Uncle DT's Random Image Thread

[Kruger]

That's an understatement, it's crazy how many times things work (usually) but then all of a sudden it goes sideways and I need to add an entry in the timecard so they know I wasn't effing around and it shouldn't be applied to normal day-to-day tasks either...

[Blaze]

A big part of my issue is that for some stupid reason every desktop app is nothing but a WinForms frame with an embedded browser for the interface. JavaScript and reactive HTML is not what should be used for mission critical programs. Browsers suck at that. The human race isn't ready for this. We spent 300,000 years in caves and then in the past 100 years we managed to somehow become wizards by tricking rocks to do math. Our simple brains aren't truly ready for this...

[Kruger]

Oh yeah, I hate browser based apps.  My company keeps trying to force the Outlook and Office web apps on us.  My problem is if I am up at the cabin or at the beach, the internet can be spotty and go out.  When that happens I'm SOL if I'm not using local apps.

Then again, that might be a plus, too....

[Blaze]

I wasn't referring to actual browser based apps, I'm talking about actual windows .exe program that use a browser as their interface instead of native Windows controls. It was either Postman or Insomnia that I have as an installed application - downloaded the .msi file for it and installed it. But I noticed weird behaviors when opening a right-click context menu. And then the tree control felt and looked odd as well. Then I hit F12 and holy shit, a browser debug window popped up. I could go into the form elements from the debugger and start changing the styles and object locations of everything in the application. It's like seeing that Ferarri 308 and then getting up close and personal and realizing it's just a Fiero...

[Kruger]

Think about it, it makes sense when web developers are a dime a dozen.  App coders are a more specialized skill and demand a higher salary.  It's easy to get a bunch of monkeys in a room and build the UI...

[Blaze]

The monkeys: We built the UI. Give us our bananas.
The project manager: You just flung poo all over the monitors. No bananas.
The monkeys: <proceed to tear the project manager's face and limbs off>

Hmm... Now that you mention it, I might be inclined to support the monkeys. I mean, it's enshittification with a bonus...

[Kruger]

Now that you mention it, I would be with the monkeys too...

[Kruger]

I just wanted to get this out there today...

[Blaze]

Thanks dude! I took the week off and wasn't following my normal routines so I completely missed hitting my own forum ...

[Kruger]

20th Century played a pivotal role on my side as well.  At one point a few years ago I found Brian online and reached out.  He said he remembered who I was, but I doubt that, I'm pretty certain he was just being Brian.

Did you know that Happys are still being made?

[Blaze]

It's amazing that there are still new hardware peripherals being made and that people are still interested in such an old machine. I also find it amazing that there's a market for the 800XL that Atari is releasing a new recreation of it (April 2027 and I'm quite tempted to get one)...

[Kruger]

Yup, and it's pretty exciting when 40 year old technology is still creating excitement and new development.  It warms the cockles of my heart that there is still an Atari and other homebrewers doing good work.  But I have mixed feelings with the new 800XL.  On one side, it would be cool to have one, the nostalgia alone would be worth the price.  The built in games list surprised me with a few of the titles, and not in a bad way.  Some of those evoke some pretty happy memories.  But mixed feelings because I don't have a real one that I can just turn on and experience the real thing.  Then again, the old stock is just going to continue to get older and have issues as parts break.  But the new one is using emulation and it is missing the SIO and expansion port, so it really would not be a full replacement if you wanted to go in that direction.  Also, having everything on a USB stick loses something.  Being able to pull the floppy out of the sleeve, get hit with that unique smell as you slide it into the drive and close the latch, then wait for it to load just feels "right".  And with no DB9 ports you would need to get adapters to pull out and use the old joysticks and paddles, so not the end of the world but not just plug and play either.  I dunno how I feel, on one hand it would be cool, on the other, meh...  Now if Revive Machines could just get their shit together and wrap up everything, that would be a better fit for what I would be looking for.

[Blaze]

Yeah, the lack of an expansion bus and not really being able to tinker with it is a bit disappointing. If I didn't already have three 800XL machines, I don't think I'd even entertain the idea of picking one up. I've been pretty happy with the emulator for getting in my quick fix of nostalgia. And yeah, I'd want the floppy disk experience as well. Having the head clatter, then skip and then adjusting the floppy lever up/down just right to "force" the head to read the track and then hearing the "bee da bee da bee da bee" read noises again was a sigh of relief... until the next time you tried booting up the disk.

It's been a year with no word of the Revive Machines releasing their creation. I don't know if I'd hold my breath for that one...