For anyone who still needs Windows, I recommend you try the Windows 10 LTSC IoT variant.
It has support until 2032 and has all the bloatware ripped out. It's extremely good.
They even have a Windows 11 version. That's also really good. But I'm guessing if you've avoided upgrading to Windows 11, you'd prefer to stay on 10 anyway.
I keep seeing these " time to move to Linux" threads. For my work I have to use super proprietary software which I know for a fact is Windows only. Not only that it's GPU intensive CPU intensive and niche. I'm sure there's a way to run Windows within Linux but I can only imagine the pain in trying to get proprietary shite to work.
On top of that I need specific CAD software, Photoshop and Illustrator. I don't think any of these daily used programs support Linux.
From the outside, Linux just seems like an absolute ball ache to get working with all of the things I currently do without even thinking about it.
I'd love to do it. Not sure it's going to work. Am I wrong?
No, you are right. In your situation, Linux is just not an option - yet.
I think these posts are meant for the 95% of people that use a browser, and maaaaybe a mail client on their PC.
Photoshop/Illustrator will only ever get ported if enough people have already made the move that Adobe can't afford to ignore Linux any longer.
That being said, if those requirements are just for work, what's keeping you on Windows on your private devices?
That's a fair point, other than I do need to work at home on occasion!
I'll have a good think about it.
You could switch to Linux at home and just have a windows VM in case you need to do something for work urgently.
FWIW, Photoshop and Illustrator generally work very well through Wine, not sure about CAD so I can't comment on that.
In general though, yeah, if you have to use some super proprietary Windows-only software, you very well may be out of luck for Linux. In which case, yeah, you have to put up with Windows and jump through whatever hoops Microsoft wants you to jump through.
As a gamer, I'm always going to have at least one Windows PC.
But I'm planning to upgrade next month, and turn my old PC into a non-gaming Linux rig for all non-gaming purposes.
I don't play every game out there, but in the last couple of years, I've not had a reason to switch to Windows to play a game.
Most games these days seem to work fine on Linux, especially with all the work Valve has put in.
When I ran a dual-boot over June and July last summer only about 60% of my library functioned, so for me, it's just not feasible to go entirely without Windows.
Same here. Its just a much better experience through windows. I made a new system for my daily driver which runs linux and I only turn on my gaming desktop when i want to game. I stream it through steam remote play and it works great
Basically every game without anticheat runs on Linux now
That wasn't my experience, even with the various compatibility tools.
A lot do though.
Last month, for the first time, Windows 11 was a more popular OS than Windows 10 in the Steam Hardware Survey. Of course, this is an imprecise science as people have to opt in to having their machines measured but it's a sign of wider adoption. Windows 8, on the other hand, never made it big enough to do the same in its lifespan. Windows 7 was a very popular OS and adoption even to Windows 10 was fairly slow initially, partially down to that skepticism.
You can't cite the jump from 7 to 8 or 7 to 10 without also remarking on the fact users had far more.control over updates back then.
Yeah, Windows 11 adoption is up, because most people don't have a choice, or they didn't care enough to stop it happening automatically, and don't know how to roll it back. That doesn't translate to approval.
At a certain point, adoption rates just don't matter anymore because increasingly the user doesn't have a choice anymore.
I am quite disappointed. Given the title, I was like, wow, a generalist PC gaming website recommending people to switch to Linux! Read the article, Linux is not mentioned at all, I don't even know why it is in the title. Getting a few clicks from hippies?
There's Windows 10 LTSC, which gets security updates til 2027. And IoT Enterprise LTSC, which gets security updates until 2032.
"But should you even use those versions?!? They are not meant to be installed on a desktop PC/laptop" - idk, it's either this or Win11.
For more info on how to install, check https://massgrave.dev/windows_ltsc_links
For what its worth: I've been running enterprise since 2015 (when it was called LTSB) then switched to LTSC IoT around 2021. Its fantastic and doesn't have all the Candy Crush and other bullshit. I highly recommend.
My biggest concern for using the LTSB IoT is how long third-party application support will remain if Microsoft goes through with dropping support next year. I guess a lot of stuff still works under Windows 7 so maybe it will be fine?
I don’t expect but also won’t be surprised if it ends up being a Windows XP situation where they extend support for Windows 10 several times.
Pirate a copy of windows 11 N. It’s the eu version that doesn’t have any of this dogshit in it.
I only use the computer for word processing, internet, and playing roguelikes.
Fine. I guess I'll learn Linux 😒
For those use cases, there's very little actual learning to be done.
Serious question : My desktop is incompatible with Win11, I run Win10, and I use it for web browsing, Excel, and a little Word processing. Nothing else. Can't i just continue on as is? Not a gamer, not a heavy user...
The problem with that is that vulnerability will be found and used. Since it's connected to the internet it will be exposed to attackers and could be infected with botnet viruses/tools and used to attack other computer/services.
you'll most likely be fine, there still exists people who use Windows 7 for that workflow. You have to be more aware of vulnerabilities that could be found on your operating system though; and over time more and more software might drop support for your OS (realistically, this will be more noticable when Windows 12-13 gets released) so you might not be able to use latest Office version's features.
Thank you. I'm retired, and unlikely to upgrade Office. Ver 2016 still does exactly what I need to do.
I'll keep my router secured, my firewall updated as long as it will, and anti virus /malware up to date.
Look into Rufus, it will help you create a bootable USB with windows 11 and you can use it to do a upgrade or clean install from your windows 10 installation (clean install preferred IMO), it will even help bypass the hardware requirements and you can even remove the email account and use a local account. Make sure to use or write down your windows 10 activation/license for a clean install.
That being said you could potentially still run the old wondows OS, but as time goes on new exploits could be found that can compromise the OS. If its behind a firewall such as your router its safer, but there is still the possibility of it being infected way off into the future.
Here is a video of windows XP running on a PC connected directly to the internet with no firewall. Its infected almost instantaneously. (Dont try this at home).
Dual-boot Linux Mint, and install Microsoft fonts from the package manager to make documents more cross compatible. Should be a fairly easy migration for your use case. It took me about a year of dual booting to completely switch over to Mint, but it was worthwhile.
Thanks for this unqualified headline.
I’m a government contractor, so I’m stuck on Windows and Microsoft products for work. It really sucks, but the government ain’t switching to Linux anytime soon… if ever. At least Windows 11 Enterprise (or Government, whatever) should have a lot of this shit stripped out. I hope.
Usually at that scale you create images with all this crap removed. When deployment time comes, the machines are reimaged from local/state IT.
I feel bad for the average home user that, at this point views more ads than content, and all this telemetry collection to boot.
Until games fully support Linux or the other way around, I won't be using Linux.
Also can't really say that I care about Copilot that much. I don't use it and it doesn't bother me.
Edit: lol the people triggered by this will never not be entertaining.
It's always the same "Games work fine on Linux... But..". And it's that "but" that's usually a massive problem or nuisance to work with.
No thanks. I'll stick to Windows for gaming just fine.
Most games work on linux with proton nowdays. Only thing that doesnt really work is games with anticheat.
When did PC Gamer start hijacking the back button to show more ads? Infuriating.
the problem is so many office workplaces use windows and google, so unless you want to bring your own computer and buy a wifi hotspot to take to work, you're stuck on windows and google
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
