Yes. Quite honestly, the last computer that I completely understood – hardware, software, everything, inside out – was the DEC PDP-8. Which had a really brilliant architecture, the ultimate example of how to make the most of so little. That was around the time that computers then gradually started to become beyond the capacity of any single person to grasp all the relevant technologies, even though many pretended they could – and still do – and continue to make asinine decisions about what “progress” is supposed to mean.
Normally I stay away from the PIt, but I couldn’t resist this comment: Turning your stove on remotely from an app- what could possibly go wrong???
This happy old Luddite identifies as such because an awful lot of “innovation” is done to make more profit for the corporation (e.g., replacing metal gears with plastic ones in the food processor, meaning it lasts maybe 3 years and not 20 like its predecessor), makes someone else’s life easier but makes mine more difficult (e.g. new software that makes my tasks more cumbersome but saves the boss a step or two, even though I do the tasks daily and he looks at it all twice a year), or takes stuff out of my reach and control and gives it to the corporation (e.g., storing stuff on the cloud instead of on my machine) or takes my stuff and turns it into “input” for someone else’s product, (e.g. some AI stuff.)
That older people notice this more is due the fact that younger were literally born to the new shit and don’t know any better and that identifying with whatever is “new and exciting!” gives them the illusion that they are cool and with it and “new and exciting!” themselves. As Aristotle noted, the youth have hope and enthusiasm and that is why they are easily gulled.
From Mad Magazine:
“My KID could paint that!”
“Yeah, and he could probably say something more original than that old cliché, too!”
Yeah, ain’t that the truth. The upgrade/replacement part cycle of owning a computer has gotten so much better. I mentioned in another thread hunting for a cpu cooler replacement fan at the now defunct Fry’s long ago. I used to have to replace fans on my loud, ever-humming desktop constantly. Now my computer is whisper quiet, only spinning up when under heavy load driving a game. My pricey, sorta cutting-edge system from late 2018 is not even within spitting distance of cutting edge now. Yet so far it can still handle anything thrown at it (at usually max setting no less) and I haven’t needed to upgrade a single component. It should even take Windows 11 just fine once I bother digging into the BIOS to enable TPM 2.0.
Considering how often I was upgrading or replacing outdated video cards, dying hard drives, undersized power sources and a billion balky cooling fans back in the day, this seems almost miraculous.
I did have a hard drive die once, that was tragic at the time. I had a power supply fail. I never had a fan die. Early Audio cards were crappy and in the 90s cheaper Ethernet Card were often crappy. Video Cards were pretty simple and something I more or less scheduled.
I mostly remember printer issues and printer driver issues as the most problems I dealt with.
My 2014 Laptop, I plan to retire. I barely ever use it anyway, so no reason to struggle to upgrade it. I have a crappy little Best Buy deal, lite-weight low powered laptop that is already Win 11 and that will have to do.
I live on my Robust PC and spend time on my little MicroPC in the Game Room.
Don’t call me grumpy.
I am not looking forward to getting a new MacBook to replace a going-on 5-year-old model which seems determined to obsolete itself by needing reboots more and more often to stay onliine. A new one comparable to what I have costs $999 (they could have charged $1,000 and added a truly wonderful new feature). All I need is a way to get online, write my weekly Substack and download images and memes with which to annoy the unrighteous on social media, plus do a bit of basic photo editing.
An Apple tech fixed a problem I was having with it two years ago and noted that due to its age (it was a doddering 3-year-old back then) I probably wouldn’t want to bother having a non-functioning USB-C port replaced. The letter “A” fell off the A button awhile back; it’s a miracle I’ve been able to keep using the machine.
/s
T lest the whole “” button didn’t fll off. T would hve been more wkwrd sitution.
As someone (I can’t remember who) put it: I want AI to clean my house so l can have time to create; I don’t want AI to create for me so I have time to clean my house.
So cheap that every poster who regularly posts on the SDMB can afford them? If they are that would be news to many of us.
I haven’t seen anybody complaining about this. I have seen plenty of posts complaining about required upgrades being unnecessary.
I haven’t seen anybody complain about that either. I have however seen many posters complain about the shift from the ‘user pays for the software once’ to ‘user must pay for the software again every year’ model. As we all know, it used to be you paid once, got permission to use the software and that was the end of the transaction. Paying for a yearly subscription to use the software is a new development.
That would be absurd. I haven’t seen any posts saying that either. I have seen posts by posters with a very limited income saying that what many posters consider “cheap” is beyond their budget.
