No man dont ruin Linux rabid users from bitching about Windows.

Please do.

One of us, one of us!

https://www.windowslatest.com/2023/10/16/no-windows-12-is-a-free-upgrade-and-wont-require-a-subscription/

As it turns out, the rumours discussed by some outlets are based on the “IoT Enterprise Subscription” of Windows 11, not Windows vNext. For those unaware, Windows 24H2 or Windows vNext is what Windows 12 is being called publicly. As you can see in the above screenshots, the “subscription” code strings found in the preview builds are associated with a new Enterprise version of Windows 11 loT and have nothing to do with Windows 12 or future versions of the OS.

I’m not saying to use it or to not switch to linux, but maybe this isn’t that much of a concern.

I’d be more concerned about

the next version of Windows will be heavily integrated with AI and cloud capabilities.

I haven’t found it that difficult. Just take the plunge.

I'm an early adopter of Linux (early as in 96-97) but I also run MacOS and Windows so I'm I tell you this from an unbiased point of view. Linux has never been easier to run. My daily driver is a ThinkPad running Pop!_OS Linux and I never have to think about it. I just installed and everything ran.

I don't game on my daily driver, I use MacOS for music. At this point Windows is relegated to Adobe Creative Suite, GeForce Now, and the occasional game I can't run on Linux or GeForce Now.

Just start by dual booting one of the "easy" distros and doing stuff that doesn't require Windows. Eventually you'll start spending more and more time on it out of comfort, then one day you may realise that you haven't needed your Windows partition in months, and can skip out on it entirely.

It's easy if you know how to manage your anger

Nooo but it confirms my viewpoint :-(

I suspect most people that only use their Windows computer for general stuff like web browsing, e-mail, multi media, office etc., which is probably the majority by far, will actually fall for the subscription scam.

If you’re not running Ubuntu Satanic Edition are you really a devout follower of the dark Lord

The best time to start is now. The second best time to start is now.

Welcome!

Exactly, it's going to be Office 365+Windows in a single package kinda deal.

Probably with a mostly functioning Windows left if you stop paying, but no access to specific features or Office.

It's just a way to get people to pay a few bucks a month extra for the Office 365 package, which in the long term culminates to getting full bank plus then some for Windows, instead of a one time flat fee people will then use for as long as they keep the system.

Most people I know use the same system/laptop for 3-4 years, some even as long as 6-8 years if the thing doesn't break down.

The subscription will likely be setup so that you pay what you'd normally pay for a basic Windows Home (100-130ish) within the first 2 years (say $5 a month) and every year you use the same device longer than that, is just extra gravy for Microsoft.

But I doubt they'll drop the simple license. There are to many devices where a subscription wouldn't work and especially in this day and age, connecting the device to the Internet for any length of time is a big nono for the user/company.

Linux Gaming is now a truly viable force thanks to Steam (Proton). The PC Gaming market will be fine without Windows.

As much as I hate being bled to death by subscription services, It’s probably still cheaper to subscribe to windows for a whole decade than use an apple computer outright for half that time.

The majority of Linux users aren’t in it because it’s free (as in free beer) anyway, and most broke gamers will likely continue to just pirate windows regardless.

However now that data usage and privacy and security is becoming a hot topic in the age of AI, I think once Microsoft and apple both start getting really brazen with their telemetry and embedded spyware, it will finally be the year of the Linux desktop! ;)