

In this short post, I will tell you why I agree with Elon Musk about forbidding the use of the word “cisgender” and why it’s a good idea overall.
Whoever you are, do you like to be labeled? Let’s consider this: if you are transgender, would you prefer to be separated from cisgender individuals? Would you rather be referred to as a trans girl/boy or simply as a girl/boy? I believe you would likely prefer the latter. Seriously, why label people? What’s the purpose? It’s so nonsensical. Then, how should I be addressed? Non-binary trans girl? That’s quite lengthy, isn’t it?!

Why would anyone want to be called a trans/cis/non-binary/etc male/female? Why complicate everything? Seriously, let’s stop segregating people. A trans male/female is a male/female, a cisgender male/female is a male/female, and NOTHING else.

STOP SEGREGATING PEOPLE. Don’t be an idiot.

The best notebook – iPad 1

Hello, dear reader! In this post, I want to tell you about my new purchase, an Apple iPad 1!

We all write notes sometimes, and we often need to remember things like recipes from our grandmas or dosage instructions from the doctor. Many of us use paper and pen for that, while some use their smartphones. However, I find it inconvenient, and I believe it’s better to have a dedicated device for such tasks! For most people, that would be a paper notebook and a pen, but why settle for that when we’re living in 2023 and not in 1600? Why not replace paper with a device like the iPad 1?

The iPad 1 is incredibly convenient and simply the best notebook, and even more! You can write notes on it, set reminders, and use it as your digital calendar. For instance, I always keep it turned on with my calendar displayed, standing right under my monitor. No need for a paper calendar anymore! Additionally, you can watch movies, listen to music, read books, and do whatever you wish!

Short Review

The iPad 1 is fully made from aluminum, comes in gray, has a 10″ screen, a “home” button for control, and, of course, a touchscreen. The speakers are really good, and the display is great for watching movies or videos. The sound from headphones is also of excellent quality! Naturally, it has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities. It’s a convenient tablet, old but still good. It runs iOS 5, and it works really well. Its design is awesome, and anyone will like it.

Why iPad 1?

It’s cheap, very cheap. Of course, you don’t have to specifically choose the iPad 1; it’s just my opinion that it would be the best option. You can use whatever you wish.

Why not use paper? I am an old-school person!

Getting paper involves chopping down trees, which is horrible.

Remember, being old-school doesn’t mean we can’t adapt. Let’s cherish nature and consider eco-friendly options. Join me in embracing sustainable choices for a greener future!

Written by Luna Lunaris.

Please send any comments to unixcat (at) anche (dot) no.

The beginning and the end of Betsu!

Hello, dear reader! The Betsu association is going to be suspended on July 18. But before we talk about the end, let’s talk about the beginning!

The beginning

Betsu was originally called REPW (The Rainbow Everywhere Project). This project was planned a long while ago but wasn’t brought to fruition. Later, the CatServ project was planned, which aimed to provide free/libre hosting for software like Invidious and SearXNG. Then, CatServ Membership was also planned with the idea of offering web hosting, XMPP server, and potentially more services. Additionally, LibreCDN was in the works, which would host mirrors for projects such as GNU, FreeBSD, Trisquel, and others.

Unfortunately, technical problems prevented these ideas from becoming a reality. But then…

The Betsu Project was founded, and CatServ was finally created. It hosted SearXNG and Invidious. Later on, we added an XMPP server and The Lounge (an IRC bouncer), and started accepting requests. Everything worked great.

Eventually, “The Betsu Project” became simply “Betsu!” and transitioned into a UNA Not-For-Profit (Unincorporated Association).

Later on, a major update called Betsu Next was planned, a new site was created (private), and we added more services. These included a DNS service that blocks ads, trackers, malware, and other harmful elements, as well as webpaste services. We also established the IRC Network – C&C IRC.

