this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2024
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I'm going to say it before anyone else does.
Linux.
Damnit, I came in here to post:
Succeeding you, Windows
As much as i agree, the vast majority of people will just continue using what they had before, and still complain about how nothing works
Oh, I agree. I did however manage to talk my mom into letting me put Mint on her PC and she hasn't complained even once. Small victories.
Same here. I installed Fedora on my old dev laptop, that my mom uses now, and she's been really happy with it. Says everything just makes sense, coming from windows
and the vast majority of Linux Devs will just continue building what they were building before, and still complain how windows users dont migrate to Linux (cough usability cough)
If linux came preinstalled by default and vendor supported, regular people would use linux as well. Usability is actually pretty good these days, arguably higher than Windows since you don’t have to deal with this BS.
Yes, you can buy Dell laptops with Ubuntu preinstalled and supported, maybe Lenovos, not sure, but it's not the default, available only on custom builds online and on business (expensive) laptops, so most regular people don't bother.
Edit: well, there's the SteamDeck as an example of mainstream vendor supported system with linux, I guess. Some people go through the trouble of installing Windows on it, but most people don't bother and stick to what it came with.
The Steam Deck is the best thing to happen to Linux since... Linux. It's the first time average tech illiterate folks have gotten a taste of Linux on their own systems, and it's driven the development of compatibility tools (Proton) to a hitherto-unheard-of degree.
It convinced me to switch to Linux.
Before SteamDeck comes. I am between KDE, Gnome and Xfce. But, after I bought a Steam Deck. I am now totally KDe Plasma users on my desktop and steam deck
KDE used to be the feature complete, heavy, memory intensive DE. But now we aren't running Linux on abandoned laptops but on modern hardware. The average PC is so powerful that it's completely irrelevant. All in on KDE/Plasma as well
I feel bad for anyone with no linux experience who bought a steam deck. There’s a good amount of weirdness with the UI sometimes, and modifying desktop mode controls can lead to it ignoring inputs until steam launches on occasion.
I know these issues stem from this being a brand new device with a brand new form factor, using whacky proprietary track pads and shit. But someone who’s only used windows might attribute them to linux and be left with a bad taste.
It’s good that the Ally exists so we can have a windows handheld to compare against.
This. People buy hardware and use whatever comes with it.
This is why and how ChromeOS became used. Google didn't just put it on a website, they got manufacturers to make products with it.
The only reason I don't switch to Linux is because of all the nerds on here telling everyone to switch to Linux.
But seriously, I use my laptop for work and I've used Windows for years and know how it works. I don't want to switch to a completely new OS that I don't have a clue how to use, especially when I need it for work. I also don't know whether the software I use will work on it either.
If there's an easy tutorial and a way of knowing whether everything I need will work, I might consider trying it.
haha lol yeah we do get a bit annoying here ... For me it's the opposite though, I use linux for work, and I've used it for so long I almost forgot what Windows looks like.
It's silly how people react to this, a feature that can be turned off with a simple setting toggle, by recommending that people should instead install a whole new operating system and tech stack. If opening the preferences menu and clicking a toggle is too complicated or too much of a hassle then installing Linux isn't going to be better.
It's not just one thing. It's been a barrage of crap for years and years. That pile of manure gets awfully heavy as you make it taller.
As an example. they still haven't fixed the Settings/Control Panel stuff. That has been in the works for what, over a decade now? A core feature just....allowed to rot.
It isn't about flipping a switch, it about how many times I've had to flip that fucking switch because a company keeps changing how I have my PC setup because they want more money.
They've never had this feature before.
And as far as I'm aware Copilot is a free service.
ftfy
Nothing is free. Your data has value, stop giving it away in trade for some crap that may or may not be worth it while these companies make bank off you.
Yeah, and what of Cortana or all the services that came before that I didn't ask for or even need but had to spend time turning that shit off because I didn't want it and it was using resources.
This is an unpopular opinion every time I bring it up. Usability and consistency sucks in Linux. There are just so many basic things that will frustrate users coming from Windows. I can't even get my laptop (Framework 13) to sleep properly. Then there are is still a ton where you have to use the command line to get it done. A user shouldn't have to go into the command line to get their fingerprint reader to work because the GUI doesn't work properly.
The only thing that actually makes Linux practical for average users these days is that most everything is now web based by default so most users only interact with a couple programs for most of their day.
The Linux community really needs to get some UX experts in their projects and actually make an effort to improve usability rather than just doing it the way they like to do it.
And windows is full of simple things that are just as broken. And constantly makes changes (OP being another in a long list of examples) injecting obvious advertising masquerading as features.
Windows certainly isn't perfect, but though familiarity and at minimum exposing a reasonable amount through the GUI, way more users can use Windows daily without issues.
The advertising and tracking, that's the big problem, I don't see a currently acceptable OS solution once Windows 10 is EOL.
Most of the issues you describe are because usually computers come with Windows preinstalled with all the drivers and configuration set up by the oem to "just work", so replacing the OS inevitably means fiddling with it. People who e.g. try to install Windows on a SteamDeck will face similar difficulties.
I’ve been dabbling with Ubuntu for my home assistant and my Plex media server and every damn time I find myself asking ‘why isn’t there a GUI for that?!’
Please keep saying that to my bosses until they listen.
I will if you want.
I'll help also
We can get some penguin themed camping gear and clothes and post up in front of their bosses' house and have loud conversations about Linux.
I'll bring the snacks!
These words are accepted!