> Linux is not a „one and done“ silver bullet to solve all your computer issues. It is like any other operating system in that it will require users to learn its methods and quirks. Admittedly, it does require a little bit more technical knowledge to dive into the nitty-gritty of the OS and fully unlock its potential, but many distributions (such as Mint) are ready to go out of the box and may never require someone to open a command line.
I feel like this paragraph from the article really sums up my opinion regarding Linux. For those who are tech-savvy and/or power users, Linux is a great option. Apart from certain compatibility issues (certain games or programs required for work), there’s few reasons to not switch.
For people who don’t care/aren’t that tech literate, I don’t see a good reason to switch. People in this camp want familiarity and for their computers to “just work”. They don’t care about what telemetry data is being sent to Microsoft, they just want to check their email and maybe play solitaire. So I don’t see the reason for them to switch. If someone wants to switch their parents computer to Mint because it’s “better” for them, I really feel like they’re solving a problem that didn’t exist in the first place.
Zone_07 on
I’m running Ubuntu on my older PCs and Laptops. Windows „Update“ just crashes them and they run super slow. I turn on the Linux machines and they’re up and running with no issues. Plus the Brave Browser runs super smooth.
Difficult_Variety212 on
No, I shouldn’t
green_gold_purple on
The problem is that tons of applications do not have native windows versions. Autocad just makes it a deal breaker for me and many others. I have a handful of others.
wavefunctionp on
Laptop is Ubuntu. Home Theater PC is Bazzite.
They were both windows and I had no plans of switching until MS just kept pushing more and more shit. I’m done. Only my gaming pc left and idk how much longer that’ll last at the rate that MS keeps making things worse.
SenKats on
I would but my job requires being able to run executables with perfect compatibility and I can’t just rely on *fingers crossies*. I can’t just tell my boss „sorry, but it’s the year of Linux on desktop so I can’t work on this project“.
I don’t use Windows because I want to. I don’t even think the great majority of people do.
BigBlackHungGuy on
I’m stuck on windows using Adobe products for work. Save me.
potato_eater3 on
If it wasn’t for Adobe software I’d ditch Windows. After spending the last 1.5 decades using Linux for work, Windows feels bloated and clunky by comparison. Especially for programming. The continuous attempts to force OneDrive and Office 365 integration is also very annoying.
Prestigious_Rub1 on
If you really want adoption, make all of the software work on linux, there is no way i’m going to switch if I can’t use the software that I need to do my work with.
Vladekk on
Not so simple. I’m using Bazzite. For example, they recently broke DisplayLink, which prevents external displays connected to many USB hubs working. Until Linux will be like that, people won’t switch.
endmill5050 on
Mint just works and you can load it onto a USB stick. Windows 11 doesn’t work out of the box and a Windows 11 install is longer than a Mint install. It’s faster to get Libreoffice working 100% than Office365 now. Thunderbird and email clients are a different story though, but eventually someone will make a better (well, easier. For old people who don’t use computers) Linux email client and finish wiping the floor with Microsoft.
Jamato-sUn on
I tried Pop OS. The repositories were not available in my country. It’s completely unusable.
Resident-Variation21 on
Last I tried I seriously could not get my favourite games to work.
I may try again soon though
OriginalUser27 on
Honestly, I dont find Linux worth the hassle of switching. Windows has been sufficient for everything I need (mostly gaming) and I’ve never had technical issues with it.
Even as a Software Engineer who uses Linux during work, its not worth the hassle unless you want to uber-customize your distro
Komikaze06 on
I installed mint on my laptop, and for the life of me I cant get it to use my dedicated nvidia card and not the integrated amd one. If im able to solve this, everything else seems acceptable, but I cant seem to sort this out.
owlexe23 on
Open source is the future.
