Windows gaming laptop from MSI. It's not bad at all, but the battery life is horrible and gaming performance is OK. I finally built a gaming PC which I like a lot more. As for a portable machine, I should have just got a Macbook.

Hah, coincidentally I just made the switch from an Acer gaming laptop to a Macbook and couldn't be more pleased. All the games I actually play (nothing graphically intensive) still work on the M3 Macbook via Wine, and the performance is just fine. Meanwhile, the rest of the experience of actually using the laptop got massively upgraded. Better screen, better speakers, better touchpad and keyboard, way better battery life, and when I open the lid the Macbook wakes from sleep essentially instantly.

For more graphically intensive games, I still have a Windows desktop. I don't think I will ever buy another "gaming" laptop.

Funny enough, I inherited an MSI notebook that wasn't working to my parents' satisfaction (no idea why they bought it, their use case is pretty basic), installed Linux on it and it's actually a really great laptop (apart from the battery life lol). Great performance , lots of ram, nice screen, nice body, everything works (even touchscreen, stylus and fingerprint sensor). But free is free, for $3k of my own money I'd buy a Lunar Lake or Strix Point laptop and save some $$$.

I will reply from the point of view of the manager assuming good intentions. They either know what you currently working on and believe that the newer item is more important, that's why they throw you around or they aren't aware of what you are currently working on and just reacting to a urgent ask from seniors. You can inform them of what you are doing currently why is it important and then let them decide which item is higher priority. If the priority of the newer item is truly higher you changing context is worth it.

I have used several distributions and daily driven linux for long periods of time (2-3 years) since 2008. Even today multimedia apps have issues, these can be solved by going through online forums, but it's always a frustrating start. Usually upgrades to software will re-introduce these issues and you will need to follow the same steps.

Splitting of Youtube as a separate entity would be a great start. Maps needs to stay with search.

Why?

Maps to me seem like search like product. With Images, Scholar, Patents. You could reasonably keep them under same umbrella. As long as advertising network is separated from it.

What is the real motivation for RTO? - risk averseness of management - need for control/power over employees - push some folks out without needing a layoff - management knows that RTO is better for companies despite lack of public data - external force from real estate owners/ city governments