> But as a user I just want the software that solves my problem from start to finish even if it does a worse job and costs more.
Well, if you're willing to pay, there's a lot more options.
You correctly identify the unix principal only working because the people doing it are computer people. It's designed for a situation where you are the one that has to solve the problem, not one where you can just pay your way out of it.
And while that might break down post 1990 once you start getting non-computer people using computers, I think your analogy breaks down post 2009 or so in the age of ads and everyone expecting everything to be free.
May be that is the key to the problem. We should have a programmer os vs a user os, sort of like macOS vs the underlying command interface. Not like dos to windows. The unix or linux is designed by programmers for programmers. User should pay their way out by paying the programmer.
Obviously there is some in-between cases… occasional use is ok.
Well, if you're willing to pay, there's a lot more options.
You correctly identify the unix principal only working because the people doing it are computer people. It's designed for a situation where you are the one that has to solve the problem, not one where you can just pay your way out of it.
And while that might break down post 1990 once you start getting non-computer people using computers, I think your analogy breaks down post 2009 or so in the age of ads and everyone expecting everything to be free.