Mint
Thanks to Liam's continual praise of Linux Mint - and that of other commentards - I recently made the move to Mint as my aging but still perfectly capable PC was deemed a dinosaur by M$. And, of course, there's the privacy/AI issues with Windows 11 that are highlighted in the article.
Was it easy? It was easy-ish. As well as 30 years' Windows experience (from Windows 3.1 and Windows NT 3.51 onwards), I have AmigaOS and SunOS/Solaris and even CTOS (Unisys) experience. So perhaps that helped.
Not everything I use has a Linux equivalent and it wasn't easy to get absolutely everything working. For example, I struggled for ages with FS-UAE to get a decent configuration for my Amiga emulation until one day I sat down, took my time and selected settings logically. Within an hour or so, I had a better Amiga configuration than I had had for the previous 20+ years with WinUAE. But I now have a working system that I'm happy with and the thing that doesn't have a Linux equivalent, well, I can do without - although I still have my Windows partition if I really need this.
Of course, Mint is not Windows. I am well aware of this and the consequences that things are different. After all, if you switch from one car to another car from a different manufacturer, it will be similar, yes, but there will be differences. As an experienced "driver", I can cope with that and as a "hobbyist mechanic", I don't mind getting my hands dirty and changing aspects of the car. I mean OS.
Can Mint be used as a desktop for the average Joe in the street? Honestly? I don't see why not. What does Joe use? A browser. That's probably about it these days. And Waterfox (thanks again, Liam!) and Firefox are more or less identical in operation under both Windows and Mint - which is how they should be.
But will Joe trust Mint (or any of the alternatives)? That's the bigger problem, I don't think he will. He knows Windows, so is happy with it. He doesn't care about privacy - heck, I bet he keeps his wireless active on his phone in the shopping mall, subscribes to all sorts of marketing lists, etc. - and this AI thing? It does things for you so you don't need to - result!
I tried Mint via USB on three completely different devices and in every single case, it found all the drivers and just worked. I was so surprised at this, despite what Liam et al. advocated. But Average Joe? He's the man who has bought Ford (or GM/Vauxhall/Renault/VW/etc.) all his life. Windows just works, too, and he doesn't need to do anything to get the latest Ford, it comes direct. And if he has to get a new PC, then so what? His existing one is only four years old, that's about right, isn't it? PCs are only designed to last for 3-4 years, like cars, so it's an investment in the future.
Yes, the Linux desktop will succeed, but only for people like us who know. For Average Joe (and Josephine), stick with what you know. Take the easy option, even if it does end up costing you money and privacy.
