That Crazy FOSS Thread

I haven't personally observed a move by Microsoft toward more Apple-esque technology. The machines and OSes still feel very different to me (Apple/Mac machines have never been intuitive in my mind, and I've used them extensively). However, I can certainly see where you're coming from. The Windows user interface has been simplified and some of the functionality could be viewed as similar.

That said, Windows 10 is worth a look when it becomes available to the public at the end of this month. I think most people will be pleased with the changes that have been made, especially after some of the inevitable initial wrinkles are worked out. And it's a free upgrade for current Windows 7/8 users for the time being, so you can't go wrong with the price.

I've used Unix and Linux machines in the past. Back in the early days of the internet, Unix terminals were one of the best options for reliably connecting and getting things done over the network. And up until a few years ago, I ran a Linux box (Ubuntu/KDE), which I really liked.

Unfortunately, at that time Linux wasn't powerful or flexible enough to meet my multimedia needs. I required an OS with solid video/audio hardware and software support, and none of the various Linux distributions I tried (and believe me, I tried) were capable of achieving that level of support.

So I started using Windows 7, and have been exceptionally happy with the OS since. It does (still does) everything I need and more. I never touched Windows 8, which I've been told is a good thing. I'm the kind of person that likes to get under the hood (in regard to both software and hardware), and it seems like Windows 8 was a little overprotective where customization was concerned. I've been assured this isn't the case with Windows 10, and am looking forward to digging into the OS in 2 weeks.

I understand and fully respect your desire to remove yourself completely from the shadow of corporate America. Please don't get me wrong. That was a big part of the reason I eventually moved to Linux. Though I learned (for myself anyway) that there is benefit and value in Microsoft as a company and in its products.

Open source is a beautiful thing. 99% of the programs on my computer are open source. But there are downsides to working with it. It typically requires patience and often a lot of trial and error (i.e., bumping into walls repeatedly), as you no doubt encountered with Trisquel. Open source also means you don't usually have a unified and localized group of people working constantly to fix problems and increase compatibility, which is the advantage (at least in many cases) of commercial software.

Ultimately, I found that I didn't have the time and energy to deal with Linux. If you do, that's wonderful, and I wish you all the best. I'm confident that if you put in enough work, you'll be able to find a Linux setup that satisfies your needs, and there are certainly people in this community who will be able to help you with that and direct you toward better solutions.

I'm sorry to say that I'm not one of those people, as Linux technology changes so quickly, but I wanted to share some thoughts based on past experience. Hopefully, my words haven't sounded too dire or discouraging. I do have a strong sense that Linux will meet the needs of the average user in the not-too-distant future, and I sincerely hope you get a setup working for you soon that you're happy with.