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99% of people want a drop-in replacement for Windows that will install and run every possible Windows-compatible application, game and device without them having to make any extra effort or learn anything new. Basically Windows but free (in all senses).
Any even slightly subtle difference or incompatibility and they’ll balk. Linux can never be that, and Microsoft will keep the goalposts moving anyway to be sure of it.
Sure, a lot more works and is more user friendly than 15 years ago, but most people won’t make the time to sit down and deal with something new unless it’s forced on them… which is what Microsoft are doing with Win11.
I hate to be one of the “Linux isn’t ready” people, but I have to agree. I love Linux and have been using it for the last 15 years. I work in IT and am a Windows and Linux sysadmin. My wife wanted to build a new gaming PC and I convinced her to go with Linux since she really only wanted it for single player games. Brand new build, first time installing an OS (chose Bazzite since it was supposed to be the gaming distro that “just works”). First thing I did was install a few apps from the built in App Store and none of them would launch. Clicking “Launch” from the GUI app installer did nothing, and they didn’t show up in the application launcher either. I spent several hours trying to figure out what was wrong before giving up and opening an issue on GitHub. It was an upstream issue that they fixed with an update.
When I had these issues, the first thing my wife suggested was installing Windows because she was afraid she may run into more issues later on and it “just works”. If I had never used Linux and didn’t work in IT and decided to give it a try because all the cool people on Lemmy said it was ready for prime time, and this was the first issue I ran into, I would go back to Windows and this would sour my view of Linux for years to come.
I still love Linux and will continue to recommend moving away from Windows to my friends, but basic stuff like this makes it really hard to recommend.
Alright, I have shared my unpopular opinions on Lemmy, I’m ready for my downvotes.
I’ve been using Linux for over thirty years and the nice looking App Stores that have appeared those last few years have always been shit and have always been mostly broken in various ways. I don’t know why.
On the other hand, the ugly frontends to the package manager just work.
In this case it was installing them from flathub anyway. The applications were being installed, but the only way to launch them was through the CLI using flatpak run then the app ID. Every article I came across said to run that, then right click the app after it was open and pin it to the taskbar or whatever, but that option was greyed out.
I love Linux, but it isn’t ready.
Two weeks ago my side mouse buttons started working (they require Logitech software on Windows, wasn’t expecting them to work). Last week they stopped. This week they work again.
Is this major? Not at all. Would it drive my mother-in-law into a rage rivaling that of Cocaine Bear? Absolutely. Spare me from the bear, keep Linux for the tinkerers.
they require Logitech software on Windows
This seems more like a logitech issue than a linus issue.
The issue isn’t that they didn’t work, as I said I wasn’t expecting them to when I bought the mouse.
The issue is their behavior has started changing with updates. I don’t mind, but I’m a tinkerer. My wife, my MiL, most of my friends, absolutely do not want to deal with an inconsistent computer experience.
Different definitions of ‘ready’ I guess. Been using primarily Linux for years, so it was ‘ready’ for me back then - but nothing has changed in the mean time that would change my recommendation for people who just want a boring stable computer.
Same. I have a Kensington trackball with a decent config and button mapping software in Windows that I will NOT give up. I tried Mint for a few weeks, but it just became too stupidly cumbersome to Google every single thing. Like I wanted to implement the Windows PIN thing for startup on my PC… Yeah no.
Linux has come a long way but it’s not ready for the commoners like me. And a free open source OS probably cannot be developed for the masses without some major funding with a dedicated team.
So back to Win 10, Enterprised with massgrave.
implement the Windows PIN thing for startup on my PC
If you’re that specific in your requirements, you’re gonna have a bad time. I don’t think Microsoft makes “Windows PIN” for Linux.
I can’t tell if you’re being a pedantic smart ass, or really don’t know that Windows allows a 4 digit PIN on their system rather than type in the full password each time. And Linux does not have such a similar feature to simply activate, like Windows Hello. I got tired of typing in the 16 letter and characters password every single time for every single thing after 2 weeks. It’s my personal PC on my desk at home, not an office. And I don’t know why I should spend money on an ergonomic trackball with special features that works in Windows, and then just throw it out because the manufacturer doesn’t support Linux. They don’t develop an app because hardly anybody uses Linux in their market. So that’s just me and my experience.
Like I said, Linux isn’t for common plebs like me and it isn’t easy to switch over when expected features that exist in Windows don’t exist in Linux. The people that keep saying to switch to Linux here on Lemmy don’t seem to understand that the majority of computer users are just like me.
Busted. Pedantic smart ass it is.
That said I think the windows PIN code system is absurdly insecure but … eh you do you.
That’s why I specified it’s my personal computer at home on my desk. It’s in a secure environment, not an office work computer. Obviously a 4 digit PIN is insecure for a password, but it depends doesn’t it? Windows Hello doesn’t replace the password and 2FA security on my PC itself for my Microsoft account. If it’s somehow stolen through a burglary I can easily lock my Microsoft account through my phone to not accept the PIN. It’s just a convenience for me at home. And for millions of other users. I wish you all would understand that most computer users are plebs like me, or worse. It’s like you IT guys are in a bubble and keep braying that everyone should use Linux… but can’t understand that most people cannot until there are easy to use features like mainstream Windows or MacOS. TBH most people don’t care about privacy or security that much too, like regarding the whole Chrome and Firefox debate. Most people watch ads on YouTube and accept it as a fact of life. That’s just the way people are. People won’t switch to any distro of Linux until it becomes easy, really really easy.
