Why Linux isn't a replacement for Windows 10 if you can't run Windows 11 - debate!

SlicEnDicE · Jul 22, 2025

If you are one of those who thinks Linux is only a glorified typewriter, then you have no freaking clue what Linux really is. Linux is very powerful, although it has its weaknesses like every OS does.

My graphing calculator is a glorified typewriter among other things.

XxXxX · Jul 22, 2025

pseymour said:
Right on. Here we are, almost to five pages, and the only person who has offered up any possible solution to the scaling was me, the guy who administers Windows boxes for a living. The most we've gotten from the Linux people is "works for me. "

And in general, you're quite right. If you install Linux and give it an average home Windows user, and it goes well, you're in business. But if you have real issues, they're not the kind of thing those folks are going to tackle.

please read my post #58

best of luck, Steve ..

spapakons · Jul 22, 2025

SlicEnDicE said:
If you are one of those who thinks Linux is only a glorified typewriter, then you have no freaking clue what Linux really is. Linux is very powerful, although it has its weaknesses like every OS does.

My graphing calculator is a glorified typewriter among other things.

It might be powerful IF you can find apps for the task in hand. GUI Apps (CLI is out of the question) with the features you want, not compromises. And IF you are experienced enough to install and use them. The average Windows user IS NOT, so there is not doubt Linux is not for him. Here we discuss if Linux can replace Windows for the average PC, no it can't. We are not discussing what Linux can or cannot do. As long as it has a steeper learning curve and doesn't have the same level of hardware and software support, it's a big NO to me. Experienced Linux users, ITs and other Linux fans don't count. We are talking about a novice user like my father, for example. He has some difficulties with Windows, if I dare install Linux in his computer he will call me almost daily to help him. No thanks. Rather stay with Windows 10 or even 7 and an updated antivirus.

cheaterslick · Jul 22, 2025

SlicEnDicE said:
If you are one of those who thinks Linux is only a glorified typewriter, then you have no freaking clue what Linux really is. Linux is very powerful, although it has its weaknesses like every OS does.

My graphing calculator is a glorified typewriter among other things.

I agree although I have too much software that won't run on it.

pseymour · Jul 22, 2025

XxXxX said:
please read my post #58

best of luck, Steve ..

Please read my posts 13 and 50.

Scannerman · Jul 22, 2025

Linux is a great replacement for Windows 10 if it gives you all the things you wanted from Windows 10.

It behooves me then to say it again, that user preference prevails.

spapakons · Jul 22, 2025

cheaterslick said:
I agree although I have too much software that won't run on it.

My point exactly. If it doesn't do what I want the way I want it, then I won't use it. I use some video editing and converting applications for which I can't find a Linux equivalent. So I can't replace Windows with Linux.

What about my other alternative? Is it against EULA to install Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC or the respective Windows 11 version on a home computer for personal use? How much it cost? How I can obtain a legitimate copy of the ISO?

pseymour · Jul 22, 2025

@spapakons Yes, it is against the EULA. IoT editions are volume license or OEM only. So unless you have a volume license or purchased a license with a device, you're technically violating the agreement.

Edit... IoT Enterprise EULA in English, and Greek. :)

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/eula/license_en-us_english_united_states.pdf

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/eula/license_el-gr_greek_greece.pdf

spapakons · Jul 22, 2025

OK so we either activate ESU in Windows 10 or we keep using it with an updated antivirus. Got it.

antspants · Jul 22, 2025

pseymour said:
@spapakons Yes, it is against the EULA. IoT editions are volume license or OEM only. So unless you have a volume license or purchased a license with a device, you're technically violating the agreement.

Edit... IoT Enterprise EULA in English, and Greek. :)

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/eula/license_en-us_english_united_states.pdf

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/eula/license_el-gr_greek_greece.pdf

Pretty certain any member that has been here since 2021, has seen that mentioned here dozens of times. “Oooops I didn’t realise” is not a plausable legal defence. I would guess, neither is “But it’s on my VM’zzzzzz”

Bree · Jul 22, 2025

spapakons said:
OK so we either activate ESU in Windows 10 or we keep using it with an updated antivirus. Got it.

