Despite Microsoft’s push to get customers onto Windows 11, growth in the market share of the software giant’s latest operating system has stalled, while Windows 10 has made modest gains, according to fresh figures from Statcounter.

This is not the news Microsoft wanted to hear. After half a year of growth, the line for Windows 11 global desktop market share has taken a slight downturn, according to the website usage monitor, going from 35.6 percent in October to 34.9 percent in November. Windows 10, on the other hand, managed to grow its share of that market by just under a percentage point to 61.8 percent.

The dip in usage comes just as Microsoft has been forcing full-screen ads onto the machines of customers running Windows 10 to encourage them to upgrade. The stats also revealed a small drop in the market share of its Edge browser, despite relentlessly plugging the application in the operating system.

  • COASTER1921@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    2 days ago

    If Microsoft really wants people to switch to Windows 11 they need to retain many of the already few remaining customization options from Windows 10. Trackpad gesture support is worse, the only useful button in the new right click menu is the show more one which brings back the old menu but requires an extra click, and the file explore somehow got even more buggy. I hate every time I need to interact with a computer using Windows 11.

    Luckily there’s been an initiative within my company recently to support Linux, so I’m hoping that all the network related issues are fully worked out before Windows 11 is forced on us so I can just jump ship to Ubuntu.

  • mlg@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    28
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 days ago

    I still fail to see how windows 11 was anything but a collusion scam to sell new hardware.

    None of the changes including TPM requirements required a new iteration. Nothing about the underlying NT dropped any of the old and antiquated BS despite Microsoft hiring some morons to advertise the fact on reddit to all the insiders asking questions.

    They even let the media pick up a fake report that Windows 11 was related to the Core OS and a brand new kernel was in the works.

    If Microsoft wanted a marketing strategy, they could have properly started naming feature updates and adverising them similar to Apple.

    8, 10, and 11 have also been a pain on enterprise because Microsoft axed their QA team. I seriously hope any new firms start considering linux desktop as a valid option. All they really need is a vendor to offer a solid distro along with an agreement to rapidly create/deploy any software solution so they don’t get scared looking at the cheap entry windows stuff.

  • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    355
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    4 days ago

    People found out about the Win10 IoT LTSC version, which Microsoft alleges to be supporting for 10 more years.

    It comes with basically zero of the M$ bloat that everyone hates, as well. It’s just Windows.

    I just installed it on my father’s new (old) laptop, because he is not ready for Linux yet – possibly ever.

    It has no:

    • Cortana
    • Copilot
    • Windows Media Player
    • OneDrive
    • Office 365 Nag
    • Candy crush, Solitaire collection, etc.
    • Ads and nags on the lock screen
    • “Finish setting up your device and create a Microsoft Account!!!” nag every X number of bootups
    • Xbox Game Bar
    • Microsoft Store
    • Etc.

    It does come with Edge.

    Because it does not have the Microsoft Store you have to manually install anything that comes as a store app from the command line. I was taken by surprise that the Duckduckgo browser is packaged this way. But you can still do it. Normal programs install just fine.

    Yes, you can use it for gaming.

    Edit: I guess I forgot to drop the obligatory link to https://massgrave.dev/ , which is how I found out about this and got it running. Also hosted there is a tool that allows you to… license… various Microsoft products including your shiny new Win10 IoT install.

    • Raglesnarf@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      83
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      4 days ago

      holy fuck that sounds absolutely awesome. why wasn’t I on this version to begin with hahah

    • Codilingus@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      47
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      4 days ago

      Just adding that 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC is also super solid and great for gaming, no bullshit installed, just Edge + Defender. I disable Edge- instead of uninstalling- with a tool that just breaks it, since Edge always gets installed again eventually.

      I got it from that same site, been problem free for months now. I only went with 11since my 5800X3D is still fairly new.

      Edit: Fine, no bullshit other than Edge + Defender.

        • Rogue@feddit.uk
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          32
          ·
          4 days ago

          Edge isn’t that bad. You need something to download Firefox with.

          The bullshit is when every windows link insists on opening in edge rather then your default browser.

