Look What They Took From Us

Windows: *requires 64-bit CPU, 4GB RAM, secure boot, Microsoft account, valid license, and a small blood sacrifice to the update gods* Linux: "Just give me electrons and I'll run on your toaster." The beauty of Linux is that it'll boot on practically anything with a power source while Windows keeps adding requirements faster than Moore's Law can keep up. My ancient laptop from 2008 that Windows 10 declared "unworthy" now runs a sleek Linux distro like it's fresh off the assembly line. It's the digital equivalent of turning water into wine, except Microsoft wants you to buy a new bottle first.

The final boss of "gamer" peripherals has arrived. It's what happens when a keyboard has an identity crisis and thinks it's also a phone stand, credit card holder, and possibly a missile launch system. The RGB lighting is so intense it could probably be seen from space. Somewhere, a UI/UX designer is having chest pains looking at this monstrosity. The three metal rods are particularly concerning - are they for kebabs? Acupuncture? Self-defense against people who judge your setup? This is what happens when you let the marketing team make design decisions after a Red Bull binge. "MORE FEATURES! MORE LIGHTS! PUT A CREDIT CARD SLOT IN IT! WHY NOT?!"

The eternal bond between developers and their overheating machines! Your CPU fans are screaming at 7000 RPM while running Docker containers, VS Code, and Chrome with 47 Stack Overflow tabs, yet you refuse to close anything because "you might need it later." The laptop is practically melting through your desk, but hey—at least you're both hot stuff! Next step: coding on the balcony in December because your apartment's thermostat can't keep up with your debugging session.

The instant someone discovers you work with computers, their brain immediately jumps to "tech support wizard who can fix anything with a power button." The selective hearing kicks in - they start the question, you're already mentally disconnecting. Ten years of building complex systems and mastering three programming languages, but Aunt Karen still thinks your primary skill is resurrecting her 2007 inkjet printer that's been possessed by demons since Windows Vista. The modern programmer's defense mechanism: develop the ability to tune out any sentence that begins with "Hey, so you study computers right? Can you fix my-"

The moment you get that computer science degree, everyone suddenly thinks you're the designated IT support person for the entire extended family. Nothing says "I've made it as an engineer" quite like being handed a printer that hasn't worked since Windows XP and being told "you can fix this, right?" The girlfriend bringing home a friend's printer is the final boss of unpaid tech support. Six years of algorithms and data structures for this glorious moment.

Turns out those childhood shape sorters weren't just toys—they were USB insertion simulators. We spent years shoving squares into triangular holes only to grow up and still need three attempts to plug in a USB. The universe's most sophisticated training program, and we all failed spectacularly. At least modern USB-C is reversible, so now we only need two attempts instead of three.