Covid-induced zoom, online classes, work from home. - So it wasn't a new development but a change in the circumstances which made existing tech finally widely adopted.
JohnFen · 1d ago
Miniaturization and the reduction of power requirements. That has allowed me to use many tiny computers for specialized tasks.
drweevil · 1d ago
tl;dr: A radical shift to OSS, prompted by big tech's adoption of anti-consumer practices such as short EOL dates, data theft, and subscription models for everything.
I have no problems with paying-to-own. But the business models have become parasitic. Even the things you do pay for have become vectors for advertisements and data exfiltration. So no more Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc., and especially no more subscriptions. Linux on a laptop serves most of my purposes. Firefox with the uMatrix plugin means my browser is closed off to Javascript unless I opt in. A hand-me-down iPhone with no SIM card provides the benefits of great sensors and neat software such as the Merlin bird app, Organic Maps, etc. And yes, all that has expanded the utility of computers for me, by providing for a much more pleasant and safe experience with tools that are under my control.
I have no problems with paying-to-own. But the business models have become parasitic. Even the things you do pay for have become vectors for advertisements and data exfiltration. So no more Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc., and especially no more subscriptions. Linux on a laptop serves most of my purposes. Firefox with the uMatrix plugin means my browser is closed off to Javascript unless I opt in. A hand-me-down iPhone with no SIM card provides the benefits of great sensors and neat software such as the Merlin bird app, Organic Maps, etc. And yes, all that has expanded the utility of computers for me, by providing for a much more pleasant and safe experience with tools that are under my control.