The year of the Linux desktop may be a bit of a joke, but switching to Linux is not. You’ve either done it at some point, or you’re probably considering it. Linux is quickly improving, while Windows is increasingly becoming hostile. I’ve outlined four ways that Linux will gain ground on Windows.
Gaming Was Once a Reason to Stay on Windows; Now It’s Becoming Irrelevant
For years, I dual-booted just to play games. I know that many Linux users have done the same. DirectX was a major hurdle for people to make the switch, but now that hurdle is becoming less of a problem. Proton is a compatibility layer that runs Windows games on Linux. It’s an improvement upon the software it’s based on: WINE. WINE was difficult to configure at times, so it was never a serious contender in the minds of the broader public. Now Valve has taken that mantle, and Proton has serious backing from a large corporation.
It may take a decade or two, but the idea that you must stay on Windows to run your Windows games will slowly fizzle out. With other pressures mounting (covered below), gaming is one less constraint that keeps users on Windows. The dam will burst slowly, and at some point it will become a torrent.
Microsoft Is Driving People Away With Invasive Tech
There has been a drastic change in the general population’s attitude toward technology in recent years. It started with the controversy surrounding privacy issues with Facebook (now Meta). Now, more and more of the general public is becoming aware of how intrusive big tech is. Nobody likes being monitored, no matter what they say. If people liked being monitored, they wouldn’t close their curtains or bathroom doors. Privacy is an essential part of who we are, and in the past few years, I’ve seen growing frustrations directed at Windows in this regard.
First there was the telemetry issue, where Microsoft collects and sends the user’s data to remote servers. Now it’s a big-brother-style AI—aka the Recall feature for Microsoft Copilot—that looks over your shoulder, snapshotting your screen, for little more than remembering what you did. Does that make sense?
Within privacy-focused circles, there was always pushback to the way Microsoft did things; people often made registry edits just to switch off some functionality that Microsoft insisted upon. This isn’t the case on Linux. Linux is entirely customizable, and it behaves exactly as you wish—which is part of the free software philosophy. It doesn’t just concern regular users either; parts of the EU government want to change their infrastructure to free software because it aligns with sensible human values.
Linux is a safe haven for those who seek privacy, and it’s as steady as a rock. The only thing that will change Linux is if it goes away. The biggest drama on Linux in the past decade was how to boot the system (systemd), not “Does my AI keyboard snitch on me?” What I see is a magnetic environment for polarized users: the pull of hassle-free computing is irresistible.
The User Experience on Linux Keeps Improving
Wi-Fi drivers were a big pain point on Linux for years, but that’s no longer the case. Certain hardware vendors produce rubbish on any platform, but generally speaking, Wi-Fi just works on Linux. Yes, you sometimes need to install a package to make it work, but if you select a good starter distro, it’s probably already installed.
Back in the day, videos were a considerable pain point for most users. This was the heyday of Adobe Flash. When Flash finally came to Linux, it was proprietary, unstable, and had terrible performance issues. As the world moved away from Flash, the situation gradually improved, and now videos work flawlessly. You still need to install the correct codecs (some of which aren’t free software), but once you do, everything functions properly. Many distros package these components for easy installation, so getting started just requires a bit of common sense.
Windows, by comparison, seems to be going in the opposite direction. Users often report that the Microsoft Store has serious user experience (UX) issues. When I used Windows 8 several years ago, that was certainly the case. I was actually disgusted that a trillion-dollar company couldn’t roll out a working software store—what were they doing? Were they all sitting in their office, throwing pencils into the ceiling tiles? Who were they hiring to write the code? Did they hire a fleet of monkeys that got bored with typing out the complete works of Shakespeare? I just don’t get why they would neglect such an important feature; it only hurts their brand.
Broadly, the user experience on Windows encompasses not only interface issues but also privacy frustrations and lack of freedom. Linux excels in all of these areas, and its UI has drastically improved over the years. With the UX easier than ever on Linux, it’s just another barrier to entry broken down.
The Cost of Switching Is Hard to Beat
Another box that Windows refugees will want to tick off is the cost. Purchasing and setting up Windows costs hundreds of dollars. Conversely, setting up Linux costs nothing. Not only that, but switching to another distro is free. Installing software is free. Everything is free. While people remain deeply entrenched in the Windows ecosystem, once enough pressure forces them out, the soft landing onto Linux makes it easy for them to make up their minds. It costs nothing, so what is there to lose?
To gain ground in the desktop war, the only thing that truly matters is momentum—the recommendations of people already enjoying the Linux ecosystem. These are the people who sell the idea of Linux to those considering the switch. Once the pressure on Windows reaches a critical point, the relaxed and open ecosystem on Linux is surely a much more attractive target.
If you’re still on Windows and considering the idea of switching, we have a list of Windows-like Linux distros that you should try. Or perhaps you want to stay but make your Windows installation more private. If you’re like me, you’ve left Windows long behind you, and so you may be interested in my personal signs that you’ve shifted to a Linux mindset.