microsoft-is-driving-users-away/

Nothing really surprises me with Windows anymore. I was very unhappy with Windows for many years and it's crazy to think back how long I continued to torture myself with it. I was meaning to move to Linux for so long and then finally I got better at doing things on my to-do-list.

I've spent so much time looking up solutions to annoying Windows things instead of actually enjoying technology... :(

A few quick things on the top of my head:

Updates forcing restarting and wiping any unsaved work, not giving you the ability to choose for yourself when to update or restart.
A jungle of old menus, some seemingly from my childhood computer that used stacks of floppy discs to install programs... Mashed in along with multiple new, unfinished and feature-starved settings pages. Gradually becoming more and more "you don't know anything, let us make decisions for you" until there's no way for beginners to even try to learn anything anymore.
Windows Store and the mess it creates. Insisting on making you use it despite it being horrible.
Settings being reset by Windows after updates
Ads within the OS GUI...
Apps (like useless games) being installed without your say-so (even despite trying to disable as much as MS's BS from the settings
Anti-consumer behaviour, using their monopoly to weaken (or effectively kill) competing software. Winget is also an example where they basically stole work done for free by a small developer and made it "theirs". The story is out there for those who are curious.
System-breaking updates (to be fair, this can happen on any OS, but it's still a relevant point)
OS breaking easily when customising appearance, UI or system behaviour
Unable to uninstall certain programs that MS insist on you having installed
Having to resort to a marathon of going back and forth between regedit, scripts, proprietary apps, settings and custom files to fix annoying issues. Yes, I realise now a lot could be done via scripting and command line, but finding fast and easy ways of fixing things on Windows is really hard. There isn't a culture for CLI-only interaction like on Linux.
Spyware Inside™ ("to enhance your user experience, we promise"). Try to disable things and it will be reverted back. Oh and even with tools, can you really make Windows stop spying?
Convoluted and messy UI. How could anyone with a straight face say Windows is easier to use than Linux?
"You can't use your computer right now, I have a mountain of updates I shall spend half an hour installing and there's nothing you can do about it".
"Oh and by the way, I woke the laptop up from sleep in your bag because there was some updates I had to fetch and now your laptop is hot and toasty with an empty battery"
Microsoft again and again puts effort into making it hard to install Linux on Windows-PCs (which is just about every PC sold). They are involved with BIOS stuff as well as a bunch of various technologies and standards. They use this in an anti-competitive way sometimes.
It feels sluggish and bloated (it is per definition be called bloated as it has several programs doing the same thing and some can't even be installed. Oh and the apps being installed without your permission, just to remove all doubt).
Stupid defaults, dumbing everything down to the point where it makes it harder for beginners. "Windows, the OS where everything is so simple it's hard."
Proprietary this, proprietary that.
The list goes on... And so does Microsoft for some reason.

Since (finally) moving to Linux I don't have to fight my operating system anymore.

It's lightning fast, even on potato hardware
It's stable
Surpisingly good support for things like Bluetooth devices, syncing to your phone (KDE Konnect), using your phone as a remote, using docks or peripherals like gaming mice or keyboards etc. "It just works" is my expectation through experience.
I choose when to install and what (it's crazy how normalised and accepted the BS on Windows is)
I can customize appearance without messing up the system in weird ways because it's made with customisation in mind.
Speaking of customisation... Everything can be modified. The possibilities are endless. If you want it. If not, just install Fedora with KDE Plasma or Gnome, Nobara Project, EndeavourOS, Pop! OS, Mint or even Arch Linux (I use their awesome wiki all the time for my Fedora).
Everything can be done via command line, which is often a much faster way to work anyway
It's small and efficient. No more filling up small SSDs with no room for files, games or apps.
Awesome file systems like Btrfs! The features of that fs are pretty darn cool.
It's actually fun. And it's yours. Because instead of spending your time fixing a broken and furiously annoying system that fights you any step of the way, you actually spend your time customizing a system the way you want it to run. You enhance it instead of constantly trying to escape frustration and limitations.
No data collection or any of that "you are the product" BS.
The world of open-source apps is nothing short of amazing. I can't even think of a program I miss from Windows because I've found so many apps on Linux that are better (and FOSS) that I would definitely miss if I were on Windows.
KDE Plasma is a gift to the world.
Documentation. It feels like they want you to learn and experiment, because they do.
Community. There are many sub communities, some are more beginner friendly than others. But I think it's clear that they all share one thing in common and that is passion.

Some more "let me tell you how great Linux is" stuff:

Even when it comes to gaming, Linux is pretty good. Sure, you should avoid Nvidia and also say bye to certain games using certain anti-cheat software (that often is Linux-compatible, but is configured not to be by the developer). The amount and size of the advantages of Linux far outweighs the games I can't run and the size of the supported library of games and apps is actually massive. I don't even bother setting up a dual boot because there's really not much your are missing.
I know a lot of people wouldn't accept to not being able to run all games, but the whole "Linux isn't good enough yet" is exaggerated. Windows is being cut so much slack for all its problems but as soon as there is even a slight inconvenience on Linux it's being shot down.
It's not fair to ignore all the BS on Windows just because some games only run on Windows as well as some apps. Especially not when it's not appreciated how many great Linux-only apps (or cross-platform ones) there are and how the user interface and user experience of Linux is so intuitive, simple, friendly and serving. And you have more games to play than you are able to in a lifetime. Nobody needs to play every game there is (although I agree it would be nice if all of them worked on Linux and we didn't have to choose).
Problems like dual-booting is not due to Linux, for instance. But Linux is the one getting criticised because of issues you face with dual-booting unless you set it up so that Windows can't bulldozer its way to destroy everything in its path because they refuse to play nicely.

In closing... It's great to feel passion towards technology again. Windows was good at killing that feeling and making technology feel like a chore and a source of constant disappointments and worries. To be fair, proprietary big tech still have that effect to some degree. I just hope FOSS continues to prosper. And I guess I wouldn't see it as a loss if Windows was to disappear. I wonder how the world would look if Microsoft decided to move to a Linux kernel and leave behind the big and messy software mutation that is Windows. :P

Oh, and I don't really blame you if this was way too much to read through. I get it. :P But for what it's worth, here it is anyway.

ChrisTitusTech / website

microsoft-is-driving-users-away/ #125

Microsoft Is Driving Users Away