_larsr on
Articles like this seem to be more about self-validation than giving good advice. I’m glad that Linux is the right answer for the author, but that doesn’t make it the right answer for EVERYONE. For some people the answer may be Linux, for others, maybe it’s MacOS, or even sticking with Windows. Are you really ready for the support issues which are bound to happen after you install Linux on grandma’s laptop? How about when you realize to get your label maker to work you have to dive into config files? Want to play the new WoW expansion (a surprising number of people still play it)? Maybe you spent the last 20 years learning Photoshop and Lightroom and don’t want to have to start over with Gimp and Darktable. Linux may be right for you or for me, but we aren’t all the same, and for many/most people it is still not the answer.
CartoonBeardy on
The problem with Linux is that for all the cheers that you’d be free of windows is great… if you know what you’re doing.
Otherwise you’re sitting there like the escaped fish at the end of Finding Nemo going “now what!?”
My 81 year old mother gets a windows pc from the store. Turns it on and within 15 minutes she’s up and running with barely a hiccup or help from me.
Meanwhile, as a true Linux novice, I’m trawling the web to just decide what distro I want, hunting for alternatives to apps I use for work (After Effects, Photoshop, Office, Premier, Maya, 3DS Max) and having to deal driver issues and “I don’t have that problem” / “Why would you want to do that!?” / “Duh! Google it!” responses to every question I throw out on various Reddits and discords, and blundering about with YouTube.
Windows is not something I want to support, Microsoft has endlessly shit the bed and I can’t stand it. But Linux and everything around it is such a monumental pain in the arse for people like myself trying to switch seamlessly and keep working without issue.
AlertThinker on
I dumped Windows for Mac and I’m never going back!
JayoTree on
I ditched Windows for Fedora Linux and it’s great and easy and everyone should, but one problem is some software you may have already paid could be Windowss/Mac only.
isamura on
I don’t want to get murdered for saying this, but the ironic thing about AI, is that it can help less tech savvy users migrate to an OS that doesn’t have that shit baked in.
AcceptablyThanks on
Na. I generally like my OS to just work without having to constantly fuck with it.
axxond on
Already did over a year ago
Rierais on
I switched to Mac a while ago and never ever looked back
scronide on
The average person can barely operate their phones or tablets.
holyoak on
>Unfortunately, Linux doesn’t always play nice with Apple products.
Think you got that one reversed, there, buddy.
This is a big reason why switching is difficult. Entrenched userbases are a resource, and both Apple and MSoft have a massive incentive to make it as difficult to switch as possible. An example from the article is the Windows ‚update‘ that completely wiped a partition.
oldcreaker on
Umm – I dumped XP at home in 2007. I haven’t used Windows since I retired in 2017.
TheOmniToad on
Did that 4-5 years ago. Just Ubuntu cause it was the first distro I found.
It’s nice having my computer not shut itself down and update on its own despite my express settings not to.
It’s nice not getting blue screens of death on a weekly basis.
It’s nice not having to spend an hour in Regedit to turn off bloated „features“ that I don’t need or want.
It’s nice not having Cortana (or is it Copilot now?) watching, recording and processing my every input and sending it to microsoft.
It’s nice not having to figure out what my .Net account information is because every now and then my computer won’t function without it.
It’s nice watching story after story of every Windows-related drama and knowing that I’m spared from any and all headaches.
The downside is… actually I haven’t really found one yet. I guess for people who need to use proprietary software, they’re out of luck.
edit: fixed typos
payne747 on
What’s with all these similar posts lately? I Love Linux but it’s not so easy to just abandon your way of living/working because some article says so.
buttflapper444 on
Anti-cheat, battlefield 6, won’t work
rainman_104 on
Oh is 2026 the year of the Linux desktop?
b_a_t_m_4_n on
Already did 7 years ago, it’s been great!
LordSkummel on
I did, 20 years ago.
MilkChugg on
not the AI slop article complaining about the AI slop operating system.
biteater on
It’s the only operating system that has improved in the last ten years
SolarDynasty on
Unfortunately certain companies are still refusing to make good Linux ports so I’m stuck to dual booting windows Enterprise iot ltsc and Linux.
rb2m on
I have never used Linux. My understanding is that it’s not as simple as download and you’re done. Majority of people need it to be simple, which is why Windows isn’t going away any time soon.
koolaidismything on
Dude I dumped windows 7 for Linux in like 2009.
