Leslieann

Mod an Xbox or mini-ITX system into it.
 
Bonus points if you make the buttons usable.

This.
People think because they can do Windows they can use any OS, it's just not true.
 
Windows is Windows, Linux is Unix, it's not like going from Windows 7 to Windows 10, or Windows 10 to Windows Server, it's completely different. The same goes for Mac, Haiku, BSD... They are not Windows and the skills do not carry over the way you think they will. You are no longer an expert, in fact just the opposite, you know just enough to be dangerous.

You're both right on this.
You have to start somewhere and it's a logical place to start, unfortunately these days too many "articles" are click bait written by people without a clue and in the case of Linux, a lot of tribalism as well.
 
 
Absolutely.
This is why I say it's easy to convert "average users" (not gamers), they just need a browser, text editor, printer etc... Works fantastic for parents and grandparents once setup. My mom is running an Arch based distro and she loves it, it's been so much less hassle for her than Windows ever was but don't ask her how to install it.

It's good to try various OS, learn them find what is good and bad about them, then use what works best for you.
Even if Linus goes back to Windows (and he will for some things) his perception of Windows will never be the same.

Never?
If you play you're probably going to nuke an OS at some point and it's probably one of the fastest ways to learn.  I've nuked pretty much every OS I've ever used, multiple times, and it's a very long list.
 

For the record, what happened to Linus is actually relatively minor and easy to fix.
To a Windows user it looked destroyed and to be fair on Windows or Mac it pretty much would be but if you've messed with Linux for a little while it's a simple command to fix it, just drop to console and reinstall the desktop environment, less than 2 minutes if you know the command or have something like Timeshift installed. That's part of the beauty of Linux, you can install multiple desktops or even go without a desktop entirely so losing one is not a big deal really. However, I'm not blaming Linus for not knowing that and with it being a fresh install it would be easier to just re-install and start over fresh.

Never?
If you play you're probably going to nuke an OS at some point and it's probably one of the fastest ways to learn.  I've nuked pretty much every OS I've ever used, multiple times, and it's a very long list.
 

For the record, what happened to Linus is actually relatively minor and easy to fix.
To a Windows user it looked destroyed and to be fair on Windows or Mac it pretty much would be but if you've messed with Linux for a little while it's a simple command to fix it, just drop to console and reinstall the desktop environment, less than 2 minutes if you know the command or have something like Timeshift installed. That's part of the beauty of Linux, you can install multiple desktops or even go without a desktop entirely so losing one is not a big deal really. However, I'm not blaming Linus for not knowing that and with it being a fresh install it would be easier to just re-install and start over fresh.

Never?
If you play you're probably going to nuke an OS at some point and it's probably one of the fastest ways to learn.  I've nuked pretty much every OS I've ever used, multiple times, and it's a very long list.
 

For the record, what happened to Linus is actually relatively minor and easy to fix.
To a Windows user it looked destroyed and to be fair on Windows or Mac it pretty much would be but if you've messed with Linux for a little while it's a simple command to fix it, just drop to console and reinstall the desktop environment, less than 2 minutes if you know the command or have something like Timeshift installed. That's part of the beauty of Linux, you can install multiple desktops or even go without a desktop entirely so losing one is not a big deal really. However, I'm not blaming Linus for not knowing that and with it being a fresh install it would be easier to just re-install and start over fresh.

You're both right on this.
You have to start somewhere and it's a logical place to start, unfortunately these days too many "articles" are click bait written by people without a clue and in the case of Linux, a lot of tribalism as well.
 
 
Absolutely.
This is why I say it's easy to convert "average users" (not gamers), they just need a browser, text editor, printer etc... Works fantastic for parents and grandparents once setup. My mom is running an Arch based distro and she loves it, it's been so much less hassle for her than Windows ever was but don't ask her how to install it.

It's good to try various OS, learn them find what is good and bad about them, then use what works best for you.
Even if Linus goes back to Windows (and he will for some things) his perception of Windows will never be the same.

Never?
If you play you're probably going to nuke an OS at some point and it's probably one of the fastest ways to learn.  I've nuked pretty much every OS I've ever used, multiple times, and it's a very long list.
 

For the record, what happened to Linus is actually relatively minor and easy to fix.
To a Windows user it looked destroyed and to be fair on Windows or Mac it pretty much would be but if you've messed with Linux for a little while it's a simple command to fix it, just drop to console and reinstall the desktop environment, less than 2 minutes if you know the command or have something like Timeshift installed. That's part of the beauty of Linux, you can install multiple desktops or even go without a desktop entirely so losing one is not a big deal really. However, I'm not blaming Linus for not knowing that and with it being a fresh install it would be easier to just re-install and start over fresh.

This.
People think because they can do Windows they can use any OS, it's just not true.
 
