I used a work laptop with windows before, it worked fine for me, this sounds like more of some configuration problem.
Linux still has it’s problems, i still get screen tearing on firefox when running videos (This is 2021 , this should not happen), KDE wayland tech should solve this but it’s not yet production ready. I still get bugs and glitches which can be annoying to fix (KDE “Move to Trash” being extremely slow is one of them). the whole “different packages for different distros” concept can be confusing and flatpak needing to download gigabytes to work can also be off putting. I don’t think i ever encountered a user facing bug in facebook or google products.
The Windows issue is clearly related to the organisation I’m working at since everyone has the same issues. But this is just an example that Windows doesn’t target you as the user, it targets organisations!
Besides this, I have installed Linux on probably more than a dozen privately used machines and not once had screen tearing! What machine are you using?
Re packaging: use the package manager of your distro. The availability of packages is probably what helps you select your distro. Otherwise flatpack or snap is a convenient workaround where available. Debian is known for a really wide selection of packages that should cater most needs.
On Windows, package problems were probably related to my organisations admin practices. However I’d like to note that stuff like flatpack / snap, i.e. portable applications, doesn’t really exist on Windows. So there’s another limitation
Besides this, I have installed Linux on probably more than a dozen privately used machines and not once had screen tearing! What machine are you using?
Kubuntu 20.04 on intel graphics, but it’s not surprising there is screen tearing (That’s one of the problems wayland is supposed to solve), there is even an open bug, they probably just havent migrated to DRI3 because i got no tearing when opening the same video using VLC, I actually also helped convert someone to Linux and he also got screen tearing and at some point the OS just failed and we had to do a reinstall (Linux mint) and he eventually went back to windows (due to lack of software availability IIRC).
Re packaging: use the package manager of your distro. The availability of packages is probably what helps you select your distro. Otherwise flatpack or snap is a convenient workaround where available. Debian is known for a really wide selection of packages that should cater most needs.
Debian is unfit for most casual users IMO, There is Ubuntu which is OK but you either have to use a LTS which has dated packages or the latest version which could be more buggy (IMO most users don’t need to upgrade the OS more then every two years), snap is proprietary and flatpak as i mentioned is still not very convenient.
I’d be interested why you think Debian isn’t suitable for the casual user? I had the least trouble with it and it always seemed to work when other distros had issues.
I think you just need more information to use it, and might not fit for a “I don’t care just work” kind of users, you need to select a DE which might be confusing (basically choice overload), by default you get to install a version with an older kernel which might cause problems with hardware compatibility, It also provides an image without non free firmware which can cause unexplained hardware problems (the download page mentions its but starts the download immediately so that could be easy to miss).
That’s just my impression as someone who never really tried it seriously, If you got someone knowledgeable installing it you can move around these problems and debian stability could be great for a casual users (assuming installing updates using the GUI is OK and KDE discover is no longer a mess).
I agree that the install might be a tad off-putting to casual users. It does look pretty techy.
However for newbies, I’d say you’d have to do two things:
enable non-free repositories which will fix hardware compatibility
choose a DE
Once this is done, I don’t think there is a more stable, compatible distribution around. I tried (and often liked) OpenSUSE, Arch, Ubuntu, various downstream versions of those, and Debian is just by far the most easiest to run. I generally run “testing” which makes it a rolling distro, and might be another thing that should be done for casual users (or for them to be guided through). “testing” therefore means that you never to have to go through an install again (until you go distro hopping…)
So three things to guide casual users to Linux happiness! I say that’s possible…
I used a work laptop with windows before, it worked fine for me, this sounds like more of some configuration problem.
Linux still has it’s problems, i still get screen tearing on firefox when running videos (This is 2021 , this should not happen), KDE wayland tech should solve this but it’s not yet production ready. I still get bugs and glitches which can be annoying to fix (KDE “Move to Trash” being extremely slow is one of them). the whole “different packages for different distros” concept can be confusing and flatpak needing to download gigabytes to work can also be off putting. I don’t think i ever encountered a user facing bug in facebook or google products.
The package thing can be abstracted away for casual users by a GUI manager, which people are familiarized with because of mobile app stores.
The Windows issue is clearly related to the organisation I’m working at since everyone has the same issues. But this is just an example that Windows doesn’t target you as the user, it targets organisations!
Besides this, I have installed Linux on probably more than a dozen privately used machines and not once had screen tearing! What machine are you using?
Re packaging: use the package manager of your distro. The availability of packages is probably what helps you select your distro. Otherwise flatpack or snap is a convenient workaround where available. Debian is known for a really wide selection of packages that should cater most needs.
On Windows, package problems were probably related to my organisations admin practices. However I’d like to note that stuff like flatpack / snap, i.e. portable applications, doesn’t really exist on Windows. So there’s another limitation
Kubuntu 20.04 on intel graphics, but it’s not surprising there is screen tearing (That’s one of the problems wayland is supposed to solve), there is even an open bug, they probably just havent migrated to DRI3 because i got no tearing when opening the same video using VLC, I actually also helped convert someone to Linux and he also got screen tearing and at some point the OS just failed and we had to do a reinstall (Linux mint) and he eventually went back to windows (due to lack of software availability IIRC).
Debian is unfit for most casual users IMO, There is Ubuntu which is OK but you either have to use a LTS which has dated packages or the latest version which could be more buggy (IMO most users don’t need to upgrade the OS more then every two years), snap is proprietary and flatpak as i mentioned is still not very convenient.
Appreciate the reply.
I’d be interested why you think Debian isn’t suitable for the casual user? I had the least trouble with it and it always seemed to work when other distros had issues.
I think you just need more information to use it, and might not fit for a “I don’t care just work” kind of users, you need to select a DE which might be confusing (basically choice overload), by default you get to install a version with an older kernel which might cause problems with hardware compatibility, It also provides an image without non free firmware which can cause unexplained hardware problems (the download page mentions its but starts the download immediately so that could be easy to miss).
That’s just my impression as someone who never really tried it seriously, If you got someone knowledgeable installing it you can move around these problems and debian stability could be great for a casual users (assuming installing updates using the GUI is OK and KDE discover is no longer a mess).
I agree that the install might be a tad off-putting to casual users. It does look pretty techy.
However for newbies, I’d say you’d have to do two things:
Once this is done, I don’t think there is a more stable, compatible distribution around. I tried (and often liked) OpenSUSE, Arch, Ubuntu, various downstream versions of those, and Debian is just by far the most easiest to run. I generally run “testing” which makes it a rolling distro, and might be another thing that should be done for casual users (or for them to be guided through). “testing” therefore means that you never to have to go through an install again (until you go distro hopping…)
So three things to guide casual users to Linux happiness! I say that’s possible…
:)