I remember when a new microsoft OS was a great thing that brought wonder and excitement instead of bullshit.
Trouble is, what can the OS makers offer these days?
Apple brought it on themselves by insisting that their platforms had to be updated annually, presumably because it made it easier for them to blacklist older devices more frequently. An unsupported device is basically landfill, right? So you'll have to toss it and buy a new one. Because...reasons.
But really, what are the functional differences and benefits to the end user of moving from Win10 to Win11? Of moving from macOS Sequoia to Tahoe to Golden Gate? I'm not massively au fait with Windows, but from my experience, the only real difference that could be sold as an upgrade is "Moar Copilot!".
We're at a point where hardware from five years ago is every bit as functional as hardware released today. So all of the companies have latched onto AI. But users don't really care about AI. And that leaves Microsoft and Apple and Google with... nothing. This is particularly obvious in the mobile space, where they've run out of hardware features to hang a new device off of. Even the cheapest new smartphone has a still/video camera with surprisingly high quality sensors. They can all connect to high speed wifi and cellular networks. They can all do all of the things people need of them. What else can they add?
But the shareholder value must increase.
It's exhausting.