At this point, becoming suspicious that Apple intentionally puts things into macOS to fill up your disk over time and make you want to upgrade.
This machine lost 800mb over the last two days, even though I didn't create anything or update any software.
I went looking for stuff that might have been generated. Here's one. A directory of…copies of the desktop background images (which already ship with the OS in another directory.)
macOS creates new copies at random times. Forever. What.
@cancel so on top of having intemtionally unupgradeable hardware and unrepairable flash by virtue of soldering down the SSD as a part that'll inevitably wear over use they literally commit themselves to accelerate the #ReducedLifecycle by virtue of introducing added wear & tear...
Someone should tell #LouisRossman about it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qbrLiGY4Cg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYG4VMqatEY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MANlo9fV9yI
@standev still, your hardware would likely last even longer if RAM & SSD weren't soldered on, CPUs were socketed and batteries weren't glued-in...
Granted, noone uses #Apple hardware because they like it [except @fuchsiii because she's in love with her #fanless #MacBookAir] but most people want #macOS and it's #exclusives!
@kkarhan @fuchsiii I gave up on my 2012 MacBook Air in 2020 due to a confluence of factors (SSD was too small, not enough RAM, 32-bit hardware in an increasingly 64-bit software world) but battery swelling was the reason I had to recycle it.
It outlasted two PC laptops during the time I had it, but I think it would have been more expensive to upgrade SSD+RAM+replace battery than it was to buy a used 2017-era MBP.
@kkarhan @fuchsiii I do wish it were more plausible to upgrade RAM/SSD to allow for mid-cycle upgrades, but my use case for Mac laptops (lightweight, durable platform for word processing/spreadsheets, internet browsing, and media consumption along with the odd game or lightweight VM host) is very forgiving.
I’ve settled on buying a used Mac laptop of some stripe every few years rather than buying new and either reselling or running them into the ground like I did with my 2006 and 2012 Macs.
@standev I think that's the most rational choice:
Getting equipment as a tool aka. a means to access or create content and work as well as play with.
After all, #HardwarePorn is all nice and cool but maxing out everything doesn't necessitate in a good price/performance ratio - espechally with light productivity where the ability of the user is way more limiting than the hardware...
Yeah and it almost lasted double the expected lifecycle maximum [5 years]...
But aside from being 32bit-only, it's battery ecoming a #DangerPillow and the limitations based off the CPU [i.e. RAM and SSD upgrades were limited and/or not cost-effective] it was likely still a good machine and removing the battery likely made it still a useable linux machine to browse the web with...
Personally I just want to advocate for #repairable and #ugradeable laptops because that is possible!
@standev TBH, @frameworkcomputer do a pretty decent job considering the compareatively low funding and good price for their hardware.
I wish I had the €€€€€ to get the #NUCbook off the ground even if that'll be a very CHONKY BOI but even if we assume we only want #Apple-esque #SoC's even that could've been designed upgradeable like the @Raspberry_Pi #CM3+ & #CM4 have shown...
cancel
Kevin Karhan 
standev