your laptop wasn't free, but did you purchase the laptop for it to be a node? I assume not, you need devices in our world to work and to live. And those can also be a node. In that case, it's free to run a node and use bitcoin. There is no new added cost for you to run a node.

I already had a laptop too so I guess that was just free as well.

TonyGiorgio

You already owning a device, and that being your node is bitcoin having a cost?

jarolrod

$80 phone btw https://twitter.com/GBKS/status/1648206373581094914?s=20

bitcoin

Sorry! It’s just that you’re going to have to pay/ask permission to use Bitcoin

Sure, it needs to be easier to run a node. But bitcoin isn't free to use and that's not going to change whether or not we get core to run on a $1000 smartphone (which has a cost that needs to be paid for BTW)