Operating Systems: The switch to Linux.

The Lay of the Land

The desktop operating system landscape, once dominated by Windows, macOS, and Linux, has evolved significantly. Before the smartphone era, their business models differed greatly: Microsoft's revenue came primarily from selling Windows licenses, either pre-installed on PCs or bought directly by consumers. Apple, in contrast, earned most of its income from selling hardware, bundling macOS with Macs rather than selling it separately. Linux, created by Linus Torvalds in 1991, began as a hobby project to create a free and open-source operating system.

A key distinction lies in their hardware approach. Both Windows and Linux support a large DIY PC community, allowing users to assemble their own hardware and install the OS themselves. macOS has historically been tightly controlled and restricted to Apple's own hardware.

Windows

Windows 95, XP, and 7 are often regarded as the most popular and well-loved versions due to their major innovations and strong adoption. By 2025, Windows 11 has finally overtaken Windows 10 globally - around 51–52% of users - while Windows 10 still holds about 45%. Despite being released in October 2021, Windows 11's adoption was notably slow.

Windows remains a favourite for PC gaming thanks to its broad hardware compatibility, extensive game library, and strong support for graphics APIs like DirectX.

Frustrations with Windows in 2025:

1. Hardware Requirements: Windows 11 mandates TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, leaving many older but still capable PCs officially unsupported.
2. User Experience: Users face mixed interfaces (the legacy Control Panel vs. the modern Settings app), forced promotions for Microsoft Edge, built-in advertisements, and extensive telemetry data collection.
3. Gaming and Software: Many users stayed on Windows 10 for its proven stability with games and applications.
4. Privacy: The introduction of the "Recall" feature, which takes periodic snapshots of the desktop for retrieval, raised significant concerns. These snapshots can capture sensitive information like private chats or credit card details. While stored locally, the potential for this data to be used for cloud-based AI training in the future worries privacy-conscious users.

Apple macOS

macOS has seen many iterations, with releases like Mac OS X Snow Leopard (2009), macOS High Sierra (2017), and macOS Monterey (2021) praised for their stability, smooth performance, and seamless integration with Apple's hardware ecosystem.

Known for its sleek design and user-friendly interface, macOS excels in its tight connection with other Apple products. While not as dominant for gaming, it remains a top choice for creative professionals due to its reliability and optimised performance for design, music, and video production.

Frustrations with macOS in 2025:

1. Closed Ecosystem: Apps and services are tightly controlled by Apple, limiting user choice and alternatives.
2. High Fees: Developers pay up to a 30% commission on App Store purchases, a cost often passed on to users through higher prices.
3. Competitive Practices: Apple has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny for restricting competition and favouring its own apps and services.
4. Premium Pricing & Restrictions: High hardware costs are compounded by non-upgradable components and limited third-party repair options.
5. Service Push: Apple increasingly encourages subscriptions (iCloud+, Apple Music, etc.), steering users away from competing services.
6. Privacy: While Apple generally handles telemetry more conservatively than Microsoft, it is not flawless. In 2022, concerns arose when some Mac apps were discovered sending usage data to Apple's servers even when users had explicitly disabled analytics and tracking.

Linux

The Linux ecosystem is defined by its variety of distributions, or "distros." Popular versions like Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, and Arch are praised for their stability, flexibility, and strong community support. Linux is the backbone of the internet, powering the vast majority of servers, cloud infrastructure, and supercomputers. It has also grown in popularity among developers and tech enthusiasts for its open-source nature and customisability.

Frustrations with Linux:

1. Hardware and Driver Issues: While improving, some peripherals like specific printers or GPUs can still be challenging to configure due to delayed or limited proprietary driver support.
2. Software Availability: Many commercial applications and games still lack native Linux versions, requiring workarounds like Wine or Proton.
3. Too Many Choices: The incredible variety of distributions, desktop environments, and package managers can be overwhelming for newcomers.
4. Learning Curve: Linux can require more technical knowledge for installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting compared to its commercial counterparts.

Why the Sudden Love in 2025?

There's a noticeable surge in people sharing their journeys of switching to Linux. The reasons are clear:

• Windows Fatigue: Users are tired of Microsoft adding unrequested features that invade their privacy and clutter the experience.
• The Power of Customisation: There's a growing realisation that Linux allows you to truly build an OS that is yours, tailored to your workflow and aesthetics.
• Hardware Longevity: Many users with capable machines found themselves officially unsupported by Windows 11, turning to Linux to breathe new life into their hardware.

Where Do I Start? There Are Too Many Distros!

The beauty of Linux is in the journey of trying different distros until you find one that matches your personality. A great starting point is to decide whether you prefer the GNOME or KDE desktop environments. Think of them as core UI flavours: KDE offers a Windows-like, highly customisable experience, while GNOME focuses on a modern, streamlined simplicity.

Beginner-friendly distro ideas:

• Linux Mint - Often the top recommendation for Windows refugees; incredibly stable and easy to use.
• Fedora (GNOME or KDE) - A cutting-edge distro that champions open-source software.
• Zorin OS - Designed specifically to ease the transition from Windows or macOS.
• Ubuntu (GNOME) - The most well-known distro, with massive community support.
• Pop!_OS - A favourite among developers and gamers, with excellent out-of-the-box support for NVIDIA GPUs.
• Bazzite - A gaming-focused distro that provides a console-like experience on the PC.

What About My Windows Apps?

The app stores on major Linux distros have become extremely impressive in 2025. For nearly every popular Windows application, there is a powerful - often free - equivalent on Linux.

For applications that absolutely require Windows, Linux offers compatibility layers like Wine to run them (though this doesn't work well for all apps, such as Office 365).

The Compelling Case for Linux

Beyond solving the frustrations of other OSes, Linux offers unique and powerful advantages that make it a truly compelling choice in 2025.

• Unmatched Performance and Efficiency: Linux distributions are famously lightweight. They can run smoothly on decades-old hardware, extending the lifespan of your machines - or free up maximum resources for demanding tasks on modern systems.
• True Sovereignty and Control: Your computer is your computer. You decide when to update, what to install, and how every part of the system looks and behaves. This is the antithesis of the forced updates and feature changes that plague other platforms.
• Fortress-like Security and Privacy: The open-source nature is Linux's greatest security feature. Thousands of developers worldwide can inspect every line of code, making it difficult for malware or backdoors to hide. There is no telemetry you can't disable, and no data is sent to a corporate server without your explicit consent.
• A Vibrant, Supportive Community: When you choose Linux, you gain access to a global community of passionate users. Help is always available for free through forums, wikis, and chat rooms.
• Ethically Grounded: Linux is built on the principles of freedom and collaboration. By using it, you support a software model that is transparent, accessible to all regardless of their budget, and not driven by a profit motive from selling your data or locking you into an ecosystem.

There are so many great options to choose from, and the process of finding the right distro that matches your personality is where the fun really lies. Enjoy the freedom and the path toward your choices.