Assessments - Revision history

Ha1vorsen at 17:59, 6 July 2023

2023-07-06T17:59:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:59, 6 July 2023
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	== Extended Reality Glasses ==		== Extended Reality Glasses ==
	Main article: [[~~Extended Reality#Viture%20One%20XR\|~~Extended Reality]]		Main article: [[Extended Reality]]
	== Handheld PCs ==		== Handheld PCs ==
	Main article: [[Handheld PCs]]		Main article: [[Handheld PCs]]
	== Personal Electric Transportation ==		== Personal Electric Transportation ==
	Main article: [[Personal Electronic Transportation]]		Main article: [[Personal Electronic Transportation]]

Ha1vorsen: /* Extended Reality Glasses */

2023-07-06T17:59:05Z

Extended Reality Glasses

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:59, 6 July 2023
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	This page contains ramblings about different devices or items that I feel like writing about from time to time. They might be considered "mini-reviews", but that has a tone of permanence that I don't associate with the writings here, as they are just thoughts.		This page contains ramblings about different devices or items that I feel like writing about from time to time. They might be considered "mini-reviews", but that has a tone of permanence that I don't associate with the writings here, as they are just thoughts.

	~~== Personal Electric Transportation ==~~
	~~Main article: [[Personal Electronic Transportation]]~~

	== Extended Reality Glasses ==		== Extended Reality Glasses ==
	Main article: [[Extended Reality#Viture%20One%20XR\|Extended Reality]]		Main article: [[Extended Reality#Viture%20One%20XR\|Extended Reality]]
	~~-----~~
	== Handheld PCs ==		== Handheld PCs ==
	Main article: [[Handheld PCs]]		Main article: [[Handheld PCs]]
			== Personal Electric Transportation ==
			Main article: [[Personal Electronic Transportation]]

Ha1vorsen: /* Viture One XR */

2023-07-06T17:58:01Z

Viture One XR

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:58, 6 July 2023
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	== Extended Reality Glasses ==		== Extended Reality Glasses ==
	Main article: [[Extended Reality#Viture%20One%20XR\|Extended Reality]]		Main article: [[Extended Reality#Viture%20One%20XR\|Extended Reality]]

	~~=== Viture One XR ===~~
	~~-----~~
	-----		-----
	== Handheld PCs ==		== Handheld PCs ==
	Main article: [[Handheld PCs]]		Main article: [[Handheld PCs]]

Ha1vorsen: Replaced content with "This page contains ramblings about different devices or items that I feel like writing about from time to time. They might be considered "mini-reviews", but that has a tone of permanence that I don't associate with the writings here, as they are just thoughts. == Personal Electric Transportation == Main article: Personal Electronic Transportation == Extended Reality Glasses == Main article: Extended Reality === Viture On..."

2023-07-06T17:57:15Z

Replaced content with "This page contains ramblings about different devices or items that I feel like writing about from time to time. They might be considered "mini-reviews", but that has a tone of permanence that I don't associate with the writings here, as they are just thoughts. == Personal Electric Transportation == Main article: Personal Electronic Transportation == Extended Reality Glasses == Main article: Extended Reality === Viture On..."

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:57, 6 July 2023
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	== Handheld PCs ==		== Handheld PCs ==
	Main article: [[Handheld PCs]]		Main article: [[Handheld PCs]]

	~~=== OneXPlayer 2 ===~~
	-----The OneXPlayer 2 is a handheld gaming console that ships with Windows 11 in order to play PC-based games. It also functions normally as a dockable PC that has native Windows support, unlike the Steam Deck.

