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Comment by NoraCodes | Hacker News Reader

I currently regularly use 4 desktop/laptop computers: a T480 running Kubuntu, an L420 running Xubuntu, a Dell work laptop running Kubuntu, and a custom gaming desktop running Windows 10.

I have spent dramatically more time delving into OS nonsense to solve issues on the Windows machine, from "ghost" controller inputs making WPF applications unusable to audio devices randomly disappearing to some weird HDCP interaction causing my display to turn off when Disney Plus is loaded in Firefox.

I do not have nearly the same amount of trouble with my Linux machines; nor does my boyfriend, who is not a technical professional and uses Xubuntu exclusively.

Yes, Linux on the desktop can require tinkering, but it's not always the case. With the right hardware choices and some thoughtful setup, it can be remarkably stable.

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> With the right hardware choices and some thoughtful setup, it can be remarkably stable.

That is one of the issues Apple has been solving at least since 20 years ago when I started using mac books. You don't have to think anything, plug and work.

I am not an apple fan boy and I wish I had an alternative (which I tried during these 20 years) but mac books has been the only solution that has worked so far for me.

Except for all the stuff Apple leaves out or decides X is the correct way. No decent window snapping, no package manager, scroll wheel direction, no application level volume control, no HDMI/DP volume control, no decent font rendering on non-Retina displays, no MST support, ancient GNU tools (honestly I'd just prefer they'd leave out 10 year old versions, it just causes problems).

Honestly to me macOS is a bigger pain to deal with.

I definitely have to tinker with macos.

For example, the scanner in the mfp in my office stopped working after some system update (this one I never got working again, I just rdp into windows machine now and then copy over the scan). Another problem was with flickering display when connected over TB3 dock with M1 macs -- and no such problem with Intel macs in the same dock (it was "solved" by buying another dock). Software-wise, I had to edit /etc/ppp/ip-up & ip-down scripts to get correct routes for IPSec vpn. I had to manually add hunspell dictionaries, if I wanted working spellcheck. For a certain period, smb didn't work in Big Sur out of the box, because installer/updater was putting incorrect owner on a system file needed (/private/var/db/mds/messages/$(uid)/se_SecurityMessages) And so on, and so.

So yes, there is definitely tinkering, unless you have very narrow use cases, that happen to 100% align to Cupertino marketing scenarios.

Interesting. I can't recall the last time I had a hardware issue on Windows.

I, not too long ago, did end up having to reinstall Ubuntu when changing the screen resolution went wrong for some reason.

> I can't recall the last time I had a hardware issue on Windows.

Me either.

I haven't used windows in decades, but visited family over the summer where a new Lenovo desktop running win11 persistently lost its HP printer port association.

I'd help remove and reinstall the drivers, the printer would work for a few days... then a windows update would occur, and the printer stops working. My intervention recurred at least five times throughout summer, it was probably simply ignored as broken most of summer to not overly aggravate me.

The elderly owner of this new computer was ready to buy a new printer, entirely blaming the hardware. It was very clearly the operating system + driver at fault, but she's not the most computer literate person.

It's 2023 and MS still can't make a USB printer stay configured properly across updates.

And don't even get me started on the FOX News propaganda embedded in whatever gadget has replaced the start menu. What a raging dumpster full of tire fires MS Windows has become.

I don't doubt it. I'm sure my Windows issues have to do with some hardware choice I made, or some non-standard configuration I'm using. My only point is that you can have a stable experience with LotD or an unstable one with Windows.

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