The end

Everything seemed to be going well, but I (the founder of Betsu) started encountering more and more health problems in real life. I was diagnosed with Chronic Progressive Schizopytal Disorder and other issues. I often experience depression, go to doctors almost every day, undergo medical tests, and deal with various challenges. I have no time, desire, or energy to manage Betsu. As a result, some services became insecure and broke down. Even simple tasks like going to the toilet have become significant challenges for me, leaving me unable to do anything.

Continuing would be impractical, so now Betsu will be suspended on July 18. The official site states:

“Due to real-life problems, we are unable to manage the Betsu Infrastructure. On July 18, all accounts will be suspended, all data will be permanently removed, and all services will be down. C&C IRC will continue working in the usual mode but may be suspended in the future. Eventually, we will come back with something awesome, but for now, we have to say goodbye. Thanks to everyone for their support and for being with us all the time. See you in the best times. Sincerely, RANET Systems.”

It’s not really the end!

It’s the end of the current Betsu, but it’s not the end overall! Someday, we will return with something truly great, although it won’t be in the near future. If I remain alive, of course. Betsu will continue to serve as a CDN and C&C IRC.

That’s it.

Please send any comments to ahr (at) anche (dot) no.

A treasure? Toshiba Satellite 430CDT

Hello, dear reader!

A while ago, I acquired the Toshiba Satellite 430CDT in almost perfect condition. Sadly, I had no time to make a post about it earlier, and now its screen has just stopped working. I don’t know the reason. But I can still tell you about this interesting device. It’s a special item in my collection. I searched for this laptop for a while, liked it, and wanted to have it. I had a wish to actually use it as a terminal. I even built a telephone network to use dial-up with it. I may write about it later.

Specifications

Look at what a powerful machine we’ve got!

  • CPU: Pentium 120 MHz
  • RAM: 16MB EDO
  • HDD: 1.35GB IDE
  • Screen: 11.3” TFT 800×600

It doesn’t have USB, FireWire, a card reader, Ethernet, or even a phone modem. It still has an LPT port, which can be used to connect a floppy disk drive, printer, or modem. Mine had a CD-ROM, which could be replaced by a floppy disk drive.

First test and first problems

When I tested it, I found out that the mouse buttons were not working; they were partially broken. Also, the keyboard was very sticky. I couldn’t test it much as I had no PS/2 mouse.

Cleaning

I fully disassembled it. It was a bit complicated thing to do, but I could do that without any manual as I didn’t find any good one. I removed all the buttons from the keyboard and removed the stickers from the buttons (there were stickers with Russian letters). Then I washed all the buttons, and they looked like new. Then I cleaned the case as much as I could. It looked great after the cleaning. I assembled everything, and it worked, and the keyboard worked well.

Second test and more problems

A few days after cleaning, I got a PS/2 mouse for it, built a telephone network, set up a dial-in server for it, and also bought modems. With the PS/2 mouse, it was much easier to use as I could use the mouse buttons. It detected the modem, but I couldn’t connect to the PPP server. Later, I tested PPP with my PowerBook G4, which had a built-in modem. Everything worked with it, but it didn’t work with Windows on the Toshiba Satellite. Also, I tried to use the CD-ROM on it, but Windows had no drivers for it. As we have no USB or any other ways to download drivers to it, I bought an FDD for the LPT port, but it didn’t work either. I don’t remember if I tried to boot from a floppy, but it didn’t work on Windows. Perhaps it was just broken, as I also tried it on the ThinkPad T43, and it didn’t work either.

Then I got a new plan. I wanted to buy another IDE HDD, install the system to it from another Pentium machine, and install this HDD to the Toshiba. I decided to do it later as I had other things to do.

Breaking the screen

Sadly, when I decided to turn it on next time, the screen just didn’t work and had stripes on it. I didn’t do any diagnostic to understand the issue, and now the Toshiba Satellite 430CDT is lying in the box, for N time. Someday, I will get an external monitor for it and will try to do something with it, but for now, it’s just lying in my collection.

Why did I want it so much?

