Windows "9" ... Have you played around with it?

I'll look it up when I get home, thanks :)

This has definitely been a problem to solve in Linux. Its been vastly improved in the last year with the gnome software centre in Fedora 25. One click for adding repos like rpmfusion etc. as well, support for flatpak in the software center, and so on.

This is really the issue more than anything else, you don't want to learn anything new so cant use Linux. This will change eventually, though i guess is one of the reasons your looking for an older windows OS. Microsoft are completely changing the Windows UI. So look out for that change in the future.

Number 2 is an odd one because Linux has a standard file hierarchy that's common across all distros, the specification is open and available. Your example of the windows C; drive isn't really representative of what it actually looks like as there's several hidden locations which store all sorts of data in a somewhat semi-arbitrary organisation. (personally experience from trying to find program config data hidden in three completely different locations lol)

One example of device overview.

It seems more like a familiarisation problem (and maybe choice of distro) than anything else? As I've equally had issues you describe on Windows many times, but maybe its down to the use case requirement?

I've found more recently that Windows 10 is a bit more flexible in being able to do things (compared to previous windows versions), and a little more sane in where it keeps data around the system. Maybe thats just me?

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Even if i don't use it i must admit opensuse is amazing for lazy installing with the 1-click install online software search. But why mess around with a mouse when i can just input what i want to do via cli.

Also i find the Linux file hierarchy much more consistent than windows and easier to use/navigate, but i'm sure if was an avid windows user i would feel the other way.

I wouldn't call linux impractical(especially considering how broad the term linux is), it just comes down to what you are used to. I've seen some people who have amazing work flows on OSX and i wouldn't call that a particularly practical OS.

Edit: This "windows 9" looks interesting, will have to look into it more.

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Anything other than XP and Win7 is donkey balls

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When someone who uses Linux exclusively talks to someone who uses Windows exclusively it's not just like they're talking in completely different languages, it's also like they come from two entirely opposite environments AND opposite cultures.
Eskimos have a dozen or more words for "snow".
Talk to an African about that.
What the hell are you talking about, what is "snow"?
You start installing Linux:
- Q: What the hell is a swap partition? [starts googling]
- A: In Windows it's called a page file and doesn't require a partition of its own.
Rinse and repeat for every step and every different implementation of anything.
And there are A LOT of differences.

Regarding the point&click VS terminal thing:
It's not just about installers and the installation process, it's the whole package - communicating with your machine. Terminal is definitely more powerful once you learn it... but you gotta learn it. There's a lot of commands. Those who are experienced don't exactly remember what it feels like to not know.

Executing commands requires already knowing stuff. If you don't know, you have to search online. Or read the manual, although that's not going to help you with specific problems. If you encounter a problem, there's a plethora of resources online to tell you how to fix it. It's usually 1 or 2 commands, copy/paste and you're done.

Windows is slower, the solution may require entering two 12 step deep menus and checking/unchecking or changing a value. But point&click gives you an opportunity to improvise. It's like a "circle the right answer" test, instead of "fill the blank".

Usually you can remember where things are based on the tab name or menu item name. You don't search for a "Zoom" command under "File" or "About". This is a bad example but it gets the point across. Point&click gives you options, while terminal requires knowledge. And knowledge requires learning, which takes time. For most people, Windows is "good enough" not to waste time on learning a completely different OS. That said, when I get to the point that I have time to spare, Linux is definitely on my list.

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You mean windows 95/98?

This is exactly my situation. 100% accurate.

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This is what I figured. More the time to learn than anything else.

Interestingly, Windows is becoming more and more like Linux. Gone are the old menu systems, gone are the old installers, gone are the manual installation of drivers. OK, maybe there a long way off, but thats the direction they're heading. Thats probably another discussions though.

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For Windows users who are open to giving Linux a chance, from someone like you but a year or so further down the line :)

I've been learning the Windows file tree since a single-digit age, so when I first started looking into using Linux I felt really lost when I opened a file explorer. But I have since found that it is, while not fully consistent across distros, more consistent across time than the Windows one and therefore pretty easy to read up on. You could create your own tree diagram with your own comments to help you remember in an hour or two.

As for point-and-click versus terminal, I'd like to point out that terminal programs can easily give the beginner options to choose from in order not to require any prior knowledge. However, many does not, and learning the shell itself is something that needs a tutorial. Two good ones are linuxcommand.org and the appendix to "Learn Python the hard way".

I happen to like the terminal. One thing that stands out is that when you have any sort of problem, you can google it and find something to paste into the terminal that will solve the problem. Just BE CAREFUL with anything containing either "sudo" or "rm", doubly so if it contains both.