	~~=== Software ===~~

	~~===== Windows 11 =====~~

	~~===== Linux Mint =====~~

	~~=== Hardware ===~~
	The OneXPlayer 2 offers detachable controllers that do not include a battery or wireless functionality. This does mean that the fact that controllers detach are, more or less, pointless. As a hardware technician, however, it does mean that repairs to the controls need not necessitate the RMA of the device itself. The controls can be damaged and replaced independently of the console. This objective benefit allows the OXP2 to stand on its own despite lacking the feature that would allow it to truly stand out in the handheld PC space.
	~~-----~~

	~~=== Conclusion ===~~
	~~-----~~
	~~=== Steam Deck ===~~
	~~-----The Steam Deck is a x86-based handheld gaming console that runs Steam OS in order to play games primarily hosted on the Steam software store.~~

	I received my Steam Deck on the ninth of September in 2022 after placing my reservation way back in February. It arrived in the 64GB flavour as I had a spare 512GB SSD from my recently-upgraded Surface Laptop Studio. The laptop happened to use a 2230 SSD; amazing! It also turned out to be a blessing as, at the current point in time, the Steam Deck's firmware doesn't have full dualboot capabilities. It was due to be released alongside Steam OS 3, ''[https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6121-ECCD-D643-BAA8 but that isn't available at the moment]''. What that means is that a typical user is restricted to choose between Steam OS and Windows as operating systems. I decided to use my time with the preinstalled OS as a means to demo its functionality out.

	~~=== Software ===~~

	~~==== Desktop Mode ====~~
	~~What a buggy train wreck this is.~~

	Steam OS is a serving of Arch Linux which autoboots to a built-in UI for the Steam Launcher. It is meant to be used as a bridge between PC gaming within a handheld form factor, a means to offer a handheld console-like experience for running Steam games. And... ''only'' Steam games...

	It is completely possible to add non-Steam games to the Steam library. Therein lies the majority of the problems I've had with this band-aid solution Valve adopted to transform PC hardware into a console experience.

	Not many versions of software support Linux natively. The ones that do often have compatibility issues or different featuresets entirely. Proton, a compatibility layer for Windows applications to run within a GNU/Linux OS installation, has been employed to full this gap. However, the user only ever interacts with it via the desktop mode of Steam OS, which drops you into a KDE Plasma 5 desktop where you have almost full-reign over the system. Within a desktop, it sure would be nice to have easy access to a touch keyboard on this handheld device...

	Access to your keyboard is locked behind a button combo. The software keyboard itself is also poor; I found myself double or triple tapping on keys just to get it to register once. The UI doesn't always shift up, so you don't know what you're typing in a lot of scenarios. There were situations where I'd need a physical keyboard to escape full screen modes of some applications. In short, the desktop mode was an abnormally poor experience, partially in part of the nature of GNU/Linux based OSes. However, that, in addition to the PC's form factor, worked directly against each other.

	This desktop, as it comes, it not suitable for general use without external hardware such as a physical keyboard and mouse. At this point in time, there are no drivers available that better utilise the hardware under Steam OS's desktop mode.

	~~==== Steam OS ====~~
	Desktop mode is all but unusable. Moving on, I attempted to use the device as intended, primarily within the Steam portion of the system. I considered myself to own a decent amount of Steam games; over $1.5k worth. The amount of incompatibilities and games that straight-up don't support the hardware made me feel as if I just made my account that day. Some games with anti-cheat will refuse to function. Others have varying degrees of issues such as glitches. For this reason, the Steam OS community has opted to create a database of games and list their experience with Proton alongside them. This is known as [https://www.protondb.com/ ProtonDB], which is a great resource given that only a fraction of my games were verified for functionality by Valve themselves. The front page denotes that 40% of software tested is unsupported.

	For the games that worked, they worked as expected with no issues. Framerates were impressive, but that's also in part to the 720p (1280x800px 16:10) display. Most of the 3D games I ran all worked at least at 30fps.

	That's nice. When I buy a PC for gaming, I primarily use them for emulation. This is not different from the Surface Laptop I bought for Wii U emulation or the desktop I have to 4K Switch emulation. Luckily, I'm not the first. EmuDeck exists for people like me. It's software that can download and compile emulators into one place for easy management. It also configures the emulators to a degree. But this is another aspect where Steam OS disappoints. Transferring my emulator configurations from my Windows machines to my Desk would be a nightmare. Even though EmuDeck sets up the emulator via preconfiguration, there's still some console-specific data the user needs to provide, especially in the case of Wii U and Nintendo Switch emulation. EmuDeck also runs within the Steam UI, which left much to be desired in terms of customisation.

