Businesses should dump Windows for the Linux desktop

The Register ^ | 10 August 2022 | Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

[ShadowAce]

[UB355]

no

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"The" Linux desktop?

More like "a" Linux desktop, and good luck getting everyone to sign up to the same one.

Yes, businesses will punt and settle for Red Hat, but the Linux fanatics will shed oceans of tears.

[Pollard]

There’s a reason the internet runs mostly on Linux.

[antidemoncrat]

“Businesses should dump Windows for the Linux desktop”

That should have happened around the time the first version of windows came out around 1985

[dayglored]

Linux replacing Windows ? ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

Thanks to ShadowAce for the ping!

[dayglored]

Great troll post! I pinged the Windows list, should be interesting.... :-)

[Jamestown1630]

We’ve been very happy with ‘Mint’. Never really missed anything about MS Windows.

[MichaelRDanger]

There’s a reason the internet runs mostly on Linux.

Because it's a good server O/S but a poor (!) workstation O/S? Anyone with even passable IT skills can keep a Windows machine running well and keep it secure. Running Windows opens up a world of programs than can only be run on Linux with difficulty...

[ShadowAce]

Yes, businesses will punt and settle for Red Hat...

How is Red Hat "settling?" It's an excellent OS--very stable, robust, capable, and supported.

...but the Linux fanatics will shed oceans of tears.

Why?

[kiryandil]

Just test-driving Windows 11.

As usual, 7,000 useless processes are running in the background, dragging down the performance of my "new" machine, so now I have to go into the Windows garden and weed out the cr@p.

I'm a computer guy.

I just wonder what ordinary people do. Grin and bear it?

[ShadowAce]

I just wonder what ordinary people do. Grin and bear it?

I guess. I don't run Windows :)

[Brian Griffin]

My Windows 10 machine can lock up when it wants to do an update.

I can lose an half hour worth or work if I forget to save more often.

[Dr. Sivana]

Today's Windows is still built on a standalone PC operating system foundation.

I disagree. Today's Windows really owes little to Windows for Workgroups or any of of the 16 bit Windows. Its roots are in Windows NT/Wondows 2000 which was written from the ground up.

One of the main reasons I switched to Linux is actually BECAUSE Linux is more of a standalone environment if you want it to be. Windows opens all the windows (no pun intended) to the Internet by default, largely to Cortana and Office 365 and subscriptions and mandatory updates and OneDrive.

My Ubuntu suggests uopdates sometimes to be sure, but I never have to install them. They also don't require a reboot. They also don't undo my background and dozens of settings that were tweaked (Microsoft's defaults, like maximize graphic experience on servers and turn off showing extensions on servers) are remarkable in how wrong-headed they are.

So, yay Linux for the desktop, imperfect as it is. But yay, because it ISN'T just a network environment system. It is customizeable from kiosques to phones to laptops to DataCenter appliances to massive web farms and yes to desktops and workstations.

[Brian Griffin]

The Dell Linux laptops seem to be far more expensive than typical Windows PCs.

[ShadowAce]

The Dell Linux laptops seem to be far more expensive than typical Windows PCs.

When we were looking for a replacement for my wife, I noticed that also.

So I bought a cheaper Dell laptop, ensured the hardware was working correctly, wiped Windows, and installed Fedora.

She's been happy ever since.

[Brian Griffin]

I can type a few thousand Russian characters a day and Windows can decide to remove my Russian (and Arabic) character access (and on-screen keyboard frequent program access), even though it retains Japanese IME access.

[Terry L Smith]

ok questions .... if i have all my files on portable hard drives, win10, how will i access that when i switch my laptop to linux ... no dvd drive model?

how to change laptop to linux, load it, run it and watch the magic?

[so_real]

Anyone with even passable IT skills can keep a Windows machine running well and keep it secure.

I agreed with you up until the "keep it secure" part. Without deep pockets it is *impossible* to keep Microsoft out of your data. And without considerable knowledge and effort it is difficult to keep Microsoft's business partners out of your data. Yes, you need a *good* corporate Linux guy to keep your data safe. But it is entirely possible (with a nod to the legitimate systemd concerns). I've run linux desktop since early Linux Mint 13, now running Devuan, and have never looked back.

Just my $0.02