It's 2021 & The FSF Is Still Endorsing 802.11n WiFi Hardware

[skeevy420]

Exactly. You can only blame the branwashed kids who want *NEW* *NEW* *MODERN* *MODERN* and are quite quite happy to use closed and very locked down consumer hardware just to have the latest crap.

It really will get to the point where the new stuff is unusable for anything but consuming ("cloud") media and that the only hardware you can actually do something interesting on is 20 years old. Perhaps stockpile now because even those old i386 machines will be as valuable and rarer than gold in the future.

The future is now.

I have these badass custom AMD x86_64 systems in my house that I'd love to do whatever I want on. They're something like 8 years old and have actually been replaced by an even better badass custom x86_64 system in the stores. Unfortunately, they both have this locked down BSD OS and can only run DRM laden content. It isn't even guaranteed if you can even run badass custom AMD x86_64 system v1 software on badass custom AMD x86_64 system v2. That's a per game choice and up to the publishers. At least they didn't pull that asshat move with the v1.5 systems.

Believe it or not, badass custom AMD x86_64 system v1 and v2 have been released from not 1 but 2 different companies. The other one runs this locked down Win10 OS and can only run DRM laden content. At least on that one you can run the v1 games on the v2 console.

So we have three generations of AMD x86_64 that are only good for DRM laden content. Yay Future.

[kpedersen]

Unfortunately, they both have this locked down BSD OS and can only run DRM laden content. It isn't even guaranteed if you can even run badass custom AMD x86_64 system v1 software on badass custom AMD x86_64 system v2. That's a per game choice and up to the publishers. At least they didn't pull that asshat move with the v1.5 systems.

Heh, it is weird to think that I can write a letter on a 30+ year old MS-DOS machine. Whereas I can't write a letter on a "modern" PS4.

Granted, they will tell me that a games console is for playing games, not writing letters. But I wonder what they will tell me in another 20 years once every machine is locked down like a PS4.

BSD, Linux, Windows, they can all be terribly locked down. In some ways we need something even more restrictive than the AGPL to prevent that. Otherwise it ends up frustrating smaller companies more than the large ones because they aren't in the position to lock down the machine. Tivoisation is still kinda possible it seems.

[skeevy420]

Heh, it is weird to think that I can write a letter on a 30+ year old MS-DOS machine. Whereas I can't write a letter on a "modern" PS4.

Granted, they will tell me that a games console is for playing games, not writing letters. But I wonder what they will tell me in another 20 years once every machine is loked down like a PS4.

It's like those ARM threads where everyone talks about how ARM is the way of the future. ARM is all good and well but, honestly, ARM is basically Android Roku Machines in my house. While I'm excited and want to be hopeful, the early years of essentially being a DRM platform removes a bit of that hope.

[kpedersen]

It's like those ARM threads where everyone talks about how ARM is the way of the future.

Heh yeah, I remember some government commercial about how they are going to be importing "more ARM chips for smart phones". I think for the average consumer that was an exciting statement but I personally would rather do without more locked down landfill devices clogging up my country XD

They explicitly had to mention "for smart phones" which still annoys me to this day haha. It couldn't be, "chips to help people" or "chips for medical devices". No, just stupid toy phones for us plebs to prod at like a bunch of chimpanzees.

[kbios]

I'm using 802.11n to write this (on my phone, all the important stuff is wired). It works at 30-35Mbps, which is plenty fast for what you need on a phone

[ezekrb5]

I use the 11n standard daily at home and I have zero issues, why is this article bashing so hard on it?

[pal666]

there are uses for low-tech routers. but not for $55 a piece

[pal666]

The article is kind of dismissing people caring for RYF.

it's dismissing of clowns using proprietary hw and talking about freedom

[pal666]

Maybe, just maybe, about 1-1.5 billion people can be owned by the latest/fastest hardware.

changing firmware can't protect you from being owned by hardware

[pal666]

In most cases 802.11n routers do not perform at the theoretical maximum rate, therefore the actual typical speed is 50Mbps or so (and may vary wildly).

yes. but for facebook and youtube any router is enough. i think i have one (nominal)150mbps somewhere. but it was bought for $10 or so