            • Codilingus@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              3 days ago

              Winget makes fresh Windows installs much less painful!

              Just incase it helps anyone: For the 11 IoT LTSC, to use winget you first have to install 2 packages via power shell. First: VCLibs.x64.14.00.Desktop.appx Then: DesktopAppInstaller_********.msixbundle

      • SuperSpruce@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        4 days ago

        Does this version of Windows 11 feel as snappy as normal Windows 10? And do the fans randomly flare up like on my installation of normal Windows 11?

        • SailorMoss@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          edit-2
          4 days ago

          Maybe it’s all in my head, but I tried it a while back and it felt less snappy than clean windows 10 but more snappy than stock windows 11. It also retains a lot of the annoyances of stock windows 11.

          Unfortunately I can’t use it because I have a WMR VR headset and it’s unsupported on the IoT and LTSC.

          There’s a YouTube channel called memories tech tips and he’s developing a script that you can add to your ISO that will have a similar effect to the LTSC. That in combination with Chris Titus techs ultimate windows utility after first boot makes setting things up much easier.

          • acockworkorange@mander.xyz
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            2 days ago

            Unsupported hardware

            Arcane incantations to get your system to look like a system

            Still bloated

            At this point, I’m assuming you don’t like yourself very much.

            • SailorMoss@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              2 days ago

              Well, I would like to switch to Linux but my the VR headset is holding me back. Linux does have its own annoyances. I would probably still have to virtualize windows because of productivity software I need.

              I also use an engineering sample CPU so uhhh… I’ve learned to stop worrying and love the jank.

          • Kyouki@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            3 days ago

            This sounds nice, thanks for that information.

            How do you know stuff is particularly “unsupported” on a same os but different build? Other then errors of course?

            In my head it is the same os just different blend so wonder why it wouldnt work. Reckon maybe some missing system components. Though can copy those over?

            Anyway was curious if you knew! Thanks

            • SailorMoss@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              3 days ago

              It’s basically just Microsoft being shit heads on their development of the Windows Mixed reality drivers that creates that specific edge case. Hopefully the open source monado drivers will be a good replacement eventually. Most everything else should work fine.

              I only know because I had windows 10 LTSC when I bought my headset and tried to get it working and found reddit threads with the same issue. I tested the windows 11 IoT when it came out because I hoped it would support my headset then I found out they are dropping support next year.

              There needs to be a class action lawsuit about this to either open-source the drivers or to refund all those who purchased WMR devices.

      • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        3 days ago

        Nah, when my Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC (non-IoT) runs out in 2027 it will be the last Windows version I ever use.

      • God@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        4 days ago

        Yeah what do you do on a computer without Candy Crush. Could it even connect to the Internet?

          • ggtdbz@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            edit-2
            4 days ago

            Unable to verify Minecraft account. Please check your Internet connection or your billing status.

            Retry

            Use PowerShell Lite instead

    • SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      4 days ago

      Sounds like Linux but worse. Got my dad on Mint and all he ever uses is a browser and mail program (2nd one is optional)

      • God@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        13
        ·
        4 days ago

        All my mom does is browser and Office365. I tried to get her into LibreOffice and I saw her suffering through it for some time and decided to put her out of her misery by MAS’ing her Office.

      • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        9
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        4 days ago

        Believe it or not my pops is readonably tech savvy. He was an engineer and does industrial control automation, and there are a lot of software suites for that which are firmly Windows only. Hardware license dongles and the whole bit. Our chances of getting that to run in Wine are below zero.

    • blind3rdeye@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      4 days ago

      I’m still using Windows 10 on my personal work laptop, and I’ve got to say that what you’ve described sounds pretty appealing. Windows 10 with most of the crapware removed, and extended support. That sounds like a good deal…

      But on the flip side, I think it’s a bad idea to get an OS from a piracy site. Maybe it’s all genuine and tickety-boo, but being a reputable 3rd party source is a fairly high bar. I certainly wouldn’t trust a site I’ve never heard of to give me a legitimate copy of a better-than-standard version of Windows. Their offer to verify their own files is less than convincing. I think I’d need to be an active part of the scene to be able to trust something like that - because it certainly smells like an easy way to get back-doored.

