Another reason to hate #Apple We're seeing more 2018+ MacBook Pro/Air donations — but Apple's T2 chip means even after iCloud sign-out and reset, the firmware stays locked to the original account.
Without donor contact, these machines are useless. :(
I've upcycled ~1,000 older Macs, but T2 era machines will end that. It's controlling, creates e-waste, and will only get worse. #righttorepair matters — Apple couldn't care less.
@coreysnipes it really breaks my brain. And it's just starting..
The ONLY solution seems to be this super long and complicated procedure of literally unsoldering the t2 chip, directly reprogramming it, resoldering it, and then hookign it up to another mac in DFW mode,etc.. HOURS of work just to use a machine you own
I don't know the legality of it, but there's a T203 tool from Ali Express plus desoldering and resoldering that is supposed to overcome this. If I had a bunch of these that were legit donations I might try to figure this out, if it works.
@Victorsigmoid have you seen the video of that? I just watched it and holy shit its intense haha.
I mean I AM considering it.. but what a nightmare.. its' super time consuming.. and you still need another up to date mac to hook it up to in DFW mode..
So even after ALL that.. you still end up needing a current Mac.. god i hate them
@cygnathreadbare thing is.. the t2 disables ANY boot from USB.. so you need to set the boot security to none.. but you can only do that from inside the recovery center.. which.. you guessed it.. you need to authenticate to even use. :(
I haven't donated mine yet (I was just going to take it to the apple store for recycling after wiping it) - as long as I, the user, wipe it first, it's OK..?
This entry was edited (Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 9:47 PM)
@noodlemaz Apple will just shred it.. so it's "recycled" for the metal.. but they're not re-using it.
In my experience, it's best to wipe it, then set it up with a new local account with a dummy admin password.. then put it as a sticky note on the keyboard.
If you plan for it to be useful again. You don't need an icloud password, just a local admin password.
Link to information about this? Are you saying that the donors failed to clear these machines properly before getting rid of them, or that it is impossible for them to do so?
@LoneLocust on more than one occasion i've had a user go through ALL the steps to clear the computer. And yet.. even with all that, I still can't unlock the boot security without a local admin password.
The only thing that seems to work is for someone to wipe it and then set up a dummy account.
But you have to be a motivated user to do all that. Most people are just going to toss it to donate it. Or inherit it, etc.. thats a huge percentage
@ottaross But I *love* that thieves are disincentivized, just like with iPhones.
If I understand, you need the original user to remove the lock before donating, but they don’t know? I wonder if Apple could build in a feature like “contact this locked machine’s registered account holder and ask if they’re really done with it”. Then I could approve if I really donated/sold it, or click “absolutely not, brick it forever w/o my password” if I didn’t. (Hmm, how could that be abused?)
Learn what to do if you see the Activation Lock screen on your device, or if you're asked to remove Activation Lock on a device that's offline and not in your possession.
I get this may be cumbersome, but if you're a legit charity / business and have documentation from the donors showing it's been legally donated to you (I would assume you get signed paperwork with these computers when they're donated), this would likely be a successful path for you. (2/2) @codemonkeymike @bigzaphod
The sad part of this too is most #Apple Macs post T2 might not be suitable collectors items because of this. I own a lot vintage era #PowerBook G4's and G3's and there were times where I might want to reinstall OS X. Doing that is next to impossible on devices like this. Not to mention, even pre-T2 machines, if you don't use them for a while they lock you out requiring resetting the password through recovery.
I've had go stop taking most idevices because even after resetting them they end up being locked to a schools activation server which makes them unusable So they all end up going to recycle
Suspect you are talking about two different things. For a machine owned by an end user, removing the iCloud account and performing a factory reset absolutely makes that Mac available for activation and use by a new user, T2 or no. However, if the device is owned by the end user’s school or employer and enrolled by that organization to their device management, they would have to unenroll it.
I realize you didn’t ask for these two cents, but it was you photo that shocked me the most. You will suffer additionally from cracked displays with such a tall stack of devices. I’d suggest no more than five high when horizontally stacked.
Good luck working with Apple on clearing Activation Locks. You may need to be registered as a business / agency to get the support you will need.