Again, I have seen a lot of posts from Dopers who obviously know computers attempting to help other Dopers update software so they can stay on the SDMB. I bought a laptop this January. I got guidance from my sister in law who is indeed an IT geek. It cost me less than $300. I have been working full time for a few years now. So, yes that was something I could easily afford.
I got my previous laptop while I was dependent on social security disability, food stamps, a monthly box of food from the Jewish Relief Agency, loans from relatives just to pay rent, electricity, phone and gas bills each month. When my computer showed signs of dying, I panicked. Besides social media, any place I might want to apply for a job had gone to online applications only. I didn’t have a smart phone then. Friends helped me shop around. A new computer would cost about $500. That was at least $400 more than I could afford at the time. My Gobhi contributed most of the money. She asked my friends to contribute what they could. I got a new laptop. Without their charity, I would have lost internet access entirely.
I gather some posters are in similar financial situations. Yes, $300 is a great price for this laptop. I had $300 to spend. Not everybody does.
So I take objection to the term Luddite, I mean I am grumpy old Luddite. But Luddites were never fearful ignoramuses instinctively objecting to all new technology just out fear of change. They had legitimate objections to the technology in question, just like me.
I strenuously object to the idea that has become prevalent in technology thanks to smart phones, where you don’t really own the computer you paid good money for. Specifically you don’t get to install the software you want without permission from your tech overlords, you don’t get to even start up your computer without registering your identity with those tech overlords and connecting to the internet to make sure you are in good standing. If not upgrading my OS is what’s required to avoid that, that’s a perfectly reason price to pay.
I think it’s fine to be both. Grumpy, as long as you’re willing to adjust and move on when needed.
BUT I feel so bad for some of us curmudgeons here who keep shooting themselves in the foot!
I’ve seen posts in MPSIMS or the Pit where people say things like:
They wanted me to sign in on my phone, and since I’ll never do that, I skipped the appointment and never saw the doctor.
Hey, King Ludd, I bought a used iPhone for less than $100, because a Smartphone is needed in this modern world. Oh, and hey, AHunter3, the iPhone 12 or 13 Mini is only 2 1/2" wide, so it easily fits in a pocket.
I think that might be a different neurosis. Maybe paranoia? When I visited my Trumper, CT father in Las Vegas, we were trying to plan visits to some attractions but all of them required purchasing tickets online. He’s soo paranoid that it took an hour of him haranguing people before it became clear that an online transaction would be required. I just let him use my credit card 
Meh, who am I kidding; he’s probably a paranoid luddite
Indeed. Even basic Windows 11 setup on a new computer (not an install, just the basic setup) demands an internet connection and a “Microsoft account”. It is in fact possible to bypass that requirement, but the method is super-sekret* and certainly not publicized by Microsoft, and may have dire consequences down the road!
* Shift+F10 for the command window, then OOBE\BYPASSNRO. I haven’t tried this but my understanding is that it unlocks the option to say “I have no internet connection – just go ahead with the setup anyway”. Why the fuck is that option not available without the super-sekret incantation? Because Microsoft wants to track your every move, and try to sell you crap at every opportunity.
I’m one of those looking for an alternative to Office so I guess I’m being pitted here.
Fuck off, bump.
You bringing that up gives you approximately 100% on the luddite scale.
it is 2025, you are trying to prove your tech chops by referring to something you did in 2000.
Tell us more about your new ways to store your clay tablets.
I was thinking the same thing. The Luddites were complaining about inhumane conditions at textile factories, low pay, and inferior products which I think we can all agree are legitimate gripes. They weren’t just destroying textile machines out of a blind hatred for new technology.
Weren’t we told that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows? Now every time my PC updates and restarts, it badgers me to upgrade to 11. I’ll have to upgrade eventually, but dammit, I don’t know if all the software tools I currently use are going to be compatible with 11.
They lied to us 
Does that make me a grumpy old Luddite? I am a web developer…albeit at 60, pretty ancient for the tech industry.
Do you have to re install Windows to do that? The friend who helped me set up this laptop tried mightily to create an admin account I could log into without an internet connection. He was able to create a user account I can log into without an internet connection. I am not sure why I would need admin level access and not have an internet connection. But, it could happen.
My moan was because they put the price up and pretended it was just like an inflationary increase, then “hey, look! AI features you neither want nor need, and ‘free AI Credits’ to use them!” - and then I discover that the package I was on before, at the price I was paying before, is still available - so it wasn’t a price increase at all - it was fraudulent upselling - the extra money was for the AI features they had upsold me to, without my consent. I think I’m justified in getting a bit grumpy about fraudulent sales tactics.