Oh dear, it’s finally come to this, has it? I never thought that this would ever happen, to be entirely honest with you. Sure, I joked around every once in awhile, but I never thought I’d actually jump ship to another operating system. Yet, the problems I’ve been facing with my retail version of Windows 10… well, to say that the OS is broken would be a bit of an understatement. You see, Windows 10 is constantly half crashing. The start menu being the thing that crashes most often. When that crashes, everything Windows related crashes along with it. Like, say you want to open up the default photo app? Yeah, that’s not happening. Open Settings? Nope, not possible. Video app? Nah.
The only thing I can do by this point, at least if I wish to regain full control over my computer, is to restart my PC. But even after a full restart, there seems to be a 1 in 5 chance of this error reoccuring on boot, and a 1 in 10 chance of my keyboard malfunctioning. Of course, the keyboard issue has been present from the very start, and has admittedly gotten much better with updates. But the problem still occurs, and that simply isn’t acceptable. Plus, the fact that the start menu and all default apps will occasionally crash for apparently no conceivable reason, is a rather big problem. To not be able to open up the start menu, because of some silly bug with Windows 10, is really rather crappy, to say the least.
It’s the frequency and annoyance of these recurring bugs that has finally made me reconsider my use of Windows, and ultimately, it’s the very reason I decided to install Ubuntu Linux as my new primary operating system. Yes, it’s a dual-boot, so it isn’t as if I deleted Windows 10 altogether. I will also occasionally be forced to boot into Windows 10, just so I can access Windows applications, such as games. You see, I actually rather like what Windows 10 could eventually become. The promise of a connected operating system where your settings follow you across a plethora of Windows devices. I really love the convenience aspect of that alone. Then there’s the Xbox streaming that you can only do from a Windows 10 PC. But most of all, I’m ultra-excited for Hololens. I mean, they’re freaking holograms. You can’t really get much cooler than that, right?
And yet, I now find myself using Linux. Windows 10 is an OS that has so much potential, but it falls vastly short due to its neverending supply of technical glitches and software crashes. I really want to love you, Windows 10. I do. But I just can’t. There are too many recurring issues that I simply cannot overlook anymore, as they’re affecting the daily use of my PC.
To conclude. Yes, I am no longer using Windows 10 as my primary operating system. Ubuntu 15.10 is faster, more reliable, and ultimately, a far better operating system than Windows 10, in its current state. Sure, Ubuntu is most definitely not perfect, but at least the default applications launch without error. Everything is responsive, relatively smooth to operate, and best of all, the entire operating system is 100% free. I’ve got all of my essentials here. Chrome, Spotify, Steam, and even a surprisingly large amount of Linux compatible games, one of which being Team Fortress 2.
Sure, I don’t intend to abandon Windows altogether. That would be impossible, considering just how many applications require Windows to run. More than likely, I’ll boot into Windows by mistake, not feel like restarting into Ubuntu, and use Windows 10 until it ultimately crashes, and becomes unstable. Then, I’ll launch into Ubuntu, and enjoy a quality computing experience.
One thing before I decide to publish this article. An open letter to Microsoft;
Microsoft. I have never used a more broken operating system, nor have I ever had more issues with a single operating system, than I have with Windows 10. I feel as though I’ve been ripped off, being one of the few that actually purchased a full retail license off of your own online store. So Microsoft, please do everything in your power to fix what shouldn’t be broken. I truly want to like Windows 10, and you as a company and brand. But lately, I just can’t. I’m losing faith in what was once a quality brand. Windows has always been my primary OS of choice, dating all the way back to Windows 98. To see this brand come so far, only to deliver so little, really breaks my heart. I used to love Windows, but because of Windows 10, I’ve been forced to move to Linux. And to be frank, that sh*t shouldn’t happen.