r/linux4noobs • u/DarkknightOP-69 • Jan 08 '26
Meganoob BE KIND How exactly is linux better than windows for a normal user(In easy to understand way)
I went down the rabbit hole of linux and most of the benefits listed by users are stuff like:
No automatic updates
Privacy
No bloatware
Full "control" (not sure what it means)
Unlimited customization
Better for dev
Now I'm a normal lightweight user who watches movies, does college work and studying, and practices coding. I'm not very tech savvy and not comfortable with Terminal. Windows seems perfectly fine to me, you just click and get the work done. Help and support is widely and easily available, you don't need to spend hours just to fix some driver issue.
Linux users frequently say that Windows is slow and things sometimes takes lot of time to load, but to me windows feels fast enough to get the job done. I don't get stuck for 2 mins opening some app.
I've never got the Blue Screen of death.
I'm not bothered with any customization or the updates as they notify weeks before, so I have a lot of time to choose when I want to update my laptop.
I don't do any shady stuff that I would be concerned of "privacy". I am also not into any high level dev work.
I also visited subreddits like windows11 and linuxsucks to understand their pov and well linux has plenty of disadvantages too, like stuff breaking easily, help manuals not easily available, having to write 20 lines of script in some situations.
So what exactly do y'all linux users glaze linux for and how would linux be beneficial for a lightweight normal user like me?
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u/IntroductionSea2159 Jan 08 '26
Linux lets you make the taskbar vertical again. Windows killed that feature. With Linux you can do anything even if Microsoft doesn't like it. I made the colour scheme of my computer beige, and you can't do that in Windows.
Linux can also keep getting security updates even after the end of 2026. Without buying a new computer (with the RAMpocalypse going on right now).
Generally though I just hate Microsoft. They won't let me make the taskbar vertical, they won't let me uninstall Edge, they keep trying to get me to use AI, they won't let me make the taskbar vertical, they send my search history to ICE (presumably), etc.
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u/DarkknightOP-69 Jan 08 '26
So how is the color scheme changed? Thru the settings itself or the terminal?
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u/IntroductionSea2159 Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 12 '26
I use KDE, and in the settings menu there's an option to change the colours.
I created a custom colour scheme with beige instead of white (and various other changes). I also set the window decorations to plastik and the application style to windows 9x.
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u/Holiday_Management60 Jan 10 '26
I used settings. I've been using Linux Mint since October last year and haven't needed to touch the terminal yet.
I feel like when people think of Linux they think of it as it was like 10 years ago.
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u/ItsJoeMomma Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
Grr... I hate that you can't uninstall Edge, or in older versions, Internet Explorer. Nor can you uninstall the Comic Sans font. And now you can't uninstall Copilot.
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u/sautdepage Jan 08 '26
I really want this year to be the year of the linux desktop for me, so I installed Ubuntu 24 (it's that or nothing for various reasons). I use an OLED monitor, so naturally the first task is to make the screen black from any static element to avoid burn-in. That's non-negotiable and I wasn't expecting this to be the deal breaker!
Turns out:
- You cannot remove the wallpaper - workaround is to put a black picture. Lol wtf but okay.
- You need to install an extension to hide the top bar. Seems to work OK.
- You cannot set the dash to auto-hide at all times. So I installed another extension that replaces the dash entirely and disabled the built-in one, and configured auto-hide. However, now I was getting 2 dashes overlapping and flickering, and eventually probably after fiddling with a wrong setting the whole desktop crashed hard and couldn't log in again.
So.... out of time, I reinstalled Windows. Will try again later in a VM to find a solution.
And that's aside other typical issues: bluetooth not working, challenges with my 144hz 4K TV over HDMI, probably loosing access to my Epic/Ubisoft games, etc. that I was prepared to deal with.
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u/ItsJoeMomma Jan 08 '26
In Mint, you can definitely choose to have a solid color instead of background picture.
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u/MigasEnsopado Jan 08 '26
Use a distro with the KDE desktop environment, lije Fedora KDE or Kubuntu. It's way more customizable out of the box. Vanilla Ubuntu uses GNOME, which is cool too but way stricter with their design, and customization is harder and more awkward (intalling extensions from the browser, etc).
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u/MattOruvan Jan 08 '26
If you installed another dash (taskbar?) you likely needed to disable or remove the old one.
But the easier way is to try another distro with a different Desktop Environment (DE) by default.
This might be weird to someone coming from Windows where there is just one DE, but the graphical aspects of Linux are not "Linux", that's just the different DEs you can pick and choose.
