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ZDNET Key Takeaways
- Jack Wallen spent a week using Windows 11.
- During this experiment he experienced many problems.
- Ultimately, this led him to appreciate Linux more.
“Why do people willingly use Windows?”. Less than an hour into my experiment, this question occurred to me, and over the next seven days, I was unable to arrive at an answer.
Hello, my name is Jack Wallen, and I’m hungry for punishment. For whatever reason, a week ago today, I decided to switch my default operating system from Linux to Windows. I didn’t come to this with any preconceived conclusions. In fact, I wanted the experience to be positive. I wanted to start using Windows and experience all the reasons people use the OS for both business and personal use. Surely, Windows 11 was an efficient, fast, user-friendly and reliable operating system, right?
Turns out, it was none of those things.
Also: Do you want to abandon Windows? This Linux Distro Makes That Change Easy
Remember, this is coming from a longtime Linux user who is accustomed to using an OS that is capable of working exactly the way I want it to. I’m used to having control over my desktop – not having control over my desktop.
That’s exactly how I felt when using Windows 11. I was removed from the driver’s seat and placed in the back seat with the children, as the adults insisted that we do what they want, how they want and when they want.
Let me share my experience with you. Hopefully, after reading this, you will finally want to leave Windows for Linux.
1. Creating a local account was a pain
Right out of the gate, Windows 11 showed me how painful it was going to be. I didn’t want to use a Windows account to log into the operating system (and why would anyone do that willingly?). So, I set out to create a local account.
Wow, what a pain that was. In Linux, I can create an account with the command sudo adduser jackAnswer a few simple questions (such as full name and password), and that’s it. I can log out of one account and log in from another.
Also: I found a Linux distro that combines the best parts of other operating systems (and it works)
With Windows 11, I pretty much had to sell my soul, do a backflip, promise to kneel at the feet of Microsoft, and learn to fly. Well, that’s what it felt like.
Your first steps with the OS don’t have to be hair-pulling and frustrating.
2. Google Passkeys won’t work
Ah, Google and its passkeys. This is another point of contention because they launched a service that was not ready at all.
Also: How Passkey Works: The Complete Guide to Your Inevitable Passwordless Future
Now, I’m not sure if this is a Google problem or a Microsoft problem, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t sign in to my Google account. Keep in mind, I can create a new Linux virtual machine and connect it to my Google account in a matter of seconds. But with Windows, I have to enable the “Hello” service before the passkeys will work.
Even then (with my Google passkey actually in hand), Windows 11 won’t play along. come on!
3. An email client that really let me down
I needed an email client, and thought I’d try one from the Microsoft App Store.
The email client in question was Mailbird. Once I installed Mailbird and added an account, the app decided it wanted me to commit to the paid version via a pop-up. But this was not any old pop-up. This pop-up prevented me from accessing other apps. I couldn’t open Process Monitor to close Mailbird, and I couldn’t open a Terminal window to close Mailbird. I was stuck.
Too: Can’t upgrade to Windows 11? This is the Linux distro option I recommend to most people
The only solution I found was to reboot and work as quickly as possible to delete the app before Mailbird mysteriously opened (without me doing so) and took control. Ultimately I succeeded, but it took many attempts.
With Linux, I could use ssh to log in to the desktop and uninstall mailbird from the command line.
4. Natural scrolling is too unnatural
The next thing I had to do was disable natural scrolling. Whoever thought this was a good idea should be fired. I went to settings. This feature was simple enough to find, and I changed it to my preferred scrolling direction.
Too: Why the end of Windows 10 is good news for Linux – and your chance to switch
This should have been the end of it, but no! For whatever reason, I couldn’t get Windows to respect the change. No matter what I did, Windows 11 insisted on the natural scrolling I wanted. In contrast, mon ami.
The entire time I used Windows 11, my brain had to constantly readjust itself and remember that I was living in Bizarroworld.
5. Advertisement? Are you kidding me?
seriously. I saw ads on the far left of the Windows 11 panel. I also saw them in the desktop menu. Why would anyone agree to this?
Too: 5 reasons you should ditch Windows for Linux today
To avoid this altogether, I installed Seelen Window Manager so I don’t have to watch ads, nor do I have to look at that boring Windows 11 UI.
Advertisement…in one OS. Glass.
6. Save as default in OneDrive? Why?
After about an hour of working with Windows 11, I had to save a file and noticed that it immediately defaulted to OneDrive. I didn’t even log into my OneDrive account (because I never use it). This was very frustrating for me because I don’t want my work saved in a cloud account (for a number of reasons, many of which are AI related).
Too: 7 Most Windows-Like Linux Distros – If You’re Ready to Leave Microsoft
I wanted to remove OneDrive from the entire experience but decided it wasn’t worth the effort of a one-week experiment.
7. Windows 11 uses a lot of resources
When I realized that the laptop I was using got really hot and the fans were constantly turning on, I did a little quick investigation and found the msedgewebview2.exe process to be the problem. This process is part of the Microsoft Edge WebView2 runtime, and it consumes a lot of resources. The strange thing is that I wasn’t even using Edge. I installed Opera and use it exclusively.
Too: Is this Linux Mini PC a viable alternative to Windows? This is why it worked for me
I’m sure there’s a good reason for msedgewebview2.exe running, but consuming more resources than Opera with ten or so open tabs is crazy.
8. Virus and threat protection
This is Windows, so I completely understand the need for security. I can’t imagine using this OS without some level of security because, without it, it’s just a matter of time before something nefarious happens.
Too: Yes, You Can Run Windows Apps on Linux – Here Are My Top 5 Ways
I decided to check it out and to my surprise, virus and threat protection was not enabled, nor was account protection or app and browser control enabled. From the looks of it, the first two are cloud-based and Windows account-based. However, on another page under Windows Security, both are listed as turned on. What is disconnect?
I would never experience this (nor would I need to) on Linux. To be honest, I expected to find that plenty of security services were up and running – not the opposite.
9. Power and Battery Options
I used a laptop to test Windows 11. During my first few hours, I noticed something: The laptop’s screen wasn’t going black, nor was it going into hibernation. Does Windows 11 not automatically detect if it is being used on a laptop? Linux certainly does. If I didn’t know to look for it, I would have been using that laptop unplugged and the battery would have drained prematurely.
Why is that the default?
Too: I turned this Windows 11 mini PC into a Linux work station – and I don’t regret it
In addition to all the above issues, I always felt as if something was going to crash on me and I would lose work, or that Windows would decide it needed to update and automatically reboot on me. Not even once (during the entire week) did I feel like I could relax and just use the OS to do my job. not once.
This is my last day of using Windows 11
As I write this article, I’m going straight back to my Woobie – Linux. I hope I never have to rely on Windows again because if this experience has taught me anything, it’s that Linux is exponentially better than Windows in every imaginable way.
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