AV is about the one thing you don't need to worry about when W10 goes EoL.

Microsoft said:
Microsoft will also continue to provide Security Intelligence Updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus through at least October 2028.

How to prepare for Windows 10 end of support by moving to Windows 11 today

As we approach the end of support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, 20251, we want to ensure you are well-prepared for the transition to Windows 11. This m

blogs.windows.com

Everyone will get the AV updates, whether on ESU or not.

MS did the same when W7 went EoL, and MSE on my W7 machines is still getting AV updates to this day! (same definitions as W11 gets)

SlicEnDicE · Jul 22, 2025

spapakons said:
It might be powerful IF you can find apps for the task in hand.

That's not difficult if you look for them, the same way you once had to do on Windows.

spapakons said:
GUI Apps (CLI is out of the question) with the features you want, not compromises

Did you know that many CLI apps support 16777216 colors and they can even support a mouse? There are also a lot of great Linux GUI apps, if you want to find them. Plus many apps on Linux are more efficient and responsive than the bloat big corporations tend to spit out today. Ado***....cough, cough...

spapakons said:
And IF you are experienced enough to install and use them.

Most applications today, you don't need any more experience than being able to point your mouse and click.

spapakons said:
The average Windows user IS NOT, so there is not doubt Linux is not for him.

The average user won't even notice the difference between Windows and Linux, and they wouldn't even care.

spapakons said:
Here we discuss if Linux can replace Windows for the average PC, no it can't.

It definitely can and has for many, given a more snappy, stable and responsive experience on low end hardware.

spapakons said:
Experienced Linux users, ITs and other Linux fans don't count.

Experienced Windows users and fans don't count either.

spapakons said:
We are talking about a novice user like my father, for example. He has some difficulties with Windows, if I dare install Linux in his computer he will call me almost daily to help him.

I highly doubt this would be any more than he already is now using Windows.

cheaterslick said:
I agree although I have too much software that won't run on it.

I agree, we tend to find our favorite software and sticking with them. Later switching to something else is difficult for many of us. We tend to be resilient to change.

antspants · Jul 22, 2025

SlicEnDicE said:
The average user won't even notice the difference between Windows and Linux, and they wouldn't even care.

I’d seriously love to see a survey on that.

All their friends saying “I was doing this stuff in Windows the other day” the average user unknowingly using linux… “my computer can’t do that, I think it’s broken”

antspants · Jul 22, 2025

Go into my local appliance store and ask for a Laptop with Linux on it for my mum lol

Sales assistant…

ajgringo619 · Jul 23, 2025

Hazel123 said:
Scaling.

That thing we take for granted - that whatever your screen size, the operating system will scale to fit and be readable.

This is not the case with Linux. Installing it is fine on a smaller screen - but if you happen to have a 14" or larger screen, everything is so tiny it is literally unseeable (for anyone - even if you have good eyesight). It's ridiculous. There are one or two distros that do scaling (plain Ubuntu is one) but I would think many people will have older hardware or hardware with lower specs and need to run something with XFCE in - Linux Mint or Xubuntu - and be presented with a screen with microscopic menus and text.

Huh??? Happily running a Arch/Windows 11 dual-boot with (2) 27" monitors, 1920x1080. Never had an issue with text size with any distro/DE.