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u/sautdepage Jan 08 '26 edited Aug 20 '26
Yes every reply is saying "pick another distro" but that will come with another set of tradeoffs, probably worse ones.
Ultimately my issue is with Ubuntu Gnome's lack of extremely basic essentials. I already run linux on my 2 servers and I love it, the problems are all about the UI (and maybe also drivers being tied to kernel updates).
Edit: Trying again in VM, looks like my best bet is: 1) Install "Hide Top Bar" extension 2) In Extensions app, disable built-in Dock altogether. Funnily, disabling it there make it appear in Overview similar to Fedora.
Edit 2: Tested in Ubuntu 26
- Install 'Hide Topbar' extension by sonersg
- In Dconf app, org/gnome/shell/extensions/dash-to-dock: disable intellihide + disable dock-fixed + enable autohide (source: https://fostips.com/auto-hide-ubuntu/ )
- In Extensions Manager app, under Ubuntu Dock / Intelligent autohide settings: reduce Show timeout.3
u/IntroductionSea2159 Jan 08 '26
Xfce, Cinnamon, and KDE will let you hide the taskbar. It's just GNOME that doesn't, because GNOME is made by jerks.
If you change to Linux Mint or Linux Mint Xfce then there aren't really any tradeoffs.
It's just that Ubuntu that's causing you problems, because they use GNOME and GNOME sucks.
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u/elgrandragon Jan 08 '26
Everything you described is doable in Cinnamon (Linux Mint's DE) out of the box without additional extensions. I would recommend you try it.
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u/Environmental_Art_88 Jan 09 '26
There's a GitHub repo that brings back the windows 10 taskbar(along with vertical option), I've had it on my work laptop since windows11 came out, but at this point it's a backup is on my personal stuff
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u/Just_Badger_4299 Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
There are automated updates, depending on your distributions. Some even check and install every hour.
But contrary to Windows, they work in the background and donc require you to "shutdown and install" for minutes/hours.
(Exceptions: kernel updates need a reboot to take effect, and may actually prevent you from rebooting until finished, which is a safe thing)
"I don't do any shady stuff that I would be concerned of "privacy""
Okay so please give me a copy of all your personal files and pictures. Since nothing is shady, you don’t have anything to hide, right?
Wrong: everything that pertains to your private life deserves privacy. Nothing to do with shadiness.
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u/DarkknightOP-69 Jan 08 '26
So how exactly will Microsoft get hold of all my files? Does windows have any spyware in-built?
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u/herzkolt Jan 08 '26
Does windows have any spyware in-built?
Yes, and recently they even tried to implement the Recall feature that, while cool and useful, also means that Microsoft would be getting a constant stream of screenshots from your computer and everything you type.
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u/icecubeinanicecube Jan 08 '26
My sweet summer child, Windows is the spyware. Your files literally live in a MS proprietary file system.
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u/DarkknightOP-69 Jan 08 '26
Oh T_T don't judge me I'm just naive
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u/icecubeinanicecube Jan 08 '26
Wasn't meant to be judgemental, by asking these questions you are already further than 95% of users ;)
But really, I can only restate the point, if you have a problem with showing your private files to random people on the internet, don't use windows.
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u/Sancticide Jan 08 '26
Not just files, it tracks what apps you open, clipboard history, and where you go on the Internet. All in a database on your system. Telemetry can then send data to MS.
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u/not_a_burner0456025 Jan 08 '26
Also, since the rollout of recall, all you passwords for things like online banking. Don't worry, they used state of the aret zero encryption to keep it safe. Nobody can decrypt your sensitive information if they never encrypt it and just store it in plain text.
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u/Just_Badger_4299 Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
Mandatory Microsoft account and default save to OneDrive for Windows 11. Does that really feel like owning your OS or data?
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u/smoopy62 Jan 09 '26
I am similiar to you in my usage. Occasionally played with a couple distros over the last 10 yrs and found them difficult for anything outside of browsing. Windows really pushed me over the edge by slyly forcing one drive. I do not want my financial info etc anywhere out there. Honestly didnt even know it was happening until too late.
I decided on Zorin and did a dual boot to keep windows. Why keep Windows? I have a variety of programs that I still use. Tried using Wine (Bottles) to run a couple of them and was never successful - even after hours of trying and using Chat to help guide the setup.
I have tried a number of Linux apps ( mostly desktop pub/ graphics art programs and while I understand everything comes with a learning curve, I find their interfaces horrible and less refined.
