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> * In 2018, the most popular memory amount for users of Firefox is still 4GB, trailed by the also disappointingly small 8GB. In my world, I consider 16GB a bar
by Endy 9y ago
> * In 2018, the most popular memory amount for users of Firefox is still 4GB, trailed by the also disappointingly small 8GB. In my world, I consider 16GB a bare minimum, but at least with memory I haven't been deluding myself—I know many people economize on memory. Still, I would have thought 8GB was the most common memory size by now.
In 2018, my computer only has 2GB RAM and runs more than fast enough for what I need on a 32-bit processor. I don't understand why some people always want bigger hardware numbers, rather than better software.
> * A surprising number of people still have Flash installed.
I do too, I don't see how it's abnormal.
> I can barely conceive of the poor experience of running a modern web browser on 4 GB of memory at 1366x768. Can you imagine the user experience of today's modern over-JavaScripted web pages on such underpowered hardware: not simply slow because of their grotesquely large transmission payload but also because they caused your computer to start swapping memory pages to disk?
I can barely conceive of how narrow-minded and myopic your technological experience must be that you feel only the latest and "greatest" is viable. As someone who browses the Web regularly, I spend a lot of time on places like HN, YouTube, etc. My screen resolution is 1440x900 - one step above the 1366x768. As I said, 2GB RAM, etc. This is why I've argued, constantly, against the nonsense of Chrome and "modern" Firefox. That's why users of old computers are going to Pale Moon if they know about it, or back to Internet Explorer, or just not upgrading to the newest Firefox.
Your technological experience is very much a high-class experience, but you have to understand that there are users all over the world and in all economic positions. All this push toward expecting the best and most modern only works to force out the common person - in America it's the poor person in the ghetto who still is well above the position of people in other, even less prosperous nations. Most people, if they are lucky, have a used <$200 laptop which is often a decade or so old. Library computers are often almost as old - I know two libraries which are still running their .5GB 32-bit Windows NT2000 computers as patron-access machines because they are in poor areas and simply cannot afford to upgrade.
People who have the view that everyone should have base access to the latest, greatest, and most wonderful hardware upset me greatly. I have one comment about it that seems constructive. If you think it's so important that they should have this, you should provide it. If you can't give every person who has an old reliable computer (that they can repair) the newest bleeding-edge tech (and give them service when it inevitably breaks), then you need to understand that they have valid concerns too - and help provide better software and help others like you to understand what reality looks like for most of the world.
- orf 9y ago> That's why users of old computers are going to Pale Moon if they know about it, or back to Internet Explorer, or just not upgrading to the newest Firefox. Malware authors rub their hands gleefully when they see sentiments like this being spread online by people like you. Don't do any of those suggestions. Disable multiprocess mode in the Firefox config if you find it eats too much memory, stick with the ESR if you're scared of upgrading and use Edge over IE.
- Endy 9y agoPlease show me a download for Edge on a 32-bit WinXP PC.
- orf 9y agoIf you are running XP (32 bit at that!) then your choice of browser is the least of your security issues. In any case you must be at least airgapping it (right?), so I guess it's academic. Edit: you might be onto something here. Running an old, outdated browser on an old, unpatched 32 bit windows xp box might trigger some anti analysis defenses on whatever malware is sure to come your way. Security through being too obviously insecure!
- Endy 9y agoThis isn't specifically my situation. But I know three families in low-income situations for whom that sort of PC is the only one they have, because they got it from either an office or a school when the place was discarding computers. So no, it's not being air gapped. It's the computer the kids look up homework info on, it's the one the parents use to search for jobs, and more. They can't afford to upgrade, and they're afraid that even upgrading the software would make the whole thing come apart at the seams.