There are many Windows laptops that can be used for Linux, why should Mac users who pay for security worry about this use of their old computer? If you don’t want a Mac don’t buy one, T2 chip or no. And Apple Silicon has this security built in without a T2 chip, so it isn’t only the T2. You can fix this by passing laws, but you can also pass laws to unlock other kinds of computer security, where does that end? 🙁
it’s thoroughly disgusting. So much waste, yet they play it off like it’s a benefit. No, Apple, most of us don’t want to steal someone else’s property or data, we just want to use otherwise unaffordable yet perfectly functional personal computers.
At this point they need to be forced by law to loosen it up a bit.
With their growing market share the problem will get worse. I would wipe the drive and install linux. The challenge is to get wifi to work correctly. I was experimenting but with Intel based macs, rather than ARM based ones.
@bigzaphod So your problem is that Apple is prioritizing the hardware and data integrity of THE OWNER and the owner did not properly unlock the device before it was recycled (or stolen). Sorry, but that doesn’t sound like an Apple problem. As an owner, that is what I want.
I understand that it sucks to be in your position, but Apple is doing the right thing here.
I've had to give this same bad news to more than one person who bought a used Apple computer. Somebody will sell their Mac or iPad or whatever to a pawn shop or something without doing a reset and there you go. My brother managed to unlock one he got used from Rent-A-Center, but had to spend over an hour on the phone with Apple customer support to do it. I have a feeling if he'd gotten it from Facebook marketplace or a pawn shop or something he'd have been out of luck.
I do appreciate that T2 chips make my macBook basically not a good target for thieves though: They by know understand that stealing these devices is not worth it and don't even attempt.
But it will take time until donors understand that they need to do EACS, which is quite simple:
But this isn't widely known yet. There's been some people who had luck with going to Apple Stores and providing some kind of guarantee that these are donated pieces but it's a hassle. But for such a big stack, buying a T203 would potentially make sense, could perhaps even be part of a hacker space's tools.
Use the Erase All Content and Settings feature to quickly and securely erase all settings, data, and apps, while maintaining the operating system currently installed.
Hmm, I’m about to donate a bunch of MacBooks. All personal devices that were collecting dust. I’ve reset them and reinstalled the latest macOS possible.
Reminds me that this whole ecosystem is broken - My phone number was for a few months for testing purposes in Apple business manager (some 4 years ago) as "technical contact" and even though it's not there anymore, just last year I got three calls from confused people who bought a new MacBook from one of the retailers we used and it presented them with device management window and my phone number ... Not only the retailer mistakenly assigned the serial number under the apple business manager, somehow my phone number still resufarces from time to time even though Apple representatives say it's not there anymore. And even the process of selling old Macs to users and getting them out from Apple business manager is not reliable (at least it wasn't a few years back).
I'm not an apple user so I wonder, is that a result of the original user not removing their account correctly or is this is a matter of "once the owner, forever the owner"?
Contact Apple. Ask for the Enterprise Support Team to look into this. You will have to have some sort of proof about what your organisation does; how you normally obtain the machines. It's likely a "device to device" decision since the devices are locked by the (ex)owner. However, in certain cases Apple may be able to help. (Note: if these used to be for example university DEP enrolled machines, Apple likely can not do anything)
I am not a lawyer, but I am under the impression that the upcoming Circular Economy Act in the EU will prevent manufacturers from pulling off shit like this.
I am never (unless they change radically) going to purchase an Apple product.
I will not willingly support this sort of shit. They can have the fastest laptop CPUs with the best battery life, etc. And they can keep it for all i care. I'll not support that sort of practice.
do you have any more info on the internal workings of these restrictions? Because the T2 chip has known vulnerabilities in both SecureROM and SEPROM...
incredible 😑! MacOS is and always being a trending OS - or almost the cool expensive solution to Windows - pretty nice to be able to use Linux on whatever you want; looking forward to alternative to Android too 🙂
really, the factory reset features in devices with anti-theft measures should ask if the user intends to give the device to a new owner
discoverability of these anti-theft measures doesn't seem especially prevalent
it would interfere with charity somewhat, but even a recommendation that old devices be returned to Apple/Google would at least mean folks are prompted to deactivate ownership thoroughly
it's a mess, honestly not sure how to reconcile this :S
I assume you've already tried a bunch of things, I guess that iFixit's solution of desoldering/resoldering isn't feasable? And have you considered using e.g. checkm8.info/mac-activation-lo…?
