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Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

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Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#231

Post by hdjjhhvvhga »

mkipper wrote: post #220
roman-holovin wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just wait for an update that will reenable everything you've disabled.

Don't forget that it might come bundled with other helpful updates with no way to choose which pieces to pull in. I can't believe people are actually comparing telemetry in Windows to Linux.

> I can't believe people are actually comparing telemetry in Windows to Linux.

I'm not surprised - at least some of these people are Microsoft employees so it's no wonder they try to use the same strategy as always - fear, uncertainty and doubt. After all, if people start believing that "Linux also has telemetry", why even consider switching?

Actually I'm happy to hear it from the mouth of Microsoft employees (especially "advocacy" guys, i.e. paid to convince others): it means that Microsoft does care, they do consider Linux a threat, and the war is definitely not over.

Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#232

Post by filmgirlcw »

hdjjhhvvhga wrote: post #227
filmgirlcw wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually disagree. Ubuntu has a lot of telemetry on by default (unlike Deepin, they disclose this, but I'm pointing this out) and for many years, Canonical really tried to push the whole account login thing (RIP Ubuntu One). Not to mention the time Ubuntu inserted Amazon affiliate links into the search app (which to their credit, they eventually removed -- tho the Amazon app that was just an affiliate launcher didn…

> I actually disagree. Of course you disagree because it's your job. Satya Nadella himself makes sure you try to sway the opinion here in favor of your company [0]: "In fact, this morning, I was reading a news article in Hacker News, which is a community where we have been working hard to make sure that Azure is growing in popularity and I was pleasantly surprised to see that we have made a lot of progress..." Hint:…

Actually, that isn't my job. In fact, very few comments I have made on HN have ever had any association with what I actually do -- and that is by design. I don't speak for my employer, and I'm certainly not astroturfing here.

Hint: Being a jerk to people online using a random account makes you look like an asshole.

Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#233

Post by echlipse »

skywal_l wrote: post #57

The first point I think is one of the main arguments. I've been using Ubuntu on a computer I bought in 2007. Worked like a charm (until the PSU blew up a few months back). Linux is a system that outlast its hardware! One can also turn the argument around. What would be the reason to use Windows instead of Linux (if, like most of the people on HN I assume, you are computer literate) ? Games I guess.

Windows works on my new laptop(3 year old with TPM) perfectly. This doesn't mean Linux doesn't work too. I tried PopOs for a month. If in future I switch to linux completely this distro is going to be the one. But there are still bugs which aren't fixed yet on linux. Battery backup is also an issue on Linux (tried TLP too). There were many other problems too. To summarize it Windows was a way better experience for me with this specific hardware. And WSL is really a game changer for me as I can keep on using Linux without worrying about hardware issues.

Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#234

Post by AnthonyMouse »

Zhyl wrote: post #221
filmgirlcw wrote: post #186

Disclosure: I'm a developer advocate at Microsoft with a focus on Linux, I am typing this on a laptop running Windows 11 (it also has another SSD that runs Linux), and I'm a diehard Mac user. I hate this sort of SEO-driven clickbait that is trying to inflame wars that frankly, were settled two decades ago. Use Linux. Use Windows. Use macOS. Use Chrome OS. Use OpenBSD. Use Haiku. If you're a complete masochist, use GN…

I feel like with the uptick in Linux gaming, Valve's investment in Proton, the Steam Deck, EAC/Battleye compatibility with Proton, modern desktops catching up to Windows look and feel, it's closer to being 'the year of the Linux desktop' than ever before. Sure, 'the year of the Linux desktop' is a loosely defined term that doesn't necessarily have any key metrics that you'd agree with, and it's not like any of the wo…

"The year of Linux on the desktop" is a meme for a specific reason.

It'll take longer than a year.

The claim is funny because you imagine the whole world switching to Linux, like, overnight. Which is obviously unrealistic. It's a gradual process.

But last year Chromebooks outsold Macs. Chromebooks are Linux. Even if they're not "Linux Linux," there isn't much you can do with one that you can't do with most other distributions. Which demonstrates that the barriers to adoption are falling and a major factor is now the need for better marketing.

That still doesn't mean the percentage of desktops running Linux will be at 97% by end of December. But it'll probably be higher than it was last year.

Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#235

Post by jamesgeck0 »

guillermin wrote: post #78
earthtolazlo wrote: post #27

As someone with RSI who uses speech recognition to control most software on my desktop, X11 -> Wayland has been a massive roadblock. Ad-infested Windows isn’t great, but at least it doesn’t feel like I’m fighting any devs just to be able to use my computer in an accessible manner.

Wayland is still very green, most distributions haven't switched yet, why did you? I can understand that you would want to try Wayland, but when you encountered problems why did you decide to move to Windows instead of going back to X11?

Wayland has been around for a decade and X.org is in maintenance mode. Linux users have to decide between barely maintained software with a problematic security model or an actively-maintained project that is still somewhat half-baked in places.

https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/30/x_server_lead_maintai...

Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#236

Post by hotsauceror »

notreallyserio wrote: post #202
hotsauceror wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does, the new Windows Terminal app is pretty nice. What it does not have is a good set of command line tools. Powershell is powerful and great in its way, but it is cumbersome to use for little tasks. And the lack of a command-line text editor like vim is a huge pain in the ass.

However, if you install Windows Terminal you will find that Start menu behavior changes in a annoying way that the Terminal developers can’t fix without changes to Windows itself[0]. With Terminal installed, if you search for a directory from the Start menu — hit the Windows key, start typing, press enter — the menu won’t close automatically. 0: https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/issues/7122

That is not my experience. I just tried it twice, searched for Notepad, it opened right up both times and closed the start menu, and I have terminal open with two WSL sessions.

EDIT: OK, now I see it. It is specific to pinned folders in the Start Menu, not search or pinned Apps. I don't generally pin folders to Start so that's why I wasn't seeing it.

Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#237

Post by hdjjhhvvhga »

filmgirlcw wrote: post #232
hdjjhhvvhga wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I actually disagree. Of course you disagree because it's your job. Satya Nadella himself makes sure you try to sway the opinion here in favor of your company [0]: "In fact, this morning, I was reading a news article in Hacker News, which is a community where we have been working hard to make sure that Azure is growing in popularity and I was pleasantly surprised to see that we have made a lot of progress..." Hint:…

Actually, that isn't my job. In fact, very few comments I have made on HN have ever had any association with what I actually do -- and that is by design. I don't speak for my employer, and I'm certainly not astroturfing here. Hint: Being a jerk to people online using a random account makes you look like an asshole.

I'm not talking about you specifically, but Microsoft employees in general that Nadella says are working hard in order to sway the opinion of HN users towards you ("you" meaning again not you personally but your company).

EDIT: To clarify: I don't know how this works in practice, I assumed accounts explicitly identified as belonging to Microsoft employees are used, so that Nadella can open HN in the morning and assess the efficacy of your (plural) advocacy efforts. That's why I initially not excluded you could be one of these people as you have introduced yourself as an advocacy person at Microsoft. Now that you said you are not, I see no reason not to believe you. But it doesn't invalidate the fact that other Microsoft employees are trying to game HN and that this activity is very important for your CEO.

Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#238

Post by gruez »

agumonkey wrote: post #197
gruez wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This and its dual, not having to restore apps configuration every 3 weeks because some bloatware has the rights to change boot settings etc What type of shady apps are you installing that is modifying boot settings?

sorry not boot, more like the various windows user session startup stage

This still doesn't make sense. What type of software do you have installed that's messing with other "apps configuration"? Furthermore, what does "bloatware has the rights to change boot settings" have anything to do with "apps configuration"?

Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#239

Post by xtracto »

iso1210 wrote: post #91
pjmlp wrote: post #75

Yet another one of thoses guides. When XP came out everyone was going to go GNU/Linux, due to Toy'R us interface. When Vista came out everyone was going to go GNU/Linux, due to DX 10 drivers and hardware requirements. When 8.x came out everyone was going to go GNU/Linux, due to tablet UI. When 10 came out everyone was going to go GNU/Linux, due to telemetry. Now Windows 11 came out, naturally everyone is going to go…

I went to linux around the time ME was on the shelf, not sure why I'd want to move to windows, I want something that just works.

I also want something hat just works! When I boot Windows, my 2 plugged monitors work seamlessly. When I boot Linux... it's complicated [1] (pragmatically it doesn't work because I am using Nvidia drivers, and won't use the shitty Nouveau drivers. And even if you use them , good luck tinkering for hours with text config files and whatnot)

Linux mint 20 is my main OS in my self-built PC ( and works for me pretty well (for development, browsing and gaming via Proton). But I wouldn't try to convince ANY non-technical user to get into Linux. Because installing it is half the battle, once they start doing "their stuff" (plug a second monitor, plug some device, open some file, etc) there's good chance that it won't work.

[1] https://askubuntu.com/questions/593938/how-to-run-both-intel...

Re: Reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

#240

Post by Mikeb85 »

breakfastduck wrote: post #38
peakaboo wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well he is right. Linux is not for everyone. It's for people who can learn how to double click an icon that looks different from the one in Windows. That excludes probably 50% of Windows users right there.

This kind of attitude from linux users is significantly responsible for its lack of wider adoption. Who wants to learn something new when the people you need help from are going to treat you like a moron? We both know its more involved than clicking a different icon.

Honestly, it's true. People are creatures of habit. My mother has been an accountant for 20 or so years and will still call me to complain about having to learn a new Excel version (when they moved to the 'stripe' interface? God help me...), or moving to a job where they use any software that's different from what she's used to. God forbid her iPhone changes absolutely anything when it upgrades.

And yes, Windows users have complained mightily about nearly every upgrade (remember the Windows 8 fiasco? Windows 10 was lesser, but people still found fault, now 11...) but still use it. Oh well.

Also, there was a lot of bitching about Ubuntu moving from Gnome 2 to Unity. It led to a DE fork and an entire distro picking up the cause. So Linux users bitch too. But with OSS you can change what you want and the companies can also tell you to piss off...

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