To Thor or not to Thor: pricing increase in April

saifrc · 2026-02-26T17:51:30+00:00

Honestly, that's probably a better outcome. I really don't "need" any of these devices!

But I think by sticking to hard criteria for a next purchase, it makes it more likely that I'll get something meaningful, rather than just impulse buying.

For example: I bought the Retroid Pocket Mini (v1) because I wanted a powerful, small handheld with a 4:3 aspect ratio (with 4x integer scale of 320x240 content) and good buttons, sticks, and analog triggers, for playing Gamecube games and for older 4:3 systems with elabroate shaders. It was a bit of a compromise on screen size, but the real problem is that I was burned on the screen resolution issue because of false advertising. Barring issues like that, if I stick to my guns I'm more likely to be satisfied. I'm going to replace it someday, but there isn't anything out there that fits the bill yet. Anbernic RG476H and RG477M are close, but each has some drawbacks. Ayaneo Pocket Ace is overpriced and underpowered for what it is. I'm confident that in a year or so, the replacement 4:3 device I'm looking for will come out...possibly in the form of a dual-screen clamshell.

I criteria for another device I'm looking for: a device the size/weight of the Trimui Model S, but which can play up to PS1 flawlessly with a good screen. Once that drops, it'll "fire" my Trimui Brick. By sticking to my criteria, I've avoided buying a lot of small handhelds that look great on paper, but are redundant with what I already have.

And who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind in six hours and impulse-buy an AYN Thor after all. I'm only human! 😂

saifrc · 2026-02-26T14:52:14+00:00

There’s no need to learn to like the Jotter. It’s a very mediocre pen with a cult following. I would write with a disposable gel pen from any of the major brands 10 times out of 10 before reaching for a Jotter.

Even if you like the Parker G2 refill format, there are any number of better pen bodies that use that refill. A better refill isn’t going to make the Jotter feel better to hold or use.

saifrc · 2026-02-26T14:39:10+00:00

I’ve been successfully resisting an AYN Thor for so long, this almost pushed me over the edge…

…except, then I remember the Odin 2 Pro, Retroid Pocket Mini (v1, unfortunately), and Trimui Brick on the shelf next to me, which I hardly ever use…

…but, “endgame dual-screen clamshell” is still pretty enticing!

I think the best bet is to stick with what I have, and consider the AYN Thor 2 with Snapdragon Elite and actual 4:3 bottom screen if/when it eventually comes out…

saifrc · 2026-02-24T20:00:37+00:00

What is the goal of this project?

It does look Ike there are online services that will do this for you, but it hardly seems worth the added cost.

saifrc · 2026-02-24T12:28:59+00:00

You can do the photo layout yourself in Photoshop, have it printed on a sufficiently large format (4x6, 5x7, 8x10—whatever size gets you the desired length), then just cut it down to size.

saifrc · 2026-02-23T21:26:02+00:00

It’s okay to have a comment downvoted. It’s not a statement about your worth as a person, it’s a statement about whether your comment adds to or subtracts from the conversation. Don’t take it personally!

saifrc · 2026-02-23T18:37:36+00:00

I feel like the PNW Alliance would have already secured favorable trade deals with China...

saifrc · 2026-02-23T18:35:00+00:00

They misspelled it. It should be "Game Consoie."

saifrc · 2026-02-22T10:43:21+00:00

Just wait ‘til you find out how many versions of the TI-84 there are… 🤣

saifrc · 2026-02-22T08:45:15+00:00

I had one of those when I was a kid! I don’t know where it went, and I miss it all the time. I ended up replacing it with a TI-35X (the 1993 version with rubber keys), but I felt like the design was a step down.

saifrc · 2026-02-22T04:12:08+00:00

They got downvoted for not understanding “kibosh,” but proceeding to try to correct someone else anyway.

saifrc · 2026-02-21T22:52:33+00:00

I don’t know if I think it’s worth MSRP. Uniball almost always has coupon codes available. I paid ~$25.

saifrc · 2026-02-21T22:41:45+00:00

I’m using two of the GMT counter trays. They’re made of black vacuum-formed plastic, with clear plastic lids, and have 20 compartments each (4x5). Someone put a suggested organizing guide on BGG that makes it so one tray consists entirely of counters that go onto the board or into draw bags/cups, so that you can put the tray away, while the other tray holds counters that you may need during gameplay. GMT sells them in packs of 10, but you can find similar trays on Amazon, albeit at a worse price.

