[johnisgood]

I also recommend https://github.com/LeDragoX/Win-Debloat-Tools to debloat your Windows 10-11.

Familiarity is not really a good reason against Linux, however. Just install a Linux distro that comes close in looks. What are these Linux distributions these days? Pop OS? Elementary OS? Most people are only using their browsers anyway.

[__rito__]

Linux Mint remains the most stable, least babysitting required, solid distro for beginners. Ubuntu is also okay. Pop, Zorin, Elementary, etc. are great choices, too. But if you ask me one, I will suggest Linux Mint. All Linux Mint releases are Long Time Support (LTS) versions, btw. With support for five years.

[hodgehog11]

Pop is woefully out of date at this point due to the ongoing alpha development of COSMIC. I switched off because a whole bunch of Nvidia-related things started breaking. LTS doesn't seem ideal for Nvidia in my experience.

[__rito__]

I just have seamless experience with Ubuntu.

Wdym about LTS not being ideal for NVIDIA?

The OS receives updates, NVIDIA drivers also do. What is the problem?

Am I missing something?

[hodgehog11]

The latest NVIDIA drivers (576+ I think?) are totally broken on Ubuntu 22.04 variants and seem to require 24+. That was my experience anyway, I tried everything I could to get it to work, but PopOS would never boot under those drivers unless I upgraded to the alpha builds on Ubuntu 24. Forced me to switch to Fedora in the end (I needed those drivers for work) which worked seamlessly.

[__rito__]

Oh, that makes sense.

Ubuntu releases LTS versions every two years. I jump from LTS to LTS by simple `do-release-upgrade` command. Takes about 30 minutes. And I only upgrade after the dust settles, i.e. after 3-4 months of the release.

Mint also releases upgrades regularly. I suggest upgrading regularly.

NVIDIA drivers work great, and receive updates.

[poulpy123]

Familiarity is shorthand for time and energy. Neither of them are infinite.

Ironically your second sentence is an example of the impact on time and energy the switch will have: someone who just decided to switch from windows to linux will have to take the time and spend the energy to chose between the dozen of linux distributions before any practical consideration.

[johnisgood]

Well, I have been told by many people to install Windows on their PC or laptop. I installed Linux instead. They were quite happy with that.

If you want it out of the box, there are laptops out there with Linux pre-installed, but it is not as common, unfortunately.

So I do not see the irony. They usually ask someone to install an OS, or they buy a computer pre-installed with an OS.

[poulpy123]

If you do all the work, they indeed don't need to spend time and energy on the switch itself, and even better if their usage is limited enough they don't encounter missing software or incompatibilities with the windows world.

The irony is that before doing the work for the switch, and even before doing the work of checking if the switch is feasible for their need, they will need to spend time and energy to select which linux distrib they should choose. Switching from linux to windows of macos doesn't have this issue

[johnisgood]

So the problem with switching to Linux is that they have to spend the time and energy to choose a Linux distribution? If we are to nitpick, it is not that easy with Windows either. Which Windows version? Which torrent is the right one? The last question is because most people here do not have a legit copy, they torrent it. It took me longer to find the right version of Windows to torrent than to search for "top Linux distributions for beginners".

[poulpy123]

> So the problem with switching to Linux is that they have to spend the time and energy to choose a Linux distribution?

You know that's not the only issue, and that it is not what I'm saying. You can try to convince yourself as much as you want that it is not an issue, the reality will not change

> Which Windows version?

Are you kidding ? there is only one in 2025 : windows 11.

> Which torrent is the right one?

Why are you even talking about torrent ?

[johnisgood]

Then what are the other issues? Because you repeatedly cited that as the reason it makes it ironic.

I told you why I am talking about torrent. No one has a legit copy of Windows 11, no one actually buys it here, especially not individuals. Companies might.

Oh yeah, how would they know Windows 11 is the latest if not by looking it up?

Either way, as I said, someone will be asked to install an OS, or they will buy computers with an OS pre-installed (and they will eventually ask, even then). None of which require them to pick anything.