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u/KaMaFour Jan 08 '26
Completely different example - HDD vs SSD.
I used to run a pc with an HDD. It worked just fine. I didn't see a reason to switch. It doesn't get stuck for 2 mins opening some app, it feels fast enough to get the job done, I don't often copy 10GB of homework to another place so it should work for all my usecases. The problem is - all those micro stutters, small waits you got used to do add up to the total user experience. When you switch to a configuration where all apps open just 0.5 seconds faster, the microstutters get just a bit less frequent etc. it's hard to move back. And the same way I could not go back to an HDD now I couldn't go back to windows now. Because my current PC works just that little bit more responsively thanks to both linux and ssds.
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u/DarkknightOP-69 Jan 08 '26
Hmm this explanation is better than most other comments here, I am kinda getting it now
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u/Starkoman Jan 09 '26
You set off a very long page of people offering you excellent advice (!).
Hopefully, the moderators will pin this page near the top of the group — so other potential Windows →︎ Linux switchers can share in the wisdom too.
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u/DarkknightOP-69 Jan 10 '26
Lol yeah the response I've been getting on this post is overwhelming. Never got so much engagement before in reddit
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u/KaMaFour Jan 08 '26
But also shout out to the feeling of having a little bit more control over what happens on your PC and not it being an eldritch being you are graciously being allowed to use. It helps
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u/Sixguns1977 Jan 08 '26
This is the same thing people told me about DOS vs Windows in the early 90s. We were buying DOS versions of games until there were no more DOS versions of games.
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u/telmathus Jan 08 '26
Windows is probably just right for you OP. For Linux users (like myself) I value privacy, even though I'm not doing any shady stuff myself either. I also enjoy a non bloated OS from the start. A very clean desktop. Completely customizable to exactly how I want it. A OS that I own and it only does what I ask it to do and nothing else. My distro is faster than my last windows run, probably due to lack of bloat wear and AI trying to learn my habits. The comment of getting stuck waiting 2 minutes for an app to open has never happened with any of the programs I use. Also never had to write any scripts or lines of code to make something work. I have seen an easy 15 to 23% performance increase on the games I play and my computer runs 5 to 8⁰ cooler. With that knowledge I know that my computer is not running as hard as it used to, so to a degree my internal parts should last longer, and currently computer parts are not getting any cheaper.... I use Nobara and it's honestly been a breath of fresh air ever since I switched. I plan to never go back.
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u/middaymoon Jan 08 '26
' I don't do any shady stuff that I would be concerned of "privacy". '
Privacy is not for shady people. It's a basic human right that we should all be fighting for. When you advocate for privacy for yourself you erode the power these huge tech companies have over all of us.
...anyway, I would say that the best part of Linux is control over your machine. That means you decide what you want to install or run. You decide how it behaves. The other side of that coin is responsibility. You're responsible for making choices about your backups and security. You have to understand a little bit more about how computers work. You get to decide what you need your computer to do for you, not Microslop. You have to be a little more knowledgeable and curious.
This may sound bad to you. You don't want your computer to feel complicated. You want it to "just work". But the truth is that computers (and online life in general) are complicated. If you're not making those choices then someone else is making them for you. If you don't understand the risks and tradeoffs of certain designs or tools then you are implicitly trusting that someone else, in this case Microslop, does understand them and has your best interest in mind. Do you think that's true, judging by their actions and statements over the last fee years? I certainly do not.
Other than that I think Linux is just more fun and useful.
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u/yammez Jan 08 '26
You are right about privacy not being for shady people, I just want to flesh out this point a little more.
I think a common misconception is that you want/need a means of privacy when doing shady things. This is not the case. Well I guess it could be but it’s not the point. The primary concern with data privacy is that some company is collecting data about how you use a computer/device and what you look at.
Then I hear things like “well I have nothing to hide”. That is also not the point. It’s costing the company time and effort and resources to collect that data, meaning it is valuable to them. So they will collect for “free” from you, even if anonymized, any data they can and put it through whatever data science algorithms they have to categorize you and profit off you. Aside from the creepiness, you also don’t see a dime.
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u/TufTed2003 Jan 08 '26
Privacy is also for people who like to close the bathroom door....
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u/GreedyGerbil Jan 08 '26
Oh so you are doing drugs and CP in there? Obviously you do since you don't want to keep the door open for the government/random ass companies to make sure?
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u/mudslinger-ning Jan 09 '26
Yeah. We don't need an audience to watch me poop, fart and scratch my balls.