      • Midnight Wolf@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        3 days ago

        You install windows as standard (from MS directly), selecting the IoT version during setup. Afaik it’s on GH so you can view the scripts, copy/paste if you don’t trust the downloaded .ps1, etc.

        I ran the OS for a couple months on a system and had no issues. No funky activity reported (no more than usual) with snort, no alerts from sophos. I didn’t extensively verify it, but I don’t have any suspicions to report.

      • Broken@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        3 days ago

        I agree. I need to trust where the OS (or any software) comes from. I’d rather get a legitimate windows copy and then debloat it and turn off telemetry and other BS myself. Then I know I’m good on both counts. But apparently the IoT LTSC version is legit, not a cracked copy. This is the first I’ve ever heard of it.

    • VeganCheesecake@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      4 days ago

      When I still had a Windows 11 install, it was running under an Enterprise License. Apparently, Enterprise and Education are the only editions left that allow you to deactivate all those unwanted components via the Group Policy Editor. Also the only editions that allow you to turn off telemetry.

      At some point, I managed to get all the stuff I needed running seamlessly on Linux, and I plan on never going back to MS.

    • AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      3 days ago

      If the LTSC was the actual Windows then they wouldn’t be losing any market share. That shit is crazy nice

      • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        3 days ago

        Yeah, well. They make most of their money off of advertising revenue and the spyware bullshit. License sales are one and done per user, so there’s no recurring revenue there. And probably even less than that because everyone – individual users at least – just pirates Windows anyway.

        I know I sure as hell do. And I’m not recommending anyone else not do so, either…

    • Saltarello@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      4 days ago

      I bought an i7 NUC to use as HTPC some years ago. It has W10 IoT on it. Handles Dolby Atmos like a charm & 4K to a degree (YouTube. Last time i checked, Windows still liked to give 4K media files a purple hue)

    • BrowseMan@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      3 days ago

      Ouah nice, if I can keep W10 for a few years the time to learn the specificities of Linux (let’s be honest for a total newb, there are a lot) with the Deck it’s perfect!

      This would also allow me to keep using software unable to run on Linux.

      Thank you for explaining this, I’ll check!

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      4 days ago

      Huh, maybe I’ll consider replacing my current Win10 install that I never use with this. And maybe I’ll see about replacing my SO’s install with it as well.

        • مهما طال الليل@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          4 days ago

          VLC is better but a basic media player has been part of Windows for decades now. Any decent OS will come with one. The default on most Linux distros isn’t much better.

        • RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 days ago

          I haven’t had vlc ork reliably in a while, any video playback was glitchy and out of sync. I use photos to look at videos now, worse features but it has no issues and honestly I just want to play a video file with no effort

    • spyd3r@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      4 days ago

      The store is there, its just disabled, there is some command you can run to enable it. I forgot what it was though.

  • Shadywack@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    52
    ·
    3 days ago

    Well, Microsoft said way back when that “Windows 10 will be the last version of Windows” so a lot of enterprise went to it. To this day I’m dealing with vendors that have a certified “Windows 10-only” solution. Another funny one is stuff like Ford’s FDRS software still only officially supports Windows 10 Pro.

    Platform changes and all that are fine, but when Microsoft says basically “This is gonna be your LTS forever” and then bails on it, shit like this is no surprise at all.

  • jpablo68@infosec.pub
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    41
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 days ago

    The main problem is that Win11 can only run in special hardware and Microsoft can pry out my potato computer from my cold, dead hands. I won’t change my hardware to update my OS.

  • Codex@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    33
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 days ago

    The dip in usage comes just as Microsoft has been forcing full-screen ads onto the machines of customers running Windows 10 to encourage them to upgrade.

    Yeah no shit! When my computer does full-screen, disruptive things that I didn’t tell it to do, I figure out how to remove that malware. I’ve been off Windows at home for about a month now, thanks Linux Mint! Getting some games to work has been challenging, but most things have just worked and quite a few work much better!

