Life without Windows or OS X

Have you tried running Windows 11 or Mac on a 10-year-old system or even older? You will see quickly that it will be a no-go. Most likely no drivers will exist for your old hardware. Plus Windows 11, the current version of Windows, hit the market with certain minimum requirements. Meaning, it was not possible to upgrade pre-2017 PCs. On a Mac, it is even worse, the latest version of macOS Ventura supports at most a mac pro from 2018, and that was a very powerful, expensive device when it released.

A life without Windows or macOS means less waste. The vast majority of consumer computers will work flawlessly for 10 to 15 years depending on maintenance, as dust is very problematic for PC components. If a computer owner keeps the machines free from excessive dust and debris, It will maximize the system's longevity.

You might think that old PC sitting in your closet is useless because you can't put Windows 11 on it. As of this posting I am playing games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Metro Exodus on a HP ProDesk 400 G1 MT Intel Core i7 (Haswell) 4770 based system. It is a pre-built entry-level business desktop computer released in 2013. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, and is based on 22 nm manufacturing technology, with a TDP of 84 Watt and a maximum temperature of 72 °C. It supports DDR3 memory. Low end by today's standards, but typical users are not going to push it to its limit. There is no doubt Installing Linux on older computers that have fallen out of support from Apple and Microsoft will help keep them out of recycling centers longer. Not to mention you can avoid buying newer PCs for a bit longer saving you a lot of money in the long run.

Side note: ProDesk 400 G1 MT was upgraded with a new power supply, RAM, and Video Card.

Conclusion

• Life without Windows or OS X, means you have privacy. Gnu+Linux ensures the privacy of user’s data while using its distributions or software. This is not true for many other Windows 11 or macOS Ventura. Most Gnu+Linux distributions will not help governments spy on you.
• Life without Windows or OS X, means you don’t have to throw out a perfectly functioning computer just because it doesn’t run as fast as it used to or even because Microsoft has decided to abandon your version of Windows.
• Life without Windows or OS X, means freedom to choose. It is true that Gnu+Linux are open-source software; however, "most" Linux distributions usually include some non-free software. It can be in the form of proprietary "blobs" or drivers for running certain types of hardware. If you want to avoid any proprietary blobs or drivers there are Linux distros respects and protects you. They are independently verifiable by security experts and software developers around the world to be totally free of any proprietary mess. It's all about choice.
• Life without Windows or OS X, means completely free software applications available at your fingertips. There is something for everyone, including popular software applications from categories like gaming, graphics, programming, video etc.

The Gnu way: Proprietary AAA Gaming.

About 15 years ago if you were to ask about the status of Linux AAA gaming, they would bust out laughing. Today people don't laugh as much. It is true hundreds of games do not work and will never work on a Linux system. However there are many games that will work on a Linux system. It's a matter of fact Valve, The corporation behind steam released what is known as the Steam Deck. For those who don't know, the steam deck is an all-in-one handheld Gnu/Linux gaming PC. 

Note: Hundreds of games "will never" work on the Steam Deck due to anti-circumvention and anti-cheat controls or digital rights management (DRM).

For anyone who wants to start their gaming journey on Linux, here are some things you need to know. First you don't need a steam deck. A standard desktop or laptop will be sufficient. Next You have to make sure your Linux distro of choice

comes with the requisite graphics drivers. If you're a Nvidia user for example You need to grab 

the company’s official proprietary drivers. AMD users have the advantage here, AMD video cards use open-source Mesa graphics drivers. Meaning AMD GPUs and APUs will just work out of the box. 

Side note: Open-source Mesa graphics drivers also works with Intel integrated graphics and discreet graphics cards. When it comes to gaming, your mileage may vary from game title to game title. 

Reasons to game with Gnu.

So you found an old HP or Dell workstation sitting around. It is i7 from the 5th generation. Installing a Linux distro  realistically will be your only option due to the fact that Windows 11 and the upcoming Windows 12 will not support the system with a CPU from that generation. Well, Linux will install on systems that old, plus a retail copy of Windows 11 will cost you at least $140, and that is money you could have otherwise spent on more RAM and a graphics card. 

To be clear, Windows operating system wins every contest when it comes to the sheer game availability. Windows natively support thousands of titles, so you can rest assured that all your favorite AAA PC games will be supported on Windows platform. 

That being said, Linux does support many of the popular titles mainly because of compatibility layers. I would say right now close to 70 percent games written for Windows will work on a Linux base PC. Many popular games from sources like Battlenet, Origin, Uplay, Epic Games, GOG will work by using by using Lutris (a compatibility layer). Linux has a bright future ahead when it comes to gaming, but Windows is still the better operating system for gaming. However, if you are using a 10-year-old PC, Microsoft operating system is simply not an option. With the combination of a 4th generation i7, RX 5700, and 12 GB of RAM, one could game quite easily.