Slightly different thing, but gawsh I recently had to look into Apple's repair system as I unfortunately dropped my MBP at our hackerspace and smashed the screen 🙃 I paid something like 600eur for the machine 2nd hand, Apple quoted 999eur for a replacement screen. Ha-ha...
Also ofc there's a chip preventing from simply switching a screen from another unit, so even with the 450eur screens from eBay it's just not worth it just in case I'd mess it up soldering.
The funny thing about that is that they could have a system like that for iPhones and completely eliminate iPhone theft. That would actually serve a social function, and they don't do it
Ugh, I had no idea this was a thing. I'd recently picked up a MacBook Air, needing more than a Chromebook but minus the Microsoft invasion. Apparently there is no OTS option* anymore when you get sick of the overreach.
I'll be able to do the steps to make the device donation-ready now that I'm aware, but this design is wrong.
*Don't at me about Linux; it's an option but it's not a 'walk into a shop and let someone else handle it' option, yet.
I understand why they do that and it's a great theft deterrent, but it would also cost them next to nothing to allow these machines to request a remote unlock, prompting the original machine owner to remove the device from Find My (or not, in case of a theft).
Not to mention Apple's Device Enrollment Program, which locks computers automatically on purchase, before it's even tied to iCloud. And if a company donates or sells a DEP-enrolled machine without unenrolling it, welp, e-waste as soon as you try a factory reset.
when sometimes I say apple is shit, I need to re-evaluate and apologize to excrement; it has uses.
Apple is just a cult for the terminally vain and overmoneyed dumbasstronic idiots.
The pain i n my eyes, when they roll interdimensionally, every time some idiot apple user tells me that "apple protects your privacy betetr, hur hur hur"
:O good to know it. Can I ask since when did Apple begin using T2 chip? Maybe, which Macbook model was the first using that chip? Thank you for sharing this information, it is huge
I have a Mac that's in this situation, someone threw it in a trash can and I pulled it out. I haven't tried it much yet, but you may have some luck with pailra1n. It's an open source exploit that supposedly lets you unlock T2 macbooks among other things, but it seems to be more focused on iPads/iPhones and the documentation for macbooks isn't very good
Just wanting to be sure I understand, it is a problem when previous owner didn't use " Erase All Content and Settings" or they had Firmware password set?
@Gargron Oh no all the stolen MacBooks are useless, what will we do!?!? Honestly all snark aside I’d love for the market for stolen Macs to go down more than the recycle market to go up.
@Gargron @aglimme If this was really about theft, then a user with a stolen macbook would be able to use it to contact the owners for purposes of return.
@Epic_Null @Gargron I totally agree that there should be a mechanism to totally unlock the machine, this however, sounds like a great way to harass someone. Steal their laptop or phone, then constantly ask to unlock. Seeing that pop-up over and over would be so annoying. Also laptop theft from cafes where I live is definitely a significant issue. Just want to point out that there are legitimate reason to brick hardware.
@Gargron @aglimme "Not something I like/agree with/accept" and "Not what it's being sold as" are two different concepts. The latter just happens to be a more convincing argument when talking to people who may have different expectations.
@Gargron @aglimme the one reason to password lock the bootloader would be to DETER theft if people know it will be useless to them to steal it. But there should definitely be an option given to the device owner to disable this.
I've historically had a harder time fixing and selling selling used apple products than any other tech. They just exist in their own ecosystem and play by their own rules.
People who buy apple aren't wanting second hand gear.
Used ecosystem is iPhones under 5 years old and 3rd parties like backmarket ate the whole share.
Support is specialty stores or apple (although their support is top-notch when it's there). Out of support? Might as well have a brick.
@coldclimate assuming they didn't seems excessively generous to me. It seems far more likely they did and don't care. Smaller secondhand market means more pressure for new purchases.
What is the correct procedure to de-link an T2 macbook pro from an account? I have one that I am struggling to make use of. How do I prepare it for someone else to use?
Yep! The organization that I volunteer with is seeing the exact same thing. Lots of very, very useful pieces of hardware are locked and now useless and have to go to e-waste.
