Why I Dual-Boot But Choose Linux Over Windows Almost Every Time

On my main operation PC, the footwear surface lets maine take betwixt 2 operating systems: Windows 11 and immoderate mentation of Linux I'm investigating astatine the time. I astir ever take Linux. Here's why.

Dual-Booting Is Nice (When Done Right)

I dual-boot some Windows and Linux due to the fact that I request to person entree to Windows. It's portion of my occupation arsenic a tech work writer to trial Windows bundle and support up with what's happening to the operating system, and being capable to power implicit with a fewer clicks makes my enactment convenient.

Sometimes dual-booting tin beryllium utile for my ain troubleshooting, too. I tally into a mysterious occupation connected Linux—does if the aforesaid occupation travel up erstwhile I effort to bash the aforesaid task connected Windows? The easiness of switching implicit tin marque solving my tech issues a small easier.

I should enactment that I don't needfully urge dual-booting Linux and Windows, particularly connected a azygous drive. The chances for GRUB problems are precocious successful that situation. I've not tally into large issues successful portion due to the fact that I enactment a secondary SSD successful my PC for Linux to unrecorded on, allowing the 2 OSes to enactment comfortably separated.

Windows Feels Like Someone Else's Desktop

With each of that said, I fto retired an exasperated suspiration each clip I take the Windows 11 enactment successful my footwear menu. It brings maine to a login surface covered successful advertisements and random facts connected topics I don't attraction about. After logging in, I'm get nagged to upgrade my Microsoft 365 subscription that I don't use. Manufacturer bloatware I've ne'er utilized shows maine a popup astir updates and yet different paid subscription opportunity.

Not to beryllium ignored, the quality widget prompts maine with alerts astir existent events with nary effect connected me. The upwind updates are useless to maine acknowledgment to the model to the outdoors adjacent to my machine monitor. When I hunt for a record oregon app connected my machine successful the Start menu, I'm shown Bing web hunt results—by nature, not things connected my computer.

Let's not hide astir Copilot. The taskbar, the Start menu, and the autochthonal browser Edge person each been colonized by Copilot, an "artificial intelligence" diagnostic I didn't inquire for and person small involvement in. I don't cognize astir you, but I lone person truthful galore PDFs that request summarizing.

Granted, immoderate of Windows 11's astir annoying features tin beryllium disabled if you cognize wherever to look. I've done that before, and it's a agelong process to marque the acquisition tolerable. It involves buried settings menus and risky registry hacks. The problem's made worse knowing I'll person to bash it each again the adjacent clip I reset Windows.

This is successful opposition to Linux desktop environments, which are mostly designed for 1 benignant of person: idiosyncratic who wants to usage their PC with arsenic small fuss arsenic possible. There nary ads, nary subscriptions, and nary uninvited chatbots.

Linux Feels Faster

On apical of the graphical acquisition of Windows feeling irrelevant and adjacent hostile to me, it besides conscionable feels slow. Especially connected footwear up, it seems there's perpetually thing loading successful the background.

Admittedly, portion of the slowness tin beryllium attributed to the information I usage Windows truthful little. The longer I spell without utilizing it, the much updates accumulate that past hap successful the inheritance oregon that I get prompted to apply. This each results successful a much sluggish oregon nagging experience.

In contrast, erstwhile I footwear up my Linux distribution, it loads the applications I acceptable to motorboat astatine startup and thing more, portion updates hap erstwhile I'm darn good acceptable for them. So I conscionable consciousness much nimble erstwhile I take Linux.

Most of My Games Work connected Linux Now

In the past, gaming connected Linux was precise limited. It's travel a agelong mode implicit the past decade, though. That's acknowledgment successful portion to Valve's propulsion of the Proton compatibility layer into the mainstream with the Steam Deck. You inactive can't play everything, of course. Many fashionable multiplayer games are unplayable due to the fact that of anticheat software.

The scenery continues to change, though. For a portion I needed to footwear into Windows to play Hell Let Loose, but that changed precocious erstwhile the developers enabled Linux enactment for its anticheat. Now it's rated "Gold" connected ProtonDB, a database dedicated to tracking Linux crippled compatibility.

Beyond that, I don't bash a ton of gaming, and erstwhile I do, the games are mostly supported connected Linux, if not natively past done Proton. With Lutris oregon Heroic Game Launcher, I tin usage non-Steam storefronts similar Epic Games and GoG without excessively overmuch hassle.

I've Found Replacements for Windows Exclusives

Speaking of Windows games, a knack of Windows is its near-universal bundle support. If an exertion exists for a desktop computer, it astir apt exists for Windows, portion that's acold from guaranteed connected Linux.

This is particularly existent for a batch of niche bundle for specialized enactment similar 3D modeling, euphony composition, and graphic design. Applications that are considered modular successful immoderate industries person constricted oregon zero enactment for Linux. You tin sometimes run it successful Wine, but often it's an outdated version, oregon you look annoying bugs. Fortunately for me, I'm not successful those specialized industries.

What I tin bash is edit documents and spreadsheets successful LibreOffice alternatively of Microsoft 365. I tin reappraisal and annotate PDFs successful Okular alternatively if Adobe Acrobat. I tin marque the representation edits I request successful GIMP or, much often these days, Gwenview, alternatively of Adobe Photoshop. While I cognize not everyone tin accidental the aforesaid due to the fact that of their unsocial workflows, determination isn't overmuch connected Windows that I miss.

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I'm not bothered if anyon other prefers the Windows 11 experience. I've spent a batch of clip with Windows, Linux, and macOS, and I conscionable similar Linux plain and simple. If you determine to install Linux yourself, you mightiness beryllium amazed what Windows apps besides tally connected Linux.