Readers revisiting a 2011 essay on the decline of general-purpose computing argue that the modern AI boom is accelerating this trend by driving up hardware costs and centralizing processing power. While some fear this shift will result in unaffordable personal computers, a degraded open internet, and the elitism of software engineering, others counter that current compute shortages are temporary and open-source alternatives remain strong. The discussion ultimately highlights growing anxieties over whether the current artificial intelligence boom is a transformative leap or an overhyped bubble threatening user autonomy.