It’s a tough question because it’s not just the browser consuming resources (though that does matter a lot with this little memory), it’s also that modern websites assume they’ll have enough RAM available to get comfortable on your machine. This can be really frustrating if your ingrained browsing habits include leaving lots of tabs open all the time, you hit the cap quick. Even one medium-weight webapp will feel crowded. A lot of the web is just not built for those specs anymore.
I wonder if it would help to make a low-memory optimization for browsers that aggressively pages low-change portions of the page to disk. probably wouldn’t help for webapp-y interactive stuff but it could make, for example, having a shitload of wikipedia pages open in separate tabs more performant.
It’s one of the harder parts of life on a server farm. Every once in a while, you realize that one of your machines is… getting on in years. It happens slowly, but then something will make you notice, and when you notice, you also notice that it’s been that way for a while. It just usually hits all at once.
I like to put these machines on a nice wire shelf, with plenty of room to flash their lights and vent if they need to, with nice, conditioned, uninterrupted power and plenty of network access (not too much). I like to give them something easy but engaging to work on, and just let them do their thing until they feel it’s their time.
It’s a little sad, but every computer will eventually flip its final flop. When the time comes, I help all the other machines come to terms with the loss, set up support networks with the remaining machines so everyone has someone to talk to, and perform the ritual of final deracking. The removal and preservation of the connective material. The bagging and labeling of device-specific accoutrements. The shoving of the dead machine into a Sterilite tomb, from which it will rise as part of the dreadful techno-Frankensteinian horror that I am obviously fated to build because there is no. other. reason. to do this.
It’s a tough question because it’s not just the browser consuming resources (though that does matter a lot with this little memory), it’s also that modern websites assume they’ll have enough RAM available to get comfortable on your machine. This can be really frustrating if your ingrained browsing habits include leaving lots of tabs open all the time, you hit the cap quick. Even one medium-weight webapp will feel crowded. A lot of the web is just not built for those specs anymore.
I wonder if it would help to make a low-memory optimization for browsers that aggressively pages low-change portions of the page to disk. probably wouldn’t help for webapp-y interactive stuff but it could make, for example, having a shitload of wikipedia pages open in separate tabs more performant.
Too bad l suppose 😕😕😕
It’s one of the harder parts of life on a server farm. Every once in a while, you realize that one of your machines is… getting on in years. It happens slowly, but then something will make you notice, and when you notice, you also notice that it’s been that way for a while. It just usually hits all at once.
I like to put these machines on a nice wire shelf, with plenty of room to flash their lights and vent if they need to, with nice, conditioned, uninterrupted power and plenty of network access (not too much). I like to give them something easy but engaging to work on, and just let them do their thing until they feel it’s their time.
It’s a little sad, but every computer will eventually flip its final flop. When the time comes, I help all the other machines come to terms with the loss, set up support networks with the remaining machines so everyone has someone to talk to, and perform the ritual of final deracking. The removal and preservation of the connective material. The bagging and labeling of device-specific accoutrements. The shoving of the dead machine into a Sterilite tomb, from which it will rise as part of the dreadful techno-Frankensteinian horror that I am obviously fated to build because there is no. other. reason. to do this.
Just part of life.
yep.
Well, it’s actually a 12 year old laptop, probably can’t be used for browsing in 2026 l suppose !!