A Hacker News discussion revolves around whether the "personal computer" or "terminal" model scales better. The original post argues for the PC model, but commenters offer nuanced perspectives. jauntywundrkind argues that while individual PCs offer convenience and independence, the modern internet largely operates on a terminal model, with companies like Facebook and Google handling the bulk of computation server-side. While acknowledging potential for optimization, they lament the loss of shared, interconnected systems facilitated by powerful modern hardware. ggm expresses nostalgia for traditional, centrally managed systems, with their reliable storage and shared data, but ultimately acknowledges that the rise of commodity NAS and cloud storage has diminished their appeal. tacticus highlights the security benefits and vendor satisfaction of VDI solutions. superkuh complains about a blog adopting browser restrictions. The discussion ultimately touches on the trade-offs between decentralized computing, centralized power, and user control in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.