Assassin ([info]marsgov) wrote,
2008-11-10 05:36:00
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If you were a Torx Screwdriver...

If you were a Torx screwdriver, where would you hide?

I'm pretty certain I have a T-5 Torx screwdriver somewhere in my house, because I've opened up my Palm Z22 before. Now I can't find it. It's not in any of my toolboxes, or in any of my special hiding places. My guess is that it's run off to hide next to my water-line filters for the humidifier, another missing object.

I've had it up to here with Palm PDAs in any case, because they never seem to last longer than a couple of years before they go flakey; I've got an entire Palm graveyard out of which I've build Frankenstein versions of Palm PDAs, but without the unsightly bolts or lurching.

Regardless I'd like to see what I can do for this Z22, because I'm not in the mood for a major software transition. The Z22's touch screen is malfunctioning — again; the last time it happened was in Australia, joy! — and I can't seem to get it back using the usual tricks. I recall that last time I cracked the case I had to actually wedge things together with a tiny piece of what Dr. Who would no doubt call Universal Repair Matter, a.k.a. duct tape.

The question is what to transition to next, even if I can get the Z22 up and running. I am not happy at the prospect of moving to another proprietary and very expensive platform (e.g., the iPhone); I haven't heard anyone rhapsodize over their Androids, even with the open source culture that surrounds it; and I have a Nokia E-61 that isn't fully amortized that I suppose, in theory, could act as a PDA but without the touch screen or any of the apps I'd like to have (such as a Jewish calendar).

So... if you were a Torx screwdriver, where would you be hiding?

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  • 19 comments

[info]mbcrui

November 10 2008, 12:30:35 UTC 3 years ago

if you were a Torx screwdriver, where would you be hiding?

In the drawer beside the bed.

It's funny you have so much trouble with Palm devices, I have some that are 10? years old? Close enough, that are still running just fine. M has one that he is practicing on because if his grades improve, he gets to use it for school. I have another that I inherited when Pfizer closed and it runs just fine. I loose it for a few months, then it's back. My Zire 72 is 4 years old, and, other than all the paint peeled off the case, it's great.

I use it for calendars my default mp3 player and baby picture carrier, no phones or attachments. Gotta go find snowpants.

[info]marsgov

November 10 2008, 13:37:05 UTC 3 years ago

I've had rotten luck, including the m125 that had a manufacturing defect. I had to open it up and replace the power capacitor. Afterwards Palm finally agreed to replace them, which is how I got the Z22 that just keeled over again.

[info]bammba_m

November 10 2008, 12:36:37 UTC 3 years ago

"So... if you were a Torx screwdriver, where would you be hiding?"

Under something. Like under the seat of a car. Or under the sofa or perhaps some shelves?

Wherever i'd end up, it would definitely be "under."

[info]bibliofile

November 11 2008, 04:30:22 UTC 3 years ago

In the couch. Or possibly in the kitchen, left in a cupboard or on the counter behind something.

Also check anywhere that it might have fallen TO.

[info]johnridley

November 10 2008, 12:46:58 UTC 3 years ago

Mine "hide" in the toolbox in the garage, 2nd drawer down on the left. FWIW, if you go near any Harbor Freight stores, I have this set and it's very good for "normal" bits:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93916
It doesn't have any of the weird bits like Nintendo triwings or anything, but it's got torx down to T4 and the bits seem to be of good quality.

[info]marsgov

November 10 2008, 13:38:00 UTC 3 years ago

Excellent, thanks. My set only goes down to T-10, and my neighbor had a set that went down to T-7 or T-8. Where my T-5 is is beyond me; I wonder if I borrowed it from someone...

[info]pheltzer

November 10 2008, 13:30:33 UTC 3 years ago

I'm running the G1 (Android phone) and so far I do in fact love it. Way better than the Windows Mobile I was running before. At least with the G1, you have to be willing to totally convert your life over to the Google Web apps platform to get the most use out of it since Gmail contacts is the source for your phone's address book etc. There are still bugs in the platform, they've released 3 software patches in the two weeks it's been on the market, it's still not 100% but they're actively acknowledging issues and trying to fix them. And of course you need to be on T-Mobile or be willing to pay through the nose for an unlocked phone.

[info]marsgov

November 10 2008, 13:39:17 UTC 3 years ago

That's a very disappointing report: I can't just run this thing, I have to consent to put my address data on Google? Names, addresses, phone numbers, personal notes, birthdays and all? That's appalling.

[info]pheltzer

November 10 2008, 13:41:52 UTC 3 years ago

I didn't say you couldn't run the thing. It has flaws that are being actively worked. Everything I want to do I can do, just with a few hiccups here and there. As for turning the data over to Google... yeah, if you have issues with that you don't want this phone.

[info]marsgov

November 10 2008, 14:04:43 UTC 3 years ago

Well, color me appalled. I was expecting an open-source phone, not something that's locked to Google Apps!

I assume there's a hack being worked on, somewhere/someplace, to make this phone truly open.

To tell the truth I wouldn't mind if working with Google Apps was optional, as there's a great deal to be said to having data in the cloud instead on a laptop. I'd feel better if it worked with Amazon's storage cloud -- at least then the data would encrypted and belong only to me.

[info]pheltzer

November 10 2008, 14:09:34 UTC 3 years ago

It may be a choice that T-mobile made to get the phone to market quicker. Can't rightly say.

I suppose if you turned off all the sync functions then the data would be confined to the phone alone. But I'm not sure, because barring any hacks the phone requires a gmail account at initial setup.

The only tie to Amazon at this point is that the Amazon MP3 store is the source for downloading music that is built into the phone.

Having become a major convert to GMail and Gcalendar it was a very easy transition for me to make, but then again Google already had all the contact info and just sent it to my phone for me.

[info]johnridley

November 10 2008, 17:55:03 UTC 3 years ago

Well, google calendar would solve your Jewish calendar issue, I guess, if you need a silver (OK, pewter) lining. Unfortunate that it's locked to a provider or to Google, though.

[info]marsgov

November 10 2008, 18:42:49 UTC 3 years ago

I must be missing the point, then. Open source or not, if the phone is locked to Google, then Google has truly become evil.

[info]sethb

November 10 2008, 14:21:42 UTC 3 years ago

I'd be hiding in the box with the rest of the security bits.

That reduces the problem to finding the box.

[info]johnridley

November 10 2008, 14:43:44 UTC 3 years ago

I've got that set. It's a lot better in theory than in reality. The bits I need to use the most are the torx or hex bits with the recessed hole. The problem is, the hole in those bits is just a dimple, not deep enough for actual use. Also on some of them it's badly made enough that the dimple is offset.

The bits are nice and hard, so you can't drill the hole out deeper either.

[info]daddy_guido

November 10 2008, 22:27:07 UTC 3 years ago

It would be with all the rest of my small-format bits in the handle of my Compaq tool - the screwdriver issued to all techs (back in the day) when certs from manufacturers meant something, and Compaq made a quality product.

[info]magik_sometimes

November 11 2008, 09:59:30 UTC 3 years ago

Call me if you would like to borrow a Torx 5.

[info]mbumby

November 17 2008, 20:32:09 UTC 3 years ago

I'm sure you've found it by now, but I would probably be in the kitchen drawer with the rest of the set.

[info]marsgov

November 17 2008, 20:52:14 UTC 3 years ago

The Torx T-5 has successfully evaded several search missions. I expect it's a distant relation of the shape-shifting T-888 that I hear so much about in the Terminator movies.
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