The PC is Dead: It's Time To Make Computing Personal Again My new essay on how we lost control of personal computing to Internet surveillance, DRM, and extractive business models—and how we can launch the era of Personal Computer 2.0 www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/ar... - ThreadSky

benjedwards.com • 37 days ago

The PC is Dead: It's Time To Make Computing Personal Again

My new essay on how we lost control of personal computing to Internet surveillance, DRM, and extractive business models—and how we can launch the era of Personal Computer 2.0

https://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/3292/

Comments

edhodgson.bsky.social•34 days ago

📌

wildecard.bsky.social•37 days ago

Absolute cracker of a piece, will be sharing it far and wide.
Little sidenote: the studios actually did experiment with a VHS cassette that you could only watch twice before it self-destructed, adding further credence to your point about the predatory aspect being ever present.

derekledbetter.bsky.social•33 days ago

On the second watch, it erased itself, so at least you could reuse it to record something else.

benjedwards.com•37 days ago

Thanks

l0stsect0r.bsky.social•33 days ago

use #linux variants

#ubuntu
or
#mint

problem was solved like a decade ago

there is no ad budget so its still the golden days

but all that tracking crap is out the door on linux

spaghettijaguar.bsky.social•35 days ago

Perfect morning read with kraftwerk on in the background! -> ~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7cDapo__VA

benjedwards.com•37 days ago

Related reading: In 2022, I interviewed Steve Wozniak, John Romero, and Tim Sweeney about the lessons we can learn from the Apple II’s open nature:

https://www.howtogeek.com/809799/45-years-later-the-apple-ii-still-has-lessons-to-teach-us/

benjedwards.com•37 days ago

I've been working on this piece for a few years. It took a bout with the flu before I had the bravery to publish it. But it's never been more relevant than right now

bcripster.bsky.social•37 days ago

Thank you for sharing this. It's so relevant. The real struggle though is as tech literacy goes down the entry skills needed to maintain privacy are effectively going up. And younger people who have never had privacy don't understand what is being lost.

werratai.bsky.social•35 days ago

This is 100% correct. You can still PC just like the old days. It just may involve knowing what the heck you are doing and not signing up for convenience.

jennatar.bsky.social•37 days ago

your best ever, Benj

benjedwards.com•37 days ago

Thanks! That means a lot

jennatar.bsky.social•37 days ago

I realized I shouldn’t’ve said best ever. “Best yet,” or even “my favorite yet” 🙏

benjedwards.com•37 days ago

👍🏻🐦‍🔥

rfratelli.bsky.social•36 days ago

Excellent article. Especially this part: “You should buy tech products and get direct value fairly, not unleash a secret vampire to track you, manipulate you, and attempt to extract money from you forever”.

benjedwards.com•36 days ago

Thanks

alastor8472.bsky.social•34 days ago

Thanks for sharing your essay. I’ve been contemplating a lot lately on why we consider the 90s/early 00s as a happier time, and how to potentially take a step back before going forward with todays tech.

This helps a lot organizing my own thoughts and projecting it on current “challenges”.

benjedwards.com•34 days ago

Thanks, I hope my work can serve as an inspirational starting point for others such as yourself

dendory.net•37 days ago

The PC is only dead if you accept it to be. Corporations want to own our data, monetize us and feed us crap. Unfortunately the masses allow it to happen, but there is another way for those willing to learn.

benjedwards.com•37 days ago

right on

wil9876.bsky.social•33 days ago

📌

sterlingfarrance.bsky.social•37 days ago

Fucking brilliant dude. No joke. Bravo.

benjedwards.com•37 days ago

Thanks

kaaboose.bsky.social•37 days ago

A great read! Left a comment on the article after finally realising I left the Z in!

mattkarger.bsky.social•33 days ago

📌

jcc333.bsky.social•37 days ago

Maybe also of interest is https://thestrangeloop.com/2021/authorship-environments-in-search-of-the-personal-in-personal-computing.html

mikethemadbiol.bsky.social•37 days ago

📌

pachianarchy.bsky.social•33 days ago

📌

bobone968.bsky.social•35 days ago

A great read !!
Thanks

fultonbot.bsky.social•37 days ago

Yes, please 100%, let's get this started now.

jamielendino.com•37 days ago

This is really well done. Excellent job, Benj.

benjedwards.com•37 days ago

Thanks Jamie

mnbundledad.bsky.social•37 days ago

Enjoyed this. I remember a time when it was possible to know everything going on in a PC, down to the registers. I got to write my own bootstrap OS in college. I miss those days. Now, the “computer” isn’t even in your home.

mnbundledad.bsky.social•37 days ago

I really, really want to be able to use Linux as a daily driver. However, the lack of hardware compatibility makes it a non-starter. I can’t spend $$$$ on system 76 pc, and when I install it on an Acer/ASUS/HP/Lenovo, I always wonder “what isn’t going to work this time?”

bbbbbr.bsky.social•35 days ago

Used Dell business laptops (Latitude 5x and 7x series) that are 3-4 years old can be great deals (such as $250 for ones w/ 32GB RAM), fairly well built and mostly a breeze for Linux.

