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i just don't understand how his take is at all relevant in modern times. i am sure he uses microwaves, refrigerators, homes, vehicles, etc. on a daily if not hourly basis that have non-free software and firmware. what does he or anyone even do with open source, free firmware?

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> As for microwave ovens and other appliances, if updating software is not a normal part of use of the device, then it is not a computer. In that case, I think the user need not take cognizance of whether the device contains a processor and software, or is built some other way. However, if it has an "update firmware" button, that means installing different software is a normal part of use, so it is a computer.

https://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html

That... Doesn't make sense. What if the "button" (probably a jumper or connector on the motherboard) isn't normally accessible to the end user, like a lot of embedded devices? If it has a CPU, ROM, RAM and runs code it's a computer!

I think the extreme stance still makes sense, as some things still meet all the criteria. You can get an old ThinkPad or an Asus C201 Chromebook and run libreboot on it with a GNU/Linux distro using no blobs. These aren't bleeding edge, they're not perfect, and they don't come totally free out of the box, but they show that this level of freedom is possible. I think that's enough for us to want to strive for it.

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