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Linux or Windows. (www.climatedepot.com)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by Liljekonvalj@feddit.org to c/buyeuropean@feddit.uk
 

Does anybody know if when using Windows on a computer but not paying for anything windows related: is windows/ Bill Gates profiting from it? Is it worth installing linux as a protest?

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[–] JillyB@beehaw.org 1 points 18 minutes ago

Personally, I don't think switching your OS "as a protest" is a good idea. Bill Gates is so obscenely wealthy that your protest will have literally zero impact. Not "very small" impact; actually zero. As in, the whole world could abandon all Microsoft products and Bill Gates would still be able to live exactly as he did before. It's not worth your mental health to let his actions have that level of control over you.

All that said, you should switch to Linux because it's a better OS (as long as it does what you need).

[–] sloppychops@lemmy.ca 1 points 20 minutes ago

They still profit. Windows is increasingly an ad platform with ads delivered directly to your start menu.

You also get included in their user statistics when they report such things publicy, and therefore help toward selling their value as an investment.

[–] HotCoffee@lemm.ee 0 points 2 hours ago

ZorinOS, stylish, modern and user-friendly check it out!

[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

i just installed mint on my laptop and it runs way better than it ever ran with windows 11 plus it's super user friendly :)

[–] Liljekonvalj@feddit.org 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Wonderful. I'm considering Ubuntu. But I'll give mint a consideration. Thank you for the tip!

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Good thing is that mint is based on Ubuntu so you should already be familiar too :)

[–] Liljekonvalj@feddit.org 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)
[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 9 hours ago

also disable bitlocker first if it's on you'll save yourself a lot of pain

[–] warmaster@lemmy.world 15 points 20 hours ago

Linux is worth it as the greatest protest to everything that is wrong with technology.

[–] Captain_Baka@feddit.org 76 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The secret word is "telemetrics". Microsoft will track your actions and sells the data, just like Google or Apple.

[–] Liljekonvalj@feddit.org 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Thanks. Was looking for something like this. Going forward with my decision to do the switch

[–] Tuuktuuk@sopuli.xyz 16 points 1 day ago

Linux Mint is the most Windows-like regarding its user interface, so that one probably requires the least learning. Ubuntu is trying to work a bit like Mac OS X, and I actually like that.

And then there are distros that don't try to be super easy but actively try to help you learn how to do the difficult things. Arch Linux is famous for that.

Ubuntu (and Linux Mint, which is actually just Ubuntu with a more Windows-like user interface) have the best app support, so that might be a factor.

[–] Charlxmagne@lemmy.world 30 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The amount of data Windows and microsoft in general collect is worth billions and going straight to the hands of the US govt. for a price obviously, so yes they are profiting from your use regardless of whether you pay for it or not.

[–] EtherWhack@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

There's a reason they gave the upgrade to 11 away for "free."

[–] harcesz@szmer.info 21 points 1 day ago

During a public talk at the University of Washington in 1998, Microsoft founder Bill Gates admitted, "Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade."

Source

[–] kaidezee@lemmy.ml 30 points 1 day ago

Not necessarily as a protest, but the answer is always hard yes.

[–] dieTasse@feddit.org 18 points 1 day ago (16 children)

Windows is not making money on sales only. They collect data and then they sell them to data brokers. Those brokers then sell the data to advertisement agencies to serve you adds. Even if you buy just one item based on those adds (which may be unconscious choice) you have already paid. Even if you buy nothing based on adds, microsoft already got the money.

I do recommend linux but be aware of letting people to push you into something you don't want to do. Linux community can be very enthusiastic 😅. Top three to recommend are Linux Mint (most windows like design), Fedora (most stable) and Pop OS (best with nvidia gpu). Only one of these is favorite of mine but I will not tell you which, just search for them, look at screenshots and you will see what suits you.

[–] rippersnapper@lemm.ee 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah Linux can be troublesome if you’re dual booting on a single drive. Updates can break the GRUB. Also it’ll take a while to optimise your workflow (like finding replacement for Windows apps).

