My Winter of ’99: The Year of the Linux Desktop is Always Next Year
2 min read
Summary
In a recent opinion piece, the author explains why Linux failed to replace Windows on the desktop in the last 22 years, going so far as to say that the Year of the Linux Desktop never happened.
Several it points out some of the shortcomings of Linux, such as the lack of a stable kernel driver API and the problem of different distributions doing different things.
It also points out some of the strengths of Windows, such as the fact that it just works and works the same everywhere, with few fiddly settings to worry about, and that it has a robust chain of boot security.
The author also mentions some alternatives to Windows which they prefer, such as FreeBSD, Haiku, and ReactOS.
Some of the comments disagree with various points brought up in the article, with several people saying that the comments about the Linux community are unfair.
Several also say that they use Linux as their primary desktop operating system and have for many years.
A few also comment that they remember when Linux was more difficult to use than it is today and that it has improved a lot since those early days.
A small number of comments also defend Windows 8 and Windows 11 against criticism.