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u/not_a_burner0456025 Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
Also, the "I have nothing to hide" is simply objectively wrong , especially with Microsoft, since they got caught gathering users Bank accounts, social security numbers, etc. and storing it insecurely with recall.
Edit: to be totally clear, they were caught storing that information on your local system, nobody proved they stored it on their servers, which would be worse, but they said they wouldn't capture that information at all and they did so they either lied or are so incompetent they don't even know what their own code does, either way it is idiotic to trust that they handle it safely now and will continue to do so in perpetuity.
Also, they have since encrypted the recall data that was initially stored in plain text but did a poor job of it and security experts cracked it very quickly
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u/Naetharu Jan 09 '26
This.
For me I use API keys for services like AWS and cloudflare. I do not want them stored in some random AI plain text recall and the possibly transmitted to some AI training dataset.
Waking up tomorrow to find your cloud account is compromised would not be fun.
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u/C5-O Jan 08 '26
To add on to that, you may think you don't have anything to hide, but
Someone else (government, company, religious nutjobs, etc) may decide for themselves that whatever you're doing is bad actually and try to use the data they collected to harm you
Do you really want a surveillance camera pointed at your toilet or at your bed? Shitting, sleeping, masturbating are all totally normal things, but you still wouldn't want random people watching you.
In general, being under surveillance puts you into a different state of mind, you worry about every little thing you do, not even about "doing nothing wrong" but about "not appearing weird or out of place". It enforces conformity, and I think that end of everyone/everything being the same would suck, it'd hurt a lot of people, and it'd also just be boring af.
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u/MoshPete Jan 09 '26
I would go a bit further: In the western world we tend to think about the world, looking back say 15-30 years. But the world isn't and wasn't always such a nice place. What if there is a regime change in your country and you oppose them? Just look at the USA and how fast things can go.
All of a sudden, you go from 'nothing to hide', to 'political enemy', because you have a different political view, that you aren't allowed to express anymore. (or a different skin color, or a different background, or a different sexual preference, etc.)
The more data big tech has collected about you and your preferences, the easier it will get for such a regime to oppress you and the other "opposing" people like you.
Big data is already changing the course of democratic elections: Take the Brexit for example. It was a close call and it is evident, that Russia and Cambridge Analytica have swung the mood to leaving the EU. All just to weaken the EU as a whole - Russia doesn't care about the false freedom that the UK now has.
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u/CaterpillarFirm4487 Jan 16 '26
One lady was visited by the police for a Facebook post in the US. We are now living in a surveillance state.
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u/Elyaradine Jan 09 '26
I may not have anything I want to hide, but it really rubs me the wrong way that a billion dollar tech company could help themselves to my data and make themselves even richer without, at the very least, giving me really good software that is well designed and human-centric.
They're currently making bad software with bad UX, laying off QA and developers, doubling down on unethical generative AI. If my data's so valuable to them, then I'd like to see them make it worth my while rather than trying to con everyone.
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u/nightcatsmeow77 Jan 09 '26
This exactly.
I admit I use Google services, docs, Gmail, search, etc. I know their business involves using that data to enhance thwir advertising business where they make the money that let's them off that to me.
But they offer a good and very co ve ient service. They charge me in the form of access to the data of what im up to but they hive me things for that. Its still a business transaction, white the offer a service and the cost is data instead of money but its presented in a way that I can decide of the service is worth the cost.
Windows, a platform that a majority of software is designed for. Thay we PAY for wiyh actual money, then decides they get a free godt of our data when we purchase the os. They decide to close options for managing the system that used to exist, they add advertising into the os, they make the os work for them first not for me.
They that my computer like an old empire treated their colony. That they own that space and thay we must serve the empire first and ourselves second. This was clear to me when on cl outer I have whose network interface has issues on win 11 but was fine on 10, so I kept refusing updates then they said I'd done so too many times and it was no longer permitted.
Its my computer and they said I wasnt allowed to refuse win 11
That was the day I installed linux.
And I have since converted my laptop into a dual.boot that mains Linux
I am leaving windows (duak.boot is incase I need to use things thay wont work under linux or has a solid alternative under linux) because I no longer trust windows to not out mocrosodfts interests ahead of my own
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u/HexspaReloaded Jan 09 '26
Shady stuff like banking, documenting crime and abuse, monitoring your health, conducting business or research, planning a surprise event, freely practicing religion, or having an intimate moment.
