What are you getting for black friday?

[D.Burnette]

I'd like to buy a used 3458a for black friday,

But in reality land, I will probably settle for some good soldering iron tips and maybe a coil winding machine if I find something good on sale.

[RJSV]

   Was so pleased with what I've learned, lately,  and related to my pre-Black Friday purchase,  a cheapo electric GUITAR, that I wish to share one arcane detail...  After all,  the Holidays and Black Friday are supposed to be fun-filled !
   If there is any musical instrument that is fun,  that would be having a guitar, and learning some technique.
Besides,  I've heard many times that musicians make for good programmers;  We have similar problems, using frequencies and timing intervals in the theory.

   Well, physically, there are challenges when attempting to do the chord fingerings.  Jimi Hendrix had fame for making sound,  of course,  but he also innovated some chord and strumming variations.

   Today, I've illustrated the long used 'G Major' chords used in everything from classical to rock to folk musical styles.  (See photo) Now Jimi had a special way of laying his fingers on the fretboard, in this example he could finger the G chord by extra use of the thumb.

   So, instead of having the whole hand extended down and under the guitar neck, Jimi would retract the hand about, towards his body, and rotate the thumb up, to access the 6th or thickest string,  (3rd fret).
   Might sound like a 'gimic' but that enabled some of the trick playing,  while holding his guitar up,  behind the head.

(Hendrix apparently was also gifted with what the call a 'guitarist machine' body, including long thin fingers.)
   So I've shown, also,  that has use to mute the 5th string, while covering the 6th string, 3rd fret.
That gives the low base or G Major 'root' with the G note, 3 Rd fret.
Readers that can examine this, on their own, will realize that it's a very liberating chord shape that way;  enabling a very quick, and possibly sloppy fingering style.

   What you get, is:
    Root;   Third (only with conventional);  5th;  high Root;  high 3rd;  and finally, the highest Root, on the 1rst string.

A plus for aging readers, guitar players,  is the special fret fingering helps with any arthritis !  That was a pleasant surprise.

Enjoy your holidays,  readers, thanks for reading
- - Rick B.p

[nctnico]

I bought a bigger monitor (a return deal). 24" Full HD is getting too cramped. So I ordered a 32" QHD (2560x1440) which should have the same pixel size. I did contemplate getting a 28" full HD screen with bigger pixels for improved readability but decided I'm in more dire need for more pixels.

[brucehoult]

I bought a bigger monitor (a return deal). 24" Full HD is getting too cramped. So I ordered a 32" QHD (2560x1440) which should have the same pixel size. I did contemplate getting a 28" full HD screen with bigger pixels for improved readability but decided I'm in more dire need for more pixels.

Yeah, for me Full HD really isn't enough to be comfortable for real work, and I don't like multiple monitors.

In 2004 Apple started selling a 30" 2560x1600 monitor and it was amazing. Dell also used the same panel. But the price was eye-watering. I picked up a used one cheap in 2008 or 2009 and it was my main monitor until I moved abroad in 2015. I could use that monitor with Monaco/Profont/Ubuntu Mono etc 9 pixel fonts with no scaling with no problems.  Now my 16" laptop has that number of pixels and my eyes are now over 60 and I have to bump the font size to 12.

By 2017 32" 4k 3840x2160 monitors reached a reasonable price (US$500) and have been what I've used ever since. I also use 12 pixel type for terminals/text editors on those.

The 4k 32" are a definite improvement on the 20 year old Apple/Dell 30" because of the extra crispness. Usually I prefer 16:10 over 16:9 -- and don't really like FullHD -- but 2160/13 is slightly more lines of code than 1600/10 so on the 32" the different aspect ratio is felt as more width, not as less height.

I would not want a 28" 4k. I think I'd have to bump the font size even more (losing lines of text). Or suffer.

[aeberbach]

The size that gives good pixel density at 4k is 42"... it fits so much code.

There's an ASUS 5k monitor out now that I have seen a few saying is a very good alternative to the Apple display. And it has more than just one USB-C input, with KVM function. Two of those could be an upgrade?

[brucehoult]

The size that gives good pixel density at 4k is 42"... it fits so much code.

But at that point the edges are just sooooo far away. I think I'd need a curved monitor, which adds a lot to the price.

[JXstaystonight]

nothing

[tszaboo]

I bought a bigger monitor (a return deal). 24" Full HD is getting too cramped. So I ordered a 32" QHD (2560x1440) which should have the same pixel size. I did contemplate getting a 28" full HD screen with bigger pixels for improved readability but decided I'm in more dire need for more pixels.

My work and my home office setup has been 2x 25" QHD+ laptop. I've been using this for a while now.
With IPS monitors. TN has improved in the past years, but on the other hand the savings of TN is miniscule. And monitors are very cheap nowadays.

[nctnico]

I bought a bigger monitor (a return deal). 24" Full HD is getting too cramped. So I ordered a 32" QHD (2560x1440) which should have the same pixel size. I did contemplate getting a 28" full HD screen with bigger pixels for improved readability but decided I'm in more dire need for more pixels.

