meme

Not to dissect a meme too hard but I'm pretty sure the ram is supposed to go pins down into the potato.

Lightweight distros need less than 1GB of RAM, so you don't need to use the entire RAM.
- It is amazing how little you need to have a functional system. I have a OpenMediaVault / minidlna server using NAS ARM board that only has 256MB of RAM, and it isn't using all of it, and doesn't need to swap.
- There are some that the minimum system requirements is 192mb of ram or even lower
There are some in the potatoe.
Yup, but once you do that, it'll run Linux just fine.

Apple's requirements should be a pile of money, a big pile of money.

A pile of money on fire
And then Apple refusing to repair it due to "water damage"
- It's funny people still think this, they just replaced nearly my entire M1 MacBook Pro that was completely fucked because of water damage. Literally everything but the display was replaced, I basically have a new computer at the cost of $300+whatever I paid for AppleCare+ when I bought it ($400, I think?), which is significantly cheaper than buying a new one would have been
True

I think macOS and windows have to swapped 🤔 macyoS seems to run less bloat in background

Nah, the MacOS just has the wrong picture.
It should be a specifically branded laptop, because as far as I know, it is impossible to run MacOS on anything other than an Apple branded computer.
- Introducing the (dying) Hackintos)
- It's not impossible. Just annoyingly difficult.
Yeah ddinitely needs image swap, or this meme would make more semse if it said $ instead of requirements. MacOS is unixy and doesn't require super specs
- 😁macOS is even more Unix than linux (BSD kernel)
Significantly less bloat for sure. I do like that there is the MicroWin project that exists for windows though.
I assume because apple optimize it for the hardware

boots

Potato optional

I looked into running potatoless ages ago and didn't care for the tradeoffs that come with running hamster wheel. You have to change the potatoes every so often, but at least they don't shit everywhere.
- Have you ever tried Linux on photosynthesis?
- (Oh, I assumed pictured was a potato CPU, not potato PSU)
  Anyways, as long as you don't make the mistake of using runny ((s)mashed) potatoes, it should be fairly ez.
- No joke I read an article a while ago about a computer cafe in like Nepal I think it was? where users had to pedal a small DC generator to power the computers because power is so scarce up on the mountain
[Children of the Omnissiah plays]

macOS is a UNIX OS and is far better than Windows on resource management.

The problem is that Apple doesn't seem to care. They willy nilly change things and restrict basic functions with zero regard for those who want to support or develop for there platforms.
- What Apple does with iOS and macOS developers is straight up extortion.
Sure, but you can't run it on anything but Apple hardware
Nope, you can run winass on worse Mashines than mac, however i still think its incredibly wasteful with resources, but its both of them.
- I just recently did this test on an old MacBook Pro 2011 and installed Windows 10, Pop, and macOS in succession. Windows ran like ass and Pop and macOS ran about the same (fine). Settled on Pop for better Steam compatibility. Trust me, Windows is uniquely bad.

This is a triumph. I'm making a note here, "HUGE SUCCESS".

It's hard to over-state my satisfaction
- Aperture Science, we do what we must because we can.
How are you holding up?
Because I am a potato
Its hard to overstate my satisfaction

As if Apple would give you all that

No, thats why its the requirements.
- They give you the laptop underneath but at the price of 90% the PC, but really good looking. If you want more, throw it in the trash and buy new.
  No really I dont think MacOS has big requirements, it simply doesnt officially support most PCs.

Isn’t it windows 11 that is making a ton of hardware irrelevant due to extremely high system requirements? This meme is missing the mark.

The actual system requirement is a TPM 2 chip for encryption (wich is bullshit and can be turned off with Rufus) for other system requirements it feels better optimized than win 10 but that might be a personal feeling.
- It's more than just a TPM requirement. They have actual processor requirements cutting off all 7th gen and older Intel processors and all 2nd gen? Ryzen and older AMD processors so that they can modernize instruction sets. Many perfectly capable if a bit old machines that have years of life left in them that will be going to the recycler who will attempt to extract something of value from these machines.
  I'm all for modernizing instruction sets and cutting off literal ewaste machines that nobody should still be using like the Core 2 Duo for example, but this is just going to produce mountains of ewaste, which is about the last thing we need with the looming climate apocalypse and dire need significantly reduce emissions rapidly
1 ghz processor, 4 GB of ram. 4gb seems like a lot I suppose. I doubt we can find a tv/monitor that won't work with it either. Basically any laptop made in the last 15 years can run it. People just bitch about them wanting people to have tpm 2.0 to prevent others from being able to steal all your data easily.
When it comes down to it, Microsoft will get sued if they don't prove they are trying to enhance security to protect peoples data. When they do so, they piss off consumers. Is there a better way to do it maybe, but we will always find something wrong with it. If you don't have tpm set up, the drive encrypted, and your password tied to a secondary factor, anyone can access any of the data on your drive in minutes.
It has always been so, they have their product installed throughout enterprise systems where attacks on companies have been on the rise worldwide.
The truth is you can build a computer for a fraction of what you were able to 10-20 years ago because system requirements have stayed fairly steady while tech growth continues.
Buying a laptop for 179.99 dollars from BestBuy in the year 2000 would have been laughable.
What can it run. What 95% of users need. Honestly desktops and laptops seem to me like they will both be phased out of most personal use and will just be for business use eventually. Our phones are getting more and more features making it so we can connect Bluetooth keyboards/mice and cast to a tvs/monitors with a desktop setup.

