too many so-called "environmentalists" in tech seem to be all-too-fond of using flagship modern
technology for the sake of having the newest possible gadget - usually as status symbols. said tech is usually slightly-
improved technology solely as a marketing tactic, and not for anything long-term. if laptop x has a webcam that can
automatically apply an anime filter to your face, so should competing laptops - no matter the price! don't have a laptop
that can handle it? then you aren't using bleeding-edge hardware, or maybe you're poor. either way, you don't
belong in tech if you don't have an absolute edge over other hackers. if you don't have a laptop that has an anime
filter webcam, then you don't have an absolute edge.
in the age of planned obsolescence and massive amounts of e-waste, you would've thought that
more people in tech would catch on! you would think that they would be willing to write more resource-efficient
code so that less resources are used/demanded/made, or encourage re-use of old tech...
underground & niche tech hobbyists rely on what Big Tech would refer to as "outdated" technology
for reasons of ease-of-repair, ease-of-modification, better durability, and low-cost. you can take it up another level
by using software you've made yourself, or a more minimalistic system setup (in terms of software/firmware). after all,
hobbyist developer communities have advanced quite a bit in recent years, so there's no longer a real reason to use
any of Big Tech's current warez. by using an alternative system on top of your old hardware, one can optimize for
already-existing technology. less resources used, less waste created, and less control to Big Tech.
the takeaway i wish you with is that i hope you think twice about purchasing that new phone, watch,
laptop, or e-reader. consider the freedom that analog devices can give you, and ask yourself if you really need to buy
new tech if you can simply use it on pre-existing tech.