Windows is Windows, Linux is Unix, it's not like going from Windows 7 to Windows 10, or Windows 10 to Windows Server, it's completely different. The same goes for Mac, Haiku, BSD... They are not Windows and the skills do not carry over the way you think they will. You are no longer an expert, in fact just the opposite, you know just enough to be dangerous.

This.
People think because they can do Windows they can use any OS, it's just not true.
 
Windows is Windows, Linux is Unix, it's not like going from Windows 7 to Windows 10, or Windows 10 to Windows Server, it's completely different. The same goes for Mac, Haiku, BSD... They are not Windows and the skills do not carry over the way you think they will. You are no longer an expert, in fact just the opposite, you know just enough to be dangerous.

This.
People think because they can do Windows they can use any OS, it's just not true.
 
Windows is Windows, Linux is Unix, it's not like going from Windows 7 to Windows 10, or Windows 10 to Windows Server, it's completely different. The same goes for Mac, Haiku, BSD... They are not Windows and the skills do not carry over the way you think they will. You are no longer an expert, in fact just the opposite, you know just enough to be dangerous.

I have Intel, AMD and Nvidia GPUs, the biggest difference is having to install the Nvidia driver myself. Meh.
 
That said, it can be distro dependent.
Something way behind the bleeding edge (such as Mint) is (ironically) going to have more problems than something like Arch which has all the latest drivers and installers.
 
  
When you started with Windows (or Mac) odds are you started with a pre-installed system and slowly over several years learned more and more to the extent you could install Windows yourself. You didn't learn it overnight.
 
Had someone handed you a new computer and only a Windows install disk your experience would have been much closer to what it is with Linux, BSD or even Hackintosh.
 
  
That is a misconception.
Linus knows knows Windows, all his experience, preconceived notions and more importantly terminology is Windows based. Knowing that terminology in Windows makes finding solutions easy and fast but it's because you know the terminology that you can find answers quickly.
 
If you ask Google "how to change spark plugs Ford Mustang" it will tell you, but if all you know is cars and gasoline engines and search up "how to change spark plugs in diesel pickup" you won't find your answer. Why? Because diesel engines use glow plugs, not spark plugs. Terminology matters to the extent that the wrong terms can be worse than using none at all and until you learn the correct terminology troubleshooting can be a nightmare.

As others have said, it takes time to learn a new os... It's even worse for power users.
You spent how many years learning how to do everything on Windows and become an expert on it, now you jump onto a new system expecting to be as much a power user and you really don't know what you're doing so you get into trouble and frustrated just as Linus did.
 
 
Which beings us to the other major problem.
With Linux you have option to return to Windows, it's easy to get annoyed and just say screw it and go back to Windows. The reason Windows-Mac and Mac -Windows users can change is because they just bought a new computer, they can't just easily toss the other OS on it and go back to what they know so they tough it out. Without being invested you aren't going to give it full effort to make it stick. I truly believe this is why most people fail when converting to Linux.
 
 
 
All that said, as Luke said on WAN show, Linux gets out of the way.
I don't think most people realize just how invasive Win10 has become. I don't mean spying and such, I mean just day to day interruptions. If you really want a shock, load up a fresh install of Win10 and set it up as your system currently is you'll be amazed just how much it interrupts a new user before it settles in. Better still, fire up Win7 and see how little it bugs you, it's shocking just how much Win10 is in your face making suggestions and distracting you. If you use an adblocker, going back to Windows after Linux is like disabling your adblocker.

I too hated command line when I started, I thought it was archaic, but the more you use it, the better it truly gets (it's awesome).

Remember,
You spent years learning Windows, you aren't going to switch to Linux or Mac and be just as proficient overnight. Mac? Mac is easy, look how many switched to it! Every OS has a learning curve, you still need to find resources and compatible programs to replace those you lost as well as find your way around, so why do Mac/Windows switchers seem to have an easier time switching compared to Linux users? Easy, they're invested. They just spent how much on a computer that doesn't easily run the other OS, they have to make it work. With Linux you dip your toe, find something you don't like and then go running back to Windows.

Dual booting (as well as usb sticks and virtualization) is the fastest way to make sure you find everything you hate about another operating system before running back to your comfort zone. Don't get me wrong, they're great tools, they let you dip your toe and get an understanding without going all in but that's where you need to end it because you can't really explore the pool/pond/lake without getting in the water and swimming. If you want to switch you have to go all in and not give yourself an easy way out because at some point it's going to be difficult.

It didn't run bare metal because it needs TPM and possibly Secure Boot enabled.
If you play around with a lot of hardware those usually get switched off pretty fast, especially if you dabble with Linux, Unraid, and things of that nature. Linus was just too excited to try it out to be bothered to find out why it didn't run.
 
 
It's mostly a skinned Win10, at least for now.
They did get rid of the last remnants of old control panel. Setup is more fluid and faster, better laid out. It has more Bing/Edge (groan).
 