Microsoft is more useless than a bag of dicks with no handle. They’ve done nothing but open data-centers and rob their customers forced to use their OS. They suck so hard. All of their leadership has been just awful.. I could do better and I’m functionally brain-dead.
Sensitive_Box_ on
Tons of people on here still regurgitating the old „Linux breaks“ trope. You can tell not enough people are willing to try it out.
anlumo on
Not possible for me. I already dumped Windows 10 for Linux.
Xibby on
I switched over my laptops, a Dell and an 2013 MacBook Pro. Running Ubuntu, and they honestly feel like brand new machines. After a little troubleshooting old games that wouldn’t run smoothly on Windows or MacOS now run smoothly under Linux.
I was really close to purchasing a new MacBook, but that money is staying in my bank account now.
Not sure if I’d recommend it for everyone yet, but I’ve been using Linux since 1996 so no problem.
AKFRU on
Windows 11 tanked my laptop with the OS pushing over 80GB, I switched to Linux and it’s been great. Took a day of fiddling around to set up and learn the Linux native DJ software and that’s been the only hassle. I had already switched to Libre Office and GIMP a decade or more ago. I am way better with GIMP than I ever was with Photoshop, it’s work-flow suits my brain.
My main PC is still windows purely for FL Studio, the second I can run FL Studio and VSTs on Linux I am gone.
wrathwizard on
I just dumped windows 11 for Linux mint on a laptop over 10 years old. It has not run this smooth is a long time. I was having issues just running simple applications and could never fix the ram usage issues and it feels good to have a decently operational machine again.
karkonthemighty on
I just want Steam to release an OS. Please.
codeyman2 on
Aww man.. I’ve been reading these articles since the time of win 98..
a1g3rn0n on
I’d, personally use both – Linux on laptop (faster, more convenient for development) + Windows on desktop (Adobe + games). If I had to choose only one system – Windows is more universal for my needs. But it’s up to everyone’s individual preferences.
Chicken-Nuggiesss on
99% of people don’t want to deal with the inevitable „find the fix yourself“ type of issues linux has
if you can install linux, you can debloat windows
ThimMerrilyn on
I am a sys admin of 20 years. I haven’t l had a single issue with windows 11 on my home gaming PC tbh. I find it runs well and does everything I need it to do… games, offie suite etc. I don’t see any need to change, although if I was younger I might, as Linux is becoming far more important in the IT space and learning more Linux skills earlier would’ve been beneficial to me.
paolilon on
It’s like this article was written in 2002. Where’s Mac in this discussion? No one uses Linux
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49 Kommentare
> Linux is not a „one and done“ silver bullet to solve all your computer issues. It is like any other operating system in that it will require users to learn its methods and quirks. Admittedly, it does require a little bit more technical knowledge to dive into the nitty-gritty of the OS and fully unlock its potential, but many distributions (such as Mint) are ready to go out of the box and may never require someone to open a command line.
I feel like this paragraph from the article really sums up my opinion regarding Linux. For those who are tech-savvy and/or power users, Linux is a great option. Apart from certain compatibility issues (certain games or programs required for work), there’s few reasons to not switch.
For people who don’t care/aren’t that tech literate, I don’t see a good reason to switch. People in this camp want familiarity and for their computers to “just work”. They don’t care about what telemetry data is being sent to Microsoft, they just want to check their email and maybe play solitaire. So I don’t see the reason for them to switch. If someone wants to switch their parents computer to Mint because it’s “better” for them, I really feel like they’re solving a problem that didn’t exist in the first place.
I’m running Ubuntu on my older PCs and Laptops. Windows „Update“ just crashes them and they run super slow. I turn on the Linux machines and they’re up and running with no issues. Plus the Brave Browser runs super smooth.
No, I shouldn’t
The problem is that tons of applications do not have native windows versions. Autocad just makes it a deal breaker for me and many others. I have a handful of others.
Laptop is Ubuntu. Home Theater PC is Bazzite.
They were both windows and I had no plans of switching until MS just kept pushing more and more shit. I’m done. Only my gaming pc left and idk how much longer that’ll last at the rate that MS keeps making things worse.
