Say a friend is looking for a new system, and said person is not particularly savvy with technology, what system would you point them toward?
Linux mint
Stupid fucking answer.
I love Linux. I use it on multiple machines daily. It’s not for an average user.
TempleOS
Yeah, the average user must commune with god.
This guy gets it.
The only real choice!
What do you like about it?
MacOS if they can afford it. Otherwise Linux Mint.
If this average user doesn’t need to use Microsoft or Apple software, Fedora Workstation Linux. My dad, who is 78 and of average intelligence can use it, anyone can.
Linux can run on older, used hardware, has no AI, no Apple or Microsoft account required.
Bazzite. Fedora + drivers + immutable + gaming works out of the box.
I don’t get the appeal of immutability. System files are read-only for users for a reason already. Don’t modify them as root unless you know what you’re doing and you’ll be fine.
What am I missing?
(Also gaming for a 78 year old, meh.)
What you’re missing is that the question was what would you recommend to the average user.
Exactly, so there should be no reason to edit sensitive system files in either case. Great, further to my point.
Okay? I don’t understand this reaction in this context. I’m just making statements lol. Not yelling at you.
I fail to see how gaming has anything to do with my retired dad.
I didn’t realize OP’s question was ‘What desktop operating system would you recommend to Scott’s dad?’ I guess I need new glasses.
If you pick the correct hardware. Which is a crap shoot per distro, bazzite included.
People keep saying this but I’ve not had a single solitary issue getting Bazzite working on a myriad of older and newer devices.
I’ve had issues on multiple devices.
Which devices, if I may ask? I’m curious under which circumstances I should definitely not recommend it.
MSI tomahawk mags, one with a 10700, the other with a12700. Nvidia GPUs. Nothing out of the ordinary.
No, it doesn’t.
Fedora, now it’s shockingly easy to use.
I silently replaced windows in the home PC and it took 2 months for the tech illiterate SO to say “WTF, why you put Apple on this PC, I thought you hated them” (put same username/password, same wallpaper, even Microsoft Edge)
At work I was shocked that I could login directly as
user@windows.domainwithout any extra configuration. Plain vanilla fresh install, typed my active directory account for laughs, it worked 😲Also at work I was shocked to see that I could just run the exe of the windows-only accounting software and everything works. I even installed LibreOffice in wine, lol (the accounting software needs
soffice.exefor generating spreadsheets). I could even install foxit reader for windows 😂 (sorry, all the Linux PDF readers completely suck when printing, I need previews and booklet and all the extra features)Linux. Hands down. Always.
New user? Try Kubuntu Linux
Power user? Eh, you can try anything but I’m still with Kubuntu because Ubuntu with KDE just works so damned nice
Point blank generic recommendation? MacOS.
Otherwise, Linux is the endgame, so it’s a matter of talking to the person to see what software is essential for them.
I wouldnt dare recommending something that most cant use, simply because they cant buy, beyond that there ethical considerarions, Apple is famous for ecosystem lockin which is extremely unethical
Ecosystem lock-in is likely not a concern for the average person, though. If they just need a computer to browse the web and edit some basic documents, everything else is just fluff.
Whatever Linux is being sold pre-installed on a machine within their budget.
Told my dad to buy a Dell laptop with Ubuntu preinstalled after his last Windows laptop died. He’s been fine with that for the last 5 years.
Nice post to stir some shit, OP. 🍿
🍿
If they are buying a new laptop and macbooks cost about the same what they’d pay for a PC laptop, the mac is a solid choice.
I want to say Linux. I use Linux (and macs occasionally). Linux is great. But macs are also great and work very well out of the box. So does Linux, if the hardware is fully supported and if you don’t need any non-linux desktop software. Those are some ifs.
Yeah for the average user, a Mac with Apple silicon is a great choice, you do not even have to buy new as a second hand M1 or M2 can have its battery replaced by Apple for about £160 and have a warranty on the work. The M1 for the average user is still more than powerful enough if you avoid the base RAM and storage. If you get really desperate there are also the genius bars, lol.
Sure you can pick up a secondhand Thinkpad for the same amount of money, replace the battery for less, stick whatever flavor of Linux on it you like, but the average user doing that by themselves and ending up with the same easy to use experience is unlikely. I would rather do the latter as I would pick a model I can upgrade RAM/Storage myself, but then I simply do not see the average user wanting to do that.
If you are mainly gaming, Bazzite. For everything else, Fedora.
iOS.
Linux only if they can follow directions.
Posts on linux mint forum asking for help Nobody answers Now how do you follow that direction?
Mint and no shit.
Linux Mint
I use Linux Mint
Steam games work on Linux Mint without issues, or at least I was lucky enough not to have issues so far.
Linux alternatives to popular apps are very good (Libre Office, Inkscape, Gimp etc) and they don’t try to shove AI down my throat or demand subscription.
I also would like to include that in terms of ease of use and interface familiarity Linux Mint looks quite a lot like Windows XP.
