XO: SO-SO future

When I first learned of the One Laptop Per Child program 2 or 3 years ago, I was very, very skeptical. A $100 laptop for kids in developing nations? Meh. Don't children in developing nations have more important needs?

But on second thought, there already were many organizations addressing those needs. Perhaps it is a good thing one group tries a different tack.  So in November 2007, I signed up for the OLPC Give-One Get-One program.  That I could explore a new piece of hardware running Linux appealed to the geek in me.  That my then 7 year old son would benefit from the XO appealed to the father in me.  And that an XO  would be donated to a child in a developing nation appealed to the "do a good deed" in me.

But after winning me over, the future of the XO laptop seems cloudy. With several departures of key OLPC employees and the replacement of Linux with Windows XP, it appears that OLPC has lost its way.  It's not that the  children care whether their laptop runs Linux or XP; unlike grownups, their minds are remarkably flexible.  No, my concern is that XP, with its attendant viruses, patch Tuesdays, and increased hardware requirements over Linux, would prove to be a frustrating experience. 

The XO hardware was thoughtfully built for children in developing nations  -- durable screen, water resistant keyboard, mesh networking, low power consumption.  That same emphasis on children must be kept in mind regarding the software.

Eyeing the iPhone

I've always wanted a phone without a keyboard, and HandSpring actually delivered one back in 2001:


But it didn't sell as well as the version with the keyboard, and as a result, HandSpring never evolved its design for a keyboard-less phone. Instead, that path was taken by Apple and has led to the much coveted iPhone.

I confess that I am among those who covet the device, but I have hesitated in buying one. It's not the price, as I feel the hardware and technology is worth it. It's the 2 year commitment to AT&T that gives me pause. Coverage for the areas I frequent is spotty and I would certainly lose coolness points as I run to just the right spot in the office and start speaking loudly to overcome a bad connection.

Sadly for me, the iPhone on the AT&T network would be too much like driving a Lamborghini on a pot-hole ridden road.

Best compliment a software developer can hear...

"It's kinda' boring. We were hoping to see a little more action..."
-- an operations manager at a major stock exchange

A group of us recently completed a major rewrite of system that I like to describe as "greasing the wheels of capitalism". I can't go into details, but the point is that the system has been running uneventfully since its release. That's music to this software developer's ears.

We -- software developers -- should all strive for such a compliment... unless you work at Apple, in which case the last thing you want to be is boring.

The Princeton Graphics VL1919

I needed an inexpensive lcd for an aging PC. My next computer might have a built-in display (a notebook or an iMac) so price was a major consideration. For $220 at Costco (in-store purchase only), the Princeton VL1919 got my attention.

Physically, it's a slim attractive monitor. It has both analog and digital ports, and includes cables for both. I have an analog graphics card and the picture quality is quite good for watching dvds, home photo editing, and playing games. The VL1919 is not, however, a display for graphics pros who understand white point and need to adjust their gammas. The viewing angle is too small for a 19" display and the shift in color would be unacceptable to them.

As a software developer, I work mostly with text, and the VL1919's 0.294mm dot pitch made words appear a tad grainy. I could, however, compensate and "soften" the characters using the phase control on the OSD.

The OSD itself was awkward to use. Contrary to the documentation, there is no quick way to adjust the brightness or contrast; rather, I had to cycle through the menus. Also, the power button is in the middle of the 5 button row, and more than once I accidentally pressed it while working the menus. Better (more expensive) displays offset the power button to the right or left.

The display offers stereo sound with built-in speakers. They're better than the typical mono speaker in the PC chassis, and good enough for watching clips on You-Tube. They also save desk space. But music lovers, movie buffs, and gamers who rely on 3-D sound are better off with external speakers.

I may sound critical, but I really like the VL1919. With its thin bezel and affordable price, I bought a second one for a dual display setup.

Update 2/18/2007: 

The graphics card does affect the display quality, so I thought it might be helpful if I specified my hardware:

• Primary Adapter: AGP Diamond Viper 770D, 32MB
  
• Secondary Adapter: PCI Number Nine Revolution3D, 8 MB
  
• Operating System: Windows 2000
  

Update 3/17/2010:

To answer Tommy, Princeton Graphics used to have a test image up on their website which would help you auto sync your VL1919 (rightmost button).  If I find the image, I'll upload it here.  In the meantime, you can calibrate your display with images from this website: http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/   It's amazingly thorough, fun, and educational.  And it might improve your display quality too!

The Mandatory "Optional" Meeting

I was young at the time. My manager had called an optional meeting for later that morning. Since it was optional, I had planned to stay in my cubicle and bang away on the keyboard; I had bugs to solve and code to write. Later, a colleague came by to fetch me. "Didn't you know we had a meeting?"

"Yes," I replied. "It was optional."

She had an exasperated look on her face, as if I should have known better. Off I went; I wasn't rebellious, just naive.

The good news was that the manager never called a mandatory "optional" meeting again. The bad news was that I would continue to encounter similar goofiness throughout my ongoing career in software.

Ring out the Old, Ring in the New?

While I look forward to the three new Treo models due out this year, I have no intention to ring out my old T3. I like to take care of my stuff.

After 14 months of use, my T3 lost two of the four screws along its sides. I found replacements -- four for $4.95 -- at InfosystemsPro. It's probably cheaper from a local hardware store, but the right size screws are hard to find.

I am testing my T3 as a USB drive (a T5 capability) with Softick's Card Export II. I haven't decided to register the software yet, but for $14.95, it lets you drag and drop files between your T3's SD card and your desktop (Windows, Mac, or Linux).

And don't forget, you can rotate your T3's screen with a touch of a button (like the LifeDrive). It's available for $5.95 from yours truly.

Happy New Year!

Yam Technology?

I had briefly considered naming my company Yam Technology (Yam is my last name), but quickly realized how mistakenly popular I could become during Thanksgiving.

"Can you send over a 50lb bag?" "Do you mash?" "Do you have recipes?"

Yam Technology could also be mistaken for a large and serious agri-genetic concern, and it disturbed me that I could be thought of as growing mutant potatoes. So I settled for the more playful Y Technology.

I spend a good deal of time with computer people and our collective sense of humor leans unambiguously on the dry side. Here's hoping your turkey isn't and your bottle of red is. Cheers!