Multiple machines, multiple OSs, narrowing apps?

Posted by jaslar
Jun 15, 2019 at 05:19 PM

I’d argue that the general theme is convergence. People talk on this site, persuasively, about the many advantages of running Windows on a Mac. Now Windows 10 is launching a full Linux kernel (https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/6/18534687/microsoft-windows-10-linux-kernel-feature). Android and Linux apps are running on Chromebooks. Apple is working on single programs that will run on the Mac and the iPhone (https://www.zdnet.com/article/iphone-ipad-mac-apps-merging-apple-sdk-will-create-ios-apps-that-work-on-mac/).

That means convenience, and the software I use is clearly getting cheaper all around. (It’s true that subscriptions may wind up costing more than a one time software purchase—but if it means the product improves and the company stays in business, that’s a good thing.) Beyond convergence, convenience, and cost, however, is the fact that the user has become both the product and the commodity. *Privacy* is the challenge now. I need to get smarter about local encrypted storage and ssh connections, I suspect. I wouldn’t want my funny quotes and dad joke files to fall into the wrong hands.