> So what can we do about it?

For starters, you can understand that working for a large corporation will make you miserable, and choose to work in a small organization instead.

That might be a valid solution on the individual level, but it seems problematic if we want the kinds of things only a large organization can realistically produce. In addition to small organizations that can act as a source of employment for people who absolutely can't stand a corporate hierarchy, we also need large corporations that don't suck, or at least suck the minimum necessary amount to attract people less averse to having a boss. At least if we want things like airliners and what not.

Individually, one can try to choose for a small org. Collectively, there isn't enough small org work to go around.

There is if you start one yourself.

And who will you hire if everyone decides to do that?

> if someone isn't choosing by OS first.

What a surprising idea! I have always and only ever chosen by OS first. Are there really a significant number of people willing to buy a computer with no concern for the type of software it will be able to run?

> Are there really a significant number of people willing to buy a computer with no concern for the type of software it will be able to run?

Most common software that typical buyers use is available on Mac or Windows: Web browsers, office software, maybe an e-mail client.

This is why Chromebooks are a viable option, too.

Even my software development workflows are mostly cross-platform when I think about it. I can run all of my IDEs and text editors on my Mac, Windows, and Linux computers.

> Most common software that typical buyers use is available on Mac or Windows

That's not how most people think. Most non-techies are either fluent with "how to use a Mac" or "how to use Windows" and they will just stick with that inertia.

For a lot of people, learning a new OS is an ordeal.

IDK. Until the Neo you basically didn’t have a choice unless you were in the $1k+ bracket, which is not where most machines are sold.

You could buy Windows, or a very cheap Chromebook that felt like it.

People in that $600-700 range have never had a choice like this.

People had plenty of options in the $600-700 range. If you really wanted a Mac and price was the only thing holding back, buy used.

Also possible that people have paid for licenses / apps and thus want to stay with the OS those will run on, instead of having to pay again (if it's even an option).

Which is probably why Apple is now selling to students at what appears to be below cost.

Besides, the Linux app is available for Windows - no need to run it bare-metal: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install

Depends on how much control you want over the hardware. I find that laptop/desktop windows installs tend to force reboots when it might not be convenient and of course there the issue of unreliable software updates.

I'd much rather have Linux be in control of the hardware and run Windows as a VM on it.

Outside of tech professionals, yes.

It’s 2026 and what people don’t do in an app, they mostly do in a browser. An entire generation of “digital native” people are now adults who don’t even understand what a file system is, don’t understand folder structures, and don’t care what OS they run.

That said, having a computer that seamlessly integrates with their mobile device is a huge feature. So the MacBook neo not only being so affordable but fitting into the Apple ecosystem is a slam dunk for normal people

Most regular users do everything via the web, where there is little difference between the OSes. Gaming is the only thing that comes to mind where regular users notice a dramatic difference.

People born in 1986 aren't even Gen-X, much less boomers: you are talking about millenials!

Even the youngest boomers are near retirement age now.

I am definitely old, because I never noticed that "tech meetups" had become a thing in the first place!

I switched to your service something like twelve or thirteen years ago now. I spent the first year or so adding `!g` to everything, but it's been a long time since I've felt the need to bother with that. Thanks for doing what you do.

Thanks!

From the article, they will vote on a referendum about whether to vote on a referendum about whether to remain a part of Canada.

> Microsoft believes that the future of authentication is passwordless, secure, and user-friendly.

...but passkeys are not user-friendly, unless you are a user who is happy to do whatever the bigco tells you to do, and you never stray from the happy path.

Thanks for the pointer. I use a similar system, but hadn't thought to put the password directory into a git repo.

Yes, absolutely, and that is why history shows so few examples of any art having been created prior to the invention of copyright: nobody had any reason to do it.

Here we go again: as ever, intellectual property law creates a net loss to society. - marssaxman2

You should upvote my comment. I'm marssaxman2, which is 2 better than 1! I make better comments