Why are People Still Using Windows if Linux is Faster and Safer?

We've all heard of how Linux is faster and much safer than Windows, but still, why are people barely using Linux? What's the problem?

Well, I tried Linux out from a regular user perspective and it became obvious why it was the case.

I was using Windows 8.1 at the time when I first heard that Linux was much better, faster, and safer than Windows.

So, I gave it a try.

Installing Linux and Trying it out

Since I was so new to it, I looked up various YouTube tutorials on Linux and read many articles on it.

After that, I learned there were several distributions on Linux. That took another hour of researching on which to choose from.

Finally, I landed on Ubuntu and chose to install it on my computer.

I completely wiped out the Windows from my hard drive and installed a brand new operating system with Linux in it through USB.

When I first booted into Linux I was overwhelmed by the completely new operating system and its functionality.

I tinkered around the settings and tried to set up things in the way I was most comfortable with.

Took a little more time than I was expecting but I got it working.

It was surprising to know how significantly faster my computer was with Linux than Windows.

So, I was super excited to see and use Linux. I even thought of using it as the only OS since it was just so much faster.

I put up dark mode, setup super cool wallpaper, and then got to installing the softwares for editing and so on.

But that's when the pain point of Linux started to come in.

Disadvantages of Linux that Dettered Most Users

First, Microsoft Office wasn't available to install on Linux. It was my most used software so I was pretty disappointed.

Oh well I looked for workarounds and eventually I settled for the web version.

I wasn't super comfortable but it worked so I didn't complain as much.

Then I wanted to install Adobe software for editing like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Illustrations.

And lo and behold, what I found was that Adobe softwares cannot be installed on Linux OS.

I looked and looked and the only way I found out to use Adobe softwares was by using Wine or virtual machines.

So what's the point of installing Linux if you are going to be using Windows virtual machines anyway?

That was the point when I opted out of Linux, deleted it, and again installed Windows.

That's how I found out why there are still many Windows users despite Linux being faster and safer.

Key Takeaway on Why Users Prefer Windows Over Linux

So, here's the key takeaway I got from my experience using Linux on why users mostly prefer Windows:

• Confusing number of Linux distribution choices.
• Overwhelming environment for new users.
• Takes time to use the basic functions of Linux.
• Not many softwares support Linux since it is quite small in terms of market share.
• Users can't install the software they are most comfortable with - a major offset for many.
• Difficulty in installing games or needing some sort of customization to play.
• Unless you are a programmer, regular users don't have any need to switch to Linux.

There's also the fact that computers don't come preinstalled with Linux. That's probably one of the major reasons as well why many users don't use Linux OS.

Granted there might be cases when people might choose Linux over Windows like for coding, experimenting and so on. However, regular users still prefer Windows because of the afore mentioned reasons.

Note: Original article from Medium.