Have not seen many driver issues other than fingerprint and Smart Card sensors which aren't big daily use things.

bbbbbr.bsky.social•35 days ago

The Dell docks however are not so hot, depending on the model. Not driver compatibility, just more prone to buggy behavior.

mnbundledad.bsky.social•35 days ago

My company uses Dell by default, and people are getting their laptops swapped out regularly. I had one for about 5 months, and had awful experience. I can't remember the line (probably Latitude), but it was enough to make me steer clear of them.

bbbbbr.bsky.social•35 days ago

Maybe there is some kind of survivorship bias in 3-4 year old used models, i.e. defective ones don't last long enough to hit resale. Or new models have gotten worse. Ours have been without issue.

pineight.com•36 days ago

You mentioned Lenovo. In my experience, a used #ThinkPad has offered some of the smoothest Linux install experiences I've had.

benjedwards.com•36 days ago

Yeah they seem pretty Linux-positive in general

mnbundledad.bsky.social•35 days ago

That's my understanding as well, except maybe for the most recent versions.

I don't blame Linux distros for hardware problems; manufacturers don't usually provide drivers.

If I hadn't been able to get a refurbished MBAir for less than $500, I would have gone with a small form-factor ThinkPad.

mnbundledad.bsky.social•35 days ago

My RPi2 had been the most stable home server I ever had. When I decided to replace it, I found that a used ThinkCentre was cheaper than the latest RPi, and much more powerful. I put Ubuntu on it, and I've been very happy with the results.

ozxjo.bsky.social•37 days ago

My daily driver is Linux. It has been so for the last 25 years. Years ago it was more of a challenge installing Linux on hardware, now it is so much easier. Presently I have an Intel NUC pc, 2 ASUS laptops and an iMac 2014. All run perfectly with Linux.

mnbundledad.bsky.social•37 days ago

I wasn’t saying that nobody could or should do it. I think it’s more about the hardware I put it on, and the time I could afford for troubleshooting (I.e., learning).

I used an RPi as a home server for years, and it was rock solid. Just upgraded to a ThinkCentre, and it seems solid too.

mnbundledad.bsky.social•37 days ago

For my nonwork daily driver, I recently picked up a MB Air for $500. It ticks all my boxes, and I’m really happy with it. MB hits a sweet spot between online services and GP computing. When Apple stops supporting it, I’ll probable put some Linux distributor on it.

bowiegrrl.bsky.social•37 days ago

Excellent article. I hate computers now. It’s always tracking you and trying to do what it thinks you want. It blocks you from control. It tried to block you from removing unwanted programs. I remember when computers just did what you wanted. Now it thinks it knows better than you.

benjedwards.com•37 days ago

Thanks

mari-chan.bsky.social•37 days ago

Great piece! One thing that helps companies keep alive their bad practices is also the complexity we slowly built up in the computing space. It's hard however to remove it without impacting software or hardware people already own

nichromekneesocks.bsky.social•33 days ago

I recently cut holes into the metal case of my PC to make room for power cables. I needed more juice to run an obsolete graphics card I received that was still compatible with the rest of my dated system.

I've been unemployed since graduating HS so I couldn't get a new case💔

nichromekneesocks.bsky.social•33 days ago

I've put a lot of hard work into upgrading this PC to its full potential by upgrading the memory, graphics card and adding new drives.

What frustrates me though is that I can't do more with it. The power sipping Skylake is easily overwhelmed and the non-ECC RAM is too small for extended work.

nichromekneesocks.bsky.social•33 days ago

I like your article but there is a significant problem with personal computing that is structural and has to be addressed. Most computers are not designed to chug along and go the distance. They are optimized for a short burst of performance and make errors.

nichromekneesocks.bsky.social•33 days ago

When I visited the Living Conputers Museum that Paul Allen founded in Seattle I was amazed by the design of old mainframes and the super computers that replaced them. They were tools meant to chew on the toughest problems in the world and do massive volumes of work.

Home PCs can't do this

nichromekneesocks.bsky.social•33 days ago

Consumer grade commodity PCs don't have a problem with speed. That is the problem. If they don't go fast enough they can't do it. They can't run forever and the software available for them is designed badly.

With a normal PC you can only do surface level work

sudo-lindenberg.bsky.social•35 days ago

📌

oldfriend99.bsky.social•35 days ago

Love your stuff Benj

benjedwards.com•35 days ago

Thanks man likewise

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