January 28, 2010
January 20, 2010
Fixing Stuff
So, like Matt, I too did some repair work on a laptop. In my case, however, I had to replace the keyboard on a 2008 MacBook (it lost a battle with a bottle of water). Just like Matt, I used the completely awesome instructions from iFixIt. Their teardown instructions, besides being highly detailed, leave lots of whitespace next to each step. This space is perfect for affixing a piece of double-sided tape, to which you can stick all the tiny screws as you remove them. I forget where I learned this little trick--I wish I had learned it much earlier in life.
While I've used iFixIt for parts in the past, like Matt, I was able to find my replacement keyboard cheaper elsewhere. $160 for a used keyboard was a bit much to stomach. I ended up taking a chance on eBay and found one for $30. I figured at that price, I could afford the risk.
After completing the repair, the only thing I have to say is have good eyesight and patience. If you're no stranger to taking things apart and fixing them, the MacBook is well engineered for disassembly. However, the screws are tiny and numerous.
January 20, 2010
January 6, 2010
January 4, 2010
About
Once upon a time, a software engineer named Dan Thill decided to put up a blog before they were called blogs. It was full of angst, terrible graphics (because he is not a graphic designer) and little read.
Now, ten years later, everyone else has a blog, this one is decidedly lacking in angst, and Dan is still not a graphic designer; but at least he can steal borrow better design ideas (but he still isn't widely read).
I'm interested in all things Apple and Unix. Learning a new programming language is my idea of fun. Sometimes I write about these things. Occasionally it's even interesting.