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Re:Reasons to prefer Linux over Windows (2014) by AnIdiotOnTheNet on Monday November 16, 2020 @09:57AM (#25112378)
> In general, it _is_ true that people use the Operation System that came installed on their system. Most people are unable, or feel unable, to install an OS themselves and would not feel comfortable taking responsibility for choosing a different OS for their computing. Most do not even see this as a choice they are making.

This suggests that, if given the option, people would buy a computer with Linux preinstalled instead of Windows. Yet, when such things were tried, people did not. Windows is pre-installed because it is the OS people want and need, not the other way around. There are an uncountable number of specialized applications for niche workflows available on Windows that are not available on Linux.

As briefly mentioned by the parent, a large part of the problem is how Linux approaches software: no real binary compatibility, for instance, means that you need this army of maintainers and packagers to keep software working. Who is going to do that for these niche pieces of software? I know that to many developers the idea of not-constantly-maintained software being used by people is an existential career threat and therefore a high crime, but the rest of the world has work to do and is totally fine using VB6 applications last compiled in 2004 because it allows them to actually get things done.

Re:Reasons to prefer Linux over Windows (2014) by einpoklum on Monday November 16, 2020 @04:48PM (#25117395)
> This suggests that, if given the option, people would buy a computer with Linux preinstalled instead of Windows.

No, what I said does not suggest that.

> no real binary compatibility, for instance, means that you need this army of maintainers and packagers to keep software working.

It's a smaller army than the army you need in order to keep Microsoft Windows working, and even smaller compared to the army you need to keep the Windows software equivalent to what you get as part of a Linux distribution.

> There are an uncountable number of specialized applications for niche workflows available on Windows that are not available on Linux.

That's not relevant to my argument.