HighFunctionFox

uBlock Origin with nano defender

Lastpass would be my recommendation

I use NordVPN, I haven't used PIA but PIA and NordVPN are both usually at the top spots for VPN ranking. I would just compare a few of the top ones and see which one works the best for your needs.

I sub to floatplane for LMG and Bitwit so mainly just pop up on here to watch things. I like the forum I just usually lurk and don't post.

Most likely from pre-built laptop sales that always get a huge boost with back to school and people starting college. Also the vast majority of the millions of Steam users are on mid to low range laptops which are predominately Intel based. AMD has mad huge gains in the enthusiast market but despite all the money we spend in our market segment, it's still way smaller market share than vast number of people with just a meh laptop or prebuilt desktop.

Universal Windows apps are one reason they started pushing it again, also the Xbox Play Anywhere games (Also M$ has the capital to push an ecosystem that has low adoption simply because they have the coffers to support it) I agree with you since Microsoft basically bailed on the mobile phone market, it makes a lot less since as an ecosystem; Surface devices can use full fledged desktop apps so unless you need a lighter, or more universally scalable version of a program there is little reason to seek out using the Windows Store for anyone other than most basic barely PC literate person.

Not really, I got the Netflix app off of it so I can have 5.1 to my receiver from my HTPC with Netflix, other than that I usually forget about it.