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u/ne0n008 Jan 09 '26
My 2 cents: I don't care about my data being collected and sold so whoever is collecting data can make money off of it. That's not my problem. My problem is that all this money earned from collecting and selling data is not invested back into better quality of product, devs being paid more or support being better. It's funneled back into more spying and advertising and that's the part I hate and why I'm doing anything I can to prevent it in my little part of universe.
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u/dankmemelawrd Jan 08 '26
Privacy, malware on linux is almost non existent if you got an iq over 5 and you don't click on "find a milf to f*vk in your area", takes very little resources to work as intended (optimized), and the only downside imo is that it's not very friendly with nvidia products. Also most important, it can bring life back into
Also linux can be updated entirely os + all apps with one command lol
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u/Karmoth_666 Jan 08 '26
Asking for a friend.... where is that link with the milfs..... 🤣
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u/GreatBigBagOfNope Jan 08 '26
The point is that there are no milfs, only malware.
Someone has gone on the internet and told lies.
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u/ItsJoeMomma Jan 08 '26
My girlfriend Jennifer Aniston says you have to watch out for internet scams.
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u/masterz13 Jan 08 '26
Malware on Windows is the same though -- 99% of it is user-caused. It even has built-in antimalware. Are they targeting Windows machines more? Of course, because Windows has the market share. But it's still almost always preventable.
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u/Sixguns1977 Jan 08 '26
nd you don't click on "find a milf to f*vk in your area"
I feel personally attacked. 🤣
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u/aurumtt Jan 08 '26
Im recently made the definitive swtch to linux and i gotta say, all the scaremongering about nvidia drives has no bearing on my experience. I've been checking out different distros and none of them had any issues with getting the drivers for a 3080ti. I am wary now about eventually replacing it with something brand-new when that time comes though. I feel i mostly lucked out.
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u/RevealSilver8092 Jan 08 '26
nvidia is not very friendly with linux*
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u/orthadoxtesla Jan 08 '26
I’m running a 5090 with zero issues. And up until last month I was running a 1060 with no issues. That’s just not true anymore
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u/masterz13 Jan 08 '26
Agreed. My 1070 is buggy with it. Video frame stutters, not always detecting second monitor via DP, etc.
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u/Lukian0816 Jan 08 '26
I also had that card and got many random crashes. That's when I dedided to go AMD.
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u/MinusBear Jan 08 '26
This is untrue these days. Nvidia cards work just as good and fubctiinally as AMD cards.
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u/inn0cent-bystander Jan 08 '26
The difference is installing the drivers. With AMD they're just built into the kernel, but nvidia while is supposed to be getting better is still a PITA compared to AMD.
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u/coffeebrah Jan 08 '26
My 5080 has been fine using Mint. Games run perfect and haven't had ran into any real issues yet. Its also only been 2 weeks since I've switched so I guess time will tell for sure
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u/VisualSome9977 Jan 09 '26
These days Nvidia actually isn't that bad. Since I switched to NixOS I haven't had a single issue with nvidia (but also I use Wayland almost exclusively on my desktop, and from what I recall, Wayland plays nicer with Nvidia products. and I'm using an older GPU, so it's had time to get good support)
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u/tktktktktktktkt Jan 08 '26
malware on linux is almost non existent if you got an iq over 5 and you don't click on "find a milf to f*vk in your area"
I am sorry, but that works for windows too.
Also linux can be updated entirely os + all apps with one command lol
If apps are managed by package manager.
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u/PantsAreOffensive Jan 08 '26
And they would be managed by a manager. This is “Linux 4 noobs” after all
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u/100limes Jan 08 '26
I think that goes mostly for older/legacy nvidia cards, no? My gaming rig with 4070 Super is often faster on Linux then Windows. Granted, I'm using CachyOS with their super-optimized kernel.
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u/joexoszn Jan 08 '26
Is it possible to make YouTube videos not look grainy on linux if using nVidia card?
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u/burimo Jan 08 '26
I think it is more about your browser and not linux. I never had this problem in any browser though
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u/Slow_Pay_7171 Jan 08 '26
No. And thats a bummer. Its crazy that this isnt mentioned by more people.
