Well, yeah, that’s entirely logical. Using F/OSS means that no one is paying for the labor of creating that software (in general, yes I’m aware there are paid projects, blah blah whatever). With proprietary software, the labor is always paid (provided they didn’t stiff the developers). Maybe cheaply and offshore, but someone got paid to make it.
Really depends on budget and interests.
In general, I’d think getting something historic/vintage that’s rare and desirable in that specific field. Something that makes others in that community go “how the hell did you get your hands on one?!”
For me and my interests, that might be tracking down a Nucleon Quest Super Ginrai, Diaclone Lancia Stratos Turbo, or the Petter Solberg version of Alternators Smokescreen. If the budget allows for it, it might be an '05 Lava Orange Mazdaspeed Miata or one of the earlier yellow special editions. It might be tracking down a first edition paperback (hardbacks are lame) of a Phillip K. Dick book.
I’m not trying to sell you on using iOS. By my calculus, I find iOS to be the best option in terms of privacy/security vs convenience when it comes to having a cell phone. If your calculus tells you to use a pine phone, or a flip phone, or no phone at all but only use a home-made device built from scratch and only connect over public mesh networks… that’s rad as hell and I want to subscribe to your newsletter, but I’m still gonna use my iPhone.
Haven’t had much need for it here.
On Reddit, I use it on those things that actively take away from the conversation. Trolling, pushing obviously wrong information, blatant racism/sexism/other-ism.
But, as little as I do use it, I find it supremely important to have. Trolls get downvoted out of the conversation. It’s a way to fight brigading. It’s the only easy/consistent way to give input as to what content doesn’t fit into a particular sub. Downvoting can be problematic, but it’s less problematic than those sites that try to be all warm/fuzzy and only allow positive input.
While I agree that a car in some place like London, New York, or San Francisco is dumb, you’ve changed your goalposts.
Rather than belabor that point, though, what is your preferred alternative?