A number of newer laptops are essentially sealed boxes - it is a major chore to install a new battery or switch out the drive for a bigger/faster one. So GNU/Linux gives users a workable alternative to having to upgrade hardware - just get on youtube, learn a few basics, and pitch Windows in the ditch where it can rot in peace - and switch your computer to GNU/Linux which usually performs excellently on older hardware (compared to Windows).
Also, GNU/Linux is getting easier and easier to install, even for non-techies. Note that it is NOT fool-proof.
GNU/Linux is divided into distros, and each distro has one or more options of desktops available. A distro indicates the basic packaging system (Debian/Fedora/Arch/etc.), while the desktop environment (DE) designates the user interface.
Browsers like Firefox and Chrome are available, as is the LibreOffice suite for general office work, along with numerous games and music players and video players and much more.
The single greatest difference, in my opinion, is in the package managers. With Windows, you just head off into the wilds of the Internet and track down whatever software you want, frequently having to shell out money for it. You install it and hope you can get drivers to work. On the other hand, the GNU/Linux user space makes use of repositories that hold the free-to-use software for your distro. The software you find in the repositories has been specifically compiled to run on your distro, so there are surprisingly few real driver issues except for Nvidia graphic cards and a few odd network adapters. I have had almost zero driver issues in the past nearly twenty years. The kernel contains the drivers, and the kernel is updated frequently, so in the odd case where a driver seems to be missing, generally an update will install it soon.
DE’s include:
Gnome is similar in looks to Windows11, and is used by many.
KDE is a slick-looking system with lots of configurables. The plethora of options can be overwhelming, but it is quite stable and has a good package base.
Cinnamon is lightweight and solid.
Mate (my choice) is lightweight and quite solid.
LXDE and LXQt and the rest all have their fans.
Also, most GNU/Linux distros have live USB images which let you install on a thumbdrive so you can boot and test the hardware before you install.
That was a very honest and accurate summary, thank you.
Windows folks are up against the wire. They really need to get on this ASAP if they are going to do it.
Windows 11's 24H2 block list contains more than just customization apps — hardware ID, software, and driver blocks could keep you from getting the Microsoft's AI-focused OS update..Third-party customization apps aren't the only things that will stop 24H2 from making it to your system.. Microsoft's driver, application, and hardware ID block lists, are nothing new. The company has used these lists in the past to block older Windows 11 upgrades to prevent system crashes and system instability on potentially incompatible software/hardware.
This time, however, it appears Microsoft is being extra strict with its block lists, which now affect third-party customization apps [ the very body of which power users seek]...it seems like the company is taking extra precautions due to the extensive amount of features that are going into 24H2. 24H2 is effectively the AI patch for Windows 11, which incorporate an extensive amount of AI-accelerated features throughout the OS. 24H2 could also debut Microsoft's 16GB RAM requirement for AI PCs. - https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-11s-24h2-block-list-contains-more-than-just-customization-apps-hardware-id-software-and-driver-blocks-could-keep-you-from-getting-the-microsofts-ai-focused-os-updateIf Linux wants more desktop users, then ease and breadth of customization must be a priority. Look for the government to require MS type restrictions however.