[–] dieTasse@feddit.org 1 points 50 minutes ago

Good reminder ⬆️ 😊

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I think the most windows like desktop environment (DE) is KDE. So I try to limit my windows to Switcher recommends to distros that use KDE by default.

So my recommendations would be:

I would also recommend they do some poking around DistroSea

[–] dieTasse@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago

I think KDE is great if you want to customize everything. But truth to be told, I think no one knows until they try. I have always seen myself a KDE guy until I had to use it longterm and then tried GNOME and found it more to my taste. I assume that is why everyone is feeling so strong about their distros and DE's, because if it really suits you, you gotta love it and you want others to find that too :)

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[–] loaExMachina@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 day ago

The way I see it, using these software, even without paying anything and even if you could somehow shield your data from telemetry, strengthens their hegemony.

Growing the pool of users in Open Source project, talking about them, maybe filing bug reports if needed, helps make them more viable. The growing user count makes developers more enticed to release software for these platforms.

I don't think Microsoft's hegemony suffers a lot from losing a user .. But they do suffer slightly more from Linux gaining a user.

[–] alzymologist@sopuli.xyz 15 points 1 day ago

It is worth installing GNU/Linux.

[–] FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Kind of funny the link you’re sharing is msn (microsoft owned)

[–] Liljekonvalj@feddit.org 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Article has been changed. Thank you for the input.

[–] KokusnussRitter@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 1 day ago (12 children)

Based on your country microsoft will run a varying amount of ads in the OS, and as mentioned by other users: telemetry.

Is it worth installing Linux as a protest? Depends. Switching to Linux will always come with a little bit of tinkering involved. So the answer depends on your willingness to spend some time to learn a new OS. But it offers you the opportunity to gain some control over your machine, privacy and learn some things.

[–] dieTasse@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I would switch the "will always" into "might". "Switching to Linux might come with a little bit of tinkering involved." I have seen more and more cases when you put a linux on somebody's laptop and they even hardly notice something is different.

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[–] ClassyHatter@sopuli.xyz 10 points 1 day ago

One thing to consider is market share. While one user switching from Windows to Linux won't affect it one bit, but if, say, half of European Windows users would do the switch, that would cause a meaningful dent to Windows' market share. So, while you won't directly affect that number, you do belong to some circles of people. By making the switch, you would act as an example for others and bring some knowledge and expertise on the topic (like, how easy it was, what are the downsides/upsides...). If your example leads to other people do the switch, those people also belong to some circles of peoples, and so on. It might be enough to start a small avalanche that could grow bigger and bigger.

[–] nimble@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Old versions of windows 10 will stop getting security updates later this year (October? ) so you will be running an insecure system or be supporting windows 11.

So yes, it is worth installing Linux

[–] 79luca79@lemm.ee 1 points 6 hours ago

Windows 10 LTSC! Bill even gives it out "gratis". ;) ;)

[–] loutr@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If you're using Windows, you've paid for it one way or another.

[–] Liljekonvalj@feddit.org 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

True. It came pre installed on my PC I bought 4 years ago. But yeah, you're correct. This is the reason to why I was questioning the decision to install Linux. But I think I will install Linux anyway.

[–] loutr@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That's great! It requires a bit of research and adjustment but it's well worth it.

[–] easily3667@lemmus.org 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Nah there's easyyyy bypasses. Takes more time to figure out which ones are legit than it does to unlock.

[–] loutr@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

In this day and age I'd recommend against pirating your OS. How can you be sure the hack you're using is legit? And that MS won't cut off your access to security updates in the future?

[–] gusgalarnyk@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

I switched to Linux this month (finally, couple months in planning). Switch, donate, spread the word, make it easier for people to switch. Gaming has been very simple, the biggest hurdle being the drivers which most distros can auto handle I think.

[–] aldfin@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago

I switched to Linux and it was an improvement for me, but of course it depends on what you use your pc for.

[–] poor_choices@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

Zorin is also a very beginner friendly distro and I believe the developers are Irish.

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