If you are feeling ambitious and want to go “serverless”, try out DecSync and a compatible android app for contact sync. This represents all your contacts as files on disk in a way that avoids conflicts, and you can use SyncThing to keep your devices in sync 100% peer to peer. Unfortunately on your desktop you’ll probably have to use something like radicale on localhost and the plugin to convert it into CardDAV for your regular email client to understand.

I was comparing frozen diced veggies a couple of years back (in Australia) and noticed that the store-brand version was approximately 1/3 broccoli stems by volume, which certainly explained the cost difference.

That is the discussion. Microsoft is pretending by making it the upgrade path for two products which actually are local, and hoping users won’t notice.