I'm curious as to what everyone's reasons are! The Linux desktop has came quite a far ways in the last few years and is improving every day. I'd say for most people, Linux could easily replace Windows as their daily driver nowadays.
I'm curious as to what everyone's reasons are! The Linux desktop has came quite a far ways in the last few years and is improving every day. I'd say for most people, Linux could easily replace Windows as their daily driver nowadays.
Most people have a valid excuse, like their one really important software or favorite hentai game doesn't work under wine. For example, I wanted to buy a specific android tablet, but a small number of cool exclusive features are windows only, which is annoying af. Do I subject myself to full-time popups, nagware, random restarts, fake restarts, etc. of windows, do I dual-boot and have to restart my computer for weird context switching, do I own 2 computers, or shall I forgo that one one cool software/feature?
If you're thinking you'd really like a minimalist, classic desktop experience, like say a windows 98 vibe but also frugal on your GPU/RAM/CPU stuff, I heavily recommend the MATE with brisk-menu installed.
The most beginner friendly version of think is the official https://ubuntu-mate.org/ ISO.
Personally, I prefer debian for servers, and Garuda (arch) for desktops/laptops. Garuda has a lot of desktop environment options, I use the Garuda MATE ISO. Garuda does a lot of hand-holding for you in general, but also has a lot of gamer specific things.
Another thing, I like using my computer to actually do things. I don't think dicking around for hours/days because some random thing (your OS, or drivers, to be specific) doesn't work by default is fun or interesting. It's something most linux evangelists seem to not understand about normal people, and when normal people use windows, the network effect usually forces windows on me somehow. Ubuntu MATE and Garuda MATE have been pretty good about "just working". Your luck on brand new/obscure hardware laptops is going to be tested.
I agree with this, although it's gotten a lot better in recent years but there is still a ways to go before I can install Linux on my grandma's laptop and just hand it back to her without worrying that it will break 6 months down the line. Although, I guess that's what things like Debian are for.
The Windows version of this is forcing updates on you when you want Windows to fuck off. And it has been this way since at least XP. So many people went to sleep with a Win 10 PC and woke up with a Win 11 PC.