	The button layout within the Steam UI defaults to an Xbox scheme, where the bottom face button is the confirmation button instead of the rightmost button. As a Nintendo user, this is hellish, as button prompts won't match up to what muscle memory dictates.

	~~There's still no way to swap this system-wide within Steam OS itself, and is entirely a game-by-game scenario.~~

	~~This example of the lack of customisability in Steam OS in conjunction with its rampant incompatibilities essentially ensured that no trace of it would exist on my 512GB drive.~~

	~~==== Windows 11 ====~~
	After Windows 11 was installed, I have never looked back for a millisecond. I have full functionality with all of my games and usual software. Valve released a minimum amount of drivers, but these ensure almost full functionality of the handheld PC as a standalone workstation. I can install the desktop version of Steam and run its games [including the ones with compatibility issues under Steam OS] completely fine. So really, what ''am'' I missing?
	~~[[File:Ezgif-1-ae7a52d9bc.gif\|thumb\|This driver makes navigating Windows 11 as natural as using a laptop, thanks to the capacitive analog buttons and the touchpads.]]~~
	For the controller inputs, Valve does not have an official solution for applications to recognise the controller as a gamepad. However, there are open-source solutions for this. I have personally employed this [https://github.com/mKenfenheuer/steam-deck-windows-usermode-driver Steam Deck Windows Controller Driver] that seamlessly allows for use of the trackpads and buttons between Windows UI and as a gamepad in games almost perfectly.

	I never actually went through the process the process of ''installing'' Windows 11 onto this unit. The SSD from my Surface laptop happened to have a working, non-encrypted installation of Windows 11 that worked without any fighting, out of the box. After the [https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6121-ECCD-D643-BAA8 Valve drivers] were installed, all that was left for me to do was to install/customise my gamepad drivers, update the OS, and remove the previously-installed bloat that I won't be needing on a handheld PC, like Photoshop. Weirdly, Wi-Fi worked straight out of the box, unlike the what the Valve website implies. I've not had to connect the system to Ethernet at any point.

	I am more than satisfied with the device as it is running now. I have not had a single incompatibility with the software I've wanted to run; I'm able to run Epic Games Store software without fumbling with Proton or third-party launchers; all of my emulators are available and run almost better than the base console in terms of performance. I've even run [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]] in online multiplayer mode comfortably. I have a badge in the taskbar to bring up the keyboard if the UI doesn't launch it automatically. The typing experience is significantly better, though not perfect.

	The Steam Deck Windows Controller Driver lets you map the buttons to keyboard keys, which I've used for both escape and the Windows key, eliminating any need for an external keyboard to bail me out. With these configurations, my Steam Deck is a fully independent and functional handheld Windows PC.

	~~Paired with a kickstand and a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combo, this may very well replace my desktop and laptop. If I were stuck with only Steam OS, I would have sold this machine.~~

	~~=== Hardware ===~~
	~~[[File:DeckLCD.png\|thumb\|No contest in visuals nor size. Switch OLED wins today's battle.]]~~
	Physically, the Steam Deck is pretty objectively clunky and massive. I've been able to overlook this aspect due to its functionality and power. Due to the size, I've never run into thermal throttling issues as the system is able to sufficiently cool itself in any scenario I've put it through. I'm no fan of the lacklustre display that depressingly lacks in color reproduction and viewing angles, and this is the aspect of the Deck that I'm most critical of. The Switch OLED, with its minimal bezels and perfect color reproduction, is my current baseline in tablet display quality.

	The Deck... its work-grade LCD is winning no rewards. This is the basic model display which reportedly has a slightly lower color range, but as shown, the system's poor backlight stabs itself in the back, ''hard''. With that said, it does get sufficiently bright, so there won't be many issues using it during the day or night.

