Re:The End of Windows 10: a toolkit for community repair groups
by sandworm101 on Friday July 18, 2025 @04:49AM
(#44602578)
Until the next windows update changes everything. I had my parent ran Linux for 15+ years because, unlike windows/Mac, the user interface didn't change every other year. Some 'simple' users prioritize stability over ready access to geek squad.
(If you have dementia, even a changed wallpaper can be a big deal. Popups with "new feature" or rando security notices are not helpful.)
Re:The End of Windows 10: a toolkit for community repair groups
by pjmlp on Friday July 18, 2025 @04:56AM
(#44602611)
And I guess you were down the street to keep it running when support was needed, and did not install either GNOME or KDE, which have had several UI changes throughout the years.
None of the PC stores on my hometown cares about GNU/Linux, but at least it is a known place that they can reach for, and I don't have to fly back home for support.
Re:The End of Windows 10: a toolkit for community repair groups
by paulryanrogers on Friday July 18, 2025 @09:07PM
(#44611599)
Doesn't RockyLinux get like 10y for each major release? That should be enough for them. If they need another ten then perhaps the next version can mimic the previous.
Re:The End of Windows 10: a toolkit for community repair groups
by trinix912 on Friday July 18, 2025 @05:11AM
(#44602671)
It's not like Linux is immune to UI changes during updates, Ubuntu has changed their DE a few times (which the average user could easily run into by just clicking Yes in an updater popup), Gnome has changed vastly from 2 to 3, KDE has changed quite a lot too.
Windows 10 has had the same UI for 10 years with a few minor changes.
But if you're comparing it to a non-updated Linux system, then it's no different than keeping them on Windows 7.
Re:The End of Windows 10: a toolkit for community repair groups
by joseda-hg on Friday July 18, 2025 @11:31AM
(#44605840)
While I'm not an active user, I don't recall seeing much change in say XFCE or in Cinammon for that matter
In this particular regard, options are good to have, depending on how much you value that kind of stability you could even freeze only the DE and let the stuff around it update, which is a lot better than actually being stuck in any insecure OS
Exactly because "vast majority of people, even the simplest desktop Linux distributions are simply too high a learning curve to be useful outside the very basics.", the first time they got into issues instead of doing the "call the son IT support", they went to the nearest PC store and got Windows reinstalled.
I was suddenly surprised during the next parents visit to find Windows again on that computer.
Since then, I rather have the local PC store support them, than me, and then also don't really care about GNU/Linux based systems, only whatever runs OSes from Microsoft, Apple and Google.
It isn't as if I am flying back to Portugal every weekend to do support, or find out how to make GNU/Linux actually fit their computer needs, and software needed by Portuguese goverment, banks and co.