Conclusion

I have to admit that I am a Linux/Unix person and therefore, I am biased in my opinion and points of view. Therefore, my statements seem very pro Linux, which they actually are. But the fact is: Microsoft will not support anyone attempting to install Windows 11 or the upcoming Windows 12 on what they deem obsolete hardware. 

Thanks to the Proton and Lutris compatibility layers, Gaming on Linux went from nearly impossible to reality in just a few years. From popular games like Apex Legends to Elden Ring, OverWatch 2, and Metro Exodus, all of them are now available on Linux systems either natively or through Proton and Lutris. My HP ProDesk 400 G1 MT was the latest and greatest 10 years ago. Yet even today I am able play several modern titles.

Revelation: Fear not A.I. but only the humans in charge of it.

As the knowledge of AI spreads, the voices against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence grow louder. But why? Is it because of Hollywood and video games? Is a new race of cyborg assassins inevitable?

We definitely need an alphabet department in the government to manage these new emerging technologies. Think about it, we have an FDA the regulates our food. We have an SEC the regulates our banks. Yet from 1990 to present we still have no department to manage the internet like the FCC managers the airways. 

To be clear I am no religious zealot that believes that advanced cyber technology is the work of the devil. So I am not instinctually hostile towards deep learning or artificial intelligence. I am not certainly calling for its elimination. I know a lot of people out there believe that if we got rid of all of this cyberspace and computers, our lives would somehow be so much better. It is not only preposterous but completely nonsensical. My basic point is we should be regulating technology instead of resisting it.

Remember a few years ago with a woman named Frances Haugen, disclosed tens of thousands of pages of internal Facebook documents to United States Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)? 

For those who don't know, Facebook’s family of apps including its main platform, Facebook messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp  is used by tens of millions of people a day. 

It was around that time we learned about Instagram's impact on teen mental health and Facebook’s failure to police dangerous hate speech and misinformation. Haugen was quoted as saying Zuckerberg has failed to show he can protect the public from the negative effects of his networks. “He has all the control. He has no oversight and he has not demonstrated that he is willing to govern that company at the level that is necessary for public safety.”

Big tech universally, uses machine learning algorithms to assess our interest and inundates us with information that keeps us glued to our screens for as long as possible. Companies aren't using our data to help us, the more clicks we have, the more advertising revenue is generated. Enrage to Engage is the business model. Machine learning algorithms, place users in their own “reality” by spoon-feeding them personalized content. Children are at greater risk for believing misinformation or being manipulated online.  Algorithms routinely trapped our youth in echo chambers. They often confuse this "reality" with  the real world. Society should not allow this type of manipulation to continue. There is no doubt we need regulation.

When I speak about regulation I'm not talking about "government control" , I'm talking about government oversight. Contrary to popular belief oversight doesn’t have to hinder growth. The truth is, oversight can can yield more transparency and consumer benefits. It can level the playing field, both with each  other and with competitors. Politicians, policymakers and lawmakers are often too slow to adjust to the changing technological environment. In the United States for example most lawmakers are lawyers. Typically they're not doctors or teachers or even tech junkies. By the time they debate a new law. That new law is obsolete by the time they enact or even introduce it. Policy makers in the United States can never seem to agree on how to specifically revise rules that have become outdated.  Meaning the policy makers are always one step behind because they are forever using old laws to address new problems. 

At present Big tech has no real incentive to change their algorithms. They making tens of billions of dollars with the way things are. They understand that people feel uncomfortable having their established opinions contradicted. Money men, who run these tech companies play on our insecurities. They know we can't accept content that makes us doubt our "superior" intelligence. These tech barons understand that if we come across a piece of news we consider blatant propaganda from the ,"other side" , we will sign out of their app in anger and disgust. 

To be clear Meta is not the only company that is guilty of creating filter bubbles for profit. They all currently use algorithms to keep users engaged on their platform by providing relevant and interesting posts. They understand that if they keep spoon feeding us only posts that we agree with, we are less likely to be critical of false or misleading videos or memes. These companies know they shape public discourse throughout the world. They also know they dominate the digital advertising space, deciding the winners and losers in the marketplace. And they all know that our children are at the biggest risk of being manipulated because young people tend not to be aware that the content they see is harmful and are therefore unable to know when it’s right to take action. So you see it is not the machines that are the danger, it is the greedy humans. With so much money on the line, big tech will never regulate themselves.