I really liked this laptop. It was very old and thick, but it looked small, like it had only an 11.3” screen, and a nice little keyboard, which was hard to type on just like the Apple Pro Keyboard A1048. I wanted to use it as an old-school terminal and a typewriter. I was planning to use some old FreeBSD on it, as Plan 9 wouldn’t boot on it due to not having enough RAM. It also had one special thing, a built-in PSU! You didn’t need to have a big brick near the laptop; it’s built-in, but of course, it’s very heavy. I was planning to actually use it, but it got broken. I was able to buy the same one in perfect condition, with everything fully working, two working batteries, and even the original Toshiba bag for it! But then I decided not to do that as I didn’t want to spend more money on it.

Maybe someday I will fix this one or buy another one. I don’t know. But it’s a great and interesting treasure from the past.

Bonus

A little history of how I almost bought the ThinkPad 380D, one of the laptops that I wished to have and use. I found this laptop on some site where I always buy stuff. It was in great condition, fully working, with a working battery, and at a good price.

I texted the seller, asked about some things, and ordered it. And then, a few hours later, I received a message: “I canceled the order. I tried to turn it on before selling, and it’s not working. I’m not sure if it’s even charging. Can sell for parts.” And then she set a lower price. I decided, “Okay, I will take it anyway,” and ordered again. An hour later…

“Oh, I am so sorry! I already sold it to someone. They came to my home and took it. Sorry!”

What a seller! I had already ordered it multiple times. I wasted a few hours for you, and then you just sold it to another person? Perfect, wonderful!

Sometimes, sellers are awful.

Thank you for reading!

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Please send any comments to ahr (at) anche (dot) no.

MacBook Pro 15 2017 Review

Hello, dear reader! I recently bought a new MacBook, and in this post, I want to tell you about it. I have wanted to get this laptop since the time when I had no laptop or any other personal computer at all.

Review

Design & Quality

The laptop is made from aluminum, and I got the dark space gray color. It has a good keyboard with a backlight. It also has a large touchpad, and the most interesting thing is the touch bar, but we will talk about it more later. It has four ThunderBolt 3 ports and one 3.5mm jack port. It also has a FaceTime camera with awful quality. It’s very thin and weighs only 1.8kg, making it convenient and easy to carry around or take somewhere outside, for example. The build quality is great, but the paint has a problem, and eventually, it will become a bit silver, haha.

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ (8 cores)
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 630, Radeon Pro 555
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Screen: Retina 2K 15”

Audio

It has stereo speakers, and honestly, it’s the best sound I have ever heard. It’s very loud—when I’m listening, I set the volume to 30-40% as it can be very loud. The sound from the 3.5mm jack is also very good. Overall, it has awesome sound, and it can easily be used instead of speakers. Bluetooth sound is also great.

Touch Bar

First, what is it? The Touch Bar is a little touchscreen OLED screen instead of functional buttons on the keyboard. Before I used it, I thought it would be useless, but it’s very functional, useful, and convenient! It can do really a lot of things. For example, you can switch tabs in the browser, add a new tab, or open a bookmark. You can also select the font and size for text when writing notes, among other things. You can control the screen or keyboard brightness, volume, and playback on iTunes or the browser, or any other application, anywhere. It also has a fast fingerprint reader near it.

Screen

As you can read above, it has a Retina 2K 15” screen, and it has an awesome screen quality. You can look at it from any direction, and it will look the same. Such a screen can be easily used to work with graphics, videos, and other such activities. There’s not much to say about it—just good quality screen.

Battery Life

As I have used the battery, depending on battery cycles, battery life can vary. I have not extensively tested it, but it’s likely enough for 6 hours. I will update the information when I test it more. For more information, you can contact Apple.

Why I chose it?

I chose this MacBook because I really liked it, and for its price, I couldn’t find anything better. I got it, and it wasn’t a mistake. Everything is great, and I like this laptop. I will write a post about what I like and what I dislike about Apple. There are many things to discuss as it has lots of problems and many good things. Please wait for the second post that I will write after a month of using it. I am not writing pros and cons as I have not found any cons (yet?). We will not know until we try!

