Hardware that just keeps going and going (with help though)

[mikeymikec]

My Logitech MX Revolution mouse is at least 10 years old (a CNET review of it is dated 2007). I've replaced the internal Li-ion battery once, fished dust bunnies out of the wheel mouse aperture many times, cleaned the charging bay and mouse charging contacts several times, and most recently I thought it was finally giving up the ghost because the optical tracking was going to pot (and not because of a dirty desk surface), I took it apart again but couldn't get any closer to the lens so I stick a vacuum cleaner nozzle right where the lens aperture was. Apparent success!

I'm just wondering if I should buy fresh pads for the underside (about £7 UKP) and a fresh battery (about £13) or whether I should consider that money better held back in reserve for a new mouse at some point.

Due to past RSI I'm quite picky about the mice I use and it (and its predecessors, the MX700 and MX1000) has served me well. I was thinking of getting an MX Master 3S but apparently I can hold off on that for now.

Any thoughts about investing in this mouse, or any similar examples of hardware that has limped on with help?

 

[lxskllr]

Do you *need* a battery or skates? Sounds like everything's working fine. Stuff doesn't have to be like new if it serves your purposes in a degraded state. Doesn't matter if the battery lasts half as long if it's docked way before it runs out. If you wanted to be cheap or clever, something like a nylon washer glued to the bottom might make a good skate if it clears everything in the dock. I haven't used the Revolution in awhile.

Anyway, I'm typing this on an IBM model M, looking at a 4:3 20" Dell monitor from 2006, and my speakers are Creatives from 2002 maybe? So yea, I still use some old shit :^D

 

[sdifox]

I though op was going to talk about his Hitachi Personal Massager.

 

[mikeymikec]

Do you *need* a battery or skates? Sounds like everything's working fine. Stuff doesn't have to be like new if it serves your purposes in a degraded state. Doesn't matter if the battery lasts half as long if it's docked way before it runs out. If you wanted to be cheap or clever, something like a nylon washer glued to the bottom might make a good skate if it clears everything in the dock. I haven't used the Revolution in awhile.

I've been wondering that myself, but also considering that in my line of work I've seen seeing older laptops that one can't get batteries for any more because they're "so old" (approx ten years), and I figured that a faulty battery would mean a quick death, it's also reasonable to assume that I won't always be able to get a replacement battery for this, however how good a condition are those batteries going to be in. When I searched ebay I just looked for the model of mouse and the skates came up so I considered those too (especially considering that the glue on the current skates isn't going to last forever).

I guess there are too many points of failure to go spending on placing particular bits, after all if I replace the battery then the charging dock could end up being the problem etc.

 

[purbeast0]

My arcade games are from the 90's and still going strong with some TLC. I had to recap a few monitors and replace some buttons, guns, joysticks, lights, and switches, but other than that, they are running just like they were when they were brand new basically.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Some nice Sony headphones from 08 or so might be my oldest daily drivers, nothing older than that I don't think, some old computer junk in the garage notwithstanding.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I have a set of Altec Lansing speakers from early 2000's that I bought when I built my first computer and they still sound great. Was never able to find anything better as far as computer speakers go. I had to type "VINTAGE" in the keyword to find the picture. That makes me feel old.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Typing this on a Gateway notebook I got from Tiger Direct in 2010.

 

[highland145]

Stopped by Boomer's house.

 

[mikeymikec]

I have a set of Altec Lansing speakers from early 2000's that I bought when I built my first computer and they still sound great. Was never able to find anything better as far as computer speakers go. I had to type "VINTAGE" in the keyword to find the picture. That makes me feel old.


View attachment 93085

I've been using the hifi that I bought with my wages from my teen-era McJob (1997) as the audio output for my PC. I'll be sad if/when it finally dies.