I'm thinking a one-year lockout should be the maximum by law, after which the device wipes itself. That way it's inconvenient for thieves, but still kept from becoming e-waste.
Also, this just confirms for me yet again that modern macbooks are just iPads with keyboards.
@argv_minus_one @bigzaphod On one hand you’re right. On the other, Activation Lock has single handedly helped lower rates of device theft. It’s a tough spot all around.
@argv_minus_one @bigzaphod Your experience is anecdotal. Because you haven’t experienced that, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. I’m sure Apple has data on this. Even 1% would be a TON of stolen units.
Again, how does Apple balance deterrence vs consumer convenience? I don’t have that answer but at least there is an option that exists if one provides provenance. I’m not defending them, just pointing out it’s a complicated issue.
Personally I've been using laptops for nearly 30 years and not one of them was ever stolen. Neither were any of my phones.
Maybe I've somehow been living obliviously in some kind of low-theft bubble all these years, but it seems to me that this all is a solution in search of a problem.
@Aaron @argv_minus_one @bigzaphod of course its complicated.. But I think apple is partially responsible here because.
1. They really dont make it clear to the average user how to "release" the device before selling or giving it away. Feels like they're purposely making it hard.
2. The device remains locked even if the original owner removes the device from their apple account. There should be a workflow so a user can release the device remotely after the fact.
"Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-driven effort to produce a collection of high quality, carefully formatted, accessible, open source, and free public domain ebooks that meet or exceed the quality of commercially produced ebooks."
Lovely site I've been getting books from for a couple years now. Currently reading their release of The King in Yellow.
Maybe cram some Oscar Wilde into your eyes or something.
Hey. Nations are made up. Citizenship is made up. Naturalization is made up. We have these things because this is the social contract we grew over hundreds of years.
The idea of an immigrant becoming a citizen is no less legitimate than the idea of someone being born a citizen. They are both and equally legal constructs that exist because things were worse without them.
If an immigrant can be denaturalized, then anyone the government wants to be rid of can be denaturalized.
Billionaires love to make us aware of their borders, like electric fences to keep livestock, that's exactly what we are to them, to be bred, worked, culled, and to serve at their pleasure. I wish I was joking, but to billionaires, we are temperamental livestock. Both definitions of "revolting" are used to describe us.
Some 600 pages. I put so much effort into this wow....and the design, was really difficult to design a book about language. The subject was super complex but I am so so happy with how it ended up.
Some 600 pages. I put so much effort into this wow....and the design, was really difficult to design a book about language. The subject was super complex but I am so so happy with how it ended up.
370 pages of understanding in detail how money came to be. I looked at so many isms that tried to organize our society. This was the bedrock of my understanding of our society.
Over a THOUSAND pages long. Comic-book style design with superheroes and characters. By far the most difficult book I ever wrote or ever write probably. This made me have a complete understanding of what this global society is made of. I even created a mega search engine to showcase how a few companies own most stuff - unfortunately I had to discontinue it since it was impossible to update....but yah this book is the achievement of my life :D
This one is a unique book in terms of the subject. Also smaller than the rest around 70 pages. The title is the core of the book and the design was also difficult and unique.
Some 200 pages of pure joy. This one I really loved writing and designing.
I wrote more see here - tromsite.com/trombooks/ and I would love to write more, even if I am sure today is nearly impossible to make anyone read them. People have no patience plus they use these tiny screens (phones) so reading them in this digital format heavily reliant on a landscape design....is a no no for most.
Sad. But maybe I will publish my next content in the same format if I won't be comfortable with making videos.
Anyway, thank you past me for spending so many years creating these. They are really valuable books and they completely changed the way I see the world.
I have read "The Origin of most problems" book, and have read most of "The Money game and beyond" book but I unfortunately didn't finish it. Now I'm not much of a reader or anything, but both of those books were really fucking impressive and I remember feeling such joy and excitement reading those. I also read the "The ugliness of beauty" book which was a shorter one. I can only imagine the amount of effort you must've put into creating these books man, you not only had to research about these topics and write the books but you also designed them in such a beautiful manner. That is genuinely an achievement and something to be proud of 🙂
And personally I think perhaps I should start reading more books and such, there are some problems like my eye strain issues and such which hold me back but I realize that getting into a habit of reading will do me good long term.
