Guest Gary from Linux After Dark joins the hosts to discuss the Raspberry Pi 5 announcement, their skepticism about Google's commitment to software updates for the Pixel 8, and their praise for Mozilla's privacy efforts in browsing. They also mention the potential transition from Xorg to Wayland in the Gennoam desktop environment and discuss the release of Incus 0.1 and Gmail's email emoji reactions.
The Raspberry Pi 5 announcement generated mixed reactions, with some excited about its improved performance and new features, while others expressed reservations about power consumption and the lack of an M.2 slot for PCIe connectivity.
The discussion about GNOME considering dropping Xorg support brought up differing opinions, with some seeing it as an opportunity to focus on improving Wayland, while others expressed concerns about losing certain features and the lack of support for edge cases.
Deep dives
Raspberry Pi 5 Announced
The podcast discusses the announcement of the Raspberry Pi 5, highlighting its improved performance and new features. While some are excited about the pre-order option and increased power, others express a more reserved outlook, citing concerns about power consumption and the need for active cooling. The addition of the RP1 chip, improving I/O and adding PCIe connectivity, is noted as a significant development. However, disappointment is expressed over the use of a ribbon cable for PCIe instead of an M.2 slot. The discussion also touches on alternatives to the Raspberry Pi, such as x86 devices, and the preference for devices with proper HDMI ports over micro HDMI. The decision to purchase the Raspberry Pi 5 is questioned, with the availability of cheaper x86 options and the longevity of support from Google being raised as considerations.
Genome to Drop Xorg Support
The podcast mentions that Genome is considering dropping Xorg support, triggering discussion about the implications and the need for alternative options. While some perceive the move as an opportunity for Genome to focus on improving Wayland, others express concerns about losing certain features and the lack of support for edge cases. The debate centers around whether it is premature for Genome to drop Xorg support without first ironing out all the issues and whether other distributions like Fedora should lead the way in this transition. The discussion also highlights the availability of alternative window managers that still support Xorg for those who prefer it.
Gmail Introduces Email Emoji Reactions
The podcast briefly mentions the release of Gmail's new feature, emoji reactions for emails, but expresses skepticism about its usefulness. Concerns are raised about the clunky implementation, which sends a separate email with the emoji reaction, and the comparison to other messaging platforms where reactions are integrated into the original message. The limited value of this feature in the context of email is discussed, and the potential for it to clutter inboxes and create unnecessary notifications is questioned. The overall consensus is that this proprietary Gmail feature may not be a welcome addition for many users.
Our thoughts on the Raspberry Pi 5 announcement, yet another nail in Xorg’s coffin, why we aren’t convinced by Google’s commitment to 7 years of software updates for the Pixel 8, praise for Mozilla(!), and more.
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