The cost calculation extends beyond manufacturing. I imagine the switch to virtual input devices also allow more reliability as there are fewer moving/separate parts. In addition, the touch/gesture interface can be re-programmed, updated and "enhanced" (said in quotes as I personally find that most enhancements are not) more readily than fixed physical interfaces.

According to your philosophy, why would you feel sorry for factory workers, construction workers, or truck drivers? Shouldn't they have researched the rates of workman's comp claims, compared it to all their alternatives, decided what the risk level was likely to be and ensured that they were paid a risk premium as compensation based on their self-assessed danger quotient?

Look, you may not like people in the military (no clue why), but to say they deserve what they get is naive and stupid. Historically and currently, joining the military has been one of the most sure ways for intelligent, motivated people born into poor circumstances to raise themselves up the ladder of success.

Why did they "have" to start taking drugs in the first place? If you take drugs and get addicted, that's your responsibility. Not anyone else's.

Well, some of them were under 18 at the time. As a society, we've decided you cannot really be held responsible for many of your actions when under 18. So it certainly is difficult to condemn teenagers to a lifetime of addiction because you were too cheap and on too high a moral horse to help them out.

But beyond that, in many cases, such as with student loans, we hold that society has not just a right to protect you from others, but to help enable you to improve yourself. Certainly, that seems cheaper to society than trying to punish people in prison for something they may wish they could give up.

Lastly, while you may wish that everyone was solely responsible for their actions, and their actions solely affected them, neither is ever the case. It's a good bumper sticker philosophy, but it falls apart once you start asking questions.

If you take drugs and get addicted, that's your responsibility. Not anyone else's.

Think so? I can introduce you to some former surgery patients and war veterans among others who were introduced to opiates to control pain by their physicians for very real pain problems and as a result were unable to avoid addiction

The ADA claims there are zero cases of that.

They do so by separating dependency with addiction, by specifying that addiction requires a pleasureable aspect. So. You can be dependent on insulin, but probably not addicted. Morphine could be either depending on your situation.

How much of that is linguistic bullshittery to avoid feeling bad for hooking people on pills, I do not know.

Which "smug" comment you seemed to approve of until I used it as an example of possible issues on your part - as part of your comment egarding how you enjoy lording it over other people. Saying someone is "smug" is merely saying they show excessive pride. Which you do. But coupled with your reflexive accusation of me as having an inferiority complex. might start to look like aggressive compensatory behavior.

We are very lucky to have you as the arbiter of who does and does not deserve compassion. And hopefully if and when you need a little, someone will be there to give it to you.

now that rich white people have drug problems (ie, "real" people), maybe we can muster up some sympathy for other addicted people now?

Sure we can. We can feel sympathy for all those who were addicted due to a doctor's incompetence in prescribing drugs (it's not their fault!) Or for those valiantly sacrificing their health to pay for the 47% moochers' share.

</I wish I was joking >

The fact is, cocaine and pain-killers have always been an upper-class drug; and the penalties and stigmas surrounding both reflect that.

The one surprising thing was the accusation of meth use; but I feel like that's likely purposeful conflation with other amphetamines by someone with a vested interest in exaggerating the problem.

Now you are just being silly. Reading your posts would probably convince most people that you are suffering from self-esteem issues, and trying to compensate for it via adopting a disdainful attitude toward other people. Your pulling out the "inferiority complex" card so quickly is another red flag symptom.

Try a little compassion, unless you have a fear of getting close to people, and getting emotionally hurt.

Consider that I am not offended, but just letting you know that unless you want to come off as pompous, rigid, and condescending you might be having a different effect than you think.

I'm at least as atheistic as you are, it is irrelevent to the conversation.

But I also understand that you seem to have a really rigid outlook on this. I know a woman who was in a car accident. Spent a month in the hospital, and came out addicted to pain killers. Quite a conundrum when you have to wean yourself, but as you do, the pain returns.

My wife takes prescription pain killers for a collapsed disc. Kind of keeps her able to function. But If she goes off them, I have no doubt there will be minor withdrawal symptoms, along with the return of constant pain. Where do these people fit in your rigid ideology? Would you refuse to take painkillers if your pain level was at 10?

Or do you figure they are just just following this mythical "crowd" you refer to?

Even these Silicon Valley people, they aren't taking drugs to escape, they are taking them to try to get their jobs done. Addiction through work ethic. And that is mildly insane. But pathetically so.

DId something happen to you in the past that makes you so bitter? Your lordliness doesn't get you much, merely causes people to either laugh at you or feel pity (more so than your desired annoyance).

I've done both now, having at first laughed at your pomposity and rigidity, but now seeing this remark, I feel kind of sorry for you.

like a loaded F-150 pickup.

Yeah, it will be loaded with batteries, and a diesel generator to keep them topped off.

No, you're abusing your back by sitting in front of a computer all day long. "Making a living" is fairly addictive.

And once you learn to not lord your obvious superiority over us weaklings, you will have achieved perfection.

It has to be lonely up there are the top though. So consider donating sperm. They really go for perfect people in those places. You could be the start of a new race of overlords.

What's it like having to live among the Visigoths? You probably should tine down your message of superiority, For there but for the grace of (insert favorite deity here) go you.

The point here is not how great you are, and how if only these weak minded individuals would have listened to their teachers all would be well in. The point of the story is that this is a different story.

Your teachers probably did not sell the idea of the suburban living, family person, with a good paying job and college education as the drug addict.

They probably sold you the bleary eyed guy living under a bridge, stealing to support his addiction, or the once beautiful woman in an alley with her fubber hose, having turned to prostitution to support her heroin habit, or at best, just a stoner, who has permanently addled his brain by taking a hit off that kickass doob some cute girl handed him saying "Come on - everyone's doing it - don't you want to do it?

No, this is an entirely different group. What is worse, by their addiction, they are serving the stockholders. If you have 10 people working 80 plus hours a week, you don't have to pay 25 people to work 40 (remember the inefficiencies - it doesn't scale 1 for 1). This is not your teacher's and societies addicts.

Having worked my share of 24+ hour days, and having my full complement of hours in by Tuesday morning, I can imagine a lot of people becoming addicted to something that keeps them going, then getting involved in downers to bring them back. I never did, managing to get by on coffee abuse only. But I understand very well the pressure. You have the stockholders, the family, and the corporation behind you, demanding anything to increase your productivity.

So yes, I fully understand exactly how this can happen. I avoided it because I understand there is a price to pay, an inevitable crash and burn if you try to do this on a extended basis.

I just don't have your smug attitude about it.

Only perfect people are allowed to be smug. And smugness is a sign of imperfection.

tl;dr: The world runs on Windows, and the school does a disservice to the students by not preparing them for reality.

And will forever, until the end of time. Just like MS-DOS.

Congratulations, bringing biblical style circular arguments to the world of computers.

Windows is the gold standard because it is the gold standard because it is the gold standard. World without end, amen.