People were excited with the announcement of Windows 11, especially considering that Windows 10 has been nothing short of a resounding success. But it didn’t take long for that excitement to turn to disappointment when it was revealed that Windows 11 had a number of drawbacks that could potentially affect millions of people around the world.

One of the biggest was the focus on security and hardware, and Microsoft has confirmed that processors that were made before 2018 would not be able to run Windows 11, meaning it won’t come to hundreds of millions of computers around the world. At a time when hardware has never been more expensive, there’s a microchip shortage, and buying a new device doesn’t make sense, it might be time to leave Windows behind and find something better.

Linux

Linux is a free and open-source operating system that has been growing alongside Windows for the last few decades, and where Windows has seen many regressions in recent years, Linux has become a more competent OS than ever before. Designed and created by Linus Torvalds, the Linux kernel is the centrepiece for the world of free software, and it now runs most of the world’s servers and mobile devices. It also comes in thousands of flavours or “distros”, each offering a different spin on the operating system, and each one designed to offer its user something unique. Some of the more popular Linux distributions include:

  • Fedora: One of the largest Linux distributions in the world, Fedora is aimed at professionals – specifically programmers – that want a system that works out of the box. It comes with the popular GNOME 40 desktop environment, as well as the latest in bleeding-edge software.
  • Linux Mint: Linux Mint is the perfect choice for users that are coming from a Windows system. Mint is extremely easy to use, comes with sane defaults, and is the closest a person can come to a traditional desktop operating system without needing any specific technical knowledge, perfect for both work or for just getting in a few rounds of online slots and pokies in New Zealand.
  • MX Linux: Designed for older hardware that can’t support newer operating systems, MX Linux makes use of the Xfce desktop environment, and offers a wide range of customisation options. MX Linux works out of the box and requires very little user input to get running.

MacOS

Next up is the operating system by one of Microsoft’s biggest competitors: Apple. MacOS is a complete system that integrates seamlessly with an Apple account and other devices, such as the iPhone and iPad. Similar in some ways to Fedora, MacOS is built up to offer a combination of modern software and hardware, and while it won’t work on any other device, it runs extremely well on the hardware that it was designed for.

Apple also provides a wide range of different device offerings, from the Mac Pro to MacBook’s, and covers just about any use that a person could want.

With many believing Windows 11 is going to fail, it might be time to switch to a more lenient alternative.