this post was submitted on 08 Aug 2026
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About the only upside to this that I can think of is that maybe, just maybe, programmers will start being more frugal with their memory usage. Everything else just sucks.
They 100% will.
Windows had started only "certifying" machines with 32gb as "windows ready" because they wanted the headroom to cram on AI features and use what we pay for instead of a data center.
But because no one was buying 32gb machines and a machine without that sticker will end up with Linux....
They just dropped it, and now they'll have to keep optimizing for 16gb instead of just letting everything bloat. If they don't, they risk every entry level machine making people eventually switch to Linux for a much better experience. Windows has to run on entry level or people don't get sucked in, no one converts to windows later in life.
That's a huge deal, if 32gb was the default for windows it would be the default for everything. Every game and design/modeling program would feel safe to assume 32gb was the norm. Like, imagine what chrome would do assuming there's 32gb to play with.
Now they can't, and they'll know requiring 32gb will cut off some possible consumers.
It's not like Windows is the good guys tho, it never should have been 32, and arguably should be 8gb forever, even if it required a lightweight mode. Most people would prefer a super stripped down Windows even with 64gb. Most of the bloat is useless, I could live without any updates after we didn't have to quit to DOS to launch a game.
I am quite amazed at your knowledge and foresight. Really cool!
I never assumed such a scenario where ram limit will limit our infrastructure too. What do you consider will happen with people who are actually needing ram but unable to afford? And that number reaches significantly higher volume, like 60% of population?
Like maybe an open source project of building ram seems feasible?
What will happen is they'll start selling zero clients and a subscription to a virtual desktop, using all of the data centers left over after the AI bubble pops.
Unless someone decides to enter the chip fab industry just for consumer hardware, owning your own machine might not be a thing in a few years.
That does make sense. That means cloud storage is cheaper, few years from now. And more tracking of our personal data.
Going to invest in Linux + HDD, because these things will only push us to subscription bs.