And about the device.... I read these on an old tablet device that I had with a 10 inch 720p
I have read "The Origin of most problems" book, and have read most of "The Money game and beyond" book but I unfortunately didn't finish it. Now I'm not much of a reader or anything, but both of those books were really fucking impressive and I remember feeling such joy and excitement reading those. I also read the "The ugliness of beauty" book which was a shorter one. I can only imagine the amount of effort you must've put into creating these books man, you not only had to research about these topics and write the books but you also designed them in such a beautiful manner. That is genuinely an achievement and something to be proud of 🙂
And personally I think perhaps I should start reading more books and such, there are some problems like my eye strain issues and such which hold me back but I realize that getting into a habit of reading will do me good long term.
And about the device.... I read these on an old tablet device that I had with a 10 inch 720p display, I haven't turned it on for a long time now not sure if it still works lol 😅 But yeah the resolution wasn't great for such a big screen, it was all I had at the time.... The form factor of a tablet was still pretty great for reading a book tho, I could hold it in my hand like an actual book 😄
I would like to know what other format than video would be better suited for new TROM content? I understand that these books may be hard to read unless you do it on a laptop of decent screen. But on the other hand these books allow me to fully express myself via the design.
Making video content would be an obvious choice these days but I understand it can be a lot of work. A middle ground between the two might be Audio books or a podcast style format, however this can be limiting if you wanna include some visuals. I think technically it's possible to include some attachments along with your audio but if your content is predominantly visual then yeah this might not be the best option.
BTW, I will also say that one other advantage of the podcast format in particular is that it's one of the only media that isn't controlled by a single big tech platform and their algorithms. I think Spotify and Apple podcasts have tried to make it their walled garden but failed, almost every podcast is available through RSS feeds even today.
For me podcasts do not work in terms of creating them. Maybe if you have a cool voice and clear, may be more interesting. But this is not for me. I am also a very visual person and the way I designed our books was a great way to express myself.
Yeah I understand about the voice, if I think about it I would also get very self conscious about my voice if I were to sit in front of a mike to record a podcast lol 😅 And about you being a visual person, yeah that's what I was thinking how you expressed yourself so clearly with some simple figure drawings in your last blog post - that made me realize that this is your thing haha 😄 So audio won't help you with that.....
Thank you so much wonderful friend @aaron you are so amazing for translating almost everything into German. So amazing. And yah can't wait to create more content. Thank you again for this wonderful message!
@aaron I know everyone talks about the origin of most problems book but I feel like the money game and beyond book was just as good and eye opening. I honestly don't remember why I didn't finish reading that book, I think I had to stop due to exams or something - or else there's no way I'd stop reading something that captivating. I should probably go back and read these books sometime 🙂
@aaron I think I have read most of the book already, because I remember the analogy using aging as a disease and comparing it with our society. Also one of the things that really impressed me in the book is how it answers a lot of the questions that would naturally arise in the readers mind, like how to handle scarce resources - the book talks about the example of organ donation and how that is distributed based on some ethical standards humans came up with.
Yes that video was amazing, very well done. It is always people not cars that save Earth, and if those people are not getting the bare minimum of help and support they need then we should fix that first!
@sober_pirate@social.trom.tf BTW, there was no description under that video, maybe you forgot to put that on Peertube? Anyway, just wanted to let you know.
Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.
Microsoft has suspended developer accounts used to maintain multiple high-profile open-source projects without proper notification and no way to quickly reinstate them, effectively blocking them from publishing new software builds and security patches for Windows users.
I don’t want to play devil’s advocate, but on the other hand, it’s a private company, not a government body or some NGO. Their job is to make a profit. That’s exactly how becoming dependent on big tech ends up...
The way to make the partner center *start the vetting process over again* is to:
EDIT the primary contact info. You don't even have to make any changes, just add and delete an extra space or something, but re-save it. This kicks off vetting again and prompts for the Verifiable Credentials (VC).
Without the above step, there was NO way to supply the credential and re-vet.
The popular open source VPN maker is the second high-profile developer to say Microsoft locked his account without notifying him and are blocking their ability to send software updates to users.
@saxnot There are two kinds of 'not easy': skills/knowledge and social.
