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Comment by sph

24 days ago

Using Windows when you're accustomed to Linux is masochism, which is not the opposite of asceticism. I had to install Windows recently, and for all the few hours I used it I had Marie Kondo's voice in my head saying this does not spark joy.

Masochism is related to gratification and pleasure; you get none of this with Windows.

Windows+WSL (1 and 2) is a viable route these days. Whenever you feel exhausted from Windows, just continue in a nice and clean Linux shell. Sometimes, there are still very good windows oss apps, like np++, sumatrapdf, typora, keypirinha. I enjoy these on windows and ignore the rest, thanks to WSL.

  • Linux in a VM is better than no Linux at all, but 60% of my complaints about Windows still apply so long as windows is the host. Network load, fans spinning up for no reason, the start menu ads, arbitrary reboot policies, plus the fact that I can’t bind Hyper. It’s weak tea compared to the real thing.

I have to use MS-Windows at work. It feels as if I'm in an abusive relationship with an partner who gaslights me at very turn but I can't leave him because we have kids and I feel I have an obligation to care for them. The partner (i.e. Microsoft) is the sado-masochist.