Thank you for reading! Wait for further posts, and have a happy Pride month! <3

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Please send any comments to ahr (at) anche (dot) no.

It’s finally happening

Hello, dear reader!

As you probably already know, I am transgender MTF. After a year of suffering from gender dysphoria, I said, “fuck it all,” and started hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

There haven’t been many changes yet, as I am only a few days on estrogen (E), but damn, finally, I did it! Recently, I reached a point where I wanted to give up and attempted suicide by overdose. Fortunately, medical workers saved me. I didn’t want to live in this body; I wanted to be a girl, and now I am finally becoming one. I

I will write more posts about my journey, but in the meantime, you can expect other interesting content! Thanks for reading. Have a happy Pride Month.

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Please send any comments to ahr (at) anche (dot) no.

Again Apple? MacBook Pro 2008

Hello, dear readers!

Today, I have something unusual to write about. Some time ago, I purchased an Apple PowerBook G4 and I fell in love with its case, screen, speakers, and sound card. It came with OS X Tiger, an old but reliable system. I’ll definitely write a post about it later!

I liked it so much that I thought, “I want something similar but more powerful.” That’s when I realized it existed! I also remembered how much I wanted to use OS X Mavericks because of its awesome design. I really appreciate the aesthetics of old Apple hardware and software. I’ll probably include some pictures of OS X Mavericks in my post.

That’s when I stumbled upon the MacBook Pro 2008. It had 3 GB of 667 MHz DDR2 RAM, a Core 2 Duo CPU, and an 80 GB HDD. I also noticed that the seller had a 160 GB HDD for sale, so I ordered both. I managed to negotiate a lower price, so you could say the HDD was free!

Short Review

The MacBook Pro arrived in perfect condition, although the charger was broken, so I had to order a new one. The case is made of aluminum, and it features a beautiful 15″ screen with a resolution of 1440×900. The picture quality is amazing, even though it’s a TN panel. In fact, it looks better than my IPS monitor. The keyboard is very nice too. Unfortunately, my MacBook Pro has a Russian layout, which is not ideal as it has a small shift and return key. However, since I use an external keyboard most of the time, it’s not a big issue. The touchpad is larger than the one on the PowerBook, and it features a single button. It supports gestures, which is a nice touch. The speakers and sound card are excellent, making it a great laptop for audio and video consumption. There are only two USB ports, which could be improved, but I use a USB hub to overcome that limitation.

How I Use It

So, what do I use it for? I had been using a ThinkCentre A51 with a Pentium 4 as my main desktop for a while, and it was quite challenging, especially when opening new websites in a browser. It would often freeze, and the only solution was to reboot. That’s why I decided to get a new laptop and connect it to an external monitor.

As you can see, I installed OS X Mavericks on the 160 GB HDD that came with the MacBook Pro. I now use it as my desktop computer, connecting an external monitor, keyboard, and a tablet (Wacom CTL-680) that I use as a touchpad. If you’re interested, you can read about using a graphics tablet as a touchpad here.

What do I do with it? I use it for web browsing, IRC, XMPP, note-taking, and connecting to other machines through SSH. I would use it for music, but unfortunately, iTunes doesn’t support FLAC files (and I have some FLAC songs). Additionally, VLC is very laggy, and it takes forever to import even a few songs. I’m not sure what’s causing this issue since the PowerBook worked fine with VLC. I might explore other audio players, and if I find anything interesting, I’ll update the post.

That’s it for now!

Thank you for reading. Nyaa~

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Please send any comments to ahr (at) anche (dot) no

My Experience Using a Graphic Tablet as a Trackpad

Hello, dear reader! In this post, I want to tell you about my experience of replacing my computer mouse with a graphic tablet as a trackpad, and why I decided to make the switch.

Additionally, I will be discussing a software called Barrier. Enjoy!

Problems with My Hands

In the past, I used my hands inaccurately, constantly clicking on the keyboard and using my graphic tablet at a fast pace. Unfortunately, this was a big mistake that has led to persistent pain in my hands.