I would but my job requires being able to run executables with perfect compatibility and I can’t just rely on *fingers crossies*. I can’t just tell my boss „sorry, but it’s the year of Linux on desktop so I can’t work on this project“.
I don’t use Windows because I want to. I don’t even think the great majority of people do.
I’m stuck on windows using Adobe products for work. Save me.
If it wasn’t for Adobe software I’d ditch Windows. After spending the last 1.5 decades using Linux for work, Windows feels bloated and clunky by comparison. Especially for programming. The continuous attempts to force OneDrive and Office 365 integration is also very annoying.
If you really want adoption, make all of the software work on linux, there is no way i’m going to switch if I can’t use the software that I need to do my work with.
Not so simple. I’m using Bazzite. For example, they recently broke DisplayLink, which prevents external displays connected to many USB hubs working. Until Linux will be like that, people won’t switch.
Mint just works and you can load it onto a USB stick. Windows 11 doesn’t work out of the box and a Windows 11 install is longer than a Mint install. It’s faster to get Libreoffice working 100% than Office365 now. Thunderbird and email clients are a different story though, but eventually someone will make a better (well, easier. For old people who don’t use computers) Linux email client and finish wiping the floor with Microsoft.
I tried Pop OS. The repositories were not available in my country. It’s completely unusable.
Last I tried I seriously could not get my favourite games to work.
I may try again soon though
Honestly, I dont find Linux worth the hassle of switching. Windows has been sufficient for everything I need (mostly gaming) and I’ve never had technical issues with it.
Even as a Software Engineer who uses Linux during work, its not worth the hassle unless you want to uber-customize your distro
I installed mint on my laptop, and for the life of me I cant get it to use my dedicated nvidia card and not the integrated amd one. If im able to solve this, everything else seems acceptable, but I cant seem to sort this out.
Open source is the future.
Articles like this seem to be more about self-validation than giving good advice. I’m glad that Linux is the right answer for the author, but that doesn’t make it the right answer for EVERYONE. For some people the answer may be Linux, for others, maybe it’s MacOS, or even sticking with Windows. Are you really ready for the support issues which are bound to happen after you install Linux on grandma’s laptop? How about when you realize to get your label maker to work you have to dive into config files? Want to play the new WoW expansion (a surprising number of people still play it)? Maybe you spent the last 20 years learning Photoshop and Lightroom and don’t want to have to start over with Gimp and Darktable. Linux may be right for you or for me, but we aren’t all the same, and for many/most people it is still not the answer.
The problem with Linux is that for all the cheers that you’d be free of windows is great… if you know what you’re doing.
Otherwise you’re sitting there like the escaped fish at the end of Finding Nemo going “now what!?”
My 81 year old mother gets a windows pc from the store. Turns it on and within 15 minutes she’s up and running with barely a hiccup or help from me.
Meanwhile, as a true Linux novice, I’m trawling the web to just decide what distro I want, hunting for alternatives to apps I use for work (After Effects, Photoshop, Office, Premier, Maya, 3DS Max) and having to deal driver issues and “I don’t have that problem” / “Why would you want to do that!?” / “Duh! Google it!” responses to every question I throw out on various Reddits and discords, and blundering about with YouTube.
Windows is not something I want to support, Microsoft has endlessly shit the bed and I can’t stand it. But Linux and everything around it is such a monumental pain in the arse for people like myself trying to switch seamlessly and keep working without issue.
I dumped Windows for Mac and I’m never going back!
I ditched Windows for Fedora Linux and it’s great and easy and everyone should, but one problem is some software you may have already paid could be Windowss/Mac only.
I don’t want to get murdered for saying this, but the ironic thing about AI, is that it can help less tech savvy users migrate to an OS that doesn’t have that shit baked in.
Na. I generally like my OS to just work without having to constantly fuck with it.
Already did over a year ago
I switched to Mac a while ago and never ever looked back
The average person can barely operate their phones or tablets.
>Unfortunately, Linux doesn’t always play nice with Apple products.
Think you got that one reversed, there, buddy.
