I’m not saying there’s no free software. But for someone who’s used to apt install everything, the change takes some getting used to. Yeah, you can install Inkscape on a Mac, but frankly it runs much nicer on Linux.

I ended up with a mix and a lot more paid software than I expected.

I agree. Pricing is eyewatering. Business practices shady. But the laptop itself is fine.

I’ve been a long time Linux user. But in the end gave up. Bought a Mac precisely because it was a pain in the butt, or practically impossible to run certain proprietary software on Linux. In the end, I did not have nor the time nor willpower to fight against it.

Now, coming to Mac, there are some changes you can expect:

The good

1. Battery life is impressive. Of all the laptops, macs would hold charge for me the longest. Even Pros with lots of RAM and high performance CPUs.
2. Laptop is sturdy. Even after a couple of years of use, the lid still opens and closes as a new one. No squeaks. No loose ends.
3. CLI is great, iTerm2 is one of the best terminal emulators out there. And it’s free.
4. Homebrew helps a lot, you can install practically any (CLI) application you find on Linux.

The bad

1. UI takes some time getting used to. Some decisions feel weird. In a typical Apple fashion, it’s ‘my way or no way’. Luckily not as closed as iOS (yet). There are some tools which can help, such as BetterTouchTool, Rectangle, and similar.
2. It’s more difficult to find free software for macOS. Most is commercial and can range from a couple of $10s for a perpetual license to a couple of hundred for a yearly license.
3. Good luck running Linux on new macs. Ashanti works on M1, but some hardware is still not accessible.
4. Virtual machines run fine, but you’ll most likely need to shell out for Parallels.

The ugly

1. No USB-A. No Ethernet. Dongles are your life now.
2. Crazily expensive.
3. Not upgradeable. Need more RAM after a couple of years? Straight to the store for a new laptop. Bigger disk? Believe it or not, straight to the store.

I used to use Duolingo - hell, even paid for premium - as it was a nice way to improve my skills in a language I was already learning.

But as time went by the app got more and more enshittified. How can somebody use it today, I don’t know.

My biggest gripe is that it went from “let’s help you learn" to “let’s get you competing against each other to stay in this made up league”. Once I realized I’m doing lessons only for this and not learning anything, it was game over for me. And, most of the time, I’m competing against people who are there solely for the score. And because of that, rushing through the lessons and not learning anything.

In the end, I would imagine there are only so many only-Spanish-speaking people in the US learning English. And only so many only-English-speaking in Germany learning German. And these people usually topped my leader boards. Yeah, Helga Klauss from Köln definitely doesn’t speak German.

And don’t get me started on streaks. I’ve had a death in my family and no, Duolingo, these days is not a good time to practice my Spanish. I’m on a 14-hour flight. No, Duolingo, I’m not pestering everybody on the plane with Klingon for your streak. I’ve been up since 6 o’clock and came home at seven in the evening. No, Duolingo, spending time with my family is more important today than you.

I want to learn, but at my own pace. I’ve uninstalled Duolingo and never looked back.

I balled at 9% sales tax… Yours is amplified 20%, times 5… It’s just a name.

This shows deep misunderstanding in what VAT is and how it works. It’s not “a flat out 20% sales tax with a different name”. The concept is different. But I do not have neither time or energy to argue on the internet.

And why ever day "we switched to VAT’

Because we used to have sales tax.

You’re probably a bot anyway.

Gee. Thanks?

Most of the world - other than a few places (US included) - switched to VAT ages ago. It’s a more efficient system. It’s not the same as “sales tax”. It’s literary a “value added tax” and every purchase and sale includes it - even for materials and half products.

The idea here is that you pay a tax on the amount of value you add in the chain. VAT is an indirect tax, because the consumer who ultimately bears the burden of the tax is not the entity that pays it.

It’s also much more transparent, as it must be included in the quoted price. Not like the US, where you see an item on the self for $5.00 and then the total at the register is $9.54 because it now has sales, city, state, and federal tax.

Check the Wikipedia article as well: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value-added_tax

Well, first I hear of it.