My work and my home office setup has been 2x 25" QHD+ laptop. I've been using this for a while now.
With IPS monitors. TN has improved in the past years, but on the other hand the savings of TN is miniscule. And monitors are very cheap nowadays.

I need relatively big pixel sizes as quite a lot of software I use draws lines as single pixels rows without the ability to scale. With a small pixel pitch, these lines will become invisible. And I need to take deteriorating eye sight into account as well.

[Siwastaja]

32" 2560x1440 is pretty much sweet spot:
* Enough pixels for sufficient working area in CAD, design etc.
* Not that ridiculous tiny pixel bullshit
* No need to configure the OS to upscale applications and suffer from the weird blurry appearance it gives
* No need to scale web pages etc.
* Usual font sizes work, no need to adjust anything

I got one in 2015. At that time all the cool kids got 28" 4K monitors. I don't see the point. Maybe if all you do is look at photos. Definitely not for electronics CAD, design work (Altium, pdf readers, excel, spice, etc.), programming (code editors, terminal windows).

2560 pixels is a pretty decent compromise so you can switch between 1 application fullscreen and when need arises, put two in parallel (e.g. Altium + PDF reader in 60-40% division) while still having enough pixels for both; just barely though, but it's enough, and one 30" - 32" monitor does not get too clumsy on your desk, compared to some super wide curved megamonitor or multi-monitor setup.

[2N3055]

I have 34" 3440*1440.
It basically replaced 2 monitor setup. Works well and pixels are normal size.
I can easily have schematic and PCB open side by side. Or several other windows...

[brucehoult]

32" 2560x1440 is pretty much sweet spot:
* Enough pixels for sufficient working area in CAD, design etc.
* Not that ridiculous tiny pixel bullshit
* No need to configure the OS to upscale applications and suffer from the weird blurry appearance it gives
* No need to scale web pages etc.
* Usual font sizes work, no need to adjust anything

I got one in 2015.

At 91.8 PPI just about indistinguishable from the 30" 2560x1600 (100.6 PPI) I had from 2008-2015 :-) One is like a FullHD 22", the other a FullHD 24".

But I do actually prefer the 32" 4k (137.7 PPI .. like a FullHD 16"). The 37% more pixel resolution in each direction means I can't see the jaggies at all, either on diagonal lines or on text, which looks perfectly formed to me.

As mentioned before, I've increased my font pixel size by 20%, but not by the full 50% of the resolution increase. So I get a lot more on the screen, without discomfort to these 62 year old eyes.

I got used to reflexively hitting cmd-+ cmd-+ on web sites with fine text that I haven't visited before, to view them at 125%. But not all. CNN, for some reason, is fine at 100%, while I upscale BBC.

[tszaboo]

I have 34" 3440*1440.
It basically replaced 2 monitor setup. Works well and pixels are normal size.
I can easily have schematic and PCB open side by side. Or several other windows...

Schematic and PCB yes, but it's usually schematic, PCB, two docked panels, excel or datasheet or simulation.
Not that I do a lot of PCB design anyway nowadays. Feels like 100% of the time I send is writing documentation about the electronics that I design in between writing documentations.

[coppice]

Yeah, for me Full HD really isn't enough to be comfortable for real work, and I don't like multiple monitors.

Multiple monitors are a terrible idea if you use them badly, but great if you use them well. Don't think of them as 2 or more equal screens. If you use 2 maybe put one right in front you and one to the side. In most work we have main things we are doing. Put that right in front of you. We have supplementary things, like specs and logs, we frequently need to refer to. Put them to the side on one or more additional screens. When I first tried multiple screens I only had 1920x1080 panels, and those didn't get me quite enough on the main screen in front of me. Now I have three 4k screens, a main one in the middle, and supporting material to each side. I find few problems keeping the key material in front of me. A single large wrap around display would be nicer, but I don't think the improvement would be big. What I have right now finally keeps me happy, to an extent nothing since the joy of being able to use an ASR33 interactively over using punched cards ever has. As for screen sizes, at my age using three 40" panels is the right choice for me, but if I were in my 20s again I might find three 32" panels were the best choice. My son, at 25, seems to find his 32" 4k panel better than the 28" 4k panels he has tried, although he has worn glasses his whole life. Maybe someone with perfect vision would find 28" a better choice on a modest sized desk setup.

[NiHaoMike]

You're better off getting a used > 18yr old Panasonic plasma. "4K" is meaningless, and for £50 you'll get a set which will STILL be going in 5 years, long after your OLED model has conked out and is in fragments in some recycling centre 

Only for gamers who prefer FPS over pixels. Too pixelated for regular PC use.

[nctnico]

I bought a bigger monitor (a return deal). 24" Full HD is getting too cramped. So I ordered a 32" QHD (2560x1440) which should have the same pixel size. I did contemplate getting a 28" full HD screen with bigger pixels for improved readability but decided I'm in more dire need for more pixels.

It has arrived and I installed it. It is friggin' huge! I'll probably spend the next few days tweaking the brightness, gamma and contrast... 

