I’ve always used Windows and am super comfortable with it. I have set up a dual boot with fedora but don’t use it because I have never identified a need to use it. I see a lot of windows hate, so what does Linux have that I need? What can motivate me to migrate? What is a good Linux to have for a desktop + steam?
I’m in a similar boat—would love a compelling reason to move to Linux but just don’t feel it yet. Many of the things other commenters dislike about windows I don’t experience. I’d consider myself fairly competent at tinkering with windows, so I have a completely local login, don’t see any ads, and it doesn’t install updates until I tell it too (I scripted manually installing the Defender definition updates every day though). I use Actualtools AWM for fine grained control over desktop and window features which I’d need to find the equivalent of in a Linux desktop—doable I’m sure, but it feels like a lot of effort to be exactly where I am right now.
So I’ll keep looking for the opportunity to move, install Kubuntu on an old laptop, and in the meantime just get on with work.
Perhaps it’s compelling that you no longer need to have scripts to stop the OS from doing things you don’t want it to? That there is no need for scripting defender? That the desktop will be as fine grain control as you want without a third party toolkit?
To be where you are now… would require… nothing.
For me it’s speed, stability, easy of printing and scanning, a decent file manager (windows one is just horrible) and knowing my current cycles go to doing work not background crap.
To be fair, to get where I am now would not require nothing—it would be a good few hours at least installing and configuring replacement software, all of which is doable, and I’d be exactly where I am now.
I had a look at KDE Plasma a short while ago, and I’m sure it could do everything AWM does, but I’m not certain, and don’t know how to configure it so, hence more time to replicate what I have that’s working fine. I use XYPlorer which is a great file manager, so I also don’t have to put up with the default one.
And KDE might not be the best choice either—so more time and experimentation to find the right distro, DM, WM, and so on. I have already put those many hours into getting things they way I want so I can be productive. Until something forces my hand, I will stick with what I have.
But the next time I have to reinstall the OS, that would be a good motivator to move (I haven’t had to do anything significant like that since bolting Windows 10 down several years ago).
This is where NixOS shines. To get where I am now on a fresh machine would take ~20 minutes, run the installer, drop my config on the machine, rebuild and sign into my accounts