Much has been written recently regarding Linux as an alternative to Windows. Windows 11 has not been generally well-received, and Microsoft’s insistence on permeating the operating system with AI has only served to increase user unrest.
Whenever transitioning from Windows to Linux has been discussed, two of the most often mentioned stumbling blocks are gaming performance and lack of specialist software support.
Linux Gaming Performance
Linux developers have recognized gaming performance as an impediment, and there are now distros available that are specifically designed for gaming. Indeed, our own Marc Thomas has recently tested and reviewed one such distro named “Bazzite”.
Marc’s Bazzite review is extremely favorable, including the following: “…for gaming, not just on Steam, I might add, Bazzite is a clear winner“.
When it comes to gaming, I trust Marc’s opinion implicitly, so I think it’s safe to say that gaming performance should no longer present an impediment to transitioning from Windows to Linux.
- Catch up with Marc’s excellent article: I finally Installed Linux On A Gaming PC
Linux Specialist Software Support
Specialist software support, however, is an entirely different matter. Unfortunately, statistics relating to operating system market share are no longer available; please note that Statcounter’s statistics are notoriously inaccurate and should never be used to ascertain market share.
The last time I viewed operating system market share was via the now-defunct NetMarketShare’s statistics, and Linux was sitting at a measly 2.0%, which is definitely not an inducement for developers. However, that 2.0% figure was taken years ago, and with what’s been happening with Windows 11, I suspect that percentage would have risen since then.
And that, my friends, is key. Most premium software developers/vendors are companies, and as is the case with all companies, profitability is the priority. So, in order for software developers/vendors to consider developing software for Linux as a financially viable option, Linux’s operating system market share needs to increase quite considerably.
Is that happening already? As I mentioned, there are no accurate statistics available in that regard. However, common sense and user comments dictate that Linux usage has to be on the rise.
Just how quickly that usage increases and what magic number would pique the interest of software developers/vendors are the unknown factors. That said, I am of the opinion that it just might happen sooner rather than later.
Do You Need Specialist Software?
One of the most common reasons users put forward for not transitioning to Linux is that they need some specialist software or another that is exclusive to Windows.
Here’s a thought: why not install Linux in a dual-boot system alongside Windows? That way, you’ll still be able to run your Windows software whenever, and you can use Linux for your everyday requirements.
Have you or are you thinking of dumping Windows for Linux? Let us know in the comments.
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My big stumbling block is Quicken. I’ve tried a bunch of Linux open source financial software, but none of them are viable options to my Quicken Deluxe 2016.
I won’t do the subscription route; just a money grab. This version of Quicken does just what I need and nothing more.
If anyone has suggestions, I’m open to trying, but if you can’t import Quicken files into it, that’s a non-starter.
I’ve been dabbling in Linux for 25 years, on and off. I’m very impressed with the newer distros that I’m using on some older hardware. They’ve come a long way. I could easily switch to Mint or Zorin in a heartbeat but for the one issue I have. I don’t want to dual-boot; too many issues with that in my experience.
Hey Kenneth,
I agree that a dual boot system can (and often) does cause issues. How I overcome that is:
1) Disconnect or disable the drive containing the existing OS
2) Install the second OS on a completely different internal drive
3) Use the F12 boot menu to choose which OS to load
I’ve never had a problem with that system.
Check out Moneyspire https://www.moneyspire.com/. I switched to it from Quicken a couple of years ago. No subscription, runs on Windows, Mac, Chromebooks, Linux, and has mobile versions for iPhone and Android.
It also can import Quicken and other financial app data files.
Thanks for that Jim;
But it isn’t always practical to do that with most laptops and micro pics.
And it doesn’t answer the Quicken replacement issue for me.
I’ll keep on looking!
Do you know if it can import .qif files?
That would be a game changer!
Thanks for the tip; I’ll check it out.
I’ve set up to dual-boot Windows and Linux Mint. Once I’ve become comfortable with Linux and figure out Rclone (I use Google Drive), I’ll likely use Linux for my primary OS.
I already use Firefox, Thunderbird and LibreOffice on Windows and those are also on Linux. My financial software, Moneyspire, runs on Linux also. I’ve also found that I can run some other Windows-only programs using WINE in Linux. Unlike Windows, Linux doesn’t care how a disk is formatted and I can access data files stored on NTFS drives.
How do I set up a dual boot for Winslop 11 & Linux?