I’ve been using Linux for over 25 years but I hate using it as desktop. Wsl provides a nice environment for development and app running in a Linux environment without sacrificing the manifold reasons for running windows. Since wsl2 Linux gui programs even run natively without having to install an x server
Please name some other than “proprietary software that only runs on Windows”.
I’ve switched to Linux as my main driver couple of years ago and don’t miss a damn thing (admittedly don’t use highly specialized software and ran the FOSS alternatives on Windows even before switching). Still have Windows on my work PC and dread it every day.
“Please name a reason to use Windows other than your main reasons for using Windows.” That is how it comes across.
There are many excellent reasons to use both operating systems. The space is like a Venn diagram. There is some overlap in the reasons people have for using either, and a whole bunch of others that don’t overlap. At this stage we should be moving well past identity politics and putting the emphasis on designing and building applications that run on multiple operating systems. This way people can use their chosen ecosystem and reap the benefits of their existing stack in terms of productivity. We needn’t judge.
“Please name a reason to use Windows other than your main reasons for using Windows.” That is how it comes across.
And that was exactly what I intended. The only thing Windows has going for it is better adoption. Devs would target other platforms if users chose them - it’s starting in gaming thanks to Valve and their Steamdeck.
I really don’t see another reason, let alone a manifold of them, to stay on Windows. Especially since Microsoft has been making it worse and worse with their snooping, annoying update policy, constantly increasing pricing, ever-shorter lifecycles and push to cloud.
yeah, Win7 was the last usable Windows. Anything beyond is just bloatware. And I am so happy that my Linuxes make even the shittiest old Laptops a pleasure to use. :) XFCE as a lightweight desktop is just so… plain. It gets the job done and I know where everything is. All the time.
Of course, others’ tastes may vary, and it’s beautiful we have so many window managers to choose from :)
Eh, Windows-only software certainly seems like a valid reason to me. People are also allowed to have personal preferences.
Don’t get me wrong. Linux is the only desktop OS I use. I’ve daily driven it on my personal machine for about 5 years and at work for about 6 months. I vastly prefer it over the alternatives, but I do put up with a fair amount of annoying bullshit (mainly graphics, sleep, and Bluetooth issues) that would probably be less of an issue on Windows (or macOS). I still use Linux because I can tolerate those problems in exchange for the benefits, but I can see why other people wouldn’t want to.
I think Linux often does get an unfair benchmark on these things. It is ultimately up to the publisher to make their software available in Linux. We don’t say that Windows is bad because it cannot run Final Cut Pro? I would say that the Chromebook being a commercial success is proof that the trifecta of I can’t use Linux because of MS Office, gaming, or video editing is not a big deal for causal users. No one is buying a Chromebook for any of those reasons.
Hasn’t chromebook grown so quickly largely because they have a bunch of programs incentivising schools to buy them for students? Genuine question, because I don’t think I’ve even heard of someone buying a chromebook themselves for personal use.
undefined> Hasn’t chromebook grown so quickly largely because they have a bunch of programs incentivising schools to buy them for students?
That is very true, but due to many things being web apps I have seen them be used as cheap browser only computers for grandma and a few places for employees to use a portal. Still they don’t have much of gaming or MS Office, so i think my point stands.
In addition to games, which is one of the primary reasons I use my PC, I don’t like LibreOffice and I don’t like the big Linux desktop environments that exist and I can’t be bothered to sort through the smaller ones to find one I vibe with, when I’m perfectly happy with Windows as a desktop OS.
This is simply not true. I had so many issues with all sorts of different games (Xcom 2 and elden ring, just the latest two examples) that I just switched back to windows after using Linux for years.
Proton is great, and works great for smaller and less demanding games, but if you’re looking at AAA titles it’s not there yet.
This is simply misinformed. Elden ring does work great with some tweaking check Protondb. Most games do work on Proton. It plays most AAA titles. Just sometimes requires some tinkering
I tried protondb for days, all the fixes, different proton versions, GE, normal, old - nothing worked. I know it did at some point, I finished it before, but my second play through is on windows right now.
undefined> I’ve been using Linux for over 25 years but I hate using it as desktop.
YMMV but why? Linux window managers are so plentiful, there’s implementations that look basically identical to windows 2000/xp/7. KDE was there for a long time, I personally enjoy XFCE - but there should be a window manager for everyone’s taste…
I’ve been using Linux for over 25 years but I hate using it as desktop. Wsl provides a nice environment for development and app running in a Linux environment without sacrificing the manifold reasons for running windows. Since wsl2 Linux gui programs even run natively without having to install an x server
Please name some other than “proprietary software that only runs on Windows”.