90% of the computer scientists I work with use MacBooks as their daily driver. Why? I assume because it is high status tech which is recognisable as such to everyone the world over.
@saxnot @tomstoneham 1/2 That is the point to repair cafes that offer installs of Linux for those with modern computers that cannot run Windows 11.
Most people have limited needs from a computer and setting up a Linux desktop say XFCE in such a way that it mimics older versions of Windows allows people to transition easily.
I moved my remaining elderly parent over to Linux on their macbook ten years ago. With XFCE and a MacOSX theme and the panel at the top the transition was painfree.
@…neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk @Dragon @tomstoneham linux is the most used operating system in the world all the cloud, websites, android, dishwashers etc are using Linux
On the desktop it's not used that much but let's be honest the desktop is dying
@saxnot @Dragon @tomstoneham I'd think as a a lawyer you'd need to be wary of potential money-laundering claims.
More on topic, I'd think there'll still be *some* use for desktop environments, for (just as examples) software development and work that involves a lot of writing.
I often think about cell phones and other consumer devices that in many ways are more robust than a Raspberry Pi but are bootloader locked or worse, and how it would be nice to straddle the fence and have something like a bootloader with a cert that expired at the end of it's "useful life" that would open the hardware up to hobbyists and recyclers without jeopardizing the revenue stream.
@kimvanwyk @Dragon @tomstoneham yeah software development will probably always happen on a full fledged computer
desktop has been indecline for decades and most normies do their things on a tablet or phone it's not a baseless prediction I was stating changing usage patterns of the last decade
It assumes that Windows and Mac users are proficient at using their respective operating systems to the point that they 1) can install and configure it independently, and 2) are able to troubleshoot and solve their own problems. It also suggests that only on Linux they would run into trouble, and become dependent on a third party.
The reality, in my experience, is rather different. Most users don't have a clue how to install their OS, as in all likelihood it came pre-installed with their system. Most people will call a friend or family member to help with a computer problem, or search the internet for instructions they don't actually understand. To them, computers are nothing more than a tool, much like their car. And their car, they take to a mechanic, even for the smallest thing they could do themselves.
Switching to Linux poses the same issues as switching from Windows to macOS (and vice versa).
A Windows user switching to macOS, with no one in their social circle who's familiar with Macs, will suffer just as much as someone switching to Linux without having fellow Linux users they can ask for help. The same goes for macOS users wanting to move to Windows, Android to iOS, etc.
The real problem isn't the (perceived) difficulty of Linux, but rather the lack of popular software such as Microsoft Office, Photoshop, combined with the natural resistance to change, and the sheer unwillingness to learn something new.
Distros such as Linux Mint, Zorin OS, or Elementary OS, to name but a few, have pretty much eliminated the UI learning curve, thanks to their close resemblance to either Windows or macOS, or their ability to switch layouts at will.
What about the part that the UI learning curve has pretty much been eliminated? 😃
The issue people have (again, in my experience) is having to learn a new way of working. It's the perceived difficulty that switching to a Linux system means not being able to use it without having to learn something first.
Yet the Windows desktop paradigm means that Windows users will instinctively gravitate to the same areas they're used to on Windows: the start button, task bar, system tray, etc. I'm less familiar with macOS and equivalent DEs on Linux to be able to compare them, but Xfce seems to be familiar to Mac users.
I don't, and didn't, claim that switching to Linux is easy. But I reject the notion that it is difficult. And I would argue that it is, in fact, easier to switch from Windows/macOS to Linux than Windows <—> macOS, thanks to the ability to choose a similar UI in case of the former, unlike the latter.
The real difficulty, as stated, lies with the apps.
And yes, I encourage people to switch to Linux, especially those that don't rely on Microsoft or Adobe software, or are open to switching to alternative apps. Switching them to #FOSS where possible, on their own platform, is a useful first step.
Windows 11, and Apple's abandonment of their Intel machines, are a tremendous help with this process.
"No, you do NOT have to buy a new computer. Your current one EASILY has another 10 years of life left in it if you switch to Linux". 😲
I still can't get over the way MS has just lost their everloving minds lately. Don't get me wrong, they've always had horrible business practices and been more than just a bit evil, but at least they had a small veneer of a pretense and generally tried at least to pretend... Now they're just straight up pivoting to that sort of dystopian nightmare corporation that belongs as the villain in stories, not as a thing to exist in real life...)
