When there exists an operating system that can satisfy that qualification, I’ll concede the point. Until then, OEM and retail support is what matters.

Whether any OS could ever just work isn’t even going to solve the issue.

Getting OEMs to sell laptops and desktops in Best Buy (or the like) that have Linux installed and is properly supported — that is what will help solve the issue.

Things don’t just work on any operating system.

With Windows, you have to hope there’s a solution that you can implement that doesn’t require rooting around in the insanely-outmoded registry and doesn’t require uninstalling some specific KB12345678 update.

With MacOS, you will do as Apple says, and you will like it. Otherwise, enjoy the $3000 doorstop. Granted, there is plenty you can tweak, but when there is a problem, and you find some Apple Communities post with a copy/paste official reply that has steps to take, none of which ever actually solve the problem, you will be treated with a cheeseburger on your way to the insane asylum. Full disclosure: a MacBook Air is my daily work driver.

With Linux, you are in charge — for better and for worse. This means that when there is a problem, while there is likely a solution, it will depend on many, many factors such as hardware configuration, kernel version, desktop environment, graphics card, display manager, etc. But, you can fix it with research and perseverance with no company getting in the way.

The main difference with Linux, is that you are given the freedom to deal with problems as you see fit.

So, yes, to me, Linux is as good as I think it is — not because it’s better or more stable (though subjectively I would say it is), but because it respects us by keeping the ownership and power where it belongs.

I’ve been using and working with Linux since 1999 (big box Redhat 5.1). It was a hobby at first, but then it became a tool in almost every job I’ve held.

Now, on my personal PC I’ve bounced between windows and Linux (and some mad attempts at hackintoshing) since 1999.

But Windows Recall changed that.

Microsoft is doing what they’ve always done — try to control everything under the guise of “this is what the user wants” when not one damn person said “oh I want my operating system to take screenshots of everything I’m doing, AI-analyze them, store the data in an insecure database, and trust that Microsoft will never phone home about any of this”

So now I run Linux full time at home and all the games I play and want to play work perfectly fine.

Debian from 1998.

I don’t have an answer for you, but I have a caution…

I once worked for AT&T and worked on AT&T Messages.

DO NOT USE IT, if it still exists, if you’re with AT&T. At the time I worked on it, there was no encryption except in-flight (https) – which means if I had had production access (and some people who worked there at my level, definitely did), I could have read all messages, blobs, everything. I was told after I quit that they intended to add encryption, but since AT&T would still hold the keys, it’s useless.

Linux (currently Garuda Linux). I can do everything I want on it, including playing all the games I want.

And with the Windows Recall debacle (and make no mistake, it’s not at all gone, it’ll just exist in some different form or name), I am ridding my house of Windows.

Welcome to the club! We have punch and pie.

And he should be worried. He backed Russia. He has slept with the invader, now he can rot with him.

It’s Thursday…what the hell are you doing!!! You’re going to break the Internet!!!

Don’t worry everyone! It’ll get bought by some investment firm or by a large company (Microsoft [to shutter it], Google, etc) and everything will be just fine.

Right?

sigh

There are valid reasons to do this, of course. But yeah it fits the image.

Thank you!

Sadly none of those links, unless I somehow missed it, directly quote Newell, but given the contemporaneous discussion on it and the citations linking to pages that no longer work, it seems benefit of the doubt is reasonable.

I think if Newell has gone on record as such, he is right to do so if MS does decide to abandon win32. Thing is though, one of the reasons win32 and even the registry have existed this long is so they don’t alienate developers.

It’s speculative, but my opinion is the only way MS would ever do this is if they decide to create a completely brand new operating system (one that eschews NTOSKRNL, NTFS, the registry, etc, in favor of something new).

However, it looks to me as if they’re all in on Windows 11 with this nonsensical Recall and other “AI” craziness, they don’t seem to be focusing on much else — so maybe that’s a good thing :)

because he is concerned that Microsoft is going to shut down Win32

Got a source for this?

…and the installer is garbage.

I effectively did the same. While I’m happy NVIDIA is finally got their heads out of their butts and are acquiescing to this, it’s going to still be years before it’s on the same level as radeon in terms of stability and the just works factor.

And they’re apparently good for hunting the elusive unarmed school children in the middle of class. 30 round mags included!

Yep you’re right, it’s mainly set up for gaming (especially the Dragonized version). And the theme/style is a bit over the top.

I am with you on the laziness which is why I just accepted the default style :) I may, one day, switch to a different theme. I just wish KDE would not reset the apps I have on the application bar when I do.

Start with the Kama Sutra.

There are other Arch distros with a graphical installer: Garuda (which is my choice of distro) and Manjaro are the main ones I can think of. Doesn’t require the RTFM route, but Arch is definitely not your grandma’s Linux (or maybe it is, I don’t know anyone’s grandma).