Start menu is the biggest change and going to be very divisive, you will either love it or hate it. Some many will hate how it when centered it moves depending on how many apps are running (you can move it to the standard position), others hate how much effort is now required to access the rest of your apps (the button is too far from start button), while others will love the fresh look and interface.

Linux isn't harder, it's just different.
Mac users seem to switch easily, that's not necessarily because Mac is easier but because they get tossed into the deep end and they sink or swim, so long as you can just reboot or close a VM you are never forced to actually learn the more difficult things on Linux so you stay in the shallow end. You spent how many years learning those common Windows things you do, you will not be as proficient at Mac or Linux right away, that's just how it is. I spent years playing with Linux in VM, dual booting and on servers, when I finally committed to Linux and forced myself to find answers I learned more in 2 weeks than I did in 5 years because I had to figure it out. It sounds harsh, but you're playing with Linux, not using it.
 
Also, give up the idea that Linux has to replace Windows perfectly, replace is a fallacy. Mac users don't complain because like I said, sink or swim, they just spent how much on their new computer, they have skin in the game to make it work. Changing your OS is a trade-off not a perfect replacement and so long as people hold Linux to that "perfect replacement" standard they will forever be stuck on Windows. The same applies to Mac or switching back to Windows, they all have strengths and weaknesses and for every loss there is a gain. Find the good, deal with the bad and decide which works best for you in the end.
 
 
By the way, keep a handy text file with your commands on a thumbstick so you can access it anywhere.
I haven't met too many Linux users who don't have a cheat sheet of some sort, Windows users are probably thinking "Ah ha! See it is harder!", it's not always because we need it, it's often because it's faster.  Think about the last time you went hunting for drivers after an upgrade, needed to find a file, or had to find that one registry tweak that makes that fixes that game you like or any other myriad of problems.

Seriously, stop spewing this to people who are not already Linux users. Kist stop.
They are still trying to figure out if Linux is worth trying and here you are already discussing semantics, worry about that later when they might actually care. So long as they are not on Linux, they really just don't give a damn and it just looks bad. It doesn't matter if it's a joke or not you're sabotaging yourself to those outside of Linux. Stop doing it.
 
I also really wish they had started with a desktop interface rather than starting off showing so much command line, it just confirms many peoples biggest complaints about Linux. Command line is great but it takes a bit to learn how good it is, remember, Windows users are stuck in gui land, the idea of typing commands is foreign to them, and frankly, it's not necessary to get going.
 
Things non users want to actually know:
Can it run my games? Yes.
Can it run Crysis? Yes.
Can it run Office apps? Yes
But that command line... You don't need it to get up and going.
 
At this point there's not actually much people have not gotten to run on it, though the difficulty of doing so is not always pleasant. That said, a lot of things are actually easier than on Windows, even native Windows stuff.  At this point I'd say it's a wash, give Linux another year or two and that could bend greatly into Linux's favor.
 
I'm glad to see LTT doing more Linux, it's come a long way, but us Linux users need to stop making these mistakes every time we try and show Linux to non Linux users.

Linux isn't harder, it's just different.
Mac users seem to switch easily, that's not necessarily because Mac is easier but because they get tossed into the deep end and they sink or swim, so long as you can just reboot or close a VM you are never forced to actually learn the more difficult things on Linux so you stay in the shallow end. You spent how many years learning those common Windows things you do, you will not be as proficient at Mac or Linux right away, that's just how it is. I spent years playing with Linux in VM, dual booting and on servers, when I finally committed to Linux and forced myself to find answers I learned more in 2 weeks than I did in 5 years because I had to figure it out. It sounds harsh, but you're playing with Linux, not using it.
 
Also, give up the idea that Linux has to replace Windows perfectly, replace is a fallacy. Mac users don't complain because like I said, sink or swim, they just spent how much on their new computer, they have skin in the game to make it work. Changing your OS is a trade-off not a perfect replacement and so long as people hold Linux to that "perfect replacement" standard they will forever be stuck on Windows. The same applies to Mac or switching back to Windows, they all have strengths and weaknesses and for every loss there is a gain. Find the good, deal with the bad and decide which works best for you in the end.
 
 
By the way, keep a handy text file with your commands on a thumbstick so you can access it anywhere.
I haven't met too many Linux users who don't have a cheat sheet of some sort, Windows users are probably thinking "Ah ha! See it is harder!", it's not always because we need it, it's often because it's faster.  Think about the last time you went hunting for drivers after an upgrade, needed to find a file, or had to find that one registry tweak that makes that fixes that game you like or any other myriad of problems.

