Back in the 90s, before the DOJ v Microsoft antitrust trial, Microsoft’s licensing terms with OEMs required them to pay MS for every unit sold — even units that did not come with Windows. This meant that if Dell or HP or whoever wanted to offer Linux as an option, they’d still need to pay Microsoft for Windows or else lose the ability to sell Windows at all. It made no sense to offer Linux PCs at that point.

Just one of many many examples of Microsoft’s illegal anti-competitive behaviors.

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In my last job I had colleagues using Windows, and they were super chill. When they turned on their computer in the morning, it took 20 minutes to boot, install the latest updates and log on. I had to start working right away, while they were having their third coffee and second cigarette, waiting for their computer to get ready. I’m sure it wasn’t healthy, but relaxing.

Padme is right. My windows using friends are always mad about some change or another and I’m just chill as a cucumber.

I’m very much not-chill for a variety of reasons. Mainly because it’s a prime example of what’s been made abundantly clear the last couple of years: once you get users on your platform, they will never leave, regardless of how much abuse you throw at them.

For another, there’s a stupid idiom that goes around all the time that goes something along the lines of “if you don’t like it, don’t buy/use/do it!” as if their decisions don’t affect your personal choices. A prime example is headphone jacks on phones. Linux has the potential to be so much more useful with even a miniscule fraction of the funding (like 0.001%) that companies like MS and Apple have.

It’s incredibly frustrating asking people to consider doing something in their own best interests and being mocked and ridiculed in return or even listening to them excuse and defend their abusers.

I feel a sense of ownership over my OS. I tinker, I experiment, I break things and sometimes I fix them.
I still get mad, but it’s our problem. We got here together and I know that we can do better.
Windows feels like renting. The landlord only shows up when I’m not ready, fixes stuff that wasn’t broken, doesn’t fix any of the things that I need fixed, keeps raising the rent and installing hidden cameras. If I want to fix anything, it costs way more, is way harder because the landlord won’t tell me where anything is, gets un-fixed every time the landlord visits, and after all that it’s just fixing someone else’s house.

osx is the unix equivalent of a tip terminal at a restaurant

There are no Linux gatekeepers. There are assholes everywhere, that’s the human condition. I came across these assholes and I learnt that I should take advice and consider it myself.

If you close your brain and listen to random online people without thought, you’ll have a bad time, Linux or no Linux.

This stereotype of people in Linux or open source as assholes is FUD spread by people who have a vested interest in spreading it.

I’ve found people mostly very helpful and courteous.

You’re talking about Arch and Gentoo users, aren’t you?

New user: which distro should I use?
Arch users: definitely Arch, it’s so easy and stable!

Anti Commercial-AI license

Not only misinformation, but straight up condescending unhelpful answers, sometimes.

As far as I can tell nothing has actually changed. The “recommended” is the same shit as it’s always been, and windows 10 already has that.

Yes :( Self inclined vendor lock-in ™. I hope for more new Linux users (unless it does not fit their use case very well) who are willing to learn and spread the word!

Yeah it pisses me off the way people are like “tech bros ruined the internet”. No, users ruined it! There was no reason to stop self-hosting webpages, forums and IRC servers. Users switched to Facebook instead because they preferred it and didn’t care about the downsides. There’s an alternative to every website and app which respects privacy, serves no ads, and has no algorithm to farm your outrage. Users refuse to use them because they aren’t cool enough.

Yep. Change requires actual change.

And it also generally requires more energy than working with the current system, unless and until it becomes the default.

You want free-range grass-fed beef that is slaughtered with reasonably low suffering? Pay more for that, until it becomes the system.

You want an operating system that isn’t screwing you over at every opportunity? Use a Linux distro, and pay for ease or pay with learning how to make it do the things you think I should.

I’m happily using Linux as my daily driver, and have been for ages. I’ve gotten over the need to tinker as much - I just use it, report bugs when they matter to me, and live life.

Really. I’ve been watching the shitshow in windows and apple get worse and worse, and am glad for the availability of Linux.

I feel bad for people that even spend one moment thinking about what operating system someone else prefers

The problem I have is normalization. People complained about micro-monetization in video games, but that was normalized. People complained about corporate interest in open source, but that’s normalized. Now people are complaining about your operating system advertising to you against your will, it will be normal soon.

I’d debate the free will part.