this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2024
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I've been saying for years I was going to move back over to Linux. This will be the push I need. Sadly my Dad is bad at computers and will need Windows 11 when using 10 becomes a problem. I'm throwing this at my brother since I was the one who got our Dad a Windows 10 computer. FU Microsoft, you peaked at XP.
I was in your place when Win7 died (Win 7 was the true peak, fite me :p) and made the switch myself, then.
Also linux is easy, probably easier, for parents to use. They don't game or do anything complicated, all they gotta do 99.999999% of the time is just load the web browser to do whatever they are doing. I have several astonishingly stupid family members running linux, with less issues than when they had windows.. So maybe you can swap out your dads OS without much issue. Just use a distro that has a more windows-y interface with a start button and the bar across the bottom.
I could see the argument that 7 was peak, but I think it was XP. My Dad pretty much downloads pictures from his phone and browser the web. One issue is some of the sites he uses are set up weird. That why he finally allowed me to upgrade him from 7 to 10. He complained about certain sites, which I really didn't pay attention to which, would give warning about browser being out of date, then the sites refused to even load. That is when he allowed me to upgrade. They probably would work but I don't want to risk issues with any sites having problems with Linux.
Which was likely the reason.
I.E. 6.0 usage intensifies
Linux doesn't require you to be good at computers.
I don't know about that. I recently switched from Mac OS to Linux Mint. I'm savvy enough to understand what I'm doing for the most part, but I have not had to use the terminal so much in ages just to get things working the way I need them to. The average person using a CLI all the time? I don't see it happening.
Even the install was not an easy task. I had to go into the BIOS, change a setting, install it, go back into the BIOS, change the setting back, then it worked.
I know everyone here wants people to switch over to Linux, but there is still a higher level of experience needed than the average person who just wants to watch Netflix is capable of or interested in learning.
Well, that's outside Linux.
I've tried openSUSE recently, it seems you have to use it very little there.
I'm not sure. I think those people just ignore their problems with Windows due to being used to them or due to their relative or friends solving those for them.
"Don't blame Linux that people won't adopt it because they can't install it" is an odd attitude.
I don't see anything odd in saying that something universally needed for installing any OS is Linux' particular fault.
This is about mass adoption rather than throwing away old hardware. If Linux can't easily be installed on the old hardware, it will be thrown out.
Installing Linux is as easy as installing Windows.
But in many cases Windows is pre-installed so it doesn't matter if installing Windows is equally hard. People don't have to install Windows in order to use it. In order to get normal people to use Linux there should be similarly no barrier to entry. I've seen companies selling used laptops with Linux distro of choice pre-installed. Something like that could work.
Yes, and also one can buy Lenovo and IIRC Dell laptops with Linux.
Except it isn't because that hardware was made to facilitate an easy install of Windows. Also, most of those people bought it pre-installed. So you're not only expecting them to have an easy install process, you're also expecting them to do something they haven't had to do in decades.
Yes, and what would you expect people to do about that?
Some problems remaining unsolved take less energy than trying to solve them.
I expect people to do nothing about it. That was my point.
Maybe a ChromeOS machine? It doesn't get more simple to use than that.
unfortunately it can be a minefield with each ChromeOS machine having a set update expiration date from date of first availability.
Well that sucks
Nope. For a family member you just install ubuntu. Maybe if you feel strongly about it, you uninstall snap firefox and install apt firefox, but otherwise you just leave it alone.
it'll run forever, auto update, etc. completely hands off and stress free.
Doesn't apt install the snap package on Ubuntu when it's available anyway? I'd say Mint is probably easier then. Ubuntu has gone a bit off the rails in recent years.
Eh, who really cares. Its going to be a web machine for elderly people.
I got a Chromebook years ago to have to write when out, but now they won't update it and to install Linux I have to flip a physical switch on the other side of the motherboard.
My Dad gets upset and let's me know when Yahoo changes their homepage. (Yes, he still uses yahoo mail.) He has a flip phone and still struggling with it.
I liked 7. 10 is OK.
Have you looked at Endless OS? It depends on what your father uses his computer for, but if it's mostly web browsing, it could be nice for him.