Can one switch to an entirely different OS overnight?

Jun 19, 2015 09:42 GMT  ·  By

Every once in a while, I find myself in a situation where I'm being asked by someone who wants to migrate from a Microsoft Windows operating system if Linux is indeed a new home for Windows refugees.

Migrating from an operating system to a different one is not for everyone, no matter if you're switching from Windows to Linux, or from Linux to Mac, or from Mac to Windows, as it involves special hardware (in some cases) and a lot of time learning how the new OS works, something that we are short of these days.

It just happens that I’ve had the opportunity to work in environments with many Windows PCs, where I could monitor the activity of people of different ages and genres using the Windows operating system, over the course of a couple of years.

What I've noticed during all these years is the fact that people tend to make a mess when using computers. Accessing all sorts of links on various websites without even reading carefully before clicking or installing programs without even looking at the screens of the installation wizard, and for these two reasons only malware, spyware, and phishing exist.

Clicking multiple times on the shortcut of a program because it did not open in a certain time frame is also something I've noticed with people using Microsoft Windows operating systems, which will make the OS open several instances of the same program, something that is not allowed on GNU/Linux and Mac OS X that easily.

You cannot switch to an entirely different OS overnight

Some of you out there, including myself, would ask that person why they want to move to an entirely different operating system on their personal computers, especially if they've used that OS for a few good years now.

The regular answer is that they heard about Linux being secure and immune to viruses, which is very true. OK, but just hearing about an OS that's like Windows but more secure does not mean that you are capable of making the switch overnight.

After getting to know a little about a GNU/Linux operating system, many Windows refugees have second thoughts about making the switch, especially because of the fragmentation, as there are so many Linux distributions with different desktop environments to choose from, each one with its custom set of applications.

Sooner or later, they end up on forums asking questions about the best Linux distro for their needs. The short answer to that question is that there's no easy Linux OS out there. If you're asking me, Ubuntu is the closest one to being very user-friendly, but even that one needs some work done in that department.

If you truly want to switch OSes, you can do it!

When they finally decide to try a Linux distribution, various problems arise, starting with the installation of the respective operating system and ending with desktop applications. Everyone has their special needs when working on a PC, from a simple text editor to a more complex office suite.

Linux has a wide variety of apps, and most of them are open source, but there are some that either are not mature enough (e.g. Twitter clients) or they're not compatible with certain file types that the respective person who wants to migrate used on Windows (e.g. LibreOffice vs. Microsoft Office).

On Linux, there's no iTunes client, so you won't be able to import your music from iTunes on Windows/Mac. However, there are some great apps for playing music, and Linux has some of the best video players, but on many distributions, you will have to install multimedia codecs to enjoy movies and music.

If you're using a computer operating system just for browsing the Internet, talking with friends online, watching movies, listening to your favorite artists, if you don't care much about complex applications like Photoshop or Premiere, you don't have some special requirements/hardware that you want to attach to your PC, and you truly want to switch OSes, you can do it!

The truth is that, at first, it will be hard, and you will encounter many issues. Prepare to search the Internet for many tutorials, join forums of the Linux distribution you're migrating to and ask questions on how to do various things. My suggestion is to install Linux on a different computer, or use a dual-boot setup - though many will encounter issues with that - and access it from time to time, 1-2 hours per day, and after a few months, you will know if you can really make the switch.