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To be honest, Windows has always kinda sucked at including drivers in the default install. In the XP days it was normal for almost nothing to work properly afte

To be honest, Windows has always kinda sucked at including drivers in the default install. In the XP days it was normal for almost nothing to work properly after installing. VGA with basic VESA only, no network etc. Part of the job was figuring out where to get all the drivers from and how to get them onto the machine you were installing with half the hardware not yet working. Linux has always been great at long term support and if something was supported it would work out of the box. Though of course many things weren't supported at all. These days that has really improved. Thanks for your work on the ports collection. I use FreeBSD daily as my main machine.

skydhash 4y ago
I used to have those programs that scan your device and install your driver for you on a CD drive. It was a eureka moment when I figured how to find the vendor and the product Ids and then use it to search for the correct driver on the internet. It was infuriating when the same model had different hardware in it and you have to figure out the correct one to get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth working. It was shocking trying out Linux distros and seeing it included everything already.
- Laforet 4y ago
  Those programs are still around. The current favourite among PC builder is snappy driver installer. It is actually more useful now than a couple of years ago because a couple of major vendors like Intel have decided that it's a good thing to purge all drivers of EOL products from their official website. And yes I can definitely echo your experience. When I first installed Mandriva Linux in 2003 it was quite a shock to see everything work out of the box on my 2001 computer.
10000truths 4y ago
When I first plugged in my RX 6700 XT, I thought Windows 10 would detect and automatically use it upon reboot. Nope, laggy desktop - I had to download a driver for the GPU from the AMD website. Ubuntu 20.04, on the other hand, immediately supported it out of the box - the only further configuration on my end was to set the frame rate to 144 Hz instead of 60 Hz.

skydhash 4y ago

I used to have those programs that scan your device and install your driver for you on a CD drive. It was a eureka moment when I figured how to find the vendor and the product Ids and then use it to search for the correct driver on the internet. It was infuriating when the same model had different hardware in it and you have to figure out the correct one to get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth working. It was shocking trying out Linux distros and seeing it included everything already.

Laforet 4y ago
Those programs are still around. The current favourite among PC builder is snappy driver installer. It is actually more useful now than a couple of years ago because a couple of major vendors like Intel have decided that it's a good thing to purge all drivers of EOL products from their official website. And yes I can definitely echo your experience. When I first installed Mandriva Linux in 2003 it was quite a shock to see everything work out of the box on my 2001 computer.

10000truths 4y ago

When I first plugged in my RX 6700 XT, I thought Windows 10 would detect and automatically use it upon reboot. Nope, laggy desktop - I had to download a driver for the GPU from the AMD website. Ubuntu 20.04, on the other hand, immediately supported it out of the box - the only further configuration on my end was to set the frame rate to 144 Hz instead of 60 Hz.