Retiring Windows 10 and Microsoft's move towards a surveillance state

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Linux as an alternative for customers

  • Multiple commenters support promoting Linux to small-business and home users, especially where needs are “browser + email + docs + Zoom.”
  • Advice: don’t sell “Linux” as such; sell “secure, low‑cost, no‑ads, long‑term support” solutions, and selectively migrate only customers whose workflows fit.
  • Several suggest dual‑boot or keeping a minimal Windows install for edge cases (games, CAD, heavy Office use).

Licensing and selling Linux systems

  • Initial worry: is it legal/ethical to sell PCs with Linux preinstalled?
  • Consensus: GPL and other FOSS licenses explicitly allow selling copies and systems, as long as licenses and source availability obligations are respected.
  • Ethical concern raised about “harvesting bad karma” by selling free software at high margins without added value; others note value can be installation, support, or physical media.

Choosing distros, updates, and support

  • Popular recommendations: Mint, Zorin, Debian Stable, Fedora (often with KDE), Pop!_OS, and RHEL‑like distros for longer support.
  • Strong push for immutable/atomic distros (Aurora, Bazzite) for non‑technical users: automatic, rollbackable updates and fewer breakages.
  • Automation of updates seen as critical; tools mentioned include unattended-upgrades, cron with apt, and built‑in update managers.

Office and productivity ecosystems

  • Heavy debate on replacing Microsoft Office:
    • LibreOffice: widely recommended but criticized for dated UI, bugs, and weaker Excel/VBA compatibility; fine for many home users, risky in finance/insurance‑style workflows.
    • Alternatives: OnlyOffice, FreeOffice/SoftMaker, Collabora, WPS; many praise OnlyOffice’s UI and compatibility.
    • Some prefer Google Docs or browser‑based tools as a gentler migration path.
  • Advice: be pragmatic, not dogmatic; if a business truly needs Office, consider keeping Windows or running Office via VM/Wine where feasible.

Gaming, CAD, and other compatibility gaps

  • Gaming on Linux (Proton, Steam, Bazzite) described as “surprisingly good,” but anti‑cheat and some titles still require Windows.
  • CAD (e.g., Autodesk Fusion) and other niche tools often run poorly under Wine/VM; many keep a few Windows machines just for this.

Windows 11, TPM/Secure Boot, and surveillance concerns

  • Many see Windows 11’s TPM/Secure Boot requirements, MS account pressure, OneDrive defaults, ads, Edge lock‑in, Recall, and Copilot as steps toward lock‑in and de facto surveillance.
  • Others argue TPM and Secure Boot are legitimate security features (rootkit resistance, disk encryption, passkeys) and that Recall/Copilot are optional and currently local/opt‑in.
  • Several note that the real risk is remote attestation plus TPM‑like hardware being used by vendors, banks, and content platforms to lock out alternative OSes and limit user control.

Usability for non‑technical users

  • Split views: some insist Linux is still too brittle and complex for “normies”; others report long‑term success with elderly parents and non‑technical users on Mint/Aurora when the system is pre‑configured and workflows are simple.
  • General consensus: migration should be driven by user needs (cost, longevity, fewer nags/ads) rather than pure privacy evangelism.