Clickbaity title on the original article, but I think this is the most important point to consider from it:
After getting to 1% in approximately 2011, it took about a decade to double that to 2%. The jump from 2% to 3% took just over two years, and 3% to 4% took less than a year.
Get the picture? The Linux desktop is growing, and it’s growing fast.
Most technology adoption follows an S curve, it can often take a long time to start to get going. Linux has gradually and steadily been improving especially for games and other desktop uses while at the same time Microsoft has been making Windows worse. I feel more that this is Microsoft’s fault, they have abandoned the development of desktop Windows and the advancement of support for modern processor designs and gaming hardware. This has for the first time has let Linux catch up and in many cases exceed Windows capabilities on especially gaming which has always been a stubborn issue. Its still a problem especially in hardware support for VR and other peripherals but its the sort of thing that might sort itself out once the user base grows and companies start producing software for Linux instead.
It might not be enough, but the switching off Windows 10 is causing a change which Microsoft might really regret in a few years.
For successful technologies. Sometimes technologies just don’t catch on, like 3d TVs, or VR or Segways. Then the curve is more up then back down to zero.
But yeah, this time might be different. Linux has more or less reached feature parity with Windows. Games run just as well or better under Linux, with only a little bit of fiddling. That alone might not be enough, but having that happen when Windows 10 is reaching end of life, and Microsoft wants you to buy new expensive hardware for the privilege of moving to Windows 11, and just as they’re adding all kinds of new ads and AI bullshit into Windows.
Personally, I’m already on Linux, so my main reason for hoping it gets more momentum is so that device manufacturers make sure their drivers work well in Linux. Full driver support and full software support for devices is the main thing that’s still a bit of a pain.
The desktop has been Microsoft’s to lose for 30 years…
Moores law is dead since a long time except for graphic cards and GPUs. This means you can’t keep adding things to desktop software in the style of “What IBM giveth, Microsoft takes away”.
Existing development paradigms don’t add significant qualities to many-processor hardware.
Which also explains part of the AI craze. It is investment money searching for a sensible use.
I’ll hang on to 10 as long as they’ll let me, but I am never going to 11. Then it’ll be a distro for dis bro.
Sorry.
Just curious and not judging your decision in anyway, but… “What are you waiting for?”
For me, VR support. Rocking win10 IOT LTSC on my main PC until compatibility improves, but already switched to Mint on my work laptop (and likely the main PC before/during 2032)
Awesome! Mint is great, it’s my number one recommendation.
I’ve never tried vr before and I’d really like to at some point.
OpenXR/SteamVR is an amazing system, and it’s easy to buy a second hand headset and just replace the face gasket (The Valve index has them attached with a few magnets). Especially with games like VRchat, Half Life ALYX, and modded support in games like Minecraft, PCVR is pretty good right now for newbies!
Agreed! I use EOS but I have to keep a dual boot setup mostly because of VR. ALVR is extremely buggy and slow for me whereas Envision easily starts but has a -10-20FPS and might crash in 10+ people VRChat instances