Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux

Summary

From Microsoft to Microslop to Linux: Why I Made the SwitchJanuary 26, 2026Share on RedditShare on X (Twitter)Share on LinkedInWhat's better than a devil you don't know?The devil you do. I've used Windows for as long as I've been alive. At 6 years old, my first computer was a Windows 98 machine, with an Athlon XP 1900+ (Palomino core) and a GeForce 440 MX, blessed with a generous 256 megabytes of RAM. Looking back, I kinda got scammed with that graphics card, but what could I do? I was a silly kid. (The missing shader support came back to bite me in the ass) Also, is it weird that I still remember the specs of my first computer, 22 years later? Anyway, Windows has been familiar and comfortable. I knew all the workarounds and how to extract maximum efficiency from it. I was a happy user, for over 20 years, and Windows has been my go-to for everything computer-related. Even after becoming a software developer and using a macbook, I'd still find myself reaching for Windows at times. That is, until Microsoft decided to turn it into something completely unrecognizable and unusable. It all came crashing down I think it started with the Windows 10 full-screen ads. You know, those friendly suggestions telling you to try OneDrive or to "use the recommended browser settings" (reads as "please try Edge and OneDrive, we're desperate"). Actually, scratch that, I think it really started with the non-consensual updates: Oh you're doing work? That's so cute... we're gonna close whatever apps you had open, because we're updating now. We own your computer. You had unsaved work? Too bad, it's gone, get bent. At first I ignored it, and carried on as normal. Sure, I'd get mad from time to time and I'd complain. But hey, nothing beats the convenience of being able to have all of your applications in one place Right? Right? My breaking point came with the 24H2 update. It installed on my system without my consent, like any other major update. I knew there were problems with it, people were...