You can do object detection, not generative stuff, at least not with anything resembling useful results

Budget desktops are and will remain effectively useless for AI not enough RAM, not enough GPU oomph. And cost more to run than they provide unless they are serving a static web page for a small business or something. Shill your bubble somewhere it could actually be utilized.

I tend to use rolling release because I tend to update my hardware with some regularity. Also I hate opening an app or a desktop environment and when I go looking for newly announced features they aren’t there within a day or two. Considering current hardware prices the latter has been my primary motivation last couple years.

This is true having talked to a few enlisted they are wary of re-enlisting when their contract is up. Anecdotal I guess but at least some people really don’t like where things are going.

I’m currently running an evaluation of ProxMox in the lab to replace VMware. If I can iron out a couple issues and get sign off from the managers we’ll switch to that. While I’m at it will also try to replace Commvault with ProxMox Backup Server. Mostly a cost savings measure, doing my best to avoid a headcount reduction for my team, though that might have ended up being to little to late, will find out Friday.