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What's the oldest piece of tech still on your desk?

Off Topic by dadlime 23 replies 2.2K views
dadlime

Member OP

stable > testing

14 #1

2009 Dell 2209WA. IPS, 1680x1050, 16:10 aspect ratio. (I will die on this hill. Widescreen is a conspiracy to sell less vertical pixels for more money.)

Bought it refurbished in 2011 for $180. Still has zero dead pixels. Color accuracy is frankly embarrassing by modern standards. I do not care. It has a 4-port USB 2.0 hub that still works (like everything else on this cursed desk, including a PS/2 adapter I found in a box labeled "misc").

The stand tilts. That is the full articulation. No swivel. No height adjust. I have propped it on two reams of paper and a copy of "UNIX Network Programming, Volume 1." Semicolons. I have learned to live with compromise.

steveipw

Member

#2

For that money you get today:

  • 27" 1440p IPS from Hetzner, €140 refurb
  • Used auction server with IPMI and LSI 9211-8I, $90
  • Four 4TB SAS drives, RAIDZ1, $20/TB

Your monitor has no SMART data. No reallocated sectors to monitor. No excitement at all.

zfs send | zfs receive. repeat.
PU

Member

4 #3

I maintain a Compaq Contura 4/25 in working condition. It does not reside on my desk. Two spaces after periods.

The oldest item in daily use is a 2014 Filco Majestouch. I have replaced the switches twice. The case has yellowed uniformly, like old ivory.

Hel

Member

Bare Metal Purist

#4

Palm Tungsten T3. Daily driver. Calendar. Notes. No cloud. Sync via serial cradle to Debian 12 box. Perkele

Battery rebuilt with 18650 cells. Screen good. Graffiti fast. Wife thinks affectation. Wife correct. Do not care.

dave39

Member

#5

The 16:10 hill is a good hill

DU

Member

#6

Hetzner still selling refurb 27" for €140?

nate_pad

Member

#7

What switches did you put in the filco

PU

Member

#8

Pure19 here. Cherry MX Browns, then Cherry MX Clears. The PCB is from an era when Filco still used plate-mounted switches with proper through-hole soldering. Desoldering is tedious but the traces have survived two full swaps. The yellowing is not UV damage; it is the bromine flame retardant in the ABS. Uniform, at least. I could retrobright it but that feels like cheating.

nate_pad

Member

#9

Thanks. Browns are what I have now, was thinking of trying clears. Heard they are heavier.

PU

Member

#10

Heavier tactility, not just weight. The bump is at the top of the travel instead of in the middle. You will mistype for a week. Worth it.

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