Why do new people give up on Linux?

[golddigger]

Most people I know who came to Linux from windows gave up because there was something they did not like about windows. They tried Linux and did not want to go back to Windows but they needed to work and get things done and couldnt quite understand how linux worked.
They gave up for a while, then came back and tried linux for a bit longer and gave up.
From about 1997 to 2004 or 2005 I bounced between Linux and Windows like a yoyo. It was only after I forced myself to use linux come-what-may, that suddenly I started seeing how it worked. I got it.

[majpooper]

What I have seen from my very small sample size (installed linux for 8 folks frustrated with Windows, 6 have stayed 2 went back) is basically two levels to the issue.

Level 1 - Installation: all but one could handle installing linux on their own. That is the first hurdle - if you don't know the difference between a browser and an OS or what a BIOS is you probably are not a good candidate for installing linux.

Level 2 - Applications: Linux simply does not have the software people want or need to do their job. No matter how many linux enthusiast tell you Gimp is just as good as PhotoShop, name the app of your choice here, that just is not going to fly with most Windows users who just want to get the job done and are not interested in a new learning curve to deal with.

[exploder]

The people I have installed Linux for that stayed with it are average computer user's. That is, things like web browsing, email, just simple things that we all do on computers. One guy I installed Linux for said strait out that he visited elicit sites and was tired of having his system reloaded constantly because of computer viruses! Well , at least he was honest!

I currently use both Linux and Windows 10. Like others have said, there are just some things I can't do in Linux that I can in Windows and vise versa. Currently hardware prices and availability have never been so bad. Graphics cards are very hard to get right now! Linux is far better for graphics cards that are no longer supported in Windows and Windows works better for overclocking supported cards you are trying to squeeze performance out of.

They used to say that Linux could run on a toaster, lol. These days even the lighter DE's and Windows managers are not so light. There was a time when people would go with Xfce for example to keep their older systems useful and prolong the life of their hardware. I find many unwilling to give up desktop effects these days to hang on to their hardware.

When drivers are no longer available for hardware people seem to be more receptive to trying a Linux distro. I had a guy that had an older AMD Radeon graphics card that lost support happily switch to Linux. Just out of the blue his Windows 10 system switched itself to a basic display driver and the system was useless to him! A popular Linux distro and Steam fixed him up for the most part and over time he got used to the differences.

I have seen bad updates on both sides of the fence lately too and it's a factor! Kernel updates have been a total disaster for Ubuntu based distros recently. Windows 10's last big upgrade caused a massive amount of issues too! Nothing scares away new users of any OS faster! I have a mainline kernel installed on my new laptop and refuse to update it because of the chance of breakage has been so high! On Windows I wait to see the if breakage happened with others before installing some updates! New user's switching to either OS don't want to deal with breakage!

There is no one size fits all solution right now to people's computer needs. It all depends on your situation right now. I have always promoted Linux use but these days it depends on what the user wants and needs to get the job done. I would love to see Linux Mint installed on more people's computers of course but I also understand why Windows might be better suited for a particular use case.

[David Chiang]

Level 2 - Applications: Linux simply does not have the software people want or need to do their job. No matter how many linux enthusiast tell you Gimp is just as good as PhotoShop, name the app of your choice here, that just is not going to fly with most Windows users who just want to get the job done and are not interested in a new learning curve to deal with.

I don't think that has to be a big problem. There are enough programs that are multi-platform capable and as such run natively on Linux. There are also Windows applications that were deliberately written in such a way that they can also run without problems via Wine. In the past few years I have often acquired licenses that allow me to continue using these programs in conjunction with Wine. These include graphics programs, editors, clipboard managers and others. However, this is not always the case, then there is no avoiding a certain amount of learning curve.

[MurphCID]

As I have said in the past, iTunes, and Photoshop are the deal breakers which keep me from 100% Linux adoption. If I could get iTunes, I might switch completely.