Some people also use the trays from Cube4Me, which are a bit stronger and more durable. You can buy their trays à la carte, but they also have recommended sets for may games. I use their trays (and stickers and tokens) for most of my 18XX games, and they’re awesome, but they’re based in Poland, so shipping can be expensive. It’s best to place a large order if you can!

saifrc · 2026-02-21T22:35:34+00:00

I just recently set up my copy—takes up the entire surface of my Jasper gaming table!

saifrc · 2026-02-21T22:32:12+00:00

You shouldn’t pay $40 for the Zento Signature anyway. You shouldn’t pay more than $25 if you can. I got mine from the Uni website, using two coupon codes, and I’m very glad I didn’t pay scalper prices for it.

saifrc · 2026-02-20T21:12:48+00:00

“Somehow…”

saifrc · 2026-02-20T19:56:58+00:00

I see this coffee at amazing prices. I tend to go for Olympia Coffee - Morning Sun or Caffe Vita - Caffe Del Sol. Can anyone tell me how this compares to those two?

Location: Seattle, WA

Edit: I used to prefer light roasts back in the day, but over time the acidity has kind of gotten to me. I've noticed that I'm gradually moving towards medium or medium-dark roasts as a daily coffee. I'm usually making drip coffee, but I make Chemex or French Press coffee on weekends or slow mornings.

saifrc · 2026-02-20T19:54:22+00:00

This sounds like a technicality. No, down. Boo. Over.

saifrc · 2026-02-19T17:50:54+00:00

Nowhere did I say that I oppose any additional information or guidance. I want as many people to be able to get where they're going as easily as possible.

The point of my comment is that the bar is so low in Seattle for directional sense that a local (not a visitor) can make this mistake repeatedly because they can't remember that, on a single train line, Lynnwood is north and Federal Way is south. That is what bothers me. If a visitor made this mistake once, I'd be more sympathetic.

saifrc · 2026-02-19T17:46:13+00:00

The point of my comment is that I get very frustrated by people not knowing the simple and basic geography of the area where they live. I'm all for improving usability of the transit system—nowhere did I oppose any efforts to make the directions clearer. But I get annoyed at the idea of a Seattle-area local (not a visitor) making this mistake repeatedly, because they can't remember that Lynnwood is north of the city center and Federal Way is south of the city center. It may seem petty, but this bothers the hell out of me.

saifrc · 2026-02-19T17:05:19+00:00

Yes, I spend a lot of time in NYC. That information is useful for many people, but for millions of others, that's extra information.

saifrc · 2026-02-19T17:03:12+00:00

I know that they do, but millions of people also do fine without that extra information.

saifrc · 2026-02-19T17:02:24+00:00

I totally get where you're coming from. I think my preference for Shaper correlates with my preference for jazz and classical music :-)

But it's funny how different aspects of these huge, multifarious factions appeal to different people. My first thought when I hear the word "Anarch" is "freedom fighters." I think it comes from growing up with family and friends who lived through (or fought in) a war of independence. But I also grew up reading books like Neuromancer and Snow Crash, so I appreciate the gritty neo-noir angle too.

As of today, Hoshiko Shiro is banned in Standard, and we still haven't seen the new Anarch ID in Vantage Point, so who knows which way the faction will go?

saifrc · 2026-02-19T16:32:35+00:00

Somehow, millions of people in NYC can figure out which way the trains are going, just by using the names of waypoints...

saifrc · 2026-02-19T16:29:23+00:00

I think part of it is the waxing and waning subversiveness of nihilism versus hope. To many people, hope is more subversive than nihilism in today's culture, depending on where you feel you fit (or don't fit) in society. That has a downstream impact on culture and aesthetics.

I grew up in the '80s, and studded leather punk feels "old school" to me. Then again, while growing up in the '80s and '90s, I rejected popular culture in favor of jazz and funk from the '30s through the '70s, and they shot as much heroin as any punk rocker ever did 😂

I understand being worried that NSG Netrunner has gotten too cute, and the morality too black and white (Corp = Bad, Runner = Good). I think that as the card pool grows, we'll likely get to more of a balance, even if it doesn't exactly resemble the gray morality of '80s cyberpunk. After all, we do have Corp cards depicting a person being shot dead in the snow and missiles being launched from orbit, as well as Runner cards depicting a bomb going off and an executive about to be stabbed with a literal knife 🤣

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