Mac requirement: thin metal laptop made by apple

Windows requirement: fart instruction for cpu only for 58gen bintel

Linux: motherboard (optional)

I think macos is much less bloated than windows tho it only runs on apple devices(without trickery). Windows is absolutely horrible on resources.

Concur. I’d argue they should be flipped, even – Windows (11) needs way more in hardware in order to run fluidly AFAIK, whereas older Macbooks are supported for quite a long time
- Just because it's a desktop doesn't mean it's more powerful.

You need to show a better computer for windows

Its literally a surface product (yes they suck)
- I really liked my surface tablet tbh
- Oh lol I thought it was a netbook
Why?
You can run Windows 11 on 200MB of RAM, a 8GB drive, and a CPU of last decade. Check out Tiny11
- I know about tiny11, but I'd assume this post is talking about stock windows

Corrections:

MacOS:

Featureless Apple™-branded oblong with 195% profit margin (support for 160% profit margin dropped in Apple™ Mac™OS™ 12.8.3.1.6.4 West Coast Yuppie Resort)
Devices no more than two years old
No pride, self-respect, personality, etc, except that provided by ownership of Apple™ products.

For Windows:

CPU generation newer than an arbitrary, shifting and easily-bypassed watershed.
1, 2, 4, 16 or 128GB of RAM, depends who you ask.
Windows License 😉
Copilot+ AI requires Microsoft CoPilot+ AI compatible Microsoft CoPilot+ AI CoProcessor+ and Microsoft CoPilot+ CoProcessor+ AI Microsoft CertificAItion+
A lack of awareness or interest in operating systems.

For Linux:

Turing-completeness.
Memory, networking, inputs, outputs, power (optional).
Another computer to occasionally Google who 'initramfs' is and why he won't let you boot.

i love how the ram is connected to the potato, standing straight :) pardon my english

Yeah it's just jabbed in end first at the scientifically most chaotic angle.
It must have been a mix-up between "component name" and "how to install".
- Yes. It was RAMmed for sure.

I have Linux (OpenWRT) running on a router with 64MB RAM and 16MB of flash storage. And it works flawlessy. Also have Linux on a second WiFi router, my TV (LG WebOS), one phone, a laptop and a computer. (And I forgot about the Raspberry Pi and the VPS.)

Yeah but those are specifically designed for this. Linux Mint 22 isn't designed to run with what is basically nothing nowadays.
- Meh. You're right... However... Most things will run either Doom or Linux (or both). And nobody cares whether they have been designed to do it, or not. 🐧

Ah, I see Linux supports breadboards now!

Nah sadly thats a potato custom. The generic breadboard isn't supported yet due to problems with the closed source of the chipset.
I does if you have a supported architecture with a MMU

Missed opportunity to make trashcan joke about macos.

Trashcan Mac is good tho, as compact and quiet Linux machine it is
- They’re almost down to a price where I’d consider picking one up just because I think they look awesome, and are reasonably easy to max out their spec. Trouble is, that maxed out spec might tip its benchmarks over my M2 Macbook. Might.

I run Mint on an Acer Aspire One, 1 gig and an Atom, and it works fine. Slow and won't play videos of course but is usable for web stuff and email etc.

I run opensuse tumbleweed kde on the same laptop, I've put 8gb ram and 360gb ssd and wifi 6e ax210 hmw card in it and it works good as casual machine
- This is the old one that supportsb1 GB max :D Came with 512mb as I recall

I would say netbsd is more of the potato. Linux needs at least 6mb of ram to be useful.

Found the vega-uh, BSD nut at the party.
- I don't use BSD. However, Netbsd will literally run on anything. They have a VAX port and a Acorn64 port.

Recent news about running Linux on intel 4004 be like

Isn't a 4004 a 4-bit ALU?
- https://dmitry.gr/?r=05.Projects&proj=35.+Linux4004
  Blog post if interested
You can't for many reasons
- I mean, the person who did it did technically manage it by running an emulator of a different similarly ancient architecture
  Ars has a decent summary of the blog post if you don't feel like reading the full blog post
- Can't what?

I have an atom Asus transformer with 2gb of ram that can run but not much else. Any good 32 bit distros I can look into? Realistically I think much of the mainstream web browsers are becoming too heavy also, which is what I would primarily use and might be more of my problem.

omg I have one of those too! it doesn't get much use because it's.. well you have one
- I know! It'd be great if it were a better sized SSD (not SD soldered) and more memory. The processor is sufficient so it feels like a waste.
  That said, I did use it in college so I did get use out of it.
Antix offers a 32bit build and only uses about 100mbs of ram(and systemd free as well it uses sysvinit and runit uses window managers like icewm jwm instead of regular desktope nvironments )
I've got 33bit Mint on an Aspire One, runs OK
Re the web browsers I think you're right. You may get away with a more lightweight browser like SeaMonkey or Falkon, maybe like 1 tab of Chromium lol
Distros I'd try on that would be Linux Mint Debian Edition, Debian w/ lightweight DE like LXDE or Xfce, or Arch Linux 32 if you really want to make it minimalist. Gentoo if you're very adventurous but with my EEE PC I found compile times took up to days.

Mac OS should be a solid aluminum cube

It's a not thought, but Linux reqs are getting more elitist at a much faster rate.

I hate having to discard working router gear because the fw got stale and maintainers basically say "that's, like, SO last-week" and wander off to play pogs or something

That's because everyone jumped in the ARM hype train, and are now figuring out how shit the platform really is.

(Optional)

The living room PC is an old Dell that came with windows 7 and was left behind in an apartment when everybody moved out. It also runs Mint.