On the Power User Fallacy (Again)
18 July, 2022
You might remember a recent post, in which I discussed my new laptop. It’s been a long while since I’ve written a post like that and, to be honest, I’d forgotten about the kind of reaction a post like that can provoke.
In this case, it was the (almost expected) I don’t/can’t understand why ..., I’d never use/buy ... comments that a handful of people so graciously sent me via email. Comments pretty much telling me that my choice was the wrong one. That my purchase was the wrong one. That I had better options. Alla that kind of thing.
Those kinds of comments demonstrate a very narrow way of thinking about technology. Those kinds of comments illustrate a very narrow understanding of how people use technology and what they need. Those kinds of comments are filtered through the needs and use cases of those making the comments.
Guess what? Those needs, those use cases aren’t mine. They’re not universal. Some people seem to find it difficult to believe, but different people use computers in different ways. Different people need and use different software. Different people need and use different devices. They do things differently from you. From me. From my correspondents.
Not everyone who uses a computer, who uses Linux and open source, is an uber techie. Not everyone is developing apps or software. Not everyone is gaming. Not everyone is plugging 17 devices into their laptops or desktops. Not everyone needs fast, powerful computers with massive hard drives, with 256 GB of RAM, with 16 hypercores, packing muscular GPUs, and like. A lot of people need something simple, but something which works. In my case, that’s the StarLite.
And if some folks can’t understand why anyone would use a computer like a StarLite, the problem doesn’t lie with the computer or the person using it ...