I use FF on both. The difference is big. (SAMSUNG 4K Monitor)
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u/bunny_ears_forever Jan 08 '26
I'm still new at this but wasn't there an issue with some drivers for Nvidia not being available for Linux? I have Linux on an 2009 iMac and no issues with YouTube videos, probably some more recent Nvidia cards have more issues
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u/benny-powers Jan 08 '26
when windows is installed on your laptop, you use your laptop only with the permission of microsoft - permission which they can revoke at any time. You also allow them to read, change, or delete any information on your laptop, and they do that whenever they want, for whatever reason
when i turn on my computer, i do it without anyone's permission
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u/PresentPainting1257 Aug 08 '26
What exactly do you mean by that? I've been using Windows exclusively since 2001 for work and gaming and not for one second has microsoft revoked any access to anything or deleted/tampered with any file on the system
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u/KoeAkasaka Aug 19 '26
Well, windows one day decided to move my files to onedrive without asking me, so then I saw them on the cloud and thought it was a backup or something so I just deleted them from there, and it turns out they actually deleted the files from my SSD, it was not a backup. I ended up getting my stuff back but would you let a random guy to just move your private stuff around without your permission? I don't, that's why I use linux
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u/WT-thedragon Jan 08 '26
Total control means you decide what you do with the system; you don't depend on a company and you can add features to the system.
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u/PaperOrPlastic97 Jan 08 '26
Linux: I can delete the fucking desktop if I want and you can't stop me >:)
Windows: That file is marked as important for an email client back end that hasn't been used since Windows XP but hasn't been removed because we forgot it was there. No you can't delete it, how else are sketchy viruses supposed to find backdoors into your OS if it doesn't have 40yrs of technical debt stacked up?
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u/Starkoman Jan 09 '26
Windows: Decades of legacy spaghetti code — some of it going back to the early days of DOS — still in there, slowing the massive operating system down every day, yet Micro$loth don’t care enough to permanently weed it all out or optimise their code properly.
At the same time they’re laying off staff.
Their priorities are those of cost-cutting accountants and greedy stockholders — not those of their real world
sufferersend users.
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u/EqualCrew9900 Jan 08 '26
Windows: Microsoft owns it and "lets" you use it for giving M$ unfettered access to every key-click so they can train their AI. If you're good with that, keep it.
Linux: you own it. I'll take this one.
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u/simagus Jan 08 '26
Now it makes sense what they are doing with the "Inking and Typing" inbuilt keylogger. Of course.
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u/Richard_Thrust Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
All you have to do is turn off telemetry and also just use a local account. Both are really easy to do. But I also never turned on inking and typing either.
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u/not_a_burner0456025 Jan 08 '26
Neither of those are really true. If you disable a setting Microsoft some nasty habits of just still doing it anyways and more often secretly re-enabling it without telling you. Also they do not permit local accounts any more and regularly patch out workarounds when they are found.
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u/VisualSome9977 Jan 09 '26
The problem with a closed source OS like windows is that you don't ACTUALLY know that disabling something disables it. You can make as many user level modifications as you want, but you'll never know for sure.
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u/Sinaaaa Jan 08 '26
Windows seems perfectly fine to me
If Windows doesn't bother you, then there is no need to worry about this. From my perspective Linux never tells you to "wait a moment" , there are no ads & also no spying.
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u/_ragegun Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
Philosophically Linux is very different from Windows. Its understanding of what a computer user is is very different, too.
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u/gsdev Jan 08 '26
Microsoft treats your computer like it's their property and runs a bunch of stuff you didn't ask for and don't benefit from.
Linux understands that YOU own your computer and behaves accordingly.
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u/flapinux Jan 08 '26
If you aren't aware of the privacy concerns brought up by Recall & the lack of control where MSFT enables it & sends snapshots of your screen to their servers just waiting for a hacker to get ahold of them... then you're probably wondering what privacy? Right? :D
screen shots could include things like your Google account recovery keys, etc. so it's a real concern.
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u/PaperOrPlastic97 Jan 08 '26
Hacker? You mean when the US government pays Microsoft for the data because you don't need a search warrant or subpoena when everything you need is collected by private entities under the "consent" of the user according to a 5000-page EULA no one reads?
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u/einat162 Jan 08 '26
Normal lightweight user here myself: essentially Linux allows me to use old hardware that many people put away as trash. It means I can "upgrade" myself either free or very cheaply. Also, no dropping out support issue for the operating system.
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u/martinus_Sc Jan 11 '26
This deserves more upvotes (mine already chipped in!)
Started 2026 by recovering 2 old laptops (a Vaio and a MacBook both from 12-15 years ago) with Lubuntu to full working order… (and have my main workhorses on the to-do list for anytime soon)
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u/Competitive_Pen_5713 Jan 08 '26
I've been with windows for 20 plus years & my only regret is not getting Linux Mint years go.
