You Should Know

If installing something like Linux Mint is not intuitive enough for someone, they probably don't even know what they're doing on Windows either.

It's not even viable for me. I simply cannot use Linux daily because all my jobs require software that doesn't have a Linux version, or it does but it's lacking necessary features, or there's an alternative but I have to burn extra hours making it work with their systems/setup - hours I don't have.

Or I have to use internally configured Remote Desktop profiles over a VPN (not to be confused with RDP), and you can't do that specific use case on Linux because it requires using the company's internal Windows Store with specific Remote Desktop installation.

Or I have to use a specific Outlook instance, locally installed, because somehow they've blocked web access (I still haven't figured out exactly how they set this up).

After a 12 hour day, sure, I can switch back to my dual boot Linux instance and spend 1-2 hours for personal use. But the ratio is still Windows-leaning no matter how you slice it.

But that's only 5 steps!

Don't say Linux then. If they already barely know windows, that's an ideal situation, it's going to be similarly confusing either way.

If your concern is that you think they would run into more stability issues when using a linux-based OS vs Windows, that's a reasonable concern. But if we're comparing against a sufficiently stable distro release, I don't think it's well founded.

If you're setting them up for a company, you'll join too a domain anyway and it's a non-issue. Probably even have it automated using WDS or a similar 3rd party solution.

Doesn't make it any less annoying as a policy from Ms, but for any company of like 50+ employees, it shouldn't affect anything.

Oh, yeah.. Linux. I think I saw one of those at the zoo

Iirc they aren't getting rid of the method, they're just making it less obvious.

I agree. Lemmy is like. "Use Linux..."

"Oh you still want to use Windows? Why do you still drown puppies and club baby seals?"

The just install Linux crowd gets really old. How’s that gonna help on a work machine where I HAVE to use Office to collaborate? Oh right, it’s not! Totally unhelpful.

Just turned a Win10 machine into Ubuntu not too long ago. It took all day, broke several times, and still has issues booting remotely. It is getting easier, but a 30 minute Windows install with a few button presses is still easier, unfortunately

Agree. The installation isn't a barrier. Basic OS navigation probably isn't either anymore. Its still having to use alternative software and work arounds that I think is the frustrating part for the average user attempting to switch. Also, it's that they can't use Linux at work in many cases and it's uncomfortable to switch environments on a daily basis from home computing to workplace computing. You'd think with nonsense like the crowds trike crash more businesses would force the switch, but unfortunately I don't get the sense that is happening.

You are right. From what I saw Linux-based OSs have come a long way. The issue with Linux is when it comes to professional environments, that are not IT-related: There are niche programs that are used in certain professions that were written to work on Windows computers exclusively. They are not availiable for other OSs, because they are not wide spread or popular with non-professionals. Also, Microsoft Office (especially Outlook and Excel) is very dominant within the professional field - up to a point that it can't be changed easily. All this does not apply to users who use Linux computers outside a professional enviroment, as there are alternatives for popular programs and services already.

They have been suffering for years and never thought once about alternatives like Ubuntu

The average user is pretty unaffected by windows' enshitification. And if it doesn't fuck over their daily life, most people are more than happy to keep using the thing they're familiar with. Especially when switching would require not only learning one new thing, but a large number of new things. For example, do you use paint.net? Sucks to suck, time to find a Linux alternative and learn how to use it and hope it can do everything you need it for.

Linux fanatics like to pretend its as simple as installing a different OS and that's it, everything else in your workflow will work immediately with no research needed. But that's simply not true.

My parents are almost completely technological-illiterate (i.e. due to old age my father doesn't even have a cellphone nor knows how to use it, and my mother barely can know how to do calls in her phone - both of them don't know how to use a computer) but they know they don't know about stuff - so hearing stories like that kind of make me be thankful they're like that and that they will hear me when needing some advice or need to do something involving something tech-y

I can relate. It is like those tool bars that were installed automatically if you weren't attentive while installing software when Windows XP still was around.

They like to suffer, I let them.

Me too. I always suggest to them to install UBlock origin (or any ad blocker compatible to their browser), along with add ons that get rid of cookie consent banners. If they follow my advice, I will invest my time into helping them to make their OS a little bit less annoying (e.g. switching off telemetry data and uninstalling Copilot). If they can't be bothered with at least installing an ad blocker, I will not waste my time on them. They clearly want to suffer.

Edit: The screenshot displays a Windows Vista UI. These Toolbars must have been aorund also while Windows Vista was around. I didn't know that, because Vista made me settle into the other walled garden.

(Just checking if this federates. Edit: it did immediately.)