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I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

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Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#181

Post by projektfu »

amanaplanacanal wrote: post #142
marysol5 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's funny that Windows is well known for the "BSOD", to the point it became a meme in itself. The BSOD where the computer shits itself so much, that it gives you a nonsensical "error", which you have to use another machine to look up. Or if you want to deep-dive, you have to use 3rd party software to deal with. Meanwhile a Linux Kernel Panic will dump out (while very technical) everything it knew at that moment... A…

At least for me, the BSOD is way less common than it used to be. I don't think I've seen one for years now.

The static checking of drivers has been a big benefit to Windows. Nowadays, a bsod is probably due to memory corruption or a hardware fault.

It's been a long time since I've seen a kernel panic in Linux, and it's been my daily driver for years. I don't use any exotic hardware on either system.

Things that are mere "annoyances" to other people are blocking to me because distraction is blocking. If I have everything set up a certain way and Windows restarts overnight, I lose my place completely. If I'm working and stupid ads pop up uninvited, or Windows takes a moment to tell me about the great new AI feature I'll never use, it throws me off. I'll take the risk that Linux won't support a piece of hardware over the guarantee that Windows will shred my attention and concentration.

Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#182

Post by bigstrat2003 »

marysol5 wrote: post #116
ErroneousBosh wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Using Linux is a learning experience. Do you think that Windows *isn't* a learning experience?

As someone who's done the whole Helpdesk -> Sysadmin stuff, working around other "Windows Admins" they don't learn much, all they know is "Deleting this thing seemed to fix" "Reboot". They don't get any of the fundamentals of what caused an issue, or how to diagnose them properly.

I spent a lot of my career in the Windows admin space. That isn't true. Most Windows admins are sharp dudes, just like most Linux admins are sharp dudes. And a minority of Windows admins are slackers who don't try to learn, but a minority of Linux admins are slackers who don't try to learn.

Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#183

Post by bigstrat2003 »

isityettime wrote: post #95
cryo32 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

30 years of Linux here. Windows issues are easier to fix as they are usually consistently broken and well documented due to the huge user ase.

Only a little over 20 years of Linux experience here. A few years ago, I daily drove Windows for work after not touching it for a decade. There were way more unsolvable riddles in that year on Windows than in my lifetime of desktop Linux usage. And no one else at the company really knew how to dig into their Windows systems, either; the mysteries I solved were all things I had to solve myself. IME Windows people actu…

That just isn't true. Windows admins are just like any other. Most are sharp dudes who know stuff, some few are slackers who don't learn.

Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#184

Post by worthless-trash »

teo_zero wrote: post #78
happytoexplain wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The idea that Windows doesn't have it's own weird, mysterious, issues is hilarious to me. That's not what the author said. And anecdotes are perfectly fine - in fact, they are literally are all we have to write about. In this case, everything I've experienced and heard from others suggests that the author is correct. Linux distros are amazing, and their issues are generally fixable with experience, but the problem i…

> > The idea that Windows doesn't have it's own weird, mysterious, issues is hilarious to me. > That's not what the author said. It is exactly what the author said. TFA makes a point that Windows' issues are well known and predictable. And the author would rather endure the daily nuisances infliced by Windows than fix the sporadic breakages that Linux might throw.

Known consistent breakages, than maybe sometime breakages..

make it make sense.

Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#185

Post by Kwpolska »

topaz0 wrote: post #66
mergy wrote: post #51

WINE via Crossover Linux has become very good. Also webapp versions of Office apps are mostly there and respectable if used in mixed environments. WSL is okay but you are better going full Linux as host. Linux Mint is a good platform for most. Stable, keeping modern kernels updated, but not crazy bleeding-edge wastes of time. You don't have to quit Windows but you can quit being hostage to Windows.

Libreoffice is also pretty good these days if you need to edit office files, impress has the most compat issues but they are rare even there. In many ways it is more capable than office ime.

The UI is still terrible, still on the level of Microsoft Office 97.

Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#186

Post by BrandoElFollito »

Linux user since 1994, did some tiny dev for the kernel back then.

Linux as a server is very good, and there is not much discussion on that front.

Linux as a desktop system is fine. I could live with it for the added value of having a flexible, predictible system. Windows is much more polished but, again, this is a tradeoff I would happily make.

The problem are applications. And particularly Outlook. I have to use Outlook because of its integration with the calendar, Zoom, ... This is the Outlook client for on-premises Exchange.

OWA suck to the point I simply cannot look at it (the one coming with Exchnage on premises, I do not the MS365 one). Without Outlook working seamlessly I am done.

This is really a pain - one software that stops an extended trial.

Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#187

Post by ryankrage77 »

I've also experienced vanilla linux installs breaking more often than Windows. When it's stable, it's incredibly stable, but I've been bitten by a completely vanilla install suddenly being bricked after a reboot, before I've even managed to install anything or change any settings, more than once.

Windows has a lot of annoyances and quirks, but generally it seems much more reliable that I'll at least be able to log in and look at the desktop, even when things are really messed up. The issues are usually just annoying, they don't stop me using the computer for basic tasks.

I'm using linux now, but I keep a separate windows machine just in case. It's already payed off, because my linux install is slowly breaking for no apparent reason. Sometimes the entire computer locks up completely, and sometimes after a reboot, the mouse won't move or will get stuck in a corner. I no longer try to fix these kinds of issues, I just re-install if things get annoying enough. But I've had the same windows install for five years now, and I've never managed to make a linux desktop last longer than a year.

Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#188

Post by Pooge »

BrandoElFollito wrote: post #186

Linux user since 1994, did some tiny dev for the kernel back then. Linux as a server is very good, and there is not much discussion on that front. Linux as a desktop system is fine. I could live with it for the added value of having a flexible, predictible system. Windows is much more polished but, again, this is a tradeoff I would happily make. The problem are applications. And particularly Outlook. I have to use Ou…

> Windows is much more polished

This is absolutely not true anymore.

Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#189

Post by BrandoElFollito »

Pooge wrote: post #188
BrandoElFollito wrote: post #186

Linux user since 1994, did some tiny dev for the kernel back then. Linux as a server is very good, and there is not much discussion on that front. Linux as a desktop system is fine. I could live with it for the added value of having a flexible, predictible system. Windows is much more polished but, again, this is a tradeoff I would happily make. The problem are applications. And particularly Outlook. I have to use Ou…

> Windows is much more polished This is absolutely not true anymore.

Once or twice a year, for the last 20+ years, I am doing a one week full immerison in Linux desktop for my work. I keep a separate laptop for the Windows-only activities.

Between malfunctions on a multi-screen setups, audio problems with applications, issues with sleep recovery on some monitors, etc. -- Winodws is much more polished

Sure YMMV but I am making active attempts at moving, with the will to move, but it is not as good yet.

Like I said, this is not a showstopper for me.

Re: I love Linux, but I can't quit Windows

#190

Post by BAHKA »

ryankrage77 wrote: post #187

I've also experienced vanilla linux installs breaking more often than Windows. When it's stable, it's incredibly stable, but I've been bitten by a completely vanilla install suddenly being bricked after a reboot, before I've even managed to install anything or change any settings, more than once. Windows has a lot of annoyances and quirks, but generally it seems much more reliable that I'll at least be able to log in…

It would be helpful if you specify the exact distro you consider "vanilla linux install". If it was some rolling release, then ok, that's expected. But I highly doubt you will have any issues like that on a stable distro, like RHEL or Debian. Also, Linux administration requires skills, so... :-D
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