To be fair, forcing a bunch of software on the machine users own was never a good move, and in my opinion, not a new normal.
Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Plasma is not a system, but I see how they didnt want to confuse people here
Linux is the modern OS and windows is just a bunch of old shitty technology in a trench suit.
Windows 11 takes your money, gives you ads, sells your information and ignores your bug reports and feature requests
KDE is free, ad-free and open to contribution
I think we have a clear winner here
But can it play Starfield with an Nvidia GPU? I originally had popos on my PC until Starfield came out, I had to switch to Windows to play.
In the newest windows, it is even possible to hover the volume icon and change it with the mouse wheel!!!
"But can Linux install things via a single .exe file? HAHAH EAT IT NERD!"
- 10'ish years ago past me, before discovering the magical wonders of the package manager
I found since people are used to app stores, I've had a much easier time convincing people to try out Linux. My mom even said that she always wished her windows PC had a proper app store.
But Windows does have an app store, and has for ages now.
Yeah but it's awful, and can only install UWP apps which are just plain bad
When is the last time you've used it? Microsoft opened it up and now you can find all types of non UWP apps in it.
I think it's still important to explain the key difference between an "app store" and a package repository: the latter isn't a "store" because everything is free.
Thst might change with Flathub's ambitions to become an actual app store though
True but it helps get the concept across so much.
With app images it's easier than installing. Although the chmod step will deter the typical windows user
With file managers, for example in thunar, you can select Properties -> Permissions -> Allow this file to run as a program
What chmod step?
When I clicked on new app image, the OS told me, that program /name of app/ will be launched, I clicked "Continue" and it runs! No meddling with "chmod" or anything like that.
Same, I love AppImages for that. I just wish they also had way to contain configurations instead of putting it on the system. That would make it even more portable.
So basically ever since I first tried Windows 7 I held it as the "Gold standard" for desktop OS's. Half my tweaks to Windows 10 were trying to get it as close to Win7 as I possibly could.
When I finally start experimenting with Linux early this year KDE quickly got me to reconsider my "Gold standard" and finally switch my main machine fully to Linux.
No regrets and certainly ain't switching back even if Microsoft gave me updated Windows 7 with every extra feature I wanted back then.
I've been a Linux user for a decade and a half now, but still use Windows on my corporate laptops. Honestly, it's baffling how Microsoft seem to consistently manage to miss the mark with the UI design. There's lots to be said about the underlying internals of Windows vs Linux, performance, kernel design etc., but even at the shallow, end user, "is this thing pleasant to use" stakes, they just never manage to get it right.
Windows 7 was...fine. It was largely inoffensive from a shell point of view, although things about how config and settings were handled were still pretty screwy. But Windows 8 was an absolutely insane approach to UI design, Windows 10 spent an awful lot of energy just trying to de-awful it without throwing the whole thing out, and Windows 11 is missing basic UI features that even Windows 7 had.
When you look at their main commercial competition (Mac and Chromebook) or the big names in Linux (GNOME, KDE, plenty of others besides), they stand out as a company that simply can't get it right, despite having more resources to throw at it than the rest of them put together.
To me it's absurd how Microsoft gets beaten by a free desktop environment when windows is like their main product. They have billions of dollars. How do they manage to not do better?
windows is like their main product
TBF it isn't really - only about 12% of their revenue. It's more of a means to lock people into their other products.
Well, that's the thing, it's the core part of their entire business. The glue that sticks everything together. Or at least used to be until Azure.
Microsoft will probably never truly catch up with KDE
Plasma 6 is approaching fast
So is Windows 12... /s
Approaching at $9.99/month.
Kinda weird that they're calling it an OS, but ig they're just trying to cater to the windows audience
KDE neon is what they're selling
Neon is more of a testbed than a proper distro (they don't actually even use that word).
Is this "the KDE distro"?
Nope. KDE believes it is important to work with many distributions, as each brings unique value and expertise for their respective users. This is one project out of hundreds from KDE.
It's a proper distro, that's just saying it's not THE official one
Selling as in advertising, I might add. Neon is free