A Dim Awareness

This screen has been blank too long. I've started and stopped writing a handful of these, but it stops now. I even treated myself to a hybrid Mecha-Membrane keyboard I thrifted to entice me into sitting in my writing chair. It was $7 and now I can type like I'm living the Drive soundtrack. But before I could do my writing, I need to set it up. The Razer Ornate Chroma V1 keyboard's software isn't compatible with my aging 2015 iMac. My former editing rig now moonlights as a remote desktop for when work bullies its way into my weekends. It tops out at Mac OS 12.7.6 Monterey. Takes a full cup of coffee to boot now, but I refuse to put a bullet in this old dog's head. I'll get to writing as soon I get the keyboard backlighting issues sorted out. After some researching, I found some open source software to get my RGB lighting working properly. 

That's weird. The state manager doesn't really address wake/sleep issues. Lights work. But now they won't shut off when the computer is put into sleep mode.

This won't do.

After some quick Googling, YouTube, and testing I'm well on my way. Okay, lights are functioning properly. A 48% illumination static pink looks killer. I originally went with a 22% white static illumination, but I figured, "Let's be bold. Let's throw caution to the wind and really push the limits of my personality with the pink."

I'll probably change it back. 

Okay, so lighting is Go. 

Now to address the issue of the hotkeys. Since it's designed for a Windows machine, there's no dedicated Command key. This is a problem. It's been mapped the the Windows key and that makes it awkward to make right handed commands. I've got to do hand yoga to reach the volume hotkeys. Another quick Google of keyboard remapping software. I need to be able to reassign the right Menu Key. It's worthless. If I can solve this, all my problems disappear.

Almost ready to write. 

Maybe this computer would be better suited for work. Yeah. Okay. If I switch the bargain Logitech setup, it would definitely improve work productivity. My office setup is a Windows-based, so many of these issues disappear. Plus, since I ten-key for a lot of my data entry, this could be a game-changer. 

But then I remember, the whole reason why I did this was because my wireless Apple Magic Keyboard doesn't have a ten-keypad or (!) a Page Up / Page Down setup. I bought this so I could be more productive from home. Also, do I really want to reallocate my best gear to my office? I suppose I could bring the other keyboard home, but then I'm running my main setup on a bargain bin keyboard. That's not going to entice me to do my writing. 

Okay.

I think we're settled on the Ornata being my daily driver on main. OOOOhh. Maybe I could use the Magic Keyboard and Mouse setup for my new second desk setup (alllll the way on the other side of my room). I just picked up a 53" all tempered glass furniture piece. The Magic Mouse and Keyboard would be perfect for that setup. An altar to minimalist design. Since the Magic Combo doesn't require a USB transmitter, the Bluetooth setup will be thoroughly elegant. Yes! We got this. 

We do not got this. Turns out optical mice hate hate hate operating on a translucent glass surface. Okay, I could use the full-grain leather mouse pad I purchased during the pandemic. Great feel, but really disrespectful to the minimalist aesthetic I'm going for over here. Takes up way too much space and doesn't really honor the vibe. Fine. We'll use the Logitech Combo Touch setup when I'm working at my architect-wannabe desk. Yeah. Okay. Shelve the Magic Combo for now. Leave the budget setup at work. Razer on main.

Almost ready. 

I also picked up a Logitech Ergo M575 trackball mouse at the Evergreen Goodwill. $3.99. Some of my work-from-home friends (I love, hate, and envy the ever-loving fuck out of you) use these trackball mice. At this price I couldn't afford not to. My writing station is almost ready to be deployed. 

I plug in the mouse, and it works. Excellent. The Logi + options software is compatible and I'm able to program all my essential shortcuts and hotkeys into the mouse. I debate momentarily whether pressing the scroll wheel should close the current window, or be leveraged to solve my Command key problem (see above). After some test-driving, I settle on assigning it the Command key. As I'm setting the tracking speed, I find that the moments are erratic and not smooth. The cursor doesn't track how you'd expect. It stutters and is not accurate. 

Fucking unusable.

This must be why it was donated. Who does this? If you know it's not working, why wouldn't you just toss it. Put me through the emotional rollercoaster of finding a gem, disinfecting, and programming it just to be massively disappointed. 

The sunk-cost effect has me by the balls at this point, so I launch a final Google campaign to see if this is a known issue or if there are any potential fixes.

To my surprise and delight, I find a YouTube video describing this exact phenomenon. Turns out the sensors get clogged with dust and debris. You just have to gently pop the trackball out and clean (with a dry Q-Tip) the sensors. And just like that, we're in business. Fluid, clean movements. Flawless tracking. Done. 

Now to decide whether the trackball mouse is actually for me. My workflow is stunted. A quarter century of mouse muscle memory bullies me. Will I submit, or is this just the learning curve? Does taking a massive leap forward require a brief and frustrating setback? 

I persevere. There's writing to be done. A creative hurricane just off shore. The storm is gathering.  

My setup is provisionally complete. I'm ready to begin writing. My table is set. Tools are sharp and ready-to-hand. I fire up my blog, grab a respectable pour of a decent whiskey, and jerk off instead.