[ajgreeny]

I must be very lucky or perhaps very astute as even in my days of using Windows, which I have not done since 2005, I only once paid for an application of any sort, Serif Page-Plus Desktop Publishing application, but everything else either came with my machines when purchased, was installed free of charge from a magazine CD/DVD or was free open-source such as Gimp, which I've used for as long as I can remember, probably from shortly after it was first released in 1996.

I have never used MS Office on any of my own machines and have never felt the need for iTunes or Photoshop so I have also never had the need to use Windows for a specific application.

[MartyMint]

Level 2 - Applications: Linux simply does not have the software people want or need to do their job. No matter how many linux enthusiast tell you Gimp is just as good as PhotoShop, name the app of your choice here, that just is not going to fly with most Windows users who just want to get the job done and are not interested in a new learning curve to deal with.

Most people I've met don't need PhotoShop. It's just that it's been widely pirated for over two decades and almost everyone has had a "friend" help them with a cracked copy (same goes for disk burning software and office suites). They just hear that Photoshop is "the best game in town"...and they won't even consider anything else. If you do a deep dive on the actual requirements of these users, it's probably nothing more than resizing, red-eye removal and cropping...but you're fighting an uphill battle...in the mud...against 100+ years of corporate propaganda (sorry...not trying to steer this into a political discussion).
The exact same argument applies to Linux vs. Microsoft...
"If it was any good, they'd be charging for it, wouldn't they?"

[majpooper]

It really doesn't matter what the reality is for "we" in the linux community is regarding Photoshop or Office etc. it is the perception by Windows users that the linux alternatives are not satisfactory or worth the effort.

Again, my sample size is small and I never personally dealt with anyone who needed Photoshop although that one seems to be a deal breaker. However the two that I ran into were Office - yeah I know Libre Office with a few tweaks is the 95% solution to MS Office. Still for whatever reason a few folks that I showed linux to did not like Libre Office. The same with Quicken - I ran into one person who absolutely had to run the latest version of Quicken. Sure I suppose I could have suggested Wine (something I would never use myself). I will mention my sister became quite a subject matter expert on converting from Quicken to GnuCash. However she claims it was extremely painful and time consuming which I doubt many Windows/Quicken users would be willing to subjevt themselves to. The last on was TurboTax which I thought was ridiculous because it only used once a year and you can also do it online. The rational was they would never do their taxes online they want to keep their tax info on their HD - OK I get that . . . . sort of.

The point is "we" can talk until we are blue in the face that "linux can do and run any program or it's linux equivalent that Windows can" but when the Windows user does not see exactly what they are used to not to mention not getting it to run smoothly in wine - they are gone.

[Barbados99]

The point is "we" can talk until we are blue in the face that "linux can do and run any program or it's linux equivalent that Windows can" but when the Windows user does not see exactly what they are used to not to mention not getting it to run smoothly in wine - they are gone.

That's a great point. Even in my own case where I was highly motivated to switch to Linux due to financial reasons, it was pretty scary to walk away from Windows software that I had used for many years. And to be honest, it was tough to learn enough to where I was as proficient as I was with the old Windows programs. Not because the programs were not as good, but it just took me years to learn the Windows programs well, and it was the same for me with the Linux equivalent programs. I only stuck it out because I knew I had to... there was no turning back for me. Now I love the programs, but it took a bit. I can understand why some people just don't want to change from what they are used to using.

[MurphCID]

It really doesn't matter what the reality is for "we" in the linux community is regarding Photoshop or Office etc. it is the perception by Windows users that the linux alternatives are not satisfactory or worth the effort.

Again, my sample size is small and I never personally dealt with anyone who needed Photoshop although that one seems to be a deal breaker. However the two that I ran into were Office - yeah I know Libre Office with a few tweaks is the 95% solution to MS Office. Still for whatever reason a few folks that I showed linux to did not like Libre Office. The same with Quicken - I ran into one person who absolutely had to run the latest version of Quicken. Sure I suppose I could have suggested Wine (something I would never use myself). I will mention my sister became quite a subject matter expert on converting from Quicken to GnuCash. However she claims it was extremely painful and time consuming which I doubt many Windows/Quicken users would be willing to subjevt themselves to. The last on was TurboTax which I thought was ridiculous because it only used once a year and you can also do it online. The rational was they would never do their taxes online they want to keep their tax info on their HD - OK I get that . . . . sort of.

