Microsoft pulled support for Windows 10 in October 2025 sending it off to the grave. After explicitly promising that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows which will perpetually be updated with new features, Microsoft released Windows 11. Honestly, Microsoft has a long history of broken promises. With Windows 11, they promised we will get Android app support in Windows itself. Support for Android apps was ended shortly after launch. We were promised one single entertainment portal for all streaming services. That was stripped away. All this does is reduce consumer faith in Microsoft and erodes trust that they have built over the years.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Microsoft. But, Windows is just not the same as it was when Microsoft was actually putting their heart into it. Windows 11 is basically a surveillance tool at this point with a very annoyingly intrusive "AI" thingy called Copilot. Windows has now become a bloated mess of an OS that is more concerned with pushing out AI features instead of actually fixing existing issues.

With the way Microsoft is running things, it's quite obvious that a lot of people are frustrated with the direction that Windows is taking. Poor reliability, laptop battery issues, questionable AI implementation, and poor quality control have all lead to a rather annoyed user base that only puts up with Windows because they don't really have a choice. How far is that true though? Is Windows the only option out there for most people?

If it isn't broken

Most people stick to Windows because that's all they know. They put up with all the annoyances and problems because they don't know any better. For most people, there are only two major options out there: Windows and Mac. Mac has historically been a more expensive/premium option with a very different workflow, with Windows being the most widely available OS on practically every consumer computer out there.

If you look at the average user, they typically have a few specific use cases in mind for their computer: checking emails and watching YouTube videos, playing video games, doing homework, software development, office work, or a combination of these. For most people, whatever OS comes with their computer is usually capable enough to perform most of these tasks. An OS is intended to be an invisible platform, which can run whatever application one wants without getting in the way. However, Windows has now evolved from an OS that enables you to do whatever you want, to one which loves to get in your way every chance it gets. Want to look for a file? Let Copilot help you. Want to open a program? Here's an ad for one which has nothing to do with what you wanted. Want to download Chrome? No, Edge is just better and you should use that.

The average user either looks past all of this, or finds a work around and gets on with their life. There's honestly nothing wrong with this approach. But, this just feels like patchwork done to a very broken machine to keep it chugging along because it mostly does what it's supposed to do. It works, it does its job; who cares if it's suboptimal.

The Stockholm Syndrome

There are a lot of savvy users out there who are aware of options besides Windows and Mac. Many Linux distros (Linux based operating systems) cater to a specific type of user out of the box. Linux Mint aims to be a drop-in replacement for the average Windows user with a familiar user interface, automatic updates, and a very stable software base. Bazzite aims to be a gaming focused distro for the everyday gamer that takes care of all the nitty-gritties of getting your games running without worrying about tinkering and breaking your system. Arch aims to be the Ikea of Linux distros with a DIY approach to building the perfect OS while referring to a very detailed manual. There's something for literally everyone out there.

Then why don't the savvy ones switch? It's usually a workflow issue. There's always something to hold people back. Scour reddit, and you'll find scores of people claiming they need Windows for Adobe software, they need it for MS Office, they need it because some specific hardware or game doesn't work... I'm not saying these aren't valid reasons. But, what stops people is the small chance that they won't be able to adapt to a different workflow.

This friction for change is not just among Windows users, it's among Mac users too. Talk to someone who's used MacOS for a long time. They'll tell you how they're too used to the workflow, and can't fathom switching over to Windows. Speaking from personal experience, I can't fathom switching to Windows now because there are some workflows and tools that I have on Linux that I simply cannot live without. Just off the top of my head:

• I've got a lot of backup and automation scripts, that run as cron jobs, which I can't easily move to Windows.
• Many of my files and folders have the same name with different case (eg. README.txt and readme.txt) which would be a nightmare to change if I switch to Windows.
• All my applications update automatically and I don't have to deal with drivers. I don't want to deal with manually updating apps and drivers.
• I have a weird sound setup with an external DAC and Pipewire (Linux audio framework) configuration. I can simply copy this configuration to any other Linux distro but it's near impossible to replicate on Windows.
• Most of my day to day work involves Python. I use pyenv to manage different python versions which doesn't officially support Windows. I've tried and it never worked as intended.

There's probably more. But, I haven't used Windows in a very long time. So, I can't remember what more I probably would be missing out on. This is exactly the friction I'm talking about. Everyone has a set workflow which is very difficult to break out of.

The breaking point

For some people, there comes a time when something breaks so phenomenally, that they simply cannot continue to look past everything. There comes a breaking point when they decide that they just don't want to deal with all the crap anymore. That's when they start looking for an alternative, and usually hit upon something like Linux. This breaking point can be anything: an update breaking critical functionality which took a long time to fix, their system being ineligible to "upgrade" to Windows 11, a lot of minor issues slowly creeping up and reaching a point of extreme annoyance. Personally, my breaking point was when a Windows update broke all my USB ports and I spent a whole day figuring out why they weren't working. Of course, this wasn't the only reason. I was dealing with plenty of other crap in Windows 11 up until that point. This was just the last straw for me.

People who reach this point are typically looking for a change, and have no qualms switching their workflow with the hope that they won't have to deal with the same issues ever again. Do they all stick around though? Nope, they don't. In fact, when I first switched over to Linux, I didn't stick around for more than a few months. I've been on and off it, switching between Linux and Windows every few months. Right now has probably been the longest time I've stuck to the same Linux OS without even thinking about switching to Windows. Is it Stockholm syndrome? Maybe. I'm just too comfortable where I am right now.

Should you switch?

Switching to Linux involves some effort. Typically, most people don't give themselves enough time to get used an entirely new system. There are a few things you can look into before switching to make the experience more pleasant:

• Do the applications that you use daily support Linux? If they don't, are there any reasonable alternatives? Typically, most alternatives to popular tools also run on Windows. Give those a shot and see if they work for you. If they do, then you can use the same applications on Linux as well.
• Check if all your hardware works on Linux. For most Linux distros, you can run the entire OS from a USB flash drive and make sure that all your hardware works correctly before installing the OS to your computer. If there's something that doesn't work, look for solutions or workarounds online.
• Pick a distro that aligns with your use case. For most people, Linux Mint is a great starting point. For gamers, Bazzite is a great alternative too.
• Be prepared to read the manual and learn how your OS works. It's not Windows, and expecting it to replicate Windows will only lead to frustration and disappointment. It's like switching from Windows to Mac and expecting it to function exactly the same.
• Make sure you back up everything on your computer before you attempt to install a new OS. Even if you've decided to dual boot and keep your existing Windows installation, things can go wrong, and you can lose everything.

If Windows has pushed you to breaking point, there's honestly very little to lose. Linux distros are free forever. Give it a shot, and you might be surprised at how easy it is to switch and make your computer usable again. If you don't like it, switching back to Windows is quite easy too.