	The shell is definitely solid and will withstand drops and other impact. As for holding the device, it is a pretty hefty machine. At times, I've definitely found myself accidentally pressing onto the back buttons just to get a grip of the device. Also due to its size and shape, transporting this device without a case is without question. It's great that the device is shipped not in a box, but an entire hard shell carrying case.

	~~[[File:Pu7eh23510s81.png\|thumb\|These labelless buttons will alleviate the gripes I have with the reversed button layout.]]~~
	~~-----~~
	~~<h3>Conclusion</h3>~~
	This isn't a perfect device, and I am primarily waiting on an OLED screen upgrade to make itself known some time in the future. Custom hardware like the shell from eXtremeRate have been confirmed, and so have buttons from coloredcontrollers [[https://lmao.bet/XWHfr Pictured]].

	~~I can't wait to see this device used to its full potential and I'm glad I didn't end up selling it due to mere software issues.~~
	~~-----~~

Ha1vorsen: /* Extended Reality Glasses */

2023-07-06T17:27:09Z

Extended Reality Glasses

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:27, 6 July 2023
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	== Extended Reality Glasses ==		== Extended Reality Glasses ==
			Main article: [[Extended Reality#Viture%20One%20XR\|Extended Reality]]
	~~=== Rokid Air ===~~
	These were my first pair of extended reality (XR) glasses. I only really ordered them as they arrived next-day via Amazon, unlike the following two options, which would both take a minimum of two months to ship. I lost these about a month into owning these.

	~~=== Rokid Max ===~~
	~~I currently own these; it is a tossup between these and the~~ Viture ~~One. The Rokid Max boasts a significantly better display quality with its microOLED display.~~

	=== Viture One XR ===		=== Viture One XR ===

Ha1vorsen: /* Personal Electric Transportation */

2023-07-06T17:25:51Z

Personal Electric Transportation

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 == Personal Electric Transportation ==
 Main article: [[Personal Electronic Transportation]]
 == Extended Reality Glasses ==

Ha1vorsen at 08:28, 3 July 2023

2023-07-03T08:28:45Z

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 Whose idea was it to manufacture a scooter without fenders...
 -----
 -----

Ha1vorsen: /* GoTrax XR Ultra */

2023-05-26T00:40:27Z

GoTrax XR Ultra

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:40, 25 May 2023
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	As both Apollo Explore devices were utter failures, I did need a cheap last-mile backup to get to work consistently. I found a GoTrax XR Ultra off of Facebook Marketplace for $250, but this was marked down to $200 once I arrived and the seller noticed that the power button was jammed in and damaged, making it impossible for the scooter to turn on. The seller was ashamed, but I told him that it wasn't an issue, and I purchased it anyway. I ended up repairing the button with zero further issues.		As both Apollo Explore devices were utter failures, I did need a cheap last-mile backup to get to work consistently. I found a GoTrax XR Ultra off of Facebook Marketplace for $250, but this was marked down to $200 once I arrived and the seller noticed that the power button was jammed in and damaged, making it impossible for the scooter to turn on. The seller was ashamed, but I told him that it wasn't an issue, and I purchased it anyway. I ended up repairing the button with zero further issues.

	It is similar to the XR Elite, other than less than half of the range and notably lower / inconsistent top speed. That is to say, I have never achieved 15.5mph as a top speed. This maxes ~~our~~ around 12 to 14 miles per hour. It is not particularly enjoyable to use this scooter at all, but it worked for what I needed it to.		It is similar to the XR Elite, other than less than half of the range and notably lower / inconsistent top speed. That is to say, I have never achieved 15.5mph as a top speed. This maxes out around 12 to 14 miles per hour. It is not particularly enjoyable to use this scooter at all, but it worked for what I needed it to.

