retro tech is beautiful not just because of the chunky connectors and funny colors. like, that IS beautiful, but also: it's yearning for tech that doesn't break down. tech that you can keep repairing for generations.
"this was my grandmother's laptop", we'll say. "over the years I've replaced the keyboard, the motherboard, the ram, and the screen."
it still sends and receives emails, in plain or rich text. it still plays video games. not all of them, sure, but it plays five or six really good timeless ones. tetris, minecraft, balatro maybe. you can use it to edit photos for your digital scrapbook, or to write wedding invitations. you can use it to paint digital paintings or play digital concerts.
that's the goal. that's what we're all here for.
the hardware already exists. Framework is a good step in this direction but people have been converting Thinkpads into linux boxes since the early 2000s. this isn't a problem that requires an expensive new gizmo.
no, the thing between here and now is low-spec software. all the good apps use 10 times the ram they need, because the companies that develop good software are addicted to growth.
open source offers the dream of backwards compatibility forever, but open source software takes time and money too.
but hey, CSP runs on linux now. so don't stop dreaming. someday you'll have a computer you can give to your kids.
