Control. Whether it’s controlling what does and doesn’t get installed or if something magically comes back when updating. I just want my operating system to be an operating system - nothing more nothing else. Security issues and apps are my concern, no one else’s…
This has made me extremely upset that the crusty disgruntled dev’s working on Wayland has decided to go down that slippery slope of deciding how your system will run because of “security” - could’ve swore someone with the name Bill said the same thing back in the late 90’s early 2000’s.
I haven’t completely switched away from Windows, but I dual-boot it with Garuda, the Linux-Lite flavor, because I prefer the Plasma DE. When/If I decide to drop Windows, I’ll probably be a life-long Garuda user, not so sure about Windows. I agree with all of what’s said about M$, and their antics of late. So far, I can turn off most of their invasive data collection schemes, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.
Same with Partition Wizard. The only partitioning tool that you could actually change a drives file format without moving the data. Symantec got their hands on it and poof it was gone.
I wasn’t even aware that Symantec didn’t create Norton… I do remember that Back in y2k or so, Norton was very heavy on resources. Was it more responsive before Symantec took the helm?
Note that McAfee often lingers due to distinctly awful uninstallers. Always a good idea to run MCPR after removal to ensure it’s really all gone: McAfee Customer Service -- Official Site
Theming honestly. I used to theme OSX and kde which i messed with back in 2005 was a breath of fresh air vs windows xp. But linux back then while easy to install you couldn’t run as much as you can now so I didn’t get really into it again tell 2013 for a sever then 2015 for desktop. Honestly I’ve enjoyed it ever since.
Garuda which i found later had that good chill community aspect I personally felt linux needed. If it wasn’t here I think I would have gone back to osx or hackintosh.
In my case updates would get stuck at 99%. I ran W10 LTSC for a while without issues until the icon cache corrupted. I literally moved icons from a folder on the desktop to the desktop.
my last update on windows 10 forced copilot in my computer. Thankfully I was able to uninstall it but that was kinda the last straw especially since the update before that made my laptop slower D:
I switched from Windows to Linux because I value control, precision, and integrity over convenience and corporate bloat.
I refuse to be treated as a guest in my own systems. Windows increasingly shackled me—forcing updates, harvesting telemetry, and layering unnecessary complexity over what should be mine to command. I will not accept that. I am a builder, a steward of my machines. Technology should serve me, not control me.
Linux offers me sovereignty.
Transparency: I have the right to see, know, and shape what my machine is doing.
Efficiency: I deserve a system stripped of what I do not need, finely tuned to how I work.
Community over corporation: I choose to stand with those who believe technology should be open, collaborative, and free.
Security and stability: I choose an ecosystem designed for resilience, not exploitation.
Yet even with my frustrations, I refuse to feed the culture of contempt.
I am weary of the endless bashing of Microsoft and Windows. Mockery and resentment diminish the dignity of choice. I do not need to hate something in order to walk away from it.
I chose Linux not because of spite, but because of alignment — because it fits who I am, how I think, and how I wish to move through the world.
I reclaimed my systems.
I reclaimed myself.
And I will not trade that clarity for bitterness.
The main reason I switched to Linux was honestly just for my own sanity. :'-)
Windows was driving me absolutely crazy on a daily basis — it was so painfully laggy. I’d often sit there staring at the screen, desperately waiting for a simple dialog to open or close. (And no, it definitely wasn’t my hardware.)
At work, I often need some “special” software anyway, and some of it actually runs better on Linux.
When I had to give up my old work laptop and got a new one, I decided: screw it, I’m switching straight to Linux.
I picked Garuda because, honestly, it was the only distro that actually booted on the new hardware.
(If you’re ever unsure whether a distro will work on your machine, seriously check out https://linux-hardware.org/ — it saved me from another 10 years of Windows.)
Speaking of sanity:
Yeah, sometimes Arch drives me up the wall too (to the amusement of my colleagues, who are all chill on Debian or Ubuntu). I would never switch back to Windows. Sure, things might break every now and then. Still, the sheer performance you get with Linux is absolutely worth it.
i hate enriching those who take my freedom away to use my computer as i see fit, spy on what i do, are unsafe with my data, and cost me an arm and a leg.
My main reason to choose linux as an os to switch to was a very simple one - the fact that I feel like the os I use listens to me and what I have to say. You don’t want to update for a week? Sure! Oh you want to completely change the way your gui looks? Shape it however you want, choose different de’s, wm’s or just themes. There is also the fact that Windows only became worse with each update, it became just annoying for me to use and the fact that I couldn’t change some things in the system - felt like the system was restricting me. I used Windows 11 Home, now I at least am satisfied with what I have.
How should I remember it without a past time construction. It’s too long ago - more than 24 years.
Let’s say it was pure curiosity. It wasn’t M$ Windows in any case, because I came from the fruity world of computers.
A few reasons. windows basically being a virus and spyware. Plus you do not own it you are just allowed to use it with Linux you get freedom. Plus I do not like bill gates or microsoft. Also linux can get an old computer alive, Although the 2 computers I use are not that old. One from system76 ( this one ) and one from Think penguin my home pc. I love both an both came with linux pre installed. One came with pop os and the other came with Mint. Right now both computer have garuda linux and boy do I love this distro.