I also notice that due to the width, the viewing angle along the left & right borders becomes an issue.

BTW, it is an LG 32GS75Q

[Smokey]

So disappointed in you guys!  TV s?  That's boring.  Where are all the test equipment buys??

[Muttley Snickers]

I had planned to buy a couple of watches on Aliexpress but aren’t seeing anything special in regards to prices, in fact they are more expensive today than they were two weeks ago, special prices my arse.    

A couple of saved screenshots below for comparison.

[SiliconWizard]

I bought a bigger monitor (a return deal). 24" Full HD is getting too cramped. So I ordered a 32" QHD (2560x1440) which should have the same pixel size. I did contemplate getting a 28" full HD screen with bigger pixels for improved readability but decided I'm in more dire need for more pixels.

It has arrived and I installed it. It is friggin' huge! I'll probably spend the next few days tweaking the brightness, gamma and contrast... 

I also notice that due to the width, the viewing angle along the left & right borders becomes an issue.

BTW, it is an LG 32GS75Q

Interesting. I for one don't find 32" *that* huge. But compared to 24", the contrast is definitely striking.
For 32", I would have favored 4K, but after that, it's all down to your use case and eyesight.
I have settled for a dual-monitor setup (two 27" QHD) which works well for me. For a long time, I was not a fan of dual-monitor setups, but I must admit it does work well. I personally like the fact they are kind of "separated". I often use the second one for reading documents, having schematics when routing PCBs on the main one, etc. Or watching a video.

[nctnico]

So disappointed in you guys!  TV s?  That's boring.  Where are all the test equipment buys??

Computer monitors. Not TVs!
Test equipment: can't find a better all-round bench DMM to replace my VC8145.

[Smokey]

....
Test equipment: can't find a better all-round bench DMM to replace my VC8145.

Ha!  A Comedian!

[AndyC_772]

   Was so pleased with what I've learned, lately,  and related to my pre-Black Friday purchase,  a cheapo electric GUITAR, that I wish to share one arcane detail...  After all,  the Holidays and Black Friday are supposed to be fun-filled !
   If there is any musical instrument that is fun,  that would be having a guitar, and learning some technique.

Good for you! I took the day off today and spent it buying a snare drum and a pack of cymbals. I joined a band a few weeks ago and we have a show coming up in Feb... really looking forward to it!

[nctnico]

....
Test equipment: can't find a better all-round bench DMM to replace my VC8145.

Ha!  A Comedian!

Nope. Looked at 15 DMMs already without looking at the price. They all suck worse in one way or another. Biggest problem is slow continuity in bench DMMs due to implementing this feature in software instead of hardware. Second problem is many have a fan. Closest contender is the Uni-T 8805E but this has an open voltage of 8V on diode testing & continuity (killing for sensitive circuits) and super slow capacitance measurement so this is far from ideal either.

[brucehoult]

Yeah, for me Full HD really isn't enough to be comfortable for real work, and I don't like multiple monitors.

Multiple monitors are a terrible idea if you use them badly, but great if you use them well. Don't think of them as 2 or more equal screens. If you use 2 maybe put one right in front you and one to the side. In most work we have main things we are doing. Put that right in front of you. We have supplementary things, like specs and logs, we frequently need to refer to. Put them to the side on one or more additional screens. When I first tried multiple screens I only had 1920x1080 panels, and those didn't get me quite enough on the main screen in front of me. Now I have three 4k screens, a main one in the middle, and supporting material to each side. I find few problems keeping the key material in front of me.

At my age (well, at any age, IMHO) I find it easier and more comfortable to hit ctrl-alt-left/right than to turn my head, especially if it's for more than a quick glance. I keep that documentation and other supporting material in separate [work]spaces instead of on separate monitors. A fraction of a second and it's right in front of my eyes.

Supported by all of Mac/Windows/Linux (well Gnome anyway) and it's easy to edit the key bindings to make them the same across platforms. If you start to constantly refer to something then it's just as easy to drag it between workspaces as it is to drag between monitors.

And it's no problem to have 3, 4, 8 workspaces and use <modifiers>-<digit> to switch between them, while eight 32" monitors would be a tad unwieldy. It also works on your laptop in a cafe.

I just have four recently.  I have email and social media in the workspace to the left of my main one, mostly in tabs on one big browser window, but there are a few other stand-alone windows there too. I have reference material in the workspace to the right of the main one. And the workspace two to the right is an overflow/swap area.

Sometimes I go 2-dimensional, with other set(s) of workspaces above and below the main one, for other projects/tasks that I need to context switch to from time to time.

Any one of them can be front-and-center in the same amount of time it takes to turn my head. The only thing missing is the ability to move just your eyes not your head for a quick glance.

[coppice]

At my age (well, at age age, IMHO) I find it easier and more comfortable to hit ctrl-alt-left/right than to turn my head, especially if it's for more than a quick glance.

Well, there's your problem. Decades of staring constantly forwards at screens has ruined your neck muscles. Get some more screens, get some exercise, and improve your fitness. Maybe you'll be fitter when you get to my age.