Whenever I type too much or use a mouse, the pain intensifies. It has even reached a point where I struggle to hold objects, such as a mug, due to the intense pain. At times, my fingers can stop working and cause excruciating pain for a period of time, making it necessary for me to be very cautious.

Replacing the Mouse

Since using a mouse causes me a lot of pain and inconvenience, I began searching for an alternative. In the past, I used a trackpad which was less painful, so I thought of getting an external trackpad for my computers. However, I only found trackpads from Apple, which come with exorbitant prices. Although I acknowledge that it is a great device, I do not want to support the company due to their controversial practices.

Afterward, I began using my old graphic tablet, an Xp-Pen G640, which was not very painful and worked great. It was then that I had an idea to purchase a graphic tablet with a multi-touch surface that could double as a trackpad. My initial choice was the Wacom CTL 480, but I could not find it in my country as it was only being sold by one individual who quickly sold out. Instead, I decided to purchase the Wacom CTL 680S, which has worked out well for me.

Using the Wacom CTL 680S as a Trackpad

Now, onto the question: how has the Wacom CTL 680S worked out for me?

In a word, it’s been amazing. The size of the tablet is almost the same as my laptop, with a large surface area that’s extremely convenient to use. Additionally, all gestures work, including scrolling and switching between workspaces, but only if you configure the drivers correctly.

The tablet also comes with a great pen that you can use for drawing, using the system, or playing games. It’s completely up to you how you choose to use it. Personally, I found using the pen as a mouse to be amazing as it feels like holding the cursor in your hand. It’s incredibly easy to use and has been a great addition to my setup.

Pros:

  • Large surface area
  • Convenient to use with a pen
  • Has multi-touch functionality
  • Great design
  • Bluetooth module and battery can be easily added if required

Cons:

  • Like in most trackpads, the surface is not a big button and requires double-clicking the title of a window to move it, instead of just holding down. However, this issue can be easily solved by using the pen instead, which works much better.

Ultimately, whether or not to use a graphic tablet as a replacement for a mouse or trackpad is up to you. Personally, I found it to be very convenient and easy to use. After using it for over a week, I can confidently say that it’s the best way to control a computer that I’ve ever used.

Goodbye, mouse, forever.

About Barrier

Firstly, what is it?

Barrier is a KVM software that allows you to control multiple computers at the same time using only one keyboard and mouse.

Currently, I have three machines with graphical interfaces and one with a framebuffer console. Rather than having multiple keyboards and mice cluttering up my workspace, I can just move my cursor to the other machines and control them with ease.

If you use multiple machines, I highly recommend giving Barrier a try. It’s incredibly convenient and easy to use.

Thank you for reading.

Written by Alexa Hattori.

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Please send any comments to unixcat (at) anche (dot) no.

Should we love our enemy?

Hello, dear reader! In this philosophical post, I want to discuss the phrase “You should love your enemy” that many religious people often use.

Should we?

The short answer is no, but it’s not as simple as it sounds.

The most important thing is that we should never do bad things to our enemies. Revenge is bad and only perpetuates evil. We should never answer evil with evil or hate our enemies or anyone else. Hating will never help you, just like revenge. It will only hurt you more.

What should we do then?

It depends on you and what the person did. You have to choose for yourself.

First, you can do something good for that person and show them kindness. Remember, evil will never help you, and maybe that person will change themselves. Remember to never hate!

The other option is to exclude that person from your life if you are able to and just forget them and never see them again. That works too.

Sometimes, your worst enemy can become your best friend.

Why is revenge never good?

Because revenge never helps anyone. It only perpetuates more pain and evil for more people. How do you think it will end? Do you think you will feel better?

For example, if you hurt someone as revenge, then they will hurt you as revenge, and the cycle will never end. It will never make you or that person happy.

Another thing, especially popular in movies, is when someone kills an important person to you, and you want to kill them in return. But ask yourself, do you really think it will help you? It won’t bring back that person to life. You will only do a very bad thing that will likely make things worse.

That is my opinion.

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Please send any comments to unixcat (at) anche (dot) no.