The point is "we" can talk until we are blue in the face that "linux can do and run any program or it's linux equivalent that Windows can" but when the Windows user does not see exactly what they are used to not to mention not getting it to run smoothly in wine - they are gone.

Good point on Turbo Tax. My wife insists we use it, and store the returns on the computer. She does not trust "on-line or cloud" storage. I refuse to tell her about her iPhone, etc it is not worth the battle. I am glad my Dad uses an accountant.

[BTCSMS]

Whenever I see a heading called, "Why do ____ people....." It makes me cringe.
As if anyone can pigeonhole everyone with a ubiquitous characteristic or prejudice.
To think one can generalize is the height of arrogance and narcissism.
It is the foundation for all separation and hate in the world.
This is why I stick to MY story, MY reason, MY experience, MY testimony...etc. ONLY!
If one really wanted to know the answers they seek from others, they would ASK them, not presume them.
Otherwise, they're just spewing verbal diarrhea to confirm their own prejudices/biases.
I don't know everyone and I certainly wasn't elected spokesperson for the "new users (who gave up)",
or want to give up.
So, as a new user, I can only give my .02$ as to what might motivate ME to give up, or not.
1-10 rating of it's importance TO ME:
***Reasons to give up:
1. Everything is completely new - 8
2. I may simply not need to be involved with computers at all. I operate heavy equipment for a living.
I only need a computer for getting and listening to music and movies - 10
3. I don't have the time to learn a new OS - 3 (right now)
4. It's like learning a new language and I'm terrible with languages - 7
5. 100% TRUE privacy and security is chucking your computer and cell phone into a river - 10

***Reasons to not give up:
1. I realize the importance after the 2020 election, of abandoning the fascist big tech oligarch's - 10
2. I'm a free man, not a slave or a product - 10
3. I should control my computer. My computer should not control me - 10
4. I can't change the world unless I change me - 10
5. Don't tell me I can't do something - 10

Clearly the "not give up" list has a higher importance to me. I have the will,maturity and
tenacity to power through my frustrations.
So, see you around.

[Portreve]

2. I'm a free man, not a slave or a product - 10

This made me think of:



"I'm not a number: I'm a free man!"

[t42]

"I'm not a number: I'm a free man!"[/center]

Congratulations! Your post recieved a number 1234 in this thread!

[BTCSMS]

2. I'm a free man, not a slave or a product - 10

This made me think of:



"I'm not a number: I'm a free man!"

Great show. Prophetic, and now look. The tip of the pyramid has been laying claim to us since we crawled out of the mud, and has been a catalyst for all wars from cavemen to now. Sad that real life looks more and more like the Martix than even 30 years ago. The more you look at the matrix, the more it looks at you. The more you pull away, the harder it grips, the more you defend, the harder it attacks. The movie truly is what is going on.
They've pretty much sewn up all digital mediums of exchange which breaks ones ability to function in a demonstrably, digitally coercive world. That included elections. Unless one is an unconscious sheep that thinks this is all "just dandy". I suppose Linux is one tiny way of regaining some level of privacy, to keep the marketeers from a pig pile, gang bang, feeding frenzy upon you. But again, the further down the rabbit hole you go, the more you start to realize if you use digital devices, you are self imprisoning no matter what OS, VPN, proxy, encryption...etc. you use.
The main mantra from on high is: "Not one soul unclaimed (Vatican), not one currency unregulated/taxed (UK), not one person unmonitored (US)". It's the only way the powerful stay powerful/relevant. "Violate everyone to stay in power".
If that's not tyranny, than the word has lost all meaning and everyone is completely screwed.
username@hostname:~$ pkill rant