(googled for a photo)

 

[sdifox]

Holly shit I have a similar one I bought in high school. Still have it but the cd player is toast. Not that I listen to cd anyway

 

[mikeymikec]

Holly shit I have the same one I bought in high school. Still have it but the cd player is toast. Not that I losoisten to cd anyway

Ditto. Oddly, the tape deck still works (I found this out recently when going through my parents' old stuff and clearing out their house, I came across cassette tapes that my mum recorded of us learning to read as kids). I wonder if I could coax the CD player into life FWIW. DIY experience points and such.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Got all the silver stuff sometime in the late 70s or early 80s. The dual deck sometime later. Still works, sort of. Some kind of weird feedback and cut out issue when using the turntable. Not sure if it's a bad cable or something inside. Dual deck works fine. Used it a couple of years ago to convert some old cassettes to digital.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Those old style stereos were awesome. They just don't make stuff like that anymore. It was cool when people had full stacks of that stuff behind a glass cabinet with big tower speakers. That was the real deal in home entertainment systems! I remember my mom buying one similar to that Kenwood but think it was a different brand, I want to say RCA but I honestly don't remember. The cube style with the CD changer, and the two side speakers. Every now and then a CD would get stuck so I opened it up to get it out.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I opened the glass doors for those shots. And yes, the speakers are Jensens about 2 foot tall.

 

[nakedfrog]

Ditto. Oddly, the tape deck still works (I found this out recently when going through my parents' old stuff and clearing out their house, I came across cassette tapes that my mum recorded of us learning to read as kids). I wonder if I could coax the CD player into life FWIW. DIY experience points and such.

That is interesting, often the belts would have deteriorated by now. Last year I picked up two shelf units like that, one was a cheaper Aiwa that did need new belts (and ultimately didn't suit my purpose), the other is a much nicer Pioneer and the tape decks are fine. It has the Pioneer magazine mechanism instead of carousel, which has pros and cons of course.

 

[BoomerD]

Stopped by Boomer's house.

View attachment 93086

You're the fucker who stole my phone! 🤬

I have a Corsair HX620 power supply that I bought and installed in...2007. Was in daily use until mid-2019, then only occasional use for a couple of years. When I tore that PC down, I put it back in its original box and stuck it in the garage with my other old pc crap...but I wouldn't hesitate to use it again. Rock solid.

 

[BoomerD]

Those old style stereos were awesome. They just don't make stuff like that anymore. It was cool when people had full stacks of that stuff behind a glass cabinet with big tower speakers. That was the real deal in home entertainment systems! I remember my mom buying one similar to that Kenwood but think it was a different brand, I want to say RCA but I honestly don't remember. The cube style with the CD changer, and the two side speakers. Every now and then a CD would get stuck so I opened it up to get it out.

I have an old Technics rack system I bought in...91 I think. Still have it...minus the rack cabinet.




Speakers are about 36" tall




it all still works...except the CD changer...I THINK there's a CD jamming it up.

All in boxes in the garage.

I also have a pair of BOSE 2.2 speakers in a box out there. Those sound hella sweet.


(pic from reddit...NOT my setup)

 

[nakedfrog]

I have an old Technics rack system I bought in...91 I think. Still have it...minus the rack cabinet.

View attachment 93292
View attachment 93296

Speakers are about 36" tall


View attachment 93293

it all still works...except the CD changer...I THINK there's a CD jamming it up.

All in boxes in the garage.

I also have a pair of BOSE 2.2 speakers in a box out there. Those sound hella sweet.


(pic from reddit...NOT my setup)

View attachment 93295

LMK if you need me to haul those Technics speakers off for you

 

[Oyeve]

I recently found an old cassette tape from a birthday party I was given in 1971 or so. On it was my Indonesian grandfather playing the mandolin. I didnt feel like dusting of my old Sony tapedeck and my old boomboxes all have busted decks so I ordered some 30 buck mini tape boombox from amazon to play this. Brought back loads of memories. So I started digging out my old cassettes from the 80s and found some great music. Found my old ceramic TDK cassettes and they sound pretty effing good! I probably should dig out my old sony ES deck.

 

[Red Squirrel]

That reminds me I'm pretty sure I have a stash of tapes from when I was a kid, I'd have to dig those up some time. I used to just record the most random things, also had a Talkboy like in Home Alone that I used to mess around with. I don't remember what I did with that, I wish I still had it since it's a cool novelty, but knowing me as a kid I probably took it apart and never put it back together.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I have some older stereo parts. ‘90s era. Mixed in with newer hardware. I have a variety of vintage computing gear kicking around which I play with intermittently. But most of my “old but good” stuff is furniture or woodworking tools.

 

[Oyeve]

I recently found, when I was going through my comics and cassette tape boxes, my old hifi vcr. I also found a large box of Disney movies I bought when my son was a toddler, he's almost 30 now. Some of the movies are of the "Black Diamond' variety that, for some reason, people think are worth something. I plan on donating these to goodwill.