A distribution created by an employee of Microsoft.
A distribution created by an employee of Microsoft.
It's merely another Ubuntu redesign, expected to match desktop Linux's reliability. It's essentially GNOME set up to mimic a fake Windows setup. Plus, many Microsoft developers have already helped shape Linux initiatives. The kernel also carries its own signature throughout.
It's pretty similar to Windows, just like Manjaro with its Windows logo in the start menu.
Yeah, and I think that pitching these sorts of distros as "Windows killers" (i.e., distros designed to have a similar interface to Windows) kind of misunderstands what is actually holding back Linux adoption on the desktop. It's not unfamiliar interfaces. Average, non-technical people are more than capable of adapting to new interfaces. Most people do that all the time when they switch phone brands or have to deal with a website or app redesign. IMO, what's actually holding back Linux from mass adoption for average users is that installing programs is too hard. Linus Torvalds himself has talked about this being a problem on the developer side, since the great variety of Linux distros means that developers have to use a bunch of different methods to get their programs installable on various distros (i.e., having it accessible via apt/pacman/rpm, or distributing it via a .deb or a snap or a flatpak or whatever). This is a problem on the user side as well, because it can be very confusing as to what you need to do in order to install any particular program, compared to Windows or MacOS. Like, on Windows or MacOS, you can install programs directly from the respective appstores, or you can just install programs directly via downloading an .exe/.msi on Windows or a .dmg on Mac. Now obviously it's still possible to have some issues, for example, if the program .exe that you downloaded demands hardware that you don't have on your Windows PC, but 95% of the time, if you just google '[program name] [Windows |or| Mac]' then you'll quickly find a download page where you can download an exe/msi or dmg that you can just download and run and you can be pretty damn confident that it will work. Meanwhile if you google '[program name] Linux' you'll usually get a whole bunch of options, some of which may or may not work for your particular version of Linux. You have to understand the difference between different Linux families, and know which package manager you are using. Hell, even Linus (Sebastian) got confused in his "Linux challenge" video when he didn't realize that he needed to use pacman instead of apt on Manjaro. Then there's all the other ways to install, like flatpak, snap, .deb and similar files, and you have to manually install dependencies way more often than on Windows or Mac. Obviously for a reasonably technical person none of this will be a big issue, but when it comes to "normies" using Linux, I've actually found this to be one of the biggest problems. I have recommended Linux Mint or similar distros to a lot of my non-techy friends and family, and nearly every time that one of those people tell me that they're switching back to Windows or Mac, the reason they give is something similar to "I wanted to install this program, and even though there is a Linux version available, I couldn't figure out how to install and run it."
Linux differs from Windows in several ways. Many popular applications and games aren't readily available on Linux without significant modifications.
I believe this applies to gamers and professionals who must use specific tools like Adobe software, but for regular home users and independent workers it's likely less of a concern. In my view, most people adapt well to alternatives that offer comparable features. Consider how many switched from Microsoft Word to Google Docs – everyone adjusted smoothly. Linux provides "similar enough" native options for most productivity needs. It's not about speed; the real focus is avoiding licensing restrictions, steering clear of telemetry data like Recall, and maintaining full ownership of your hardware. Windows can feel overly resource-intensive for simple tasks such as browsing or emailing. With a suitable Linux distribution, older systems can still run efficiently today and remain functional in 2025.
Linux offers a standard method for installing apps—Flatpaks—but many distribution leaders struggle to adopt new solutions. Flatpaks add extra storage because of file duplication, which can be an issue when users have limited space on large drives. With modern storage capacities, is this really a concern? Many feel they’re already using 5Gb on 2Tb drives and are frustrated by the additional 500Mb needed, which feels like wasted space. For gamers, if you want more games on Linux, stop purchasing them and explain why you won’t buy another until they change their approach.
It feels like a long time since art clowns appeared on screen, about 17 years ago. That’s a big span for their journey.
Microsoft is deeply invested in Windows and relies on Linux significantly for their backend operations.