And this has been true for a long time now.

spapakons · Jul 23, 2025

antspants said:
Pretty certain any member that has been here since 2021, has seen that mentioned here dozens of times. “Oooops I didn’t realise” is not a plausable legal defence. I would guess, neither is “But it’s on my VM’zzzzzz”

Same thing with Mac OS, it is supposed to be installed only on Apple hardware. As long as I have bought it is my right to install it wherever I please, even on my toaster. However there is no legal way to obtain a Windows 10 or 11 Enterprise license for an individual (not company). That I will accept as illegal because it actually is. Not installing a legitimate copy on a home computer, but obtaining an illegal copy. It's like arguing that you can play your DVDs only at home in your standalone DVD player in the living room. It is against the EULA to play them in your office computer! Since I bought it, I can play it everywhere I want.

jimbo45 · Jul 23, 2025

@SlicEnDicE FYI !!!

WPS office -- far better and much more compatible with Ms Office than Libre Office can even read and write documents in docx and xlsx formats so there shouldn't be any problem in uploading documents to sites that insist on "Ms Office format". Runs both on Linux and Windows -- and I'll bet 1000's of people on these forums have never heard of it thinking libre office is the only alternative.

Free Office Suite for Word, Excel, PDF & PPT | Kingsoft WPS Office

WPS Office is a free all-in-one office suite for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files. Write, edit, convert, and collaborate faster with built-in AI across Windows, Mac, and mobile.

www.wps.com

Cheers
jimbo

spapakons · Jul 23, 2025

jimbo45 said:
@SlicEnDicE FYI !!!

WPS office -- far better and much more compatible with Ms Office than Libre Office can even read and write documents in docx and xlsx formats so there shouldn't be any problem in uploading documents to sites that insist on "Ms Office format". Runs both on Linux and Windows -- and I'll bet 1000's of people on these forums have never heard of it thinking libre office is the only alternative.

Free Office Suite for Word, Excel, PDF & PPT | Kingsoft WPS Office

WPS Office is a free all-in-one office suite for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files. Write, edit, convert, and collaborate faster with built-in AI across Windows, Mac, and mobile.

www.wps.com

Cheers
jimbo

I had it on my Android smartphone since I didn't want to pay to activate the respective Word and Excel versions. Never used it much, just to open the occasional document, so I cannot comment how good it is. However, the problem is not only finding an Office suite for Linux. As I said in an earlier post, the user must do some serious research before switching to Linux. He has to make sure there are drivers for all his hardware and there are the same or alternative applications he uses in Windows. I might check the first box but not the second, so Linux is not for me. After he checks both these boxes he must be prepared to learn new things and face any potential issues. I would recommend to TRY it first on a virtual machine before switching. By trying I mean to install it and all the applications he wants and use it at least a month, not a couple of days. If he survives (kidding of course) and he still wishes to switch, do it responsibly. Not just rush to switch after Windows 10 EOL and then regret it.

Scannerman · Jul 23, 2025

jimbo45 said:
@SlicEnDicE FYI !!!

WPS office -- far better and much more compatible with Ms Office than Libre Office can even read and write documents in docx and xlsx formats so there shouldn't be any problem in uploading documents to sites that insist on "Ms Office format". Runs both on Linux and Windows -- and I'll bet 1000's of people on these forums have never heard of it thinking libre office is the only alternative.

Free Office Suite for Word, Excel, PDF & PPT | Kingsoft WPS Office

WPS Office is a free all-in-one office suite for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files. Write, edit, convert, and collaborate faster with built-in AI across Windows, Mac, and mobile.

www.wps.com

Cheers
jimbo

Can it run BST HEBREW and BST GREEK?

spapakons · Jul 23, 2025

Scannerman said:
Can it run BST HEBREW and BST GREEK?

Here says these fonts are needed to view the Greek and Hebrew lexicons as well as the Interlinear Bible.

Font Resources

Download BSTFonts in order to view the Greek and Hebrew text in GOSHEN’s Bible Study Tools. ...

www.biblestudytools.com

Why wouldn't they work in WPS Office or any other application? As long as you can install these fonts globally they should work everywhere. Also why you must specifically have these two fonts? Arial in Windows and the respective fonts in Linux can handle Hebrew text and polytonic Greek text fine.

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