	=== E-TWOW GT SE ===		=== E-TWOW GT SE ===

Ha1vorsen: /* NAMI Burn-e 2 */

2023-05-26T00:11:04Z

NAMI Burn-e 2

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 25 May 2023
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	=== NAMI Burn-e 2 ===		=== NAMI Burn-e 2 ===
	-----This is my current electric scooter. ~~An assessment will~~ be ~~coming soon~~.		-----This is my current electric scooter. It certainly isn't perfect, but it is one of the better scooters I've ridden. For $3.5k, it sure better be.

	Whose idea was it to manufacture a scooter without fenders...		Whose idea was it to manufacture a scooter without fenders...
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	=== Hardware ===		=== Hardware ===
	The OneXPlayer 2 offers detachable controllers that do not include a battery or wireless functionality.		The OneXPlayer 2 offers detachable controllers that do not include a battery or wireless functionality. This does mean that the fact that controllers detach are, more or less, pointless. As a hardware technician, however, it does mean that repairs to the controls need not necessitate the RMA of the device itself. The controls can be damaged and replaced independently of the console. This objective benefit allows the OXP2 to stand on its own despite lacking the feature that would allow it to truly stand out in the handheld PC space.
	-----		-----

Ha1vorsen: /* ET-WOW GT SE */

2023-05-25T21:52:52Z

ET-WOW GT SE

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:52, 25 May 2023
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	It is similar to the XR Elite, other than less than half of the range and notably lower / inconsistent top speed. That is to say, I have never achieved 15.5mph as a top speed. This maxes our around 12 to 14 miles per hour. It is not particularly enjoyable to use this scooter at all, but it worked for what I needed it to.		It is similar to the XR Elite, other than less than half of the range and notably lower / inconsistent top speed. That is to say, I have never achieved 15.5mph as a top speed. This maxes our around 12 to 14 miles per hour. It is not particularly enjoyable to use this scooter at all, but it worked for what I needed it to.

	=== ET-~~WOW~~ GT SE ===		=== E-TWOW GT SE ===
	-----		-----
	For a time, while it worked, ~~it was~~ my holy grail. This was my electric scooter of choice when it worked as intended. It solved almost all of my issues with the Apollo Explore, including		For a time, while it worked, these ''electric-two wheels'' were my holy grail. This was my electric scooter of choice when it worked as intended. It solved almost all of my issues with the Apollo Explore 2021, including

	* Solid tires		* Solid tires
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	* Bluetooth and application support		* Bluetooth and application support

	* Significantly above average ~~post-sales~~ support		* Significantly above average aftersales support

	I'll never have to worry about flats or become boggled down with routine maintenance... or such was the intention. This device also has functional application support, allowing the user to remotely lock the device, and monitor its performance. Unlike the Explore, this electric scooter can be folded down with the press of a heel in less than two seconds, and conveniently store itself under a bus seat. Taking the compromise of ten less kilometers per hour was an easy decision.		I'll never have to worry about flats or become boggled down with routine maintenance... or such was the intention. This device also has functional mobile application support, allowing the user to remotely lock the device, and monitor its performance. Unlike the Explore, this electric scooter can be folded down with the press of a heel in less than two seconds, and conveniently store itself under a bus seat. Taking the compromise of ten less kilometers per hour was an easy decision.

	The GT SE did essentially require one modification out of the box, however. There exists a set of buzzers that double as the horn of the vehicle. These buzzers trigger with every press of any button on the device, including simply turning it on. It is loud enough to disturb my neighborhood on a brisk morning.		The GT SE did essentially require one modification out of the box, however. There exists a set of buzzers that double as the horn of the vehicle. These buzzers trigger with every press of any button on the device, including simply turning it on. It is loud enough to disturb my neighborhood on a brisk morning.
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	=== NAMI Burn-e 2 ===		=== NAMI Burn-e 2 ===
	-----This is my current electric scooter. An assessment will be coming soon.		-----This is my current electric scooter. An assessment will be coming soon.

			Whose idea was it to manufacture a scooter without fenders...
	-----		-----
	-----		-----