My experiences with Windows 11 vs Linux Mint:

• Printer:

  • Woudn't work under Windows 11 (was discontinued by version 11)

  • Worked immediately on Linux, didn’t even have to install drivers, done automatically by Linux.

• Vintage Radio (radio and bluetooth based mp3 player (audio files).

  • Quit working after a Windows 11 update (killed the bluetooth link).

  • Worked immediately on Linux (no need to manually install drivers).

• Micro-Speak Plus (voice recorder and audio playback):

  • Quit working after a Windows update (would not recognize the device),

  • Worked immediately on Linux (no need to manually install drivers).

• Updating Operating System:

  • Linux Mint - quick, does it in the background, no "restart the computer and pray that Windows update doesn't delete your Bluetooth or other devices". Also, no half-hour wait for the Windows update to complete. No forced updates.

  • Windows 11 – frequently clobbers bluetooth and other drivers. Often takes a long time to update. Sometimes causes major errors/failures (not to me, yet, but there are many reports of this). Many forced updates.

• LibreOffice Calc:

  • Often has some cursor lag, when switching to the program on Windows.

  • Haven’t noticed this on Linux.

• Intrusive Behaviour:

  • Windows - pop-ups and side-screen messages, usually some sort of sales pitch. Co-pilot and other AI pushes (this has been reduced lately).

  • Linux - No sneaky messages popping up, reminding you that Microsoft, HP, Dell etc are out there, watching you. No constant sales pitches.

Generally speaking, Microsoft seems to be in the process of sacrificing (via neglect and/or abuse of its customers) its dominance in the Operating System space, in favour of focussing money and intellectual capital (i.e. the best programmers and data scientists) on its AI initiatives. The high-handed comtempt that it showed (and continues to show) for its customer base is an extreme example of this (you must throw away your 4 year-old computer for Microsoft’s convenience and related induced-profits).

Many computer manufacturers are now shipping with Linux and charging extra for Windows, according to multiple Youtube channels. And once Microsoft loses dominance in the OS space, they risk the same happening in the productivity space (i.e. Microsoft Office) and in the data space (Azure, SQL Server). It seems like a classic case of a business neglecting its foundations in a gamble on an uncertain future.