I ripped a CD yesterday.

I’m trying to imagine the user that both needs a text editor in the command line, yet is uncomfortable outside a gui.

I write scripts all day, but closing a program without clicking the little ‘x’ is scary and weird.

Switching to Linux is activism. Not only are you making an anti-capitalist, anti-consumption statement, but active participation creates growth and change that’s observable and satisfying in a way that most direct action cannot be.

It’s good to have a rational for your choices. And we know it can’t be because you think Microsoft makes good software that you enjoy using.

Linux is easier to install than Windows. With the new Win11 requirements, Linux is the only choice for PC hardware more than 5yo. And like you say, hardware drivers just work. This used to be Windows major advantage, but now the chance you run into a compatibility issue is about the same for either OS.

And even if drivers do exist, they may not include the extra software that comes bundled with drivers on Windows. The most obvious example is NVIDIA GeForce Experience suite.

This goes in the pro column if you ask me. I would pay extra for a printer that just has vanilla drivers and no software suite.

OK, but the logical comparison here is not the OS on Switch, Xbox, PlayStation or any generic handheld, it’s to SteamOS, where Windows struggles to compete.

Like everyone else who “chooses” Windows, ROG has surrendered to what’s the default. Never mind that Windows has spent decades to position themselves that way through incentive, obstacle, and plain old coercion.

I don’t expect you to care about Microsoft’s business practices, but you ought to care that they didn’t achieve or maintain their market position by creating good software or giving a tiny shit about user freedom.

Does anyone use Microsoft because they like the software? Because all I ever hear is “I need it for games”, “I need it for work”, or “It’s the only system that works with my hardware”.

One wonders what the market share for OSs would look like if people were able to freely choose what software they liked.

I installed Ubuntu back when that was popular, and insisted on having all the graphical bling, like 3d cube that would spin to change desktops. And windows that shook like jello when you moved them.

Of course all this messing around by an amateur did nothing for stability and after 3 or 4 frustrating issues I went back to Windows.

There are workarounds to almost every issue you may have. You can run Windows in a VM for software that requires it, or dual boot. M$ Office can be ran in a browser now. There is no reason to buy a license, just DL windows10 direct from M$ and never register, all they do is lock you out of some display options and add a watermark to your desktop.

A paid version of Linux (almost) isn’t a thing. You can buy the install media, you can donate to a foundation, or you can subscribe for support.

If you’re paying for the software, it’s not Linux or your being cheated. That’s weird and I didn’t know that.

There is an unintended benefit to putting an obstacle between people who don’t know how to use the terminal and pasting code into it.

I am a Linux noob as far as the desktop goes. But I’m quite comfortable in the terminal because for years I’ve maintained a home server running Debian. After I install the OS, I unplug the keyboard and monitor and the only way to talk to that box is through SSH.

I went back to Windows10 so I could dual-boot with Secure Boot turned off. My system will dual boot popOS or Debian without issue. Just make sure to install windows first.

The joke is that at Microsoft, this kind of fix is the upstream.

Why would you not want to encrypt your files?

Bitlocker is only as secure as Microsoft is. If someone hacks your account, they’ve got your keys. And Micosoft stores that key in plain text.

Does this affect Windows 10 as well

IDK. 10 has bitlocker, so I’d check.

The control panel dialogue allows you to do this as well. Control Panel > system security > Bitlocker encryption. But it also has the superior option which is to turn it off.

I didn’t loose any data BTW. I had my M$ account info, and a backup besides.