Heyho, recently someone asked for the silliest reasons, but as someone who has suggested linux to many people, I often encounter people having valid reasons for staying with Windows or switching back.
The most boring but valid one is “I have to use Windows for work. It is a requirement (of some software I have to use)”. But there are also other answers that fit. My sister for example tried Linux, but while installing software constantly encountered issues that I helped her solve and eventually switched back because she felt like she had less control than over windows. While I am aware that this is fundamentally wrong, it is valid that some amateur users do not want to invest enough time to get over the initial hurdles of relearning how to install software.
What are the best reasons people have given you for not wanting to try Linux?
“I really only use the PC for gaming. Mostly, I play Valorant.”
There ya go, you’re not getting that working under Linux even if you are a master tinker. 🤷♂️ He did eventually switch, but not until long after he stopped playing Valorant regularly.
Some reasons are silly, some are incredibly valid. Sometimes it’s just “I don’t want to” and that’s OK too, lol.
“Nobody uses it so nobody can help me”
Bitch I’m standing right in front of you, also you can pay people or get free support on the internet. Linux users are way more helpful than the average Windows user…
Average Windows advice for basically every “Please help!” posts: “Just run DISM/SFC” marked as “solved”
I work on Windows computers for people, and do run both commands as just general flow. But I was so fucking excited recently to finally run into an issue that those commands actually fixed something (or at least a couple of the noticeable issues). Was so shocked that I had to tell all my direct co-workers.
But basically all other times I have ran them for real problems, I can’t remember any instance where they worked. For all the videos or guides with titles like “How to fix all Windows PCs”, you would think that they are the only solution.
The only frustrating thing with Linux communities/guides I tend to run into (especially when I had zero experience), are steps that get left out. Not out of malice, but because users that are much more experienced leave out things that are assumed to be already understood. Of course I don’t have a specific example off-hand since I already have some understanding at this point. Which kind of shows how easy it is to take certain things as “obvious.” Outside of that, the answers/guides do normally be good and friendly.
The common excuse i hear is “I don’t want to have to code like in MS-DOS.”
People out here think linux is still 40 years ago
I am very pro Linux but “I like Windows” is valid enough for me. I might ask why but I am not going to act like that reason is invalid.
If they like Windows 11 I’d distance myself and watch my back while they’re doing it. Windows 10 was OK, 7 was great, 8 was at least not completely shit but the vibe coded mess of 11 can only appeal to serial killers or Hellraisers.
My silly reason is when it comes down to business the ms office suite works the best out of any office suite.
Sure that is because Microsoft spends more time making it incompatible with any other editors than actually developing decent software but that doesn’t change the fact that I can’t trust people on the other end of the email to perform even one step of troubleshooting if the document doesn’t open for them on the first try.
Oh man, Teams +Outlook + Office 365 + onedrive +Copilot?
So good for office shit. So bad for hood practices.
“Hey copilot I’m pretty sure I got an email asking if I had an SOP on X. Can you find that email and the SOP?”
“Copilot, using the recording of the teams meeting ‘Training from Vendor X’ and my notes on ‘Tool Y’ can you compile that into a FAQ sheet for us?”
Sure it misses stuff and is only so good because none of the data is private, but man that’s 90% of my work load for SOP making. Worth the $400 a year corporate pays for it.
He’s a Windows security researcher. I felt dumb.
Couldn’t he still use Linux for his personal system?
They didn’t want to constantly rely on me to fix every little thing they break instead of learning how to do it themselves.
No wait, that was my reason for not switching them. 😆
… Do you not have to deal with that already?
Thats why I switched them. And didnt give admin rights.
(I manage updates remotely)
I’m referring to certain people. I’ve transitioned people over and help them out with it, like my dad for instance who I have no expectations that he’d learn what a dotfile even is much less troubleshoot a problem.
I feel like we shouldn’t call them “admin rights”, it implies you should automatically get them.
My mum used to say “it’s a privilege, not a right” when I was young and I reflect on that when she calls me up because she can’t install some virus on her laptop without my password and I explain that the system is performing as expected.
Too lazy.
For one of my friends its just cause she has a shitload going on and enough problems to deal with without trying to figure out a new way for her computer to work and whatnot
Plus I think art stuff she uses doesn’t support linux and she found krita unsuitable for how she likes to work
The last Windows machine in my house is because of one program: Embrilliance. It’s embroidery software that lets you make designs and send them directly to the embroidery machine. It technically works in WINE, but for some reason one of the cursors is missing, so when you try to draw freehand, you have no idea where the mouse is. Was thinking about trying Winboat for this eventually, but I haven’t gotten around to it.
“I don’t want to”
My friend
- loves making and sharing home videos, but his entire workflow is tied to Windows Movie Maker
- his wife insists on using an iPhone and is tech-illiterate, so depends on him having iTunes for syncing stuff
- has bad memories of Linux from the 2000s and has grown comfortable with a copy of Windows that I’ve debloated
I don’t ask. I just point at Microsofts shit and ask why they haven’t switched already.
You don’t ask, you ask?
Premiere, Photoshop, Lightroom, FL Studio. They either don’t work or work terribly on Linux. That one DAW on Linux from Ableton devs that’s decent still has awful UX compared to FL and VST compatibility seemed spotty. I do use Linux daily (Debian flavor) though just not on my main PC but on my laptop, and also on the work laptop for work.
I love Linux. I use it wherever I can. I don’t use Linux on my primary gaming workstation, for the simple reason that the display drivers, specifically mixed extended desktop and screen mirroring is just straight up ass.
This genuinely surprises me, I can understand having driver issues, but I honestly have had a perfect experience with extended desktop and screen mirroring, never a single problem. While finding Windows’ to be ass
