I admit it: I'm a total geek. I love electronics, programming, 3D printing, 3D art, and vintage Apple hardware. I'm always juggling half a dozen projects. I also enjoy documenting it all: my successes, my failures, my experiences... and everything geeky along the way.

Computers | Kevin Rye.net - Main

Kevin Rye

Geek Extraordinaire. Yeh, I said it.

HP Omen Fan Replacement

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It's coming up on two years since I bought my kids their 17" HP Omen gaming laptops. They've been rocking these things pretty hardcore with the games and the fan on one of them is paying the price. It sounds horrible and is definitely on the way out. Read More...

Drobo 5C


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After 7 years, my old Drobo is growing a little long in the tooth. I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to replace it. Just a few months ago the bearings on the fan wore out. Now the drive refuses to stay connected to my Mac. Time for an upgrade.
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Drobo Fan Replacement


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I've had my Drobo since February 2011. It's been almost 7 years. Yesterday I got home and went into the computer room and heard a horrible noise coming from the Drobo. It sounded like the fan was on the way out. It made a horrible rattling sound. The bearings were definitly shot. Time for a fan upgrade! Read More...

I bought a PC - 17" Core i7 HP Omen Laptop


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The OMEN really is a fantastic desktop replacement. It’s exactly what I was looking for in a laptop. I’m used to the speed and the power of my Mac Pro. To hop on an underpowered laptop and try and perform the same tasks and use the same apps as my Mac Pro just isn't going to work for me if it’s not the same experience. I'm glad I picked one up, and I’m thrilled that I saved over a $1000 by not buying the new MacBook Pro. Read More...

Replacement APC PRO 1500

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It seems like it was only a year or two ago that I got my APC 1500 UPS battery backup. Wait, it was just the other year! Christmas of 2012 to be exact. It's only been 2 years and 3 months and already this battery is as dead as a doornail. I looked up the lifespan of the battery and it was supposed to be good for 3 to 5 years. So I feel like I got a little short-changed. Not only did I receive a timely response from APC tech support, but they said my unit is still under warranty. Within 48 hours, I had a brand new unit! Read More...

Drobo Upgrade - WD Red Drives

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The other night I noticed that Time Machine failed to complete a backup to my Drobo. There was some weird error about the Drobo being set to read-only. I fixed it, but it reminded me that I had an old 640 and 750 Gig drive in there that needed to be upgraded.
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Bench-Top Power Supply, Part 2

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Finally! After waiting 3 weeks for my ATX Breakout Board to arrive, I got to work on my DIY bench-top power supply. I really like the way it came out. It’s going to come in especially handy with all the upcoming nixie projects I have in mind. I’m going to get a lot of use out of it. Read More...

Bench-Top Power Supply, Part 1

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My wife came home today with her friend’s 12 year old junker of a Dell. The machine is toast. The motherboard is shot. The only thing left to do was gut it for parts. The only real gem out of the lot was this 250 watt ATX power supply. I’d love to make use of Dangerous Prototypes’ ATX Breakout Board and make a bench-top power supply for prototyping. Read More...

Anker Hardware

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I picked up a new USB 3 hub for my Mac, but I wasn’t happy with it at all. Despite it costing $30 bucks, it was a cheap piece of junk. I sent it back to Amazon. In my search for a better model, I came across Anker. Their stuff looks awesome. Not only did I pick up their 7-port USB 3 hub, but I also picked up a 4-port USB charger and a 2-port 10000 mAh external battery. Read More...

Old-School PS/2 Trackball

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I swung by my friend’s parent’s house the other day to hook up their new TV. While I was there, the mom asked me if I had any use for this old mouse she dug up. I immediately noticed the PS/2 to DB9 adapter on the end and knew it had to be super-old. Read More...

8" Floppies Galore

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I found a bunch of 8” floppies in a box of garbage. I figured I’d take them home rather than see them go in a landfill. That, and I just love vintage computer stuff! Read More...

Free Junker Laptop

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My sister-in-law recently picked up a new MacBook Pro. She gave her old laptop to our niece to kick around. She ended up getting it back when it started falling apart. When I found out she was ready to throw it in the trash, I opted to take it off her hands. It’s got “photo frame” written all over it. Read More...

Drobo & Mac Pro Hard Drive Upgrades

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Why, yes... that is a matched pair of 2TB drives. What ever should I do with them? Read More...

My New APC 1500 UPS

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Since my old UPS bit the dust, I needed a new one. I threw a new APC 1500 on my Amazon wish list. My wife was more than happy to oblige and buy it for Christmas. Read More...

Drobo HDD Replacement

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Looks like one of the hard drives in my Drobo just gave up the ghost. Read More...