    Performance is up overall, and my confidence that my computer isn’t running a bunch of secret ad and spy ware is way up. Hardware like my gamepad and microphone would randomly disconnect and have issues on Windows, all working perfectly now.

    Unfortunately I’m still deep in MS land for work, but there’s almost a comedic quality to it. Everything’s very slow, everyone has constant issues with Teams, or Office online, or Dynamics, or copilot shoving it’s tendrils into everything. Watching businesses struggle to keep operating in the face of Microsoft’s inadequacy is like being a mechanic watching a motor grind to a halt because the owner/manufacturer replaced all the oil with syrup.

    Like yes, it’s my problem to fix, but I’m just glad it’s not my car.

  • umbrella@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    46
    ·
    edit-2
    3 days ago

    im forced to use it at work and holy shit. 11 is so heavy for no reason, 8gb of ram is not remotely enough anymore, even if you yank out some of the garbage. theres no apparent change in functionality to justify it.

    the ssd smart says its almost at its end, and i suspect its because its constantly swapping. paging file is always full, unless i set it to something big like 8+ gb

  • kazerniel@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    23
    ·
    3 days ago

    I’ll stick to Win10 until the end of the support period, just like how I stuck to Win7 as long as I could 😬 That was still my favourite OS, loved Aero 🥺

  • Oaksey@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    15
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 days ago

    I had to make the change to Windows 11 at work, it was certainly a downgrade. Pretty common that there is a massive wait for even the most simple applications to load. Quite often I end up opening multiple copies, because I think the first click to open didn’t register, click again and they all open at once. This is on the same hardware that Windows 10 did fine on.

  • LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    81
    ·
    4 days ago

    I work at an MSP and a lot of our clients have to follow specific security compliance standards. Because Windows 10 is eol soon, we’ve been slowly upgrading folks to 11. I die a little each time I do an upgrade. People, including my coworkers and I, are not happy with it overall, but nobody can do anything because ✨compliance standards✨

      • smeenz@lemmy.nz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        17
        ·
        4 days ago

        In the corporate world ? Generally not, because IT can’t force group policy out using AD.

        • bradd@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          3 days ago

          One of the biggest hurdles, and one of the only reasons Windows is still alive. Linux doesn’t have a decent AD alternative.

          I think I heard some very large governments, maybe Germany, was going to completely abandon Windows soon. This will generate a ton of demand for an AD alternative so I’m excited to see what happens.

          Until then you have ansible, or salt may be more suitable for workstations 🤷

        • Joe Cool@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          3 days ago

          Oh there is policy, telemetry and lockdown software for Linux. My BYOD archlinux worked fine until a company I contract for rolled out their zero trust bollocks. They wanted me to install Ubuntu, Redhat or SLES and their spyware.
          They now sent me a corporate Win11 laptop for remote access.

    • ansiz@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 days ago

      I know executives don’t tend to go for it but you could always get in a ESU for 3 years past the EoL date. That was semi popular with Windows 7.

      • LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        3 days ago

        That involves money and clients don’t want to do that lol. It’s like pulling teeth to get them to replace shit

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    151
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    edit-2
    4 days ago

    DO NOT PAY FOR WINDOWS 10 UPDATES.

    They’re pushing this plan to make people pay to continue to get support for 10 very hard.

    Don’t fucking do it. Make them eat this loss of a shitty invasive OS that nobody asked for. This trend is evidence that we’re in control in this situation, not Microsoft.

    Force their hand and make it so they have no choice but to keep supporting Windows 10 for free for five more years.

    Look, I’m a Linux user primarily, but that doesn’t mean you should just let these corporate fuckholes walk all over you. Windows 10 is ride or die. Make Microsoft pay for trying to fuck you out of a cleaner operating system that is less infested with spyware and actually works half the time.

    Not everybody has the time or energy to figure out Linux, but either way, the best way to fight Microsoft is by hitting them square in the pocketbook.

      • NutWrench@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        19
        ·
        4 days ago

        This. And if folks are worried that their computer’s hardware won’t be supported (wifi, touchscreen, mousepad, soundcard or a weird mobile graphics driver) I recommend testing it by booting from a live linux flash drive. If everything works with the live version, it should work with the installed version, too.

