this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2023
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Weird, right? I feel like I grew up in the perfect generation, where I started with MS-DOS and Windows ‘95. We had to KNOW how things worked in order to get games and other software running. Had to know how to install, how to fix driver issues, how to configure things, etc. Even (re)install a complete OS.
But tech these days ‘just works’. A lot of software is one click installs, with no real user interaction needed. And everything else is easily accessed on the web or a phone app. Windows itself is also much more reliable, so even that doesn’t require much knowledge.
It’s made everything available to a much wider audience, but it also means people don’t need to develop actual skills in this area. A good example is my dad. He never figured out how to do things on our Windows ‘95 PC, but he loves his iPad because it’s so easy toddlers can use it.
You had to prove you were worthy to play the game by resolving IRQ conflicts and figuring out how to squeeze every spare byte out of HIMEM.SYS. Sometime it was more challenging than the actual game.
And let’s not forget that ‘system requirements’ were more like ‘system suggestions and challenges’. Especially when your parents bought ‘a computer’ with hardware specs that basically read ‘hard drive, memory, soundcard, CD-ROM drive’.
So when configuring things, there was some trial and error involved in figuring out what the software could attempt to configure in order to work with your specific thing. It’s not like today where us gamers pick the exact hardware down to the RGB-infused RAM.
And few things were plug and play prior to USB. You know how shitty printers are now? Try wrestling with one of those on a fucking parallel port.
Nothing quite like having to learn to edit config.sys in order to make something work with no internet or references at all.
Camping out at the library with whatever computer magazines they had in the reference section taking notes or using your last dime to make a copy because god forbid your parents would waste money on a subscription to BYTE or something.
Nothing quite like having to learn to edit config.sys in order to make something work with no internet or references at all.
That's why everyone should use Linux.
As someone who isn't technologically ignorant: I'd rather have things that "just work" over things that I spend 3 days trying to make work and it still doesn't.
Sure, but current distros mostly "just work". My desktop linux installation is broken half the time because I enjoy tinkering, but the one on my work laptop (linux mint debian edition) has been working like a charm since day 1.
To not get anything done except setting up the OS till 3am
Doing my first linux install on a main PC (after a decade of managing a headless server). Honestly, getting the trackpad to scroll at the right speed has been something of a hobby of mine lately.
Linux Mint is really just the easiest for people who want to leave everything on default. If you ever want to get into Linux, I would recommend checking out Mint. Literally anything is better than WIndows.
It's not 2007 any more.
I don’t appreciate getting called out like that
most "just works" distros have really intuitive installers though, I'd even say it's easier than windows, if not for the mandated Microsoft bullshit on all computers by default like secure boot and TPM
"First boot is so much quicker than Windows!"
"Wanna talk about the setup that comes after that to get everything working as it should?"
"Oh no, we don't talk about that."
Yeah, you fire up a brand new Windows PC, spend a few minutes creating an account etc, then leave it to it's own devices for an hour or so to update itself.
It's really not a big deal.
Then don't create an account, it isn't so difficult, even on a home edition.
Do you not have a password etc on your computer?
Or you could useArch and spend a few days just for installation
You could but it takes the fun out of Arch. Okay maybe if your at your tent installation of arch or you already known how Linux works yeah it makes sense but if you want to learn it's not the most optimal
I butt chug Panera charged lemonade, by the way.
I feel lots of people don't realize how Linux is much easier to use nowadays. Most people I talk to seem to assume they need to learn how to use the terminal, but really they just can do everything by using the GUI.
I agree with you. I currently dual boot, but once windows 10 is not updated anymore, I'll just use Mint and go Microsoft free. It's less bloated, no telemetry, most games work flawlessly to perfectly (with proton it will just get better) and most applications needed are easily found in the software manager and are for the most part open source.
Also most problems have already been asked on forums, reddit or Lemmy so it's not that hard to fix problems.
that's not quite the reason, but I agree, more ppl -> more support, better everything.