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by MawNicker 3801 days ago
That's not his argument. His argument is that an apple computer is required for Xcode. An apple computer is a regular computer except that it costs more and comes with a bundle of software. Xcode is in the bundle. So... The price is indeterminable but definitely not $0. He hedged specifically against your reductio ad absurdem by mentioning the price difference.
1 comments
interpol_p 3801 days ago
The argument was made against the statement "Apple gives Xcode away for free."

They do give Xcode away for free. I didn't think that factoring a modern development computer into the price was a reasonable stance to take against that line.

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TeMPOraL 3801 days ago
Mac isn't a modern development computer. It's a very specific modern development computer, and not necessarily the best in terms of quality/cost.

We're getting unnecessarily deep into dissecting this single line anyway. The original poster's point was that Apple's hardware and software ecosystem, while of great quality, still isn't the "bicycle for the mind" because it's terribly locked down.

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interpol_p 3801 days ago
I find that argument to be bizarre. You can do computer science on paper.

As long as you can write programs and run them then who cares whether you compile them directly to the hardware or interpret them, or whatever?

Apple locks down its distribution platform. It doesn't lock down your brain from thinking or writing programs, and it doesn't lock down its computers from running them for you.

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