# WireGuard VPN developer can't ship software updates after Microsoft locks account
I should be surprised if Windows will ever be suitable outside niche hobbyist communities with this kind of unreliable behaviour.
Real users need consistency and stability.
@neil I would say that there is a certain amount of #AppleEnvy at #Microsoft and #Google right now.
A #WalledGarden allows higher #Rent and cheapens compliance with legislation that attempts to restrict what users can do.
Open source - and thus backdoor-free - VPNs and e2ee are probably being targeted as preemptive obedience to future laws.
@tomstoneham @neil to be fair it's quite easy for people to leave windows and switch to linux.
A lot of gaming is already happening on linux and I am astonished when like >60 people working in non-tech jobs are talking about linux distributions
@Dragon @tomstoneham who is "they"?
The gaming companies?
The 60 year olds i mentioned?
Microsoft?
> who is "they"?
Governments / legislatures, or those who control pinch points in terms of hardware or BIOS/UEFI.
In essence, the line of thinking is that "just install Linux" is only viable when one can, indeed, install Linux.
@…[email protected] @Dragon @tomstoneham linux is the most used operating system in the world
all the cloud, websites, android, dishwashers etc are using Linux
On the desktop it's not used that much but let's be honest the desktop is dying
> let's be honest the desktop is dying
I am sceptical of this. Much though I'd love to do my work on a dishwasher.
@kaasbaas good thing you didn't particiapte on thr discussion
because after this toot of yours everyone would have muted your messages
you get the respect you show others
@Dragon @tomstoneham
@kaasbaas don't bother answering. I muted you too
@neil @saxnot @Dragon @tomstoneham I'd think as a a lawyer you'd need to be wary of potential money-laundering claims.
More on topic, I'd think there'll still be *some* use for desktop environments, for (just as examples) software development and work that involves a lot of writing.
@kimvanwyk @saxnot @Dragon @tomstoneham
> I'd think as a a lawyer you'd need to be wary of potential money-laundering claims.
I am sure that one could spin it positively, and come away with clean hands.
@kimvanwyk @…[email protected] @Dragon @tomstoneham yeah software development will probably always happen on a full fledged computer
desktop has been indecline for decades and most normies do their things on a tablet or phone
it's not a baseless prediction
I was stating changing usage patterns of the last decade
@saxnot @kimvanwyk @Dragon @tomstoneham
> most normies do their things on a tablet or phone
I can understand this for personal computing, but is that true for business activities? I imagine that lots of computers are, and will continue to be, produced for businesses.
@Dragon @saxnot @kimvanwyk @tomstoneham
> But lets face it Neil most of those will be Windows.
Yep (and users might want WireGuard on them!).
And then when they come onto the secondhand market, potentially other OSs. Most of my machines are ex-corporate laptops.
@…[email protected] @kimvanwyk @Dragon @tomstoneham
don't look at me
look at the available usage statistics
@…[email protected] @kimvanwyk @Dragon @tomstoneham for example https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-sub-section-device-trends
don't know if it's the best source but it was the first one that was not about fashion advertisement
The article starts with
> The number of people using laptops and desktops to access the internet continues to decline, with just 61.5 percent of online adults using these devices to access connected services in Q3 2024.
@…[email protected] @kimvanwyk @Dragon @tomstoneham > 72.3 percent – still went online via laptop and desktop devices in Q1 2020, […]
> Today, [February 2025] that figure has fallen to 53.6 percent
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-sub-section-device-trends
copied because mastodon tends to not read/click links.
And there are even better statistics out there for people willing to research more than the 15 sec I have done
EDIT: neil no longer wants to be @'ed
@…[email protected] @knapjack i guess that might happen
but I guess "expires" just means that officisl software is not accepted and non-official neither and thus the device is bricked.
That's far more likely to happen
EDIT: dropped neil because they desired so
don't add them when responding to me
Neil Brown
Tom Stoneham
saxnot
Dragon
DeManiak 🇿🇦
Kim van Wyk
Jack