This is a big reason why switching is difficult. Entrenched userbases are a resource, and both Apple and MSoft have a massive incentive to make it as difficult to switch as possible. An example from the article is the Windows ‚update‘ that completely wiped a partition.
Umm – I dumped XP at home in 2007. I haven’t used Windows since I retired in 2017.
Did that 4-5 years ago. Just Ubuntu cause it was the first distro I found.
It’s nice having my computer not shut itself down and update on its own despite my express settings not to.
It’s nice not getting blue screens of death on a weekly basis.
It’s nice not having to spend an hour in Regedit to turn off bloated „features“ that I don’t need or want.
It’s nice not having Cortana (or is it Copilot now?) watching, recording and processing my every input and sending it to microsoft.
It’s nice not having to figure out what my .Net account information is because every now and then my computer won’t function without it.
It’s nice watching story after story of every Windows-related drama and knowing that I’m spared from any and all headaches.
The downside is… actually I haven’t really found one yet. I guess for people who need to use proprietary software, they’re out of luck.
edit: fixed typos
What’s with all these similar posts lately? I Love Linux but it’s not so easy to just abandon your way of living/working because some article says so.
Anti-cheat, battlefield 6, won’t work
Oh is 2026 the year of the Linux desktop?
Already did 7 years ago, it’s been great!
I did, 20 years ago.
not the AI slop article complaining about the AI slop operating system.
It’s the only operating system that has improved in the last ten years
Unfortunately certain companies are still refusing to make good Linux ports so I’m stuck to dual booting windows Enterprise iot ltsc and Linux.
I have never used Linux. My understanding is that it’s not as simple as download and you’re done. Majority of people need it to be simple, which is why Windows isn’t going away any time soon.
Dude I dumped windows 7 for Linux in like 2009.
Microsoft is more useless than a bag of dicks with no handle. They’ve done nothing but open data-centers and rob their customers forced to use their OS. They suck so hard. All of their leadership has been just awful.. I could do better and I’m functionally brain-dead.
Tons of people on here still regurgitating the old „Linux breaks“ trope. You can tell not enough people are willing to try it out.
Not possible for me. I already dumped Windows 10 for Linux.
I switched over my laptops, a Dell and an 2013 MacBook Pro. Running Ubuntu, and they honestly feel like brand new machines. After a little troubleshooting old games that wouldn’t run smoothly on Windows or MacOS now run smoothly under Linux.
I was really close to purchasing a new MacBook, but that money is staying in my bank account now.
Not sure if I’d recommend it for everyone yet, but I’ve been using Linux since 1996 so no problem.
Windows 11 tanked my laptop with the OS pushing over 80GB, I switched to Linux and it’s been great. Took a day of fiddling around to set up and learn the Linux native DJ software and that’s been the only hassle. I had already switched to Libre Office and GIMP a decade or more ago. I am way better with GIMP than I ever was with Photoshop, it’s work-flow suits my brain.
My main PC is still windows purely for FL Studio, the second I can run FL Studio and VSTs on Linux I am gone.
I just dumped windows 11 for Linux mint on a laptop over 10 years old. It has not run this smooth is a long time. I was having issues just running simple applications and could never fix the ram usage issues and it feels good to have a decently operational machine again.
I just want Steam to release an OS. Please.
Aww man.. I’ve been reading these articles since the time of win 98..
I’d, personally use both – Linux on laptop (faster, more convenient for development) + Windows on desktop (Adobe + games). If I had to choose only one system – Windows is more universal for my needs. But it’s up to everyone’s individual preferences.
99% of people don’t want to deal with the inevitable „find the fix yourself“ type of issues linux has
if you can install linux, you can debloat windows
I am a sys admin of 20 years. I haven’t l had a single issue with windows 11 on my home gaming PC tbh. I find it runs well and does everything I need it to do… games, offie suite etc. I don’t see any need to change, although if I was younger I might, as Linux is becoming far more important in the IT space and learning more Linux skills earlier would’ve been beneficial to me.
It’s like this article was written in 2002. Where’s Mac in this discussion? No one uses Linux