        • teamevil@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          4 days ago

          Yo it’s stupid easy to install on a Microsoft Surface watching a 10 min YouTube video. Everything works

      • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        22
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        4 days ago

        Even Mint you have to jump through hoops to not have to put in your password every time there’s updates. Hoops that are too complex for a newbie on their own.

        Most Linux users don’t want to admit that a huge thing that makes people hate Linux is having to type in their password every time there’s updates (and there’s always updates.)

        It’s seemingly such a small thing, and as Linux users, we know the why behind it so we don’t question it, but the average user doesn’t and they hate typing their password over and over to get into the computer, let alone to update it.

        To them, Windows is easier since the updates happen silently in the background, and aren’t in the forefront because Linux expects you to know what the fuck you’re doing.

        Every Linux box that I didn’t fuck with to make sure updates happened silently in the background that I gave to anyone else would always be wildly out of date the next time I touched it because they just… don’t install updates instead of typing in their password.

        Often, they’ve forgotten the fucking password, if you’ve made it so they don’t have to put a password in when they log in (my mother has done this one countless times).

        Until we figure out a way to make Linux secure and straightforward for end-users, people will stick with Windows.

        • PlantJam@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          20
          ·
          4 days ago

          Linux expects you to know what the fuck you’re doing.

          I’ve heard people claim Mint is easy enough for non technical users (grandma, etc.), but I think that’s with the caveat that they will have someone to support the machine.

          • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            19
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            4 days ago

            Yeah, nobody’s paying me so I don’t have the time or effort to be everyone’s tech support for Linux. If they can’t figure out how to type in their password to install updates, it means most people are way too fuck stupid to handle Linux. No offense, but I mean really. If Linux still needs me to manage their system for them, it’s by definition NOT friendly to the non-computer-savvy.

            I’ve gotta be like one of the few Linux users who still sees it as too much for the average user, mostly because average users are fucking whiny crybabies who hate learning anything new ever. See also Bluesky vs. Mastodon.

            • z3rOR0ne@lemmy.ml
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              9
              ·
              edit-2
              4 days ago

              That’s fair. I maintain a Fedora installation for my elderly mother, whose Windows laptop is on its last legs. I revitalized a 15 year old desktop with Fedora for her, installed everything she needed (browser, file manager, libreoffice, iscan, brother printer drivers, password manager, zoom meetings, etc.). But yeah, every month I hop on, open up a terminal and run sudo dnf upgrade, and every 6 months run the Fedora major version update.

              Don’t get me wrong, I’m impressed my Mom has been able to get all her business done using Fedora, but I definitely am acting sysadmin should anything in the slightest go wrong or confuse her. That said, I think she could run the upgrades if I left her with extensive notes (but if anything went wrong, she’d lose her shit, ngl).

              I don’t know, I think a Linux distribution with automatic updates would be a good thing if you could ensure every user would be guaranteed to not be greeted with any issues upon reboot from said update.

              But yeah, sadly, even on the most user friendly of distros, you still have to have a decent familiarity with the command line , and have the patience and knowledge of where to look for, and then read and comprehend, the documentation. And I doubt there will ever be a time in the future where 100% of users are comfortable with all that, though imho if you use any computer at all, you should at least try.

              • TSG_Asmodeus (he, him)@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                5
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                4 days ago

                you still have to have a decent familiarity with the command line

                I think this is, for most people I’ve spoken with (including coders in games, my kids, etc) the major issue – they don’t want to have to use the command line for things. It’s fine if you can, but that alone is a massive wall for some people. People are exhausted right now, and having to learn a variety of command line prompts instead of just clicking on icons is too much for some people. That can be argued till you’re red in the face, but I think a major reason so many people bounce off linux, myself included, is that it’s not ‘as easy as windows.’ We need to stop telling people it is, because that means they won’t try again later.

                • z3rOR0ne@lemmy.ml
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  6
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  3 days ago

                  I definitely hear you on that, and in some ways, it’s a shame more people don’t have the option to learn more about how their computer works.