Linux isn't harder, it's just different.
Mac users seem to switch easily, that's not necessarily because Mac is easier but because they get tossed into the deep end and they sink or swim, so long as you can just reboot or close a VM you are never forced to actually learn the more difficult things on Linux so you stay in the shallow end. You spent how many years learning those common Windows things you do, you will not be as proficient at Mac or Linux right away, that's just how it is. I spent years playing with Linux in VM, dual booting and on servers, when I finally committed to Linux and forced myself to find answers I learned more in 2 weeks than I did in 5 years because I had to figure it out. It sounds harsh, but you're playing with Linux, not using it.
 
Also, give up the idea that Linux has to replace Windows perfectly, replace is a fallacy. Mac users don't complain because like I said, sink or swim, they just spent how much on their new computer, they have skin in the game to make it work. Changing your OS is a trade-off not a perfect replacement and so long as people hold Linux to that "perfect replacement" standard they will forever be stuck on Windows. The same applies to Mac or switching back to Windows, they all have strengths and weaknesses and for every loss there is a gain. Find the good, deal with the bad and decide which works best for you in the end.
 
 
By the way, keep a handy text file with your commands on a thumbstick so you can access it anywhere.
I haven't met too many Linux users who don't have a cheat sheet of some sort, Windows users are probably thinking "Ah ha! See it is harder!", it's not always because we need it, it's often because it's faster.  Think about the last time you went hunting for drivers after an upgrade, needed to find a file, or had to find that one registry tweak that makes that fixes that game you like or any other myriad of problems.

Seriously, stop spewing this to people who are not already Linux users. Kist stop.
They are still trying to figure out if Linux is worth trying and here you are already discussing semantics, worry about that later when they might actually care. So long as they are not on Linux, they really just don't give a damn and it just looks bad. It doesn't matter if it's a joke or not you're sabotaging yourself to those outside of Linux. Stop doing it.
 
I also really wish they had started with a desktop interface rather than starting off showing so much command line, it just confirms many peoples biggest complaints about Linux. Command line is great but it takes a bit to learn how good it is, remember, Windows users are stuck in gui land, the idea of typing commands is foreign to them, and frankly, it's not necessary to get going.
 
Things non users want to actually know:
Can it run my games? Yes.
Can it run Crysis? Yes.
Can it run Office apps? Yes
But that command line... You don't need it to get up and going.
 
At this point there's not actually much people have not gotten to run on it, though the difficulty of doing so is not always pleasant. That said, a lot of things are actually easier than on Windows, even native Windows stuff.  At this point I'd say it's a wash, give Linux another year or two and that could bend greatly into Linux's favor.
 
I'm glad to see LTT doing more Linux, it's come a long way, but us Linux users need to stop making these mistakes every time we try and show Linux to non Linux users.

Seriously, stop spewing this to people who are not already Linux users. Kist stop.
They are still trying to figure out if Linux is worth trying and here you are already discussing semantics, worry about that later when they might actually care. So long as they are not on Linux, they really just don't give a damn and it just looks bad. It doesn't matter if it's a joke or not you're sabotaging yourself to those outside of Linux. Stop doing it.
 
I also really wish they had started with a desktop interface rather than starting off showing so much command line, it just confirms many peoples biggest complaints about Linux. Command line is great but it takes a bit to learn how good it is, remember, Windows users are stuck in gui land, the idea of typing commands is foreign to them, and frankly, it's not necessary to get going.
 
Things non users want to actually know:
Can it run my games? Yes.
Can it run Crysis? Yes.
Can it run Office apps? Yes
But that command line... You don't need it to get up and going.
 
At this point there's not actually much people have not gotten to run on it, though the difficulty of doing so is not always pleasant. That said, a lot of things are actually easier than on Windows, even native Windows stuff.  At this point I'd say it's a wash, give Linux another year or two and that could bend greatly into Linux's favor.
 
I'm glad to see LTT doing more Linux, it's come a long way, but us Linux users need to stop making these mistakes every time we try and show Linux to non Linux users.

This will fail just like Surface RT and for the same reason.
 
Laymen have no idea what ARM is they just want their programs to work.

If you can fit this on a desk, or even if you have a desk, you can probably fit a tiny desktop (S4 Mini, Ncase M1, Dan Case A4, Cooler Master 130, Node 202, etc.).
 
For the price of this Alienware, you could build one of these for half the price, leaving enough to buy a decent laptop with money to spare.
It's guaranteed to be upgradeable, cheaper, quieter, more powerful (since you could install a 2080 TI), room for more storage, more choices (Ryzen?)... Yes, it means dragging a separate monitor if you are taking the system someplace, but that wouldn't be an every day thing if you buy a small laptop to complement this (LG gram?), for which your back would thank you.
 

1994 would have been 25 years ago and this system is more like 1998 and even then ultra high end. This is closer to what we ran in 2000.
 
Yes, this stuff existed in 1998, but even in 1998 it would be like buying a laptop today with 64Gb of ram and an 2Tb ssd. That hardly represents what people use today.