Steven Harrison’s Blog

In the market for a new keyboard, but can’t justify the cost of the Optimus Maximus? At almost $2000, the Optimus Maximus is a bit spendy (but awfully pretty nevertheless).

However, the soon-to-be-released Das Keyboard could be worth a look. As it uses mechanical switches, it should be just as good to work on as the IBM M keyboard, and last just as long. You can even get it with no keymarkings, thus forcing you to learn how to touch-type without looking at the keyboard.

I first encountered the IBM model M (part number 51G8572) as a new sysadmin, working on the RS/6000’s and have always been on the look out for a similar keyboard with a more modern style and the Das keyboard looks like it might fit the bill, plus it’s priced right too.

Tags: Computing by Steven
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Love computer games and thinking of doing a gaming design degree? Pick your course carefully as the BBC reports that only 4 out of the 81 courses on offer at UK universities are accredited.

This could end up being a huge problem for the current generation of students. The gaming industry could seem like easy money for them, especially when they learn that a key demographic for traditional media (i.e television) is playing more and more video games, and spending less and less time watching TV. Having played games themselves, the gaming industry could look like easy money to them.

According to the BBC few courses are requiring mathematics A-level in an attempt to attract students, but students who do not have a solid foundation in maths will encounter significant problems when it comes to game design and programming.

If you’re looking to go into the games design industry, a background in mathematics and science will serve you better than playing the games themselves.

Tags: Education, Gaming by Steven
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The NY Times (via Digg) has an interesting story on Paul Otlet, and his vision of a global network of information storage systems that predated the Internet by 30-40 years.

read more | digg story

Tags: Computing, History by Steven
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This month marks the diamond Jubilee of the Small Scale Experimental Machine - the Manchester SSEM - the first computer to execute a stored program.

More information here

Tags: Computing, History by Steven
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