Cool things you can do with the Linux desktop that you can't do with MacOS or Windows

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"Revive old hardware

Remember when Windows 11 was released, and a lot of people soon discovered that the computer they bought three years prior wouldn't support the latest version of the operating system? That's not the case with Linux. In fact, there are versions of Linux (such as Lubuntu and Linux Lite) that are specifically created to run on older hardware (although they can also run on newer machines as well).

You might have a machine lying around in a closet that's five years old, and you assumed it was headed for the recycler. Grab a lightweight version of Linux, install it on that ageing machine, and watch it run like an absolute champ.

Also: How I revived three ancient computers with ChromeOS Flex

Never worry about lock-in

One of the problems I find with operating systems like Windows and MacOS is vendor lock-in. With MacOS, you do things the Apple way. With Windows 11, you do things the Windows way. With Linux, you do things your way. In other words, if there's something about the way the desktop functions that you don't like, you can tweak it to fit your needs and workflow perfectly. And nearly every Linux distribution allows for such customization. I don't know about you, but I would much rather work in a way that perfectly suits my needs rather than in a way that aligns with a third party's idea of what is efficient. Most often, I find their idea of efficiency is nowhere near mine.

 

Also: Feren OS is a Linux distribution that is as lovely as it is easy to use

Upgrade without reboots

How many times have you gone to upgrade either Windows or MacOS, only to find out the upgrade actually happens during a reboot? For me, I could use that time actually being productive. That's yet another reason why I find Linux is superior to the competition. With Linux, I can do a full upgrade, all the while continuing to work on the desktop. In fact, with most Linux distributions, the only time you have to reboot after an upgrade is if the kernel is upgraded. Otherwise, you just keep on using the OS while the upgrade runs in the background.

Run Windows software

That's right, for those who must run Windows software on Linux, there's a way, and it's called WINE. Wine is an installable piece of software that allows you to install Windows software and run it on Linux. Wine is not generally installed by default, but it's found in most distributions' default repositories so that it can be installed from within the various app stores available on Linux.

Speaking of which…

 

Also: How I put Linux on a Microsoft Surface Go - in just an hour

Install tons of software… for free!

You might have heard many people say there's no software available for Linux. They're wrong. With Linux, you'll find thousands upon thousands of free software that can be installed from the GUI app store. And thanks to the likes of Snap and Flatpak, you can even install proprietary apps, such as Zoom and Spotify, on Linux with ease. 

I realize that MacOS and Windows both have a large selection of software to install from, but you won't find nearly the selection of free software (and without ads) available for installation. As well, managing installed software is so much easier with Linux (either from the command line or the GUI). Even better, you can add third-party repositories to your package manager to install even more software. In other words, Linux offers considerably more flexibility with regard to software installation."

Also: What are Flatpak and Snap and why are they so important to Linux?

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