As someone with a high end PC I can also spend a happy afternoon with my gameboy advance that has less than half a megabyte of RAM, so even in a power user and gamer context the hardware is what you make of it. There’s so much more out there than just the latest and most pathetically optimized titles.
Comment on RAM Prices Got You Down? Try DDR3. Seriously!
humanamerican@lemmy.zip 4 hours agoI think this is actually most people. Power users and hardcore gamers are a relatively small portion of the PC market.
CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
FauxLiving@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Non-power users would have no operating system, no Windows 11 support and grandma isn’t going to learn Linux
Romkslrqusz@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
Grandma doesn’t need to “learn” Linux
Most of the older generation compute almost entirely through a web browser. They often struggle with the amount of notifications / solicitations that come up in a a Windows OS, as they can have trouble discerning between what is real and what is a scam - becoming fundamentally distrustful of everything as a result.
Through my repair shop, I’ve transitioned plenty of older generation folks to Linux Mint with minimal friction.
Main area where that can get a bit more complicated is for those who are clinging to an older piece of software they’re unwilling to let go of.
FauxLiving@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
I exclusively use Linux and have several family members who have Linux laptops.
I don’t think it is impossible, but they require someone in their life that can handle the issues.
They’re going to have a much harder time finding support for a Linux machine than a Windows machine.
Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 2 hours ago
Some enterprising teenager should offer to upgrade peoples PCs to Linux, especially as Windows 11 is pushed harder. They could even offer a tech support option for a yearly fee.
humanamerican@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
That’s what the hardware requirement bypass and a techie friend are for.
I manage a whole computer lab full of 3rd to 5th gen Intels with 8GB of RAM that run Windows 11 just fine.
dehyzer@piefed.social 4 hours ago
I would be surprised if this is still true, at least for home use. It seems like the non-gamer, non-power user segment of the PC market just switched over to tablets and smartphones instead. PCs and laptops just aren’t really necessary anymore for “normal” people who just want to check their email, watch YouTube, and surf the web.
HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 hours ago
like this is anecdotal but most of my family has PC’s that are getting a bit long in the tooth but they still use it just fine for all the basic internet shit they do. Alot of folks would rather check their banking or emails on a bigger screen. My mom’s computer for example is almost 10 years old, if I throw Linux on it she’s good till the thing just up and dies.
She asked about buying a new PC this year and I just laughed and said “no, you enjoy having a roof over your head right?”
humanamerican@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
I can see that eating into some PC use, but plenty of Millennials I know still prefer laptops or even desktops for casual use.
mycodesucks@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
I intentionally ignore the vast majority of everything on my phone until I can get to a real computer. Phones and tablets feel like unmitigated torture and I loathe it every time I have to use one to do something
b_tr3e@feddit.org 3 hours ago
Non-gamers only. I recently replaced my mobo by a slightly older (the model, the board itself was brand new) industrial PC board. 32GB DDR3, NVidia Quadro K2200, 2 x gigabit ethernet, USB 3.1, five serial ports, three programmable digital IO ports, hardware watchdog, i7-4770 CPU @ 3.40GHz. It’s a Loonix machine and I don’t use it for gaming but I do a lot of animation, video editing, µcontroller programming and 3D-modelling with it. Super reliable, fast enough for most stuff. If I need more raytracing power, I just cluster it with my Lenovo p15.