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“This is not the computer for you”

samhenri.gold

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Re: “This is not the computer for you”

#101

Post by astafrig »

TheDong wrote: post #43
GavinMcG wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d bet 99% of professional developers have never peeked at kernel source code or built their own device drivers.

The parent commenter said "learning about computers". Most "professional developers" don't learn about computers, they learn enough react to get a paycheck, but don't have an insatiable curiosity about how the whole computer works (i.e. the "hacker spirit"). Professional developers are not what this thread is about. It's about curious kids, about hackers, and that group does peek at kernel source code (as well as eve…

I’m fairly confident that the Venn diagram of (a) nine-year-olds that are playing with a computer and (b) people who claim that access to kernel source code is a prerequisite to “learning about computers” is two circles that are barely touching.

Re: “This is not the computer for you”

#103

Post by astafrig »

GianFabien wrote: post #23
lelandbatey wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't downvote, it certainly did for me. My first computer was a MBP 13inch from 2009, as I was apple obsessed like the person in the parent article. Time passes and I realized I really didn't like either Windows or Mac, and for the past 10 years Ive been linux only. It really does happen, even if rarely.

Good on you for rising up to the ranks of Linux/BSD. You just need to recognize that not everybody aspires to be competent with lower-levels of hardware and software that Apple makes that much more difficult. Most Apple users are content to use apps written by others and that is as far as their interest goes. An analogy is the car market. Most people don't care how the car works, etc. They just want to get to places.…

I think this’d be a good comment if it weren’t for the superiority complex :/

Re: “This is not the computer for you”

#104

Post by rz2k »

bigyabai wrote: post #81
raw_anon_1111 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surprisingly enough you don’t need Linux to learn about computers. You know that Macs have terminal?

The default Mac terminal environment is the Weetabix of UNIX-likes. You need GNU coreutils to do pretty much anything.

I'm confused. Isn't coreutils a just small subset of even macOS's current zsh's builtins? What do you prefer about systemd to launchd? defaults seems like a convenient way to manage settings. Is it confusing for people from other operating systems?

Re: “This is not the computer for you”

#105

Post by jezzamon »

dwd wrote: post #65

Sometimes I feel privileged for being in the generation that learnt to program BASIC on a C64 when it was the coolest thing around at the time. Being that much closer to the metal is a whole different experience of learning what a computer is and can do. Is that even possible now? Probably not. Years ago I tried to get my kids interested in playing with their own Raspberry Pi when they came out, that they could do wh…

Plenty of great tools for kids to start making games with if they're interested in it! Personally, I think running something on a Raspberry Pi isn't very interesting or inviting as a first thing to play with. Creating a game in Roblox, designing an outfit in Roblox, or building a game within Minecraft is more interesting. And people build crazy stuff in Scratch.

But also, not every kid is interested in that anyway.

Re: “This is not the computer for you”

#107

Post by cosmic_cheese »

rafram wrote: post #38
TheDong wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't have an open source kernel. You can't recompile the kernel or build your own device drivers. I'm not sure what you mean by "learning about computers", but I personally find being able to peek into the kernel source code to be more educational than anything in the mac ecosystem. The hardware here is incredible, but it's crippled by not adequately supporting Linux, BSD, or any other properly open source kern…

> You can't recompile the kernel or build your own device drivers. I just don’t think this is what, like, nine-year-olds are looking for in a computer. In any case, at least it’s good that they’re starting with macOS over Windows! Puts them on a good path to understanding that POSIX is the One True Paradigm and therefore makes them much more likely to compile their own kernel in the future.

I was that kid, and can confirm.

My curiosity for all things computer related was boundless, but I eventually tinkered with Linux but only because I’d had been exposed to a *nix style command line from the comfort of an OS X desktop first.

By then I had started messing around with code but had only built toys and extremely basic tools and would’ve been lucky to write a moderately functional desktop program using high level libraries (which didn’t happen for several more years).

Writing drivers or poking around in kernel code was so far beyond the scope of capabilities at that point that you would’ve had better luck teaching your dog how to knit. I don’t think I could’ve had any chance at doing these things until at least my mid 20s.

Re: “This is not the computer for you”

#108

Post by freeone3000 »

bigyabai wrote: post #86
hollerith wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Name one thing lacking in the utilities included with MacOS (which come from BSD).

The overwhelming majority of UNIX-like software isn't designed for BSD runtimes, to name one.

Aside from the BSD software, the Mac software, and all the software that’s actually POSIX-compliant (on purpose or by accident).

Re: “This is not the computer for you”

#109

Post by astafrig »

lukestevens wrote: post #58
TurdF3rguson wrote: post #30

I like how these days you have to say things like: "fuck-ass system modification" just to prove you're not AI.

But it is AI! Or, at least, it's been run through it. (Staccato sentences; Not X. Not Y. Z...) It's a shame for a personal reflection. It's hard to imagine what the (I'm guessing) Claude-isms add that improve what would otherwise have been a nice unmolested personal essay.

What else is a shame is claiming that some single language feature supports a foregone conclusion that the writing's been 'molested'. It's hard to imagine what a constructive comment this could've been with the minimum of effort to know that the author has written this way consistently since at least 2021, before the first public release of ChatGPT.

Re: “This is not the computer for you”

#110

Post by andai »

Main machine is a $50 Thinkpad.

I haven't used a computer more recent than 2016. As far as I can tell, the only thing I'm missing is AAA gaming (RTX looks cool), and local LLMs.

I did a bunch of game jams on it. Even won one! (Of course, even 2010s hardware is overkill for 2d games :)

I also did some basic video editing on it but it was a bit slow to render.

I won't say I'm not missing out — I'm certainly looking forward to an upgrade! — but that you can get surprisingly far with surprisingly little.

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