[awesomeusername]

I've been Linux only for around 15 years personally, but I don't push it on others.

A few weeks ago I told the company our few Windows machines are going to be sunset-ted. No push back (other than a request to have one for the odd thing - but will do that in a VM. Even the devs who have always been on Windows are up for it.

At home my kids use computers for playing and making games. Windows was the path of least resistance. I realized it'll make essentially no difference to them to switch to Linux. And boy do kids adapt quickly.

So thanks MS, sincerely. I've never both worked and lived completely Windows free, but your encouragement to drop Windows has made me realize how painless it is, and I should have done it years ago.

Edit: One guy is on mac. And always will be. No issue there IMHO

[uxcolumbo]

What about people who need to use creative tools? There is Blender and Davinci Resolve, which are great. But GIMP is just not a match for Affinity. And what about apps like Ableton?

I wish I could make the full switch, but it's just not possible at the moment.

[rzwitserloot]

Network effects says that is long-term immaterial; there just needs to be some event that breaks a self-reinforcing cycle.

The reason there is no linux version of Affinity is thus simple: Because there aren't enough linux users to warrant spending the relatively tiny cost it takes to do that. It won't cost much and it won't significantly change Affinity as a product to have a linux release. They just don't bother; not enough paying users.

And why aren't there enough linux users? Because Affinity, for one, doesn't run on it.

That is the self reinforcing cycle that so far kept Windows around as default choice.

But that cycle can be broken. If not through a sudden burst based on some serious hype, then perhaps simply with slow and steady change.

[prmoustache]

> But GIMP is just not a match for Affinity.

The fact a piece of software is not considered exactly as good as another one doesn't need the work cannot be done.

What is important is the outcome, not the tool. We were editing pictures at the beginning of the century on Photoshop 6 or something when it was not nearly as good as 2025's Gimp or Affinity of 5 years ago.

> And what about apps like Ableton?

Bitwig, Reaper and Waveform are available on Linux as well as Ardour, Renoise, Mixbus, Zrythm and a few others. Ableton is ome of the most popular DAW with Logic but there is not a situation in the music industry where a particular tool/format/protocol forces a monoculture.

[dspillett]

> What about people who need to use creative tools?

Then for them a bad tool is still the best tool for the job of those available.

OP did say they don't push Linux on others. If you have a specific need that ties you to Windows (due to platform incompatibility that you have no power to change) then you use Windows.

No point the rest of us sticking with Windows if we want to move and don't have reason not to though.

[LargoLasskhyfv]

There's more than GIMP. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krita

[piva00]

Bitwig runs on Linux, and to be honest I feel it's a better workflow than Ableton Live, Live only has M4L as a differentiator.

[t-writescode]

What’s the wine and proton compatibility look like for those? You might be surprised, at least for Affinity

[yatopifo]

Tangentially, i find it amusing when people say they would be ok to switch to linux but not mac. It’s a valid preference, of course. The amusing part is how they justify it. Most of the time, it’s not the hardware that scares them away. Nope, it’s the software. Specifically, they believe mac has no CLI, no tools, no way to install your own software without paying apple, no open source stuff, none of that! You would think people working in IT should know about the origins of mac os, but i guess apple did too good of a job marketing their mac os devices to “content creators”.

[jeffrallen]

2025, the year of Linux on the desktop. :)

[awesomeusername]

Ha, it might be real this time, ironically all thanks to MS!