Its like a massive weight been lifted of your shoulders that you have been carrying for miles.
Thats the only way I can describe its wonderful & I've only been using it less that 3 weeks, as for you saying stuff breaks easy you have got to be joking.
If your happy with windows then stick with it and be happy.
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u/gibarel1 Jan 09 '26
Full "control" (not sure what it means)
It means that literally have full controll over what your system does, you can uninstall and micro manage every single piece of the system, a few examples:
You can have so internet connectivity only when you decided so, instead of at boot, same with pretty much every service or driver
You can choose how you system behaves at boot, like which peripherals will your system power, when and how
You can literally uninstall every part of the system, be that browsers, apps, drivers, libraries, etc
You can sandbox apps so they don't have access to specific parts of the system, be that hardware or files
You can choose what happens and when it happens
You can boot the system without any graphics
Those are extreme examples of what you can do.
So what exactly do y'all linux users glaze linux for and how would linux be beneficial for a lightweight normal user like me?
Mainly privacy, windows has basically made the user's data it profit, everything you do, MS knows, and by extent so do their partners, and their partners partners. With Linux you can limit that, it's not about doing something you don't want people to know, it's about having a choice, you wouldn't be comfortable with 3rd party cameras inside your house, especially if you know that someone would be watching, same idea
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u/ZunoJ Jan 08 '26
I don't do any shady stuff that I would be concerned of "privacy".
Lol, please educate yourself on how this can backfire
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u/Informal_Drawing Jan 09 '26
You spend a huge amount of money on a PC and Microsoft fill Windows with so much crap you get less performance every year and every version.
It's unacceptable to have an ungodly powerful PC and still get lacklustre performance.
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Jan 08 '26
If you hit a problem on Windows, you’re stuck with Microsoft support, which has never solved a problem for me. The Linux community of volunteers and fellow users does a fantastic job of answering questions and helping each other.
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u/vort3 Jan 08 '26
I've been using windows since I had my very first PC in my childhood.
I never managed to get in contact with a single Microsoft employee when I needed their support because of some issue. It's all forums with advice from random people on the internet telling you to change registry keys, replace dlls, reinstall software, turn off antivirus, reboot windows etc.
Have any of you ever managed to talk to a real, human Microsoft employee? Not an automated reply or template or chatbot?
When I face issues in KDE (yes, KDE is a DE, and Linux is the kernel, you get my point anyway) I just look up the devs email address, send a message, usually get a reply directly from someone responsible for the piece of software I have issues with, and have the issue fixed in the next update, all within a week at most.
And OP says "support" on windows is good. I don't believe that. Maybe hardware support, but not Microsoft support.
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u/realMrJedi Jan 09 '26
Yes. On a conference call regarding our installation of Microsoft Dynamics. A very expensive piece of software which you could buy just like you could with Office. Except now it is Microsoft Dynamics 365 (SaaS).
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Jan 08 '26
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u/g59s Jan 08 '26
Literally any problem I ever had on windows and I tried to find an answer for was only solved after trying ~10 other “solutions”
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u/npaladin2000 Jan 08 '26
Besides not being vulnerable to most malware attempts, Linux is more efficient with resources, so your PC will go a log longer before it slows down and makes you think you need to buy a new one. That's essentially a result of "no bloatware" and the fact that for most Linux distros there's no money in it, so there's no financial interest in driving you to a new upgrade.
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u/BigGunE Jan 08 '26
No bloatware is an understatement! From my personal experience, my 13 year old laptop with Kubuntu outperforms most recent windows + new hardware setups in terms of both how great it looks and how snappy it is!
For work I had to install windows on a separate ssd on my machine. Oh god! Everything is a chore! You are constantly fighting ads and trying to figure out why your PC is so laggy. Then you realise that in windows world, thy is the default behaviour! All PCs being that way makes it not as noticeable.
If you are into coding and all, you may not know now but I am sure you will learn and get more familiar with the terminal and command line on windows. Which will unlock a whole new world for you and make you wonder why we aren’t polishing Linux for the masses instead of nasty Windows.
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Jan 08 '26
I haven't used Windows for over 20 years.. they have ads and crap now?? God, that's disgusting.
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u/MinusBear Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
For my daily usage, things just work. I like that images open instantly, it's so weird how long windows takes to open a jpg file. I have a crazy spec laptop and its a significant delay. I like the default video player which is so much more feature packed, with a much better minimal UI than windows default. You don't even need VLC.
