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I’m honored today to share a guest post from Dave Caolo. Dave is an Editor and regular contributor at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW). He also writes long form pieces about Apple and related subjects at his own 52 Tiger, which I have linked to here several times before. I really appreciate the fact that a big time blogger like he has taken the time to show up on my little project here.

The other day, he shared a photo on Twitter of his writing setup. I was especially intrigued by his keyboard and asked if he would share a bit about it and why he uses it. As you know, one of my driving principles here is that if a piece of technology works for you, even if it is just enough to get the job done, one should use it until it hurts. It looked like Dave was far from hurting and was, in fact, thriving with this mechanical wonder from the last century (as his recent iBooks opus proves).

Without further delay…

The first Mac I ever used was a SE/30. It was compact and tidy with an internal hard drive and ethernet port. Definitely an enviable machine in 1990. Connected to it was a forgettable mouse and an Apple Extended Keyboard II. That massive battleship of a keyboard was an homage to beige plastic, and laughably oversized for the Mac.

I loved it. So much so that I still use one today. In fact, it will have a place on my desk for as long as it works (and as long as Mac OS X continues to recognize it). Here’s why.

First is the sound. That lovely wooden-stick-on-a-hollow-log “thonk” that announces each keystroke is yet to be duplicated. It’s satisfying in a way that affirms your productivity. Much like the jackhammer operator feels content at the end of a noisy day’s work, I feel that I got much accomplished with all that thonking and clacking.

It’s also intimate. Over the years I’ve noticed that some keys have their own pitch. For example, the Space Bar has the highest pitch, the Return key has the lowest and the Period Key produces a solid whack that’s especially satisfying at the end of the day.

I also love the keyboard’s feel. Apple’s Bluetooth keyboards are nice, but the keys barely move when pressed. In contrast, the Extended Keyboard’s keys just drop when pressed, providing wonderful tactile feedback. They then spring back with perfectly appropriate force. I’ve used some keyboards that either repelled my fingers on the upstroke or yielded like cold oatmeal when pressed. They’ve all made me long for the ancient artifact in my office.

Finally, I love this keyboard’s longevity. It’s nearly 20 years old and working flawlessly. Once a year I take it apart and give it a good cleaning, and that’s the only maintenance it’s ever required. When reassembled it looks great and is ready for duty. In fact, the keyboard on my MacBook Pro has lost keys while the Extended Keyboard works as it did the day I unboxed it. Also, the Griffin iMate I use for ADB to USB connectivity years ago still works, and Mac OS X (so far at least) is happy to let me use it.

Any job is more pleasant when you can use tools that you love. I’ve used other rigs over the years, but when I’m sitting in my own quiet office with the Extended Keyboard II beneath my hands, I feel that I could write forever.

– Dave Caolo

Continuing with the minimalist things you can carry in your pockets, here’s a small video by survival specialist Doug Ritter. It features a very simple and yet useful survival kit that can be fit into an Altoids can. The knife he designed is also very good.

simpledesks:

Submitted by Deborah Kunzie.

Idea Cafe:

I am not a fan of carrying notebooks or other paper note taking booklets but these are really cool.

“Working without a plan may seem scary. But blindly following a plan that has no relationship with reality is even scarier.”

- Jason Fried (Rework)

Infographic: The Retail Phenomenon Called Apple:

We thought it was time to give the 10-year-old retail phenomenon a new look. Apple’s retail store sales for their most recent quarter were $2.58 billion. Each store brings in an average of $35.9 million in sales, which continue to rise as visitors continue to stream in.

Impressive infographic with even more impressive numbers. Example: Twenty percent of Apple’s revenue is generated from its retail stores.

New Year. New Logo | Minimal Mac:

Fantastic! Congratulations on your first year Patrick. I hope there are many more to come.