Tepples sums up the situation pretty well....a lot of users will no longer be able to run updated Windows as of 14 months from now,[1][2] turning a quarter billion older PCs into electronic waste.[3] Some analysts have suggested desktop Linux as the most viable way to prevent PCs from becoming e-waste.[4] I have been using Linux on underpowered PCs since fourth quarter 2008. And the requirement to reboot to an operating system that's less efficient on underpowered PCs before using NESmaker is one of the major reasons that I haven't sought to port my own libraries to be compatible with it.
[1] Windows 10 end of support on October 14, 2025
[2] Windows 11 system requirements
[3] "The end of Windows 10 support could turn 240 million PCs into e-waste" by Ben Caddy and Kieren Jessop
[4] "Presenting Mint as a Windows 10 alternative against e-waste" by BloodaxeNOR
Apparently neither my CPU nor my motherboard is on the guest list for the Windows 11 party despite the computer being more than powerful enough to run 11 11s turned up to 11. Microsoft's requirement list seems purely artificial to me, I can't believe people actually goes along with this garbage. Nothing really drastic has happened with computer hardware the last 10 years or so, at least not compared to the 40 years before it, and especially not anything that an OS would need anyway.
The most realistic alternative for these computers seems to be Linux. I'm not new to Linux but it was several years ago I last touched it (at least the graphical portion of it) and I'm not up to date with what has happened in the Linux world lately.
There is also the problem with the many Windows programs that I'd like to be able to use like Photoshop, GraphicsGale, some emulators and various smaller software that just doesn't have a Linux option.
I'd probably have to go full Linux and just keep a Windows 10 on multiboot for compatibility with Windows software that I can't live without and won't work with things like Wine.
Some free thoughts and considerations:
Anyone else going Linux in order not to bench perfectly working computers?
Are there any other good alternatives?
What Linux distros do everyone prefer?
I'm thinking of trying something Arch-based as I found that pleasing to use. I never liked Ubuntu but Debian is fine.
Are KDE, Gnome and Xfce still the main DEs to use? Any preferences?
I used to use KDE, but last time I used it seriously it kept changing so often that I didn't recognize it between the updates. I might try Xfce, I never liked Gnome, it's too much like what I hate with Windows, all settings are hidden in weird places and you can never find what you are looking for.
Do anyone have a list of indispensable Unix/Linux software?
I made such a list somewhere so that I could remember what to install but I can't find it, off the top of my head it included (besides the most common commands like LS or CAT):
Text: Vim, Nano, Midnight Commander, BSD Games.
Graphics: Firefox, LibreOffice (or whatever office suit there is), Krita, Gimp, KDevelop (or Kate), Notepad++.
Statistics: Posted by Pokun — Sun Aug 18, 2024 1:10 pm — Replies 0 — Views 39