                  The Linux OS is, in my experience, one of the most amazing things I’ve ever taken the time to learn. In my pursuit of not only learning programming and computer science fundamentals, but also the internals of the Linux operating system, I’ve gained a granular control over my computing devices that has allowed me to be spared the onslaught of forced “AI in everything” that has recently been pushed down people’s throats. I also have minimal exposure to invasive advertisements, and other unwanted features.

                  But the cost for access to said knowledge was an immense amount of time studying, an equivalent amount of patience, and a strong desire to learn difficult subjects. That’s a cost the majority of users are unable or unwilling to pay. They simply dont have the time and/or desire, and that’s just reality.

                  Ultimately, I don’t think it’s acknowledged enough that it requires a vast amount of privilege to have the time and energy to devote to such endeavors such as learning how Linux, the command line, and Computer Systems more broadly, work. I think this is because to acknowledge such would open the discussion up to the more broader topics of the qualities of our education systems and our cultivation of more positively reinforced learning models, which is a much more difficult topic to navigate and argue about when contrasted with the “It’s easy to install Linux. Windows bad, so just do it.” argument that pervades the discussion space.

              • SorteKanin@feddit.dk
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                3
                ·
                4 days ago

                would be a good thing if you could ensure every user would be guaranteed to not be greeted with any issues upon reboot from said update.

                Honestly this sounds like it’d be so far in the future that it’s not even realistic to contemplate right now. We’re clearly not even close to this being the reality.

                • z3rOR0ne@lemmy.ml
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  4
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  4 days ago

                  Sadly, I’m in very much agreement with you on this. I love the Linux OS to death, but I’m very very much into learning as much as I can about computers right now, and I am not representative of the majority of computer users.

                  I understand now why updates are required, why they sometimes break things, and ultimately what has to be done either by myself or, usually, others, to fix them.

                  But most people seem to go absolute ape shit when things don’t work as expected, and I think that has to do more with human societies not cultivating enough patient, non-stressed, curious, people. And that’s what bums me out more than this whole Windows vs Linux thing…

            • SorteKanin@feddit.dk
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              8
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              4 days ago

              You’re not alone, I’ve been screaming into the void about this for a long time too. People keep saying “Linux is user friendly enough these days for even non techy people” and I’m sorry but it’s totally not.

              I think most Linux users just don’t realize how technologically illiterate most people are. Most people can barely use a browser and send emails. They absolutely don’t want to mess with anything related to “updates” that they have no idea wtf is doing to their system anyway.

              • Don_alForno@feddit.org
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                4
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                4 days ago

                People keep saying “Linux is user friendly enough these days for even non techy people” and I’m sorry but it’s totally Not.

                I guess people who say that think of the average non techy user as someone like me: I don’t really know how this works under the hood, but I do troubleshoot my own stuff, am willing and able to search for help and apply advice on my own, try different things, and hopefully realize when that advice starts to sound fishy.

                The thing is, that’s not the average non-techy user. That’s already “dabbling in tech”.

                The average non techy user is Homer going “oh, a talking moose on the Internet wants my credit card number? Sounds fair.”

                • SorteKanin@feddit.dk
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  3
                  ·
                  4 days ago

                  Yea, definitely. Also just the fact that you’re here says a lot. I don’t think you can find many (if any) of these “normal” users on the fediverse.

          • SplashJackson@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            5
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            4 days ago

            That’s my beef. Most of the time I don’t have the time to reverse engineer my volume knob drivers via the command line, let alone figure out which obscurly-named (but generally under 8 characters) random function or shell script or what have you is the fix, but oh you gotta install the repository, but first you gotta find out which one is compatible with your kernel, and then do it all again cause you forgot to type sudo and your password at every goddamn step

          • Don_alForno@feddit.org
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            4 days ago

            The same is true for windows though. I have to help my dad with some minor thing at least once a month.

        • schizo@forum.uncomfortable.business
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          11
          ·
          4 days ago

          Linux users don’t want to admit that a huge thing that makes people hate Linux is having to type in their password every time there’s updates

          Hell, people get mad about having to hit a ‘Cool, do that button’, let alone something like a password. It’s how we ended up with UAC v2, because people were steaming pissed about having to accept when a badly written app was doing something stupid that they just changed the scope of ‘stupid’ to be much less restrictive.

