Re: XY in DosBox (XP)

[Michael Norman michael.norman@xxxxxxxx]

At 4/11/2004 11:02 AM -0800, J. R. Fox wrote:
> For just one example, I'm curious about the hybrid pointing device.
I turned off the trackpad (the square box for finger dragging). I got used
to the red...what?...embedded joystick. It works great and you can adjust
the pressure required. At all events, the machine gives you an amazing
number of options.
>  For
> another, I recently had to hook up an older inkjet to a T-23, and was a bit
> surprised to find that it still had a full-size DB-25 connection. Many
> laptops
> of that period had gone to the smaller connector, and current models may have
> dropped the parallel port altogether.
I got a Netgear 4-port dual-speed hub and screwed it into the baseboard
under my desk. My home network is hardwired; I go from cable jack in the
wall (which comes up from a router/modem tucked away in the basement) to
the hub under my desk; and both the PC and the T41 connect to one of the
free three ports in the hub. The T41 connection is a retractable Belkin
cable, which sits neatly next to my telephone. Connected to the PC is an HP
2200 duplex printer, shared on the network, so I simply print with the
laptop on the network. I probably should have networked the printer
separately so all printing is not tied to my PC. Maybe later. It's nice to
have the DB-25 though; if the network somehow crashes, I can still print.
I've thought of rigging up so I can use both the PC monitor and keyboard
with the T41, but then I thought -- what's the point? First, the T41 LCD
runs native at what? 1400 resolution. With Cleartype invoked, it's better
that the Sony G220 flat-screen I have, which is sharp and clear. I
compensate for the tiny fonts on the LCD by using LiquidView, screen
magnifier. (If you have the patience you can make almost all of these
settings yourself.) Anyway, the screen on the T41 is a pleasure to work on.
And I am trying to force myself to use the keyboard as much as possible.
Amazing how many type-o's you make trying to train your fingers to a new
keyboard (I've been using the same keyboard -- an IBM 105-key board that I
got with my first 286 computer -- forever. Biggest adjustment with the
keyboard is the angle. I have not read the research on RSI in a long time,
but I have never had a problem as long as the keyboard is angled. I dragged
out the cross-cut saw and cut a bunch of wedges to stick under the back of
the T41, put rubber picture-frame wall bumpers on top of the wedges to stop
the slide, but I never got it just right. Then I discovered the Targus
Podium CoolPad -- the only damn computer gadget I've ever bought that was a
good idea. Looks strange -- like a hotpad with Legos (Legoes?) stuck on the
back -- but it really works.
Battery life was not what I expected. Standard battery gives you four hours
-- tops. Most get less. My average in 3:40. Bought the extended battery and
that gives you an average of seven hours, eight if you regularly drain and
recycle it. You can swap out the DVD/CD-RW for an inboard battery as well.
The combo of the standard and the inboard battery will basically let you
run the thing all day long. Despite Robert's counseling on the reliability
of hard drives these days, I bought a SmartDisk USB floppy drive to backup
my daily data. Not a wise move. It's big, relatively speaking. A memory
stick and a USB patch cable for the PC would have better. Of course if you
don't plan to swap out the optical drive for a second battery, the issue is
moot. You simply treat the CD-RW as a floppy.

Michael Norman