Which operating system should I use: Linux or a forced Windows 11 update?
Which operating system should I use: Linux or a forced Windows 11 update?
I have a question for all of you. I don’t have much money to buy a new PC, and my current one is perfectly fine for my needs. I plan to keep it for at least two or three years. I’ve heard that Microsoft Windows 11 may not work well with older PCs, which worries me because my machine still functions perfectly. My wife’s Dell laptop also uses the same CPU (Windows 10/i5 6th gen, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD). I’m trying to decide which operating system is best for me. I play games, do some printing, and use Microsoft Word, documents, movies, and music occasionally. My wife wants to ensure her iPhone 10 can still work with the PC, mainly for Word, Excel, emails, movies, and music. So, should I go with Windows 11, Linux, or which Linux is easiest to use? Also, how would it work with a HP LaserJet M209DWE printer? Pros and cons?
Dual boot, virtual windows. You decide. I pick Windows since I've grown tired of dealing with OS's. Unix, Amiga and MS DOS plus I don't recall the rest. I've experimented with various Linux distros over the years. I really don't need Linux.
Your win of 10 pc will remain active.
No new features from version 11 will be available.
Updates for newly discovered security issues may occur.
You might consider creating a dual operating environment with Windows 10 alongside a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu, and see how it feels over time.
I wouldn't suggest sticking with Windows 10 once support ends without security patches, as the risk of your system being compromised could surpass any benefits.
Both platforms don't satisfy the requirements for Windows 11, making them poor choices for these devices.
An alternative might be to sell your existing hardware and invest in newer components.
All the best.
It's not as if Windows 10 will suddenly fail in October; just stop receiving updates. It's not the end of the world.
There are other antivirus options you can try that will continue getting updated even after a long time.
If my PC couldn't get updates, I'd just keep using it. I've used Vista for years once support ended—it's okay. In fact, no updates might mean they're no longer stable.
If something serious occurs, Microsoft probably will release a fix... they handled the same for Windows 7 when it reached end-of-life.
Microsoft is introducing a 'pay for extended support' feature, making it probable that many or all of the latest patches won't be available unless you pay for them.
It's accurate to say that even if your system is threatened, your financial stability could be at risk, especially if you rely on online banking or use the service for critical email access.
MS has released individual critical updates for the OS that is no longer supported.
While it's possible Windows 10 may be 'unofficially' supported through updates after its officially 'end of life' it would be prudent to prepare in advance for the possibility that it's no longer a safe system (without a paid subscription for updates) after end of life.
Trying out a Linux distribution in advance will essentially only cost a little time, even if you end up sticking with Windows. (If you don't like it, that's worth knowing about too!)
Most Windows users probably won't find Linux (on a distribution like Ubuntu) to be a very steep learning curve if they give themselves time to ease in to it, ask for support etc.
'Wait and see' sounds like a bad strategy to me:
- if Windows 10 is unsafe after its end of life (without a paid subscription for updates), a user who wants to swap to Linux is immediately under the pump and shopping for new hardware (or selling old) is also going to be under time pressure.
- Newer equipment will generally be better if you defer an upgrade, but with tariffs in the pipeline delays could be costly.
Edit: we will probably only really discover what is going on 'after the fact', e.g. if a major zero-day vulnerability is announced and Microsoft doesn't release a patch. Relying on malware detectors alone, if patches aren't being released, isn't really a great idea.
All earlier versions of Windows before their expiration dates worked fine afterward, so there’s no reason to believe Windows 10 will be different. The biggest irritation will be the constant prompts from Microsoft to upgrade to 11, which can be turned off if desired.
I believe we should adopt a slightly more detailed approach—connecting an XP machine online today will likely attract some malware quickly.
The issue really comes down to timing rather than certainty.
It might be more about a 'best before' rather than a 'use by' scenario, though I don’t think it makes much sense to take chances without evaluating the costs and benefits.
Most of what Microsoft does doesn’t seem to deter people from using Windows.
But when updates actually prevent certain users from installing Windows 11, that’s happening more often now.
The Linux community thinks they’ll finally see some traction.
Steam is managing its recruitment well, achieving modest progress—perhaps around 4% of desktops.
Losing market leadership in IT isn’t unprecedented. Remember the days of Internet Explorer?
There’s no need to assume a complete Linux takeover is inevitable. This kind of shift has occurred before:
“There’s no likelihood the iPhone will capture a major share,” Ballmer said.
“No one would want a home computer any more,” Olsen claimed from DEC.
“Back in the 1980s, over 80 percent of the top 2,000 U.S. companies used Wang systems,” but Wang missed the threat...