XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11, comp.os.linux.advocacy, comp.sys.mac.advocacy   
   From: brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com   
      
   On Nov 20, 2025 at 1:24:56 PM MST, "Lawrence D´Oliveiro" wrote   
   <10fnteo$36q3t$3@dont-email.me>:   
      
   > On Thu, 20 Nov 2025 10:47:22 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:   
   >   
   >> To return to the analogy: would you say that the various OSs could   
   >> be compared to the three types of car ...   
   >   
   > If Apple and Microsoft made cars, they would have entirely different   
   > driving systems, need different kinds of fuel, and have to be driven   
   > each on its own set of roads. Switching is not something you could do   
   > easily.   
   >   
   > Even worse, if you decided to switch, you might even have to   
   > *untravel* some of the miles you’d already done, and do them again in   
   > the new car.   
   >   
   > By contrast, Linux offers a thousand different models of cars -- more   
   > than the Apple and Microsoft worlds put together. And they come in a   
   > bewildering range of colours, sizes, seat and door layouts etc. But   
   > they all drive in pretty much the same say, use the same fuel, and   
   > operate on the same roads. So switching is something you can do very   
   > easily.   
   >   
   > But people coming from the Apple or Microsoft worlds still complain   
   > about why we need so many choices: why can’t the Linux world be more   
   > like the Apple and Microsoft worlds, with more limited choices? Who   
   > needs so many kinds of cars? Didn’t you know, having too much choice   
   > is “unsustainable” -- whatever that means?   
      
   Apple and Microsoft cars don’t need different roads or weird fuel –   
   they’re   
   just built with different design goals. One leans into tight integration and   
   fewer knobs to turn, the other leans into broad hardware support and   
   flexibility. Switching isn’t some mythical untraveling of old miles; it’s   
   usually just learning a new dashboard and maybe swapping out a few   
   accessories.   
      
   Linux does give you that endless buffet of models, and that’s great if you   
   like tinkering or want to tailor every detail. But let’s be real: most of   
   those cars share the same engine and the same chassis, and the “bewildering   
   range” mostly comes down to paint jobs, dashboards, and how many buttons you   
   want on the steering wheel. Choice is nice, absolutely – but pretending the   
   sheer number of distros is some magical advantage for everyday drivers is a   
   stretch.   
      
   And people aren’t complaining because choice is “unsustainable.”   
   They’re   
   complaining because too much choice means too much friction for folks who just   
   want to drive without memorizing 40 different ways to pop the hood.   
      
   --   
   It's impossible for someone who is at war with themselves to be at peace with   
   you.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)