I seriously can't understand why it's so hard to get people to stop using Microsoft products — especially Windows. And I say that as someone who is a gamer and has been on Microsoft operating systems and a number of their products since my first computer a long long time ago.
@…neil @aerion @tomstoneham my girlfriend never used any other operating system and is using Linux Mint. She installed it herself after I recommended it as a distro.
Thinking about the people at my work who look at E-Mail and online planning tools all day I am very confident they would have zero problems using any linux distro really. Perhaps they are glad the Microsoft jank is gone. And the next time they have a tech problem it's not like Windows would have helped it resolve it themself
@…neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk @knapjack i guess that might happen but I guess "expires" just means that officisl software is not accepted and non-official neither and thus the device is bricked. That's far more likely to happen
EDIT: dropped neil because they desired so don't add them when responding to me
@saxnot @tomstoneham Actually it's not that difficult as it was some years ago. I've installed Mint on old laptops and I've given them to some elderly people and they're using it without any problem. Nowadays the PCs are used just to access services from the browsers.
Remember this picture, & others like it, every time you hear someone in your city say "we're not Amsterdam." This was #Amsterdam in the 1970s. Many of the cities we admire made tough choices regarding cars in the past, and are still making better choices today. Better choices instead of excuses.
@brenttoderian.bsky.social the short answer is that it's easier to sell stuff when everything is exactly as boring as everything else and there's no distinguishing features that customers might have preferences about ><
7th of April, 2026: The most horrifying & anxious night the world has had in its living memory. No matter what transpired this night, it will go down in history as one of its darkest and shameful chapters.
Never before has a head of a state threatened the death of an entire #civilisation. Never before has a despot with such dastardly intent been in possession of the horrific capability to do just that.
The world may have been spared an #apocalyptic #tragedy for the time being. But make no mistake. They crossed the #Rubicon & opened the #PandorasBox, with their utterly irresponsible & reprehensible act yesterday.
You, me and entire world will never again be as safe as we were till yesterday. These events have permanently shifted the nuclear #ThreatPerception of the world. Don't be surprised if nations from Iran to Japan conclude that #nukes are essential for their survival.
We've been silent too long. We ignored the incessant #genocides and #CrimesAgainstHumanity that happen daily in this world. Our silence ensured that someone eventually graduated to the next level of #bloodlust & #horror - the destruction of an entire civilisation!
The damage of last night will never be undone. But if you care about your successors and the future of #humanity, speak up now! Never let #greedy & psychopathic #megalomaniacs handle such power again! #EnoughIsEnough!
To those who supported the madmen: We all saw this coming. You have no moral justifications now. You're complicit in putting the entire humanity in this situation.
And to those who still support them: It doesn't matter what your claim is. It's vile, evil and it makes you the only ones who deserve to live under the shadow of an apocalyptic future that you dragged the rest of us into. If you have a shred of honour left, stop implicating God in it and own it up yourselves.
Humans are a bunch of ants. They are great at creating rockets and all sort of tech. But can be total idiots at the same time.
Mixing religion with "we are all one and have to take care of each other" is like shitting on a cake. It really is not necessary. It is obvious we are all one. Reality showed us that in so many ways. That's powerful! Not your stupid silly religion or holidays.
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Speaking as the Krita maintainer, I don’t want us to accept any LLM-generated code into Krita. Some may say, as long as the contributor understands the code it’s fine, but that’s a fallacy.
Joel 🇲🇽
in reply to R.L. Dane 🍵 • • •Dendrobatus Azureus
in reply to R.L. Dane 🍵 • • •If we could only turn back the clock to 2017 {pre LLM Era}
@rl_dane
R.L. Dane 🍵
in reply to Dendrobatus Azureus • • •If we're turning back the clock, please leave me in 1987. XD
I'll have my Commodore 64, my NES, my Betamax, and good times.
Bonus if I keep my middle-aged wisdom and confidence. XD
mirabilos🐈⬛
in reply to R.L. Dane 🍵 • • •R.L. Dane 🍵
in reply to mirabilos🐈⬛ • • •