this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2023
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I'm a moderately technical person and every single time I've tried Linux in the past 20+ years it went like this: Huh, this isn't so bad, I might use it more of- oh wait, never mind, a cryptic error message just appeared, because I had the audacity to plug some device in or download some generic application so I had to use the terminal again for some incredibly mundane thing and it only worked after I tried three different approaches from forum posts so old I needed to use the Wayback Machine to be able to read the guides they linked to. Those guides naturally omitted vital details that I only noticed, because I've been trying to use Linux for over 20 years and actually read a book or two on this mess. It doesn't matter which distro, which device, which use case, it's always like this.
The very best "Linux for the masses" I've used so far (outside of Android) is SteamOS on the Steam Deck, but even it falls apart the moment you venture outside of the user-friendly walled garden that is the Steam application.
So issues only when doing something other than browse the web and read email, like most folks only ever do? And a walled garden is exactly what most folks actually need since they won't avoid clicking everything they see. So like on mobile, most folks want the curated don't have to worry about it. That was the whole selling point of Apple all these years.
Sure, but I've experienced hiccups that would never occur in Windows with things as mundane as hooking up a printer, which is well within the realm of what a normal person is using their computer for.
Also, you can fault Apple for many things, but a lack of polish and a poor user experience aren't among them. I've used Apple devices five times in the last ten years and each time I was, with no prior knowledge nor the need to look anything up, able to help people with their issues and quickly. Linux is the polar opposite of that.
I fail to see how that meas that poor folk who only need to browse the internet and read email couldn't use it and thus it should be trashed.
Not the person you were talking to, but I used my computer for browsing, development and a few steam games. I'm not trying to do rocket science. You know what seemed to fuck up my system? The system/software updater. Maybe the graphics drivers, but maybe not. That's pretty basic bitch level Linux.
That said, Chromebooks are fine for the demographic you are taking about, and those are Linux.