User dissatisfaction with Windows 11 first manifested when Microsoft, in its infinite wisdom, decided to introduce the strict requirements that only served to eliminate millions of Windows 10 PCs from the upgrade path.
However, ignoring that initial faux pas by Microsoft, let’s take a look at some of the main reasons why users are unhappy with Windows 11.
#1 Reliability
It seems that almost every Windows Update causes havoc for one group of users or another. While I must admit that I, personally, haven’t run into any issues emanating from Windows Update, I am continually hearing of serious issues caused by these updates.
This all started after Microsoft sacked its team of software engineers specifically tasked with ensuring that updates were 100% ready and bug-free and, instead, relied on amateur feedback from Insiders.
Linux is not plagued by similar issues. So, when it comes to reliability, Linux wins hands down.
#2 Change For The Sake Of Change
This is a comment I’ve seen repeatedly from disgruntled Windows users, that Microsoft is introducing changes in Windows 11 just for the sake of change. One area where I totally agree with this is in the case of the Settings App versus Control Panel.
Why Microsoft ever thought that the Settings App is a worthwhile replacement for the Control Panel, I’ll never know. I’ve always found the Control Panel to be intuitive, with options and settings easy to locate and simple to manage.
On the other hand, the Settings App has grown to mammoth proportions with so many options and settings that it has become unwieldy. I still find myself needing to turn to online help when looking to access a particular setting or another. Of course, that might be down to my age and subsequent poor memory.
#3 Too Much AI
Microsoft’s insistence on permeating every Windows nook and cranny with AI has not sat well with users, and things came to a head when one Microsoft exec stated that Windows was heading toward an Agentic AI, with the subsequent outcry loud and widespread.
Reports have since circulated that, in the face of so much opposition, Microsoft has decided to “pull back” on its AI integration. However, I find that difficult to believe. Microsoft has invested so much in its AI development that pulling back would be a financial disaster.
Make no bones about it, Microsoft’s AI integration into Windows might slow down a tad, but in the end, AI will surely be at the core of Windows.
Linux developers are nowhere near as preoccupied with AI as Microsoft is. But then, Linux developers would not have invested anywhere near the resources in AI as Microsoft has, not to mention that they wouldn’t have the necessary funds to invest in the first place.
I have little doubt that some sort of AI will be introduced into Linux sooner or later. After all, AI is the latest big thing in tech, and Linux developers can ill afford to ignore AI altogether. That said, I suspect AI in Linux will be purely reactive rather than proactive and most likely optional.
Your turn. Why do you think so many users are unhappy with Windows 11? Let us know via the comments.
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