Constantly moving targets don’t help. CSS, HTML, and JavaScript add new features way too quickly. Between supporting new shiny stuff and crusty old stuff there’s so much bloat to keep up with. It’s taking huge efforts to design and tune these rendering engines, so there are only a handful of efforts now backed by major players (Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla). Even Microsoft threw in the towel on their own engine and started using Google’s Chrome because it was cheaper and easier.
I love the look and idea of Kavita, but I wish it was written in something like node.js instead of .net. It requires a handful of shared libraries on non-windows platforms, and I can rarely get it to work.
It’s as noisy as an air conditioner. Because it is an air conditioner — just run in reverse. Some AC compressors are noisier than others depending on manufacturer and quality.
The low end Roomba is simple to repair. There are lots of YouTube videos you can watch about disassembly and gearbox cleaning. The battery is easy to replace as well. The only bad thing about its design is it’s made from plastic. In eight years or so you might need to replace the brush cage or a similar part. Plastic loses its flexibility and gets brittle over time, so some parts like this might split or crack.
Groceries were still doing this into the early ‘90s, but it wasn’t free anymore. It was just earning a discount on an encyclopedia volume every week.
They also used to give away silverware sets a piece at a time. You could also get dishrags or drinking glasses in boxes of powdered detergent. And then there were S&H green stamps.
We have similar freebies now, but it’s “join our loyalty points program and earn” or credit card points. Kohls cash, gas discounts, etc.
What platform? I find NetNewsWire to work well on iOS and MacOS. I haven’t heard anything privacy-invading about it. Its been around for years. It’s also open source and free on the app stores, so that means it’s been somewhat vetted.
Sad, isn’t it? For fun, look up Whirlpool, Albertsons, and Kroger on Wikipedia to see all the brands they own. No wonder prices are high when so much competition has been eliminated.