Hey, what’s up?
Today, I wanted to share my thoughts about the future of Windows and why I’m going to switch to Linux.
In the last weeks, I’ve shared why I cancelled my subscription with Adobe Creative and Microsoft 365. After that, I figured that I would actually study Microsoft Windows to see where it’s heading and see if this is actually good for me.
So if you’re trying to figure out what’s happening with Windows or if Linux is for you, then this post could be for you.
Let’s go right in.
Before that, I have to say that I learned computer science, and I’ve been quite a long user of Windows. I grew up using only Windows except a few times when I tried Ubuntu and Linux Mint, mostly in my spare time and university, nothing too serious. But I always came back to Windows because it is simply easier to use.
Lately, I’ve been questioning myself about Microsoft 365 and decided to cancel my subscription and figure that I would put Windows to the test to see if it’s still for me.
1- WINDOWS AS A SERVICE?
As of right now, Windows always followed the license business model. But the next version of Windows: Windows 12 got many rumors that it could become be subscription-based. So Windows would become a SaaS. Personally, I dislike subscriptions, SaaS nor renting my softwares and I think this is cancer. I want to OWN my software.
But right now, if you analyze everything, everything is already in place.
- AI. There’s the free version of CoPilot. If you want the Pro version, then you have to pay a monthly subscription.
- Office Apps that you need the Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Microsoft 365 subscription
- OneDrive is already synchronizing half of your computer with the cloud.
- Everything is linked to your Microsoft Online account, where you can have access to your subscriptions.
2- AI & CLOUD
It’s been released and confirmed that the next version of Windows is going to be optimized for AI and cloud. They already announced it.
I think AI and technology are great things. I’m all about AI and I use it every day. But you see, it’s a double edge sword, yes AI is improving the world at an incredible faster rate, but you want to be in control of AI.
The way Microsoft is doing it is that yes, you’ll have access to it, but it’s on THEIR terms. Not yours. That means that it is Microsoft that is using AI ON YOU AND FOR YOU. You’re not really in control of it.
Another thing is that those things aren’t free. AI and cloud require computer power and resources in order to work. This is why they somehow need to make money out of them.
3- FREE WITH SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS
I don’t think it’s going to be entirely subscription-based. That would alienate too many people and companies. Too many people and companies depend on Windows for their PCs. Quite the opposite, I think it’s going to be free but not entirely free.
I think Windows is going to include ads in the free versions, literally inside the operating system. This way, they’ll still be able to make money. If you don’t want any ads, then you’ll have to get one of their subscription.
That’s already what they’re doing with some of their apps. For example, the new Outlook. You can use Outlook for free, but there’s going to have a bunch of ads. You need one of their subscription to have an ad-free experience.
I personally think that Windows could follow the same business model for the whole operating system. That way, that would not entirely alienate everybody and they will push that subscription.
Ultimately, I think in the future, if you want to use Windows, you will need some sort of Ad Blocker but for the whole operating system. That’s not good. Something like AdGuard.
4- OWNERSHIP, FREEDOM, SECURITY & PRIVACY
The AI and cloud are very convenient. But the tradeoff is that everything that you do is being analyzed and monitored. I mean, we already know that Windows is monitoring a bunch of things on your computer. It’s only going to get worse.
I believe online privacy and data security is going to become more and more relevant in the future. For both softwares and video games. If Windows is literally cloud based, then you’ll need an internet connection at all time to synchronize with the servers. Obviously, if you need an internet connection at all time, that means that everything that you do on the computer will be somewhat monitored and connected to the internet.
That’s a scary thing.
I also came to the realization that software ownership isn’t just about software, it’s also related to the data associated with the softwares and your activities.
In my case, I use the computer and the internet extensively, I don’t necessarily want to be monitored for the profits of a major corporation.
5- LINUX
Linux is a free and open source operating system. It means that anybody can see exactly what the code does. There’s no hiding if you’re able to read code.
Yes, Linux requires more technical knowledge, but ultimately, you’re not being spied, monitored, and you’re in control of what you’re doing.
That being said, I’m quite lucky because I’m an online entrepreneur and I don’t depend on an employer to do my work. I just might need to change a few of my habits and tools to make it work. Including productivity apps and video games.
6- HOPES
I want a good ad-free experience on my computer with pieces of software that I own. I understand SaaS can be a good business model for corporations. But as a consumer and customer, I think it’s cancer. I want to be able to purchase and own my softwares. Not rent them.
I would like to see more people, more companies and video games supporting Linux.
I know for example that Adobe is kinda of a big deal with the Creative Cloud. Furthermore, I think that before Adobe makes the move to support Linux, smaller companies need to make the jump first