For those who want something akin to the control panel to explore the options of their OS, openSUSE has YaST which seems to do most of this. I have only started to play around with it, so no guarantees from me. I can vouch for Mint Cinnamon in its latest iterations being friendly to the point-and-click mindset, and it has an extremely good menu - which will open with one press of the Windows / Super key and will search as you type. The best part of Windows, actually made even better if you ask me.

When I have installed Mint, flavours of Ubuntu and the more stripped down BunsenLabs distro recently I have been treated with very easy and mouse-friendly install guides. I tend to do my partitioning before starting the install guide though, so I may not have tested that.

I am currently running Mint Cinnamon, and the default file explorer has a nice device overview where you can mount and unmount devices, and see small bars with disk usage, in the left-hand sidebar. It will also do window tiling by snapping to screen borders when dragging a window.

Now, if I am asked the question of the ultimate desktop operating system, I'd say it would be created if a large amount of Microsoft people suddenly decided to create a fully open-source Linux distro instead. And I'd say that Mint Cinnamon is certainly closing in on that hypothetical target. It is just my opinion, and I haven't tried much outside of Debian and Ubuntu based distros, but hey - everything in the 21st century is a work in progress, even my opinions. Anything that isn't is rapidly getting outdated.

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If(linuxUI == "moreLikeWindows" && windowsUI == "moreLikeLinux"){
defaultOperatingSystem = Linux;
/* Not specifying the distro :P */
}

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@Eden @O8h7w @Helium_3
Has any of you guys tried ReactOS? Is it any good? :D

p.s. Downloading both the Embedded 8.1 and Linux Mint Cinnamon atm. I want to give Mint another try too :D

Doesn't reactos only work with old Windows software?

I have seen some videos on it. And boy is it buttery smooth.

Edit: noooo. Now it looks like I'm going off topic.

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I just watched a review of it.. It is fast AF. The issue is exactly what you said... the old software works.. the new doesn't :D So thats a nope.

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You can try OpenSuse with KDE plasma DE. The closest to windows and point and click if you ask me.

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HOLY SH*T THAT LOOKS AMAZING.

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In terms of OpenSUSE / SUSE music videos that's nothing. I raise you: Uptime Funk

Regarding 8 embedded:
Holy shit. I have a license for that and a piece of hardware I could put it on.

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Yeah, also when you open Mozilla on the default home page at the top right corner you can see a download link if I remember correctly this is a shortcut to their site for 1click installs. Also check tutorials how to use Yast2 and you are pretty much set, the other things you can learn on your own.

I use to watch the Windows channel 9 show Defrag. The reason given was I lot of legacy code just used "Window 9*" etc to determine if the version was Win 95/98. If they used Windows 9 it may have broken a lot of old software that may not even be supported anymore but used by businesses still.

Sounded legit to me.

As the linus's video. If his skills in testing are anything to go by. He basically ruled out the Windows 9 version on benchmarks. One game he tested out of only a handful did not even run.

I've only tried Xubuntu (on an old machine I brought back to life) and OpenSUSE.

My brother uses OpenSUSE as a daily driver. On rare occasions he piggybacks on my windows machine to do the rare stuff he can't do on his machine. Ironically, he can't make a bootable Linux USB on OpenSUSE if he wants to reinstall it. He can only do it on Windows :D I know that it's possible, but instead of jumping through hoops, I just let him do it on my Windows machine, it's quicker.

I piggyback on his machine whenever I want to use our old HP scanner. Because I've lost the driver CD, and Windows 7 doesn't like old stuff. On OpenSUSE it works without any hassle, just plug and play.

He doesn't even use WINE anymore:
- LibreOffice (Open Office) used to screw with formatting on occasion when dealing with .docx. Not anymore. Works almost perfectly now.
- He used to play Civilization through WINE until he found out Linux has its own open-source version called Freeciv. And it was still getting updates in 2016. 20 years since release! Witness the power of Open Source!
- He uses Darktable for basic photo manipulation. It does a more than adequate job.

And all of that on a relatively new laptop. Let me repeat that:
1. Relatively new (2016)
2. Laptop

Which for Linux used to be akin to sorcery. He did have problems with the official AMD graphics drivers, so he installed some generic Linux drivers, but the performance is still good and it stays cool under load. Everything else just works.

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Ok in the end I switched to openSUSE. I will try to use is as long as possible :D
So far it's pretty good. Has some quirks, but its ok :D

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