          In fact it’s even bled over to OS X, as people are SO mad about entering passwords they’re angry at Apple over it, too.

          Basically, any time a UI hops in front of you and goes ‘Wait! This is important!’ people get annoyed, and well, all OSes are moving towards more of that shit rather than less, as if they didn’t know that was annoying or something. Glad I don’t work in UX or I’d probably lose my mind at how much stupid hostile shit is being added constantly.

          • SorteKanin@feddit.dk
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            4 days ago

            Basically, any time a UI hops in front of you and goes ‘Wait! This is important!’ people get annoyed

            It honestly baffles me how this keeps being a thing. Not just for OSs but for a lot of websites too. And the wild thing is that most of the time, it’s not even that important and the user does not and should not care about it.

            • 9bananas@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              6
              ·
              3 days ago

              on top of which it creates a security issue too:

              by teaching users to always instantly click on “OK”, “Accept”, etc, they stop reading the actually important messages, because they’re being bombarded by so, so many useless pop-ups everywhere…

            • schizo@forum.uncomfortable.business
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              3 days ago

              Indeed.

              It’s to the point that even legitimate sites look like those dark-pattern fake scam ecommerce sites with all the popups, fake “deals”, and timers and shit.

              Windows of course feels much the same way - recently replaced a failed mac with a new Mini and holy crap is MacOS so fucking zen.

              I logged into my apple account and then was assaulted by… fucking nothing. No ads, no popups, no upsells, no candy crush, no enabling AI shit. I just landed on the desktop to do whatever the hell it was I was going to be doing.

        • discimus@mander.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          4 days ago

          Macs also make you put your password in all the time for updates, installs, etc. Laymen seem to use macs just fine

        • Don_alForno@feddit.org
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          4 days ago

          Often, they’ve forgotten the fucking password, if you’ve made it so they don’t have to put a password in when they log in

          The second my father asks me about this is when I revoke his computer privileges.

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        4 days ago

        Yup. The main concern is if there’s specific software you cannot do without, such as:

        • Adobe products
        • big multiplayer games w/ anti-cheat
        • Xbox app/game pass

        But if you’re a bit flexible and are willing to try different software, then yeah, Linux is pretty rad. Most Steam games I’ve tried work, you can play Epic and GOG games through Heroic, LibreOffice is fantastic, VLC works the same, and you can get almost any web browser you want (Firefox, Chrome, etc). And if your hardware isn’t too old, it’ll probably work well w/ Wayland, which resolves a number of problems people have had in the past.

        If you have any questions about app compatibility, ask away! I probably haven’t used whatever it is, but surely someone else has.

      • MudMan@fedia.io
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        4 days ago

        I installed Mint this week.

        It did install more smoothly than the others I tried on this run of “I wonder if Linux is viable now” (Fedora 41, Pop, Bazzite, if you’re wondering). It, however, does not support HDR yet and it, like every other one, won’t do proper 5.1 audio out of my ASUS MB, which has no official Linux drivers.

        So Windows it is, then, because all the other distros had bigger problems. Fedora is the one that has all the features I need, and it still has the audio bug and it crashed a bunch after I went through all the hoops to set up an Nvidia card.

      • Monstrosity@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        4 days ago

        What people have to watch out for now is unlocking their bootloader if they want to test Linux on a USB drive or dual boot, for example, it will trip Bitlocker (conveniently installed on every Windows computer via update without notification or consent), and that will irreversibly encrypt their Windows hard drive without warning.

        Ask me how I know.

        • renzev@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          4 days ago

          Also the fact that linux installers seem to fuck up dualbooting like 60% of the time, effectively locking you out of your windows partition… Make backups you guys!

      • PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        4 days ago

        Linux works great when using programs like Blue beam, AutoCAD, Revit and VR.

        Oh wait, no it doesn’t.

    • Ænima@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      3 days ago

      hitting them square in the pocketbook.

