[systemvoltage]

I'd want the Wirth's law[1] to be not true regardless of where we are in the hardware scale.

I recently tried using a 486 + CRT monitor setup. The speed at which your keystrokes appear on the screen is simply astounding. I'd like us to pay more attention to how software is written and debloating the layers of abstraction with hindsight.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirth%27s_law

[PragmaticPulp]

> I recently tried using a 486 + CRT monitor setup. The speed at which your keystrokes appear on the screen is simply astounding.

Use a fast editor like Sublime Text or even something like JetBrains IDEA with the zero-latency mode enabled and the editor delay will be single-digit milliseconds.

Get a modern 120Hz or more monitor (search for gaming monitor) with low latency and your display lag will be less than 10ms.

More info here: https://pavelfatin.com/typing-with-pleasure/

[systemvoltage]

I’ve been using Sublime Text since the Aztecs and it is really fast, but not as fast as what I described earlier. Yep, using it on macOS with 120Hz Liquid Retina (M1 MBP 14 inch).

I’ll check Jet Brains zero latency mode. I didn’t know that exists, cool.

[worthless-trash]

The example here will still neglect the reality that the stack processing the input will significantly increase the latency.

The (likely) ps2 keyboard on the 486 will have lower input latency as it doesn't have the multiple complex (both hardware and software) stacks that each key-input will need to travel through. People say you can't feel it, but people are regularly incorrect.

I feel like Rick (C-137) when I say, you gotta experience low latency on something like the original pong machine (from 1972) to know what you're missing out on. Once you've used this, the wireless mice and USB keyboards will feel slow and laggy even in low latency software.

[worthless-trash]

Downvoted to zero points again, apparently not contributing to the discussion.

[narrator]

I can't understand why people like those tiny wireless keyboards and mice they have to recharge and pair. When you're at a workstation just plug in one dongle and hook up all of it. It's so easy.

[User23]

The most responsive computer I’ve ever used was a Mac 512ke upgraded with 2.5 MB of RAM. I booted and loaded applications all off a RAMdisk and every input was instantaneous, including launching applications.

[KptMarchewa]

It's the OS and event driven model, and polling USB vs interrupt based PS/2.

The nearly unnoticeable latency is small price for progress.

[m463]

I remember reading that 1/10 of a second response time is "interactive"

I wonder how many systems don't qualify as interactive?

I don't think typing into the amazon search bar qualifies.

[flatiron]

Boot on Linux and bash on a modern computer. Do you think the keystrokes are slower?

[giobox]

The problem isn't even the computer most times, its more often the display. Many modern flat panel displays have far more latency than even a crappy analog CRT, and yes the difference is definitely often noticeable if you have any experience with computers. Some of the most modern ones can be the worst offenders too, given the amount of signal processing a modern display does.

To add to earlier example, I do some retro gaming on an old windows 98 box with a CRT, the lack of latency moving the mouse in first person shooters of this era compared to today can be incredible.

[ricardobeat]

Same reason most people playing FPS games today use a 144hz+ monitor, ideally with black frame insertion. The difference is night and day.

[teilo]

That's analog for you. You essentially have a speed of light connection from the frame buffer to the electron gun, with no processing involved. As fast as the bits can be read from the data buffer they appear on the screen.

[pradn]

Dan's famous article on this subject has benchmarks: https://danluu.com/keyboard-latency/

[systemvoltage]

I've tried FreeBSD (without desktop) on Thinkpad X1. I must admit, it is pretty good.