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My transition from Windows to Linux in an anti-customer age

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Re: My transition from Windows to Linux in an anti-customer age

#2
Here I am, back in Windows. I’m realizing that my journey to a Freedom-Of-Choice Desktop environment is riddled with traps from my past. My familiarity with the apps and processes of Windows haunts my every move. It’s challenging to find replacements and workarounds for what I used to be able to do… But then my determination kicked in. If I really think about it, would it be such a loss to switch to a Linux alternative? I rebooted back into Linux and got to work. Any hope for a Windows-centric guy to transcend his limitations and biases? Only time will tell…

Re: My transition from Windows to Linux in an anti-customer age

#3
post #2

Here I am, back in Windows. I’m realizing that my journey to a Freedom-Of-Choice Desktop environment is riddled with traps from my past. My familiarity with the apps and processes of Windows haunts my every move. It’s challenging to find replacements and workarounds for what I used to be able to do… But then my determination kicked in. If I really think about it, would it be such a loss to switch to a Linux alternati…

I like Linux and have used both professionally but too much of my income is dependent on Windows. That and it's just a great day to day environment. I'm just sticking with 10 for the foreseeable future and hope Microsoft turns direction. But I'm not holding my breath.

Re: My transition from Windows to Linux in an anti-customer age

#4
I use both: Linux and Windows. Replacing Windows is out of the question as I have Windows based product and I also use Windows to develop software for Linux as well. All my Windows machines are Win 10 except one with Win 11 which I turn on every once in a while strictly to see if my product works. I might've done something with the settings and did all installations while disconnected from the Internet. Other then that I am curious what is so different in all my Windows setups? I do not have any ads and never mind Windows rebooting when editing documents mine never reboots on its own. When it is ready for update it just displays some icon in the tray. If I click it it will ask me to perform updates (which I normally do). Otherwise it just stays the way it is and does not reboot on its own.

Windows 11 - it introduced enough flow disrupting changes so for now my attitude is fuck it. Will see what happens in the future.

Re: My transition from Windows to Linux in an anti-customer age

#6
Fair comments but as someone who has tried many times to adopt Linux, I can honestly state that nothing in Windows comes close to the user-hostile UX approach in Linux.

For example, Radarr is an extremely popular tool for managing movies. It connects to usenet and torrent clients, as well as indexers and movie databases. It makes maintaining a home movie collection seamless. Radarr is not in major package managers, and requires the CLI for install (https://wiki.servarr.com/radarr/installation#linux). In Windows, I double click an .exe. In Linux I have to follow a reasonably complicated and time consuming installation process, full of opportunities to misconfigure the install. Radarr isn't a super hardcore 1337 program. It's a very common application aimed at everyone who runs Plex. Until a distro has a .exe equivalent for all applications like this, it's just not going to be a competitor to Windows, for users who need more than just a web browser, and those who are not IT administrators.

Bottom line: make it so users never ever, for any reason ever, need to use the CLI. Until then, most of us will be sticking with Windows.

Re: My transition from Windows to Linux in an anti-customer age

#7
post #2

Here I am, back in Windows. I’m realizing that my journey to a Freedom-Of-Choice Desktop environment is riddled with traps from my past. My familiarity with the apps and processes of Windows haunts my every move. It’s challenging to find replacements and workarounds for what I used to be able to do… But then my determination kicked in. If I really think about it, would it be such a loss to switch to a Linux alternati…

Same here. I'm a Linux advocate (even named my son after the creator) and I definitely manage more Linux than Windows machines but after trying (forcing) Linux on my main workstation I gave up.

I need nvidia drivers (for ML and sysadmin stuff) and had so many random problems with multiple distros like sound randomly wasn't working or some USB ports were not detecting anything.

WSL has changed the game and now I have the stable and driver supported desktop environment with all the tools I love from my linux servers.

Re: My transition from Windows to Linux in an anti-customer age

#8
post #2

Here I am, back in Windows. I’m realizing that my journey to a Freedom-Of-Choice Desktop environment is riddled with traps from my past. My familiarity with the apps and processes of Windows haunts my every move. It’s challenging to find replacements and workarounds for what I used to be able to do… But then my determination kicked in. If I really think about it, would it be such a loss to switch to a Linux alternati…

I switched about the time windows made a major change too. Maybe it was win10? I don't remember. The point is when I hop on a windows machine now it feels just foreign enough that I go back to Ubuntu.

Re: My transition from Windows to Linux in an anti-customer age

#10
post #5

It's good to know that this year is the year of the Linux Desktop. Just like last year. And the year before that. And the year before...

As an old Slashdot reader, I came looking for a comment like this. Thanks for not disappointing.
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