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we still cant purchase Linux pre installed from most vendors and for most people thats the biggest bottleneck: they will not go out of they way to install an OS

we still cant purchase Linux pre installed from most vendors and for most people thats the biggest bottleneck: they will not go out of they way to install an OS'

29athrowaway 2y ago
You can, from Dell
- ekianjo 2y ago
  Yes you can if you actually go out of your way to select it. But thats not even advertised. if you buy a PC anywhere else Windows is always the default if not only choice.
- asadotzler 2y ago
  And Lenovo
  - weikju 2y ago
    .. as long as you're in the USA in both those cases
TheRoque 2y ago
Sadly yeah. I managed to install it both on my mom and dad's computers. I didn't push them, they were genuinely curious and sick of having to remember their Microsoft account to do some stuff on windows. They have been running Linux Mint for 2 years and quite happy about it. But I hope they don't constraint themselves due to this, I don't watch their everyday use, but I know that Linux is not always easy on the non tech savy people.
Narhem 2y ago
Linux should be something you have to do yourself
- sholladay 2y ago
  So I guess screw the non-techies, then? No on-ramp for them means they can’t learn very easily.
  - tocs3 2y ago
    I have been using an Ubuntu favor for more than a decade and find it easier than Windows when installing an OS. The user interface is about the same a Windows. It is not as easy as buying a computer with the OS installed but is not technically difficult to follow the installation instructions. If you are wondering what it is like you can install it on an inexpensive USB stick and try it without installing anything.
    - lotsoweiners 2y ago
      I know plenty of people who have no idea an OS can be installed/reinstalled.
    - sholladay 2y ago
      Just the fact that you aware of a particular Linux distro indicates that you are a techie. Most people haven’t even heard of Ubuntu. Among those that have, many of them are convinced that using Linux means using the command line, which they consider either scary or confusing. It’s an uphill battle. I’m kind of surprised Canonical hasn’t done more consumer education / marketing. But it’s not entirely untrue, either, albeit the Ubuntu GUI can take you pretty far. I like Ubuntu and I agree that it has a pretty good install UX. But I’ve still had driver issues even with common hardware, as most Linux users have at one point or another. Updates aren’t quite as straightforward compared to Windows/macOS, as it involves using `apt` to properly prepare for an update, etc. It’s a technical operating system, optimized for people who understand technology. It’s very good at that, let’s just be honest about it. For non-techies to adopt Ubuntu, various changes will be needed. One of them is for Ubuntu to be an easy and advertised option on a new computer that a non-techie would buy (meaning, custom rigs or niche manufacturers don’t count). They need an on-ramp.
      - 2y ago
kube-system 2y ago
A couple of vendors experimented with offering it out-of-the-box. But normal people aren't looking to play politics with their operating system choice, they're trying to get work done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qj8p-PEwbI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qj8p-PEwbI Imagine if a clothing designer came up to a construction worker and told them that the fabric grainlines on their clothes were poorly aligned, and that they should buy something else. This topic is the software equivalent of that. But also, technically speaking, most computers already have Linux preinstalled on them, it's just called something different: https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/ https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

we still cant purchase Linux pre installed from most vendors and for most people thats the biggest bottleneck: they will not go out of they way to install an OS'

29athrowaway 2y ago

You can, from Dell

ekianjo 2y ago
Yes you can if you actually go out of your way to select it. But thats not even advertised. if you buy a PC anywhere else Windows is always the default if not only choice.
asadotzler 2y ago
And Lenovo
- weikju 2y ago
  .. as long as you're in the USA in both those cases

TheRoque 2y ago

Sadly yeah. I managed to install it both on my mom and dad's computers. I didn't push them, they were genuinely curious and sick of having to remember their Microsoft account to do some stuff on windows. They have been running Linux Mint for 2 years and quite happy about it. But I hope they don't constraint themselves due to this, I don't watch their everyday use, but I know that Linux is not always easy on the non tech savy people.

Narhem 2y ago

Linux should be something you have to do yourself

sholladay 2y ago
So I guess screw the non-techies, then? No on-ramp for them means they can’t learn very easily.
- tocs3 2y ago
  I have been using an Ubuntu favor for more than a decade and find it easier than Windows when installing an OS. The user interface is about the same a Windows. It is not as easy as buying a computer with the OS installed but is not technically difficult to follow the installation instructions. If you are wondering what it is like you can install it on an inexpensive USB stick and try it without installing anything.
  - lotsoweiners 2y ago
    I know plenty of people who have no idea an OS can be installed/reinstalled.
  - sholladay 2y ago
    Just the fact that you aware of a particular Linux distro indicates that you are a techie. Most people haven’t even heard of Ubuntu. Among those that have, many of them are convinced that using Linux means using the command line, which they consider either scary or confusing. It’s an uphill battle. I’m kind of surprised Canonical hasn’t done more consumer education / marketing. But it’s not entirely untrue, either, albeit the Ubuntu GUI can take you pretty far. I like Ubuntu and I agree that it has a pretty good install UX. But I’ve still had driver issues even with common hardware, as most Linux users have at one point or another. Updates aren’t quite as straightforward compared to Windows/macOS, as it involves using `apt` to properly prepare for an update, etc. It’s a technical operating system, optimized for people who understand technology. It’s very good at that, let’s just be honest about it. For non-techies to adopt Ubuntu, various changes will be needed. One of them is for Ubuntu to be an easy and advertised option on a new computer that a non-techie would buy (meaning, custom rigs or niche manufacturers don’t count). They need an on-ramp.
    - 2y ago

kube-system 2y ago

A couple of vendors experimented with offering it out-of-the-box. But normal people aren't looking to play politics with their operating system choice, they're trying to get work done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qj8p-PEwbI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qj8p-PEwbI Imagine if a clothing designer came up to a construction worker and told them that the fabric grainlines on their clothes were poorly aligned, and that they should buy something else. This topic is the software equivalent of that. But also, technically speaking, most computers already have Linux preinstalled on them, it's just called something different: https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/ https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]