Comment by hcarvalhoalves

In my opinion, the year of the Linux desktop happened more than 2 decades ago, when the last kinds of applications that were previously available only on Windows became also available on Linux, e.g. movie players and device drivers for some less common hardware, e.g. TV tuners.

That is when I have converted all my computers, desktops and laptops, from dual-booting Windows and Linux, to Linux-only. For some servers I have continued to use FreeBSD and I have continued to use Microsoft Office Professional, but on Linux with CrossOver, where it worked much better than on Windows XP (!).

I agree that installing and configuring in the right way Linux remains a job for someone with decent computer management skills.

However, I have also installed Windows professionally, and on less common hardware, like embedded computers, I have encountered far more problems and far more difficult to solve than when installing Linux on the same hardware. Moreover, the solution for most Windows installation problems was not using some menu in a graphic tool, but using some obscure Windows command in a CLI window, with some very cryptic and undocumented command-line options, which I typically found by searching Internet forums where Windows users complained about the same problem.

Therefore the only real reason why Windows is more user-friendly is because it comes pre-installed on most computers, after professionals have solved any compatibility problems.

For whomever has a friend or relative that is knowledgeable about Linux, Linux can be more "user-friendly" than Windows.

My parents, older than 80 years, have been using Linux (Gentoo!) on their desktops for many years, without any problems, for reading/writing documents, Internet browsing, movie watching, music listening, TV watching, e-mail using, and so on, despite the fact that they do not even know what is "Linux".

You jest, but with Android desktop mode support it might actually turn out to be true!

10.6.8

Still kicking myself for not getting an Axiotron Modbook running Snow Leopard.

Imagine coming into the mac world with a 10.5 cd and upgrading to the current 10.6 and then watching it deteriorate through years into 10.10. Yeah that's me. Peeking at a glimpse of perfection only for it to flash and fade.

Libraries confuse me to this day. Just give me a path!