[pwinnski]

Most people will sign up for a Microsoft account, or already have, and so won't even see these ads.

But let's say you use Microsoft Windows, but don't want a Microsoft account. You're going to leave Windows over this? And go where?

Wait, is 2023 the fabled Year of Linux on the Desktop, at long last?

I haven't used Windows in many years, and I'm not trying to defend Microsoft here. Still, the framing of this piece seems silly. Very rarely is any single thing reason enough for the average person to completely switch operating systems. The cost of switching is too high.

[belter]

The Desktop Experience on Linux is years ahead of Windows. Only users who have to use apps non available on Mac or Linux use Windows.

[pwinnski]

Of course! I don't disagree. And yet here we are at 69.43% desktop market share[0] for Windows for March 2023, decades after I started hearing about how this year, for sure, was going to be the Year Of Linux On The Desktop™.

Most people don't seem to be using the best possible desktop experience. Their desktop is decided by an employer, or whatever is pre-installed, or who knows what. But an ad in the start menu doesn't seem like it's likely to budge that number much.

0. https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/worldwide...

[justsomehnguy]

> The Desktop Experience on Linux is years ahead of Windows

[citation needed]

And is also relevant: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35325280

[belter]

Better than citation, it's beautiful: https://youtu.be/7JJmCAJs9pM