      I’ve been saying this for years to people, but it won’t happen, sadly, if history is anything to go on. The average consumer will always take the easiest path to convenience, even foregoing their leverage as a consumer, if given the choice for a simple monetary resolution.

      If the average consumer had the fortitude to resist getting something they wanted now for better pricing/functionality, a lot of these businesses wouldn’t be doing the bullshit they have been doing with price hikes and enshittification. We are simply not a society that can live without these conveniences.

      Those that try to “vote with their wallet” (econ 101, baby) know the power the consumer has if principled enough to give up convenience for leverage. Unfortunately, as long as someone can throw money at a problem and call it fixed, it will be difficult to pressure companies to do anything to improve their product. I’d love to be proven wrong.

      Hell, maybe one silver lining of the impending tariff disaster is the consumer will be unable to afford it as stuff we need gets too expensive for the stuff we want.

    • stevedice@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      10
      ·
      edit-2
      4 days ago

      lol this is the exact same rethoric people were spewing when Windows 7 went EOL because Windows 10 was sooo bad and now everyone’s fighting tooth and nail to keep using it. W11 is basically a better skin on W10. Just move on.

    • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      11
      ·
      4 days ago

      No. Go to 11 or go to a different OS. Been hearing these arguments since Windows95 came out, and they are never correct.

      You don’t own Windows. You cannot maintain Windows without Microsoft. Either get onboard or find a different OS.

    • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      17
      ·
      4 days ago

      You expect them to work for you for free? What kind of entitled bullshit is that?

      Not paying for the 10 security updates doesn’t hurt MS. They don’t make money from their consumer OS. The money is from Office, Cloud, and corporate contracts. It only leaves your PC open. You don’t have the time to install Linux today but you will make the time to attempt to recover your Windows PC from ransomware because you left it unpatched.

      Install Linux today. Stop making excuses.

      • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        15
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        4 days ago

        This is just funny.

        You expect them to work for you for free?

        Install Linux today. Stop making excuses.

        Oh yeah, nevermind, I’ll use the free operating system made by people who are working for me for free. Or wait, is that entitled, I’m confused.

        Pick a fuckin lane, dude.

        • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          7
          ·
          4 days ago

          Demand that a Linux developer must add a feature that you personally want and yes you are entitled. “I don’t want to upgrade Mint! Patch the old kernel. I demand it!”

          MS is selling a security patch. Buy it or don’t.

          Linux is available for free. Install it or don’t.

          You don’t have a right to demand either way. It’s especially hypocritical given you spend more time on a phone that doesn’t give you 10 years of support like Windows 10 did.

          • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            9
            arrow-down
            3
            ·
            edit-2
            4 days ago

            Man you gotta stop making assumptions about other people.

            1. I have numerous computers and only one of them has Windows on it, and even that one is set up to dualboot with Linux. I live and breathe Linux daily, friend.

            2. I live and breathe Linux so much that I set it up so that I don’t have to touch my phone, because I fucking hate phones. I guarantee you I spend way more time on the PC than on a phone.

            3. I have network-level blocking to prevent a massive amount of data entering or leaving my phone and PC.

            I’m a Linux user by default, and I think what Microsoft is doing is anti-consumer so I don’t really give a shit if they make money off it or not.

            Taking a financial loss because you fucked over your customers is how capitalism is supposed to work. All this talk of entitlement forgets that I paid for my fucking OS. It doesn’t matter if the OS isn’t their moneymaker: if it isn’t that’s more reason for them to stop fucking their customers for a quick buck.

            Also, finally, if Microsoft really cared about their OS and licensing, maybe they should have updated how their licensing activation works at some point in the last 20 years so the massgrave exploit would stop working.

            • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              4
              arrow-down
              4
              ·
              4 days ago

              All this talk of entitlement forgets that I paid for my fucking OS.

              That doesn’t mean you get patches for the rest of your life. Again you are using a phone that doesn’t give you 10 years of support and you are acting like MS is evil for not giving you more.

              Also, finally, if Microsoft really cared about their OS and licensing … so the massgrave exploit would stop working.

              MS is evil because they don’t do more to stop piracy? Wtf?