Hackjob

Even though I'm a PC guy, I have a strong appreciation for the Mac Pro, having cycled through many of them in the not so distant past. However, Apple recently discontinued the latest model of the tower, this time seemingly for good. I figured now was a fitting time to check one out for myself.

Logitech has a very long and storied history of producing top shelf gaming mice, with the G502 lineage arguably being their most famed. Yet, that line wasn't always Logitech's flagship full-featured ergo mouse - it was actually once second tier to a mouse that was even better in a lot of ways that mattered: the G700s. Logitech forgot all about it. You shouldn't.

Ever look at your keyboard and wished that it looked it would eat your face off? No? Well, apparently GravaStar thinks you should - and they designed probably the most aesthetically insane keyboard I've ever laid hands on: the Mercury K1 Pro. But is this keyboard just all bark and no bite?

Tim Cook recently announced that he was stepping down as the CEO of Apple, so I figured it would be fitting to take a look at one of the more infamous products that was released under his stewardship: the 12-inch MacBook. This laptop had one goal in mind: to be as thin and compact as humanly possible while still offering a full-fledged macOS experience. Did it actually deliver? Well...

If you read my M.M.O. 7+ review and wondered how well it actually compares to the original - you're now in luck. Is the new mouse actually worth dropping some serious change on over the decade-plus old classic? Or is the OG still good enough to negate it?

I've been using the Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ ADV at my desk for far longer than I ever thought I would - but the only thing that stopped me short of outright recommending it at MSRP was the lack of a wireless option. Well, Mad Catz finally did it - and now gracing my desk is the new M.M.O. 7+. Let's see if it clicks.

I've had a hankering for another Alps equipped keyboard ever since I parted ways with my oddball Datacomp DFK515 and thankfully, that opportunity finally presented itself in the form of what many consider to be the magnum opus. This is the Northgate OmniKey Ultra-T - and it eats IBM Model Ms for breakfast. Despite making a keyboard that holds a lot of reverence among computer users of a certain age - Northgate Computer Systems probably isn't a household name for most of you readers. In short, they were a manufacturer and seller of mail-order computers and peripherals during the 80s and 90s - among which was the OmniKey line of keyboards. The OmniKey ended up being so well liked that many customers just bought them for use with their existing systems. An early "Gold Badge" OmniKey 102. There were six models of the OmniKey. Northgate did sell some rebadged keyboards under the same branding, but we'll just focus on the more well-known originals: OmniKey 101: ANSI lay...

It's been a while since I've reviewed a normal mouse, though normal mice by my definition are usually button and RGB festooned monstrosities that weigh as much as a brick. This one however, takes that to a whole new extreme. This is the R.A.T. 8+ ADV. It's definitely not from this timeline.

When I reviewed the Dyson Zone, I poked fun at how ridiculous its token air filtration feature was, but surprised by how genuinely good they sounded as just headphones. It left enough of a good impression that I couldn't help but try their successor - the OnTrac. Dyson made more than a handful of changes here, but are they enough? Let's find out.

Everyone knows the vacuum cleaner company Dyson, right? A few years ago they actually made an unexpected foray into high-end audio - except they did it in a way that was so ridiculously on brand, it had zero chance of catching on. Dubbed the Zone, this goofy device was widely ridiculed, but it did have some high points. Now that they're steeply discounted, are they worth another look?

Not too long ago, I settled on Microsoft's old Trackball Explorer as trackball nirvana. Unfortunately, it's been out of production for well over a decade and the MTE's closest modern equivalents don't really hit all the same notes... except for one. Enter the Sanwa Gravi, a trackball you've almost definitely been sleeping on.

I had no real intentions on getting another buckling spring keyboard following the sublime Model F Labs Classic F104, but this was just too good of deal to pass up, and I figured it'd be fun to compare the two side by side. What I have here is an actual IBM Model F 'AT'; widely considered to be the best of the original Model F designs. Does it hold up today?

Up next is another once highly regarded Logitech trackball that has also been absent from their lineup for a little over a decade at this point: the Cordless Optical Trackman. Despite it's chops, and some promising features, you probably shouldn't buy one. Here's why.

It would be a disservice - me doing a trackball extravaganza, and not trying what's widely regarded as the greatest one ever made: the Microsoft Trackball Explorer. But despite this thing's glowing reputation, it's still a two-decade old peripheral. Is it still deserving of all the praise, or did time finally catch up? Let's find out.

Up next in my little trackball deep dive is an offering from Logitech that's held in very high esteem by the community thanks to it's radical shape, but it also has been absent from the market for roughly two decades at this point. What the hell happened to it? And is it even any good? Let's take a look.

Just on a whim, I decided to hook myself up with some computer trackballs so I could see if this long overshadowed alternative to desktop rodents was ever worthwhile. I'll be doing a few reviews of these in the coming days, and first up we have the hilariously christened Elecom Huge. It certainly lives up to it's name - for better or worse.

Anybody who has some knowledge of vintage computer hardware is probably familiar with IBM's Model M and it's novel buckling spring switch. Despite it's ubiquity, it's not actually the only keyboard to use the switch, nor is it the first - and some may argue it certainly wasn't even the best. That distinction would go to the IBM Model F, and thanks to the efforts of a crowdfunded project; you can buy a brand-spanking-new one. Right now. But should you?

Vintage keyboards are a fun rabbit hole to dive into. They all tend to come from an era where there were no widely accepted standards like today, and many companies came out out of the woodwork seemed to have their own wildly differing ideas on how to best engineer these things. One such less known company was Datacomp, and among their sizable lineup of IBM PC peripherals, they put out this ugly monstrosity called the DFK515. Color me surprised - it's actually really, really good.

It's been a good seven years since I last upgraded my mouse and I finally decided it was time to try something a bit different. Enter the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro, Razer's most feature packed - and unintentionally productivity geared mouse to date. Is it worth the staggeringly high premium? Let's find out.

As a longtime writer, I've always appreciated the feel of a good keyboard, yet I've never actually used one that's has that kind of a reputation. I've been in squishy dome hell for damn near two decades and only fairly recently got a proper mechanical keyboard - but even that still didn't feel quite right. Ever dissatisfied, my keyboard search finally led me to this: the legendary Model M.