Does anybody know if when using Windows on a computer but not paying for anything windows related: is windows/ Bill Gates profiting from it? Is it worth installing linux as a protest?
Currently using ubuntu, switched in January because my computer can’t swap to 11. I can still dual boot to windows if necessary, but so far it hasn’t been necessary.
So far, haven’t run into issues. Gaming through steam has been minimal effort. Gaming outside of steam a bit more so. VR has been somewhat persnickety, discord needs to be uninstalled and reinstalled to update.
I am in a very weird position because I use my PC on the couch with a 4k projector. Oddly enough linux has nailed the proper text sizing across applications better than windows ever did. Which is weird because my requirements for this kind of setup is kinda niche.
Mostly I swapped because I cannot upgrade to 11 without a hardware update, and new electronics are gonna be painful over the next 4 years.
If you aren’t getting a free update to windows 11, then it’s definitely worth as a protest. Even if you get it for free, it’s less of a stranglehold that windows has over the computer space, and it’s less data they farm off you.
People who are only now up in arms about Gates shedding hypocrisy on the climate crisis should look into the long history of abuses Microsoft have made on their way to near-monopoly, including the times when they lobbied and bribed governments, including here in Europe, to lock them and the educational systems into the Microsoft ecosystem. Instead of authorities saving money with Linux and FOSS in general, they spent public money on Windows and Office licenses! (Don’t get me started about how they shouldn’t have even been the benchmark for ECDL courses; having ECDL done should mean one can figure out how to use, say, a simple Linux distribution.)
It’s worth it for something more important than as a protest - it means ending Europe’s dependence on Silicon Valley. And in this, every PC switch matters.
(not to mention it’s a pretty good OS - and it’s only going to get better if we make it part of the European autonomy strategy and give it the support it deserves)
Linux is worth it as the greatest protest to everything that is wrong with technology.
i just installed mint on my laptop and it runs way better than it ever ran with windows 11 plus it’s super user friendly :)
Wonderful. I’m considering Ubuntu. But I’ll give mint a consideration. Thank you for the tip!
I wouldn’t advise on Ubuntu, in the later years it has become more and more closed source and the company rep is in shambles. Go with LMDE -> Linux Mint Debian edition
Not necessarily as a protest, but the answer is always hard yes.
The amount of data Windows and microsoft in general collect is worth billions and going straight to the hands of the US govt. for a price obviously, so yes they are profiting from your use regardless of whether you pay for it or not.
There’s a reason they gave the upgrade to 11 away for “free.”
The secret word is “telemetrics”. Microsoft will track your actions and sells the data, just like Google or Apple.
If you’re using Windows, you’ve paid for it one way or another.
True. It came pre installed on my PC I bought 4 years ago. But yeah, you’re correct. This is the reason to why I was questioning the decision to install Linux. But I think I will install Linux anyway.
That’s great! It requires a bit of research and adjustment but it’s well worth it.
The way I see it, using these software, even without paying anything and even if you could somehow shield your data from telemetry, strengthens their hegemony.
Growing the pool of users in Open Source project, talking about them, maybe filing bug reports if needed, helps make them more viable. The growing user count makes developers more enticed to release software for these platforms.
I don’t think Microsoft’s hegemony suffers a lot from losing a user … But they do suffer slightly more from Linux gaining a user.
I switched to Linux this month (finally, couple months in planning). Switch, donate, spread the word, make it easier for people to switch. Gaming has been very simple, the biggest hurdle being the drivers which most distros can auto handle I think.
Windows is not making money on sales only. They collect data and then they sell them to data brokers. Those brokers then sell the data to advertisement agencies to serve you adds. Even if you buy just one item based on those adds (which may be unconscious choice) you have already paid. Even if you buy nothing based on adds, microsoft already got the money.
I do recommend linux but be aware of letting people to push you into something you don’t want to do. Linux community can be very enthusiastic 😅. Top three to recommend are Linux Mint (most windows like design), Fedora (most stable) and Pop OS (best with nvidia gpu). Only one of these is favorite of mine but I will not tell you which, just search for them, look at screenshots and you will see what suits you.
Isn’t Ubuntu The most used distribution? How come it isn’t in your top three? Not judging, just wondering. It feels to me it’s reasonably user friendly and its large user base makes it the easiest to find support online for if you’re a Linux newbie.
Ubuntu Linux is the most popular distribution but it uses the Gnome desktop by default, which many Windows users may find to be a stumbling block since it looks and acts nothing like the Windows desktop. The standard distribution of Linux Mint uses the Cinnamon desktop, which is much closer in look and feel to Windows, and it is based on Ubuntu so most users can benefit from the technical support of the Ubuntu community.
[Edit: corrected “Linux” to “Ubuntu Linux.” thanks [email protected].]
[Ubuntu] is the most popular distribution but it uses the Gnome desktop by default, which many Windows users may find to be a stumbling block since it looks and acts nothing like the Windows desktop.
Just use Kubuntu.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of it or anything (especially because of the “snap” nonsense), but it is the easiest to get working because things like Steam officially support it.
Unfortunately that uses the Plasma desktop which looks similar but is much more complicated to (re)configure and less like Windows. It might drive a switcher away through frustration.
You don’t have to reconfigure it, though. I know it’s not a very “Linux-y” thing to say, but it really is okay to just install it and then leave it alone.
I myself have done basically nothing to my Plasma configuration except changing to a dark theme and setting my own wallpaper.
On Ubuntu:
Ubuntu: despite having a huge mind-share as the beginner distro, Ubuntu suffers from it’s parent company’s policy to make Ubuntu kinda-Linux-but-not-really and a second-rate citizen compared to their Ubuntu Pro commercial product. Some of the worst takes in recent years have been pushing Snaps super agressively in order to get some “vendor-lock-in”, proprietary walled-garden ecosystem with exclusive commercial apps, forcibly installing snaps even when explicitely asking for a .deb package through apt, baking ads and nags into major software or only delivering critical security patches to Pro customers. …