It handles bluetooth super easy and much quicker than Windows. It works how you think it should on Windows. The exact same thing for audio switching between multiple devices. It doesn't seem to get confused like Windows does. The phone integration with KDE Connect is awesome. It's faster copying files between my phone and my desktop than it is using a flash drive.
The clipboard! Ohmygod that was a revelation. Not just that by default the clipboard saves loads of items you can easily browse back to, but also that each item generates a qr code, making it so much easier to share stuff with another device. You ever want to send a link to your phone, copy it, open the clipboard, point your phone camera at the qr code. Works for copying large amounts of text too.
Bazaar, I'm on Bazzite, other distros will have a different app that does the same thing. But its such a useful and easy to use "app store", chock full of useful free apps.
No forced updates sapping my bandwidth in the background and intruding on me when I need to shutdown or restart. I have a Windows pc where I've turned off all update settings available and still it will keep downloading and push me about them.
Its not perfect, but it solves a lot of problems I've had with Windows, and still have with Windows for work.
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u/kettchi Jan 08 '26
I switched roughly 2.5 years ago. While I work as a software developer and had some prior exposure both from work and private endeavors, on my private machines all I want is honestly something that works and is uncomplicated to use as I mostly want to play some games or watch a movie or whatever, really not different from any less tech-savvy person.
While there are many pros and cons I could argue in detail, I have found the one reason I will probably never go back is actually a very subjective one: With Linux, I do not 'hate' my OS anymore.
As I am still both using and administering Windows at work, I have a direct comparison there. Windows is absolutely filled with clutter, small annoyances, inconsistencies and odd or sometimes just plain weird design choices that always make me go 'why?!'.
Like Windows, Linux has its own set of issues, but in comparison, the experience appears to me to be more intuitive, thought-through and less... irritating.
Obviously everyone's situation and requirements are different and as stated this is a highly subjective way to look at things, but at least to me, actually liking the interactions with a device I spend so much time on seems like a pretty strong argument in the end.
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u/skyfishgoo Jan 08 '26
it's just far less annoying. there's no nagware, there's no antivirus jump scare, you get regular updates that can happen in the background while you work
it's just a far calmer experience with a whole lot less drama.
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u/Paxtian Jan 09 '26
The biggest things for me are those times when you come to your computer to find it's rebooted without your permission, having advertisements for Microsoft products like 365, Bing, Edge, etc. shoved in your face, default save location being OneDrive, constant notifications about Microsoft software, and the like.
You might not even notice it at this point, it's easy to become numb to.
It's like spending your life in a crowded, noisy city.
Then you go to a nice remote cabin in the woods, and it's just... peaceful. Returning to the city you suddenly notice all the noise. Except the noise isn't just loud, in Windows, it's loud and trying to extract as much of your money as it can.
Also, in Linux, your software (all of it, not just the OS itself) is easily kept up to date through one command. Ever launch an application in Windows and it goes, "I'm out of date right now as you're trying to use me, do an update!" In Linux, you can choose one time to do an update of all your installed software. And if you don't want to at that moment, you don't have to. You don't need to worry about random restarts. You don't need to worry about not being able to log off and shut down because there's a mandatory update. You won't have products begging you for money.
It's a much happier experience.
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u/JoachimFaber2 Jan 08 '26
The main reason for me is data protection and independence from large corporations.
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u/xnef1025 Jan 08 '26
Honestly, if you don't care about the privacy/ads/telemetry stuff and you aren't interested in tweaking and messing around or have no need to learn Linux, and your system runs as you like it, it probably isn't any better for you personally.
A user-friendly Linux Distro probably isn't going to be any worse than Windows for you either. There would be a transition since not every program you use on Windows necessarily will run on Linux out of the box. You may have to swap to alternatives or mess around with something like Bottles to get a windows program working in Linux, but that kind of stuff is expected in any OS switch.
Could things break with Linux? Sure. But a Windows install can go bad too. I've had to wipe and reinstall my fair share of both.
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u/Toukoen_Raize Jan 08 '26
Less windows overhead means your YouTube won't stutter as much cuz you won't hit your pathetic 8 ram cap
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u/PositiveBusiness8677 Jan 08 '26
I only started using Linux 2 weeks ago so I might not be the best person to answer, but personally, I like the distraction-free environment.
Linux is the equivalent of a clean desk.
Clutter doesn't stop me getting the job done, but I just don't need the unnecessary cognitive load.