I’ve switched to Linux as my main driver couple of years ago and don’t miss a damn thing (admittedly don’t use highly specialized software and ran the FOSS alternatives on Windows even before switching). Still have Windows on my work PC and dread it every day.
“Please name a reason to use Windows other than your main reasons for using Windows.” That is how it comes across.
There are many excellent reasons to use both operating systems. The space is like a Venn diagram. There is some overlap in the reasons people have for using either, and a whole bunch of others that don’t overlap. At this stage we should be moving well past identity politics and putting the emphasis on designing and building applications that run on multiple operating systems. This way people can use their chosen ecosystem and reap the benefits of their existing stack in terms of productivity. We needn’t judge.
And that was exactly what I intended. The only thing Windows has going for it is better adoption. Devs would target other platforms if users chose them - it’s starting in gaming thanks to Valve and their Steamdeck.
I really don’t see another reason, let alone a manifold of them, to stay on Windows. Especially since Microsoft has been making it worse and worse with their snooping, annoying update policy, constantly increasing pricing, ever-shorter lifecycles and push to cloud.
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There are zero excellent reasons to use windows. Being forced for lack of alternatives is a legitimate reason, but far from excellent.
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yeah, Win7 was the last usable Windows. Anything beyond is just bloatware. And I am so happy that my Linuxes make even the shittiest old Laptops a pleasure to use. :) XFCE as a lightweight desktop is just so… plain. It gets the job done and I know where everything is. All the time. Of course, others’ tastes may vary, and it’s beautiful we have so many window managers to choose from :)
I run Windows in a QEMU VM for a few things, but I’d much rather run Windows inside Linux than Linux inside Winblows.
Eh, Windows-only software certainly seems like a valid reason to me. People are also allowed to have personal preferences.
Don’t get me wrong. Linux is the only desktop OS I use. I’ve daily driven it on my personal machine for about 5 years and at work for about 6 months. I vastly prefer it over the alternatives, but I do put up with a fair amount of annoying bullshit (mainly graphics, sleep, and Bluetooth issues) that would probably be less of an issue on Windows (or macOS). I still use Linux because I can tolerate those problems in exchange for the benefits, but I can see why other people wouldn’t want to.
I think Linux often does get an unfair benchmark on these things. It is ultimately up to the publisher to make their software available in Linux. We don’t say that Windows is bad because it cannot run Final Cut Pro? I would say that the Chromebook being a commercial success is proof that the trifecta of I can’t use Linux because of MS Office, gaming, or video editing is not a big deal for causal users. No one is buying a Chromebook for any of those reasons.
Hasn’t chromebook grown so quickly largely because they have a bunch of programs incentivising schools to buy them for students? Genuine question, because I don’t think I’ve even heard of someone buying a chromebook themselves for personal use.
undefined> Hasn’t chromebook grown so quickly largely because they have a bunch of programs incentivising schools to buy them for students?
That is very true, but due to many things being web apps I have seen them be used as cheap browser only computers for grandma and a few places for employees to use a portal. Still they don’t have much of gaming or MS Office, so i think my point stands.
In addition to games, which is one of the primary reasons I use my PC, I don’t like LibreOffice and I don’t like the big Linux desktop environments that exist and I can’t be bothered to sort through the smaller ones to find one I vibe with, when I’m perfectly happy with Windows as a desktop OS.
WSL offers the best of both worlds.
Games is a moot point in today’s world thanks to Proton being able to run pretty much everygame
Proton can’t run a lot of the games I want to play and like to play.
This is simply not true. I had so many issues with all sorts of different games (Xcom 2 and elden ring, just the latest two examples) that I just switched back to windows after using Linux for years.
Proton is great, and works great for smaller and less demanding games, but if you’re looking at AAA titles it’s not there yet.
This is simply misinformed. Elden ring does work great with some tweaking check Protondb. Most games do work on Proton. It plays most AAA titles. Just sometimes requires some tinkering
I tried protondb for days, all the fixes, different proton versions, GE, normal, old - nothing worked. I know it did at some point, I finished it before, but my second play through is on windows right now.
undefined> I’ve been using Linux for over 25 years but I hate using it as desktop.
YMMV but why? Linux window managers are so plentiful, there’s implementations that look basically identical to windows 2000/xp/7. KDE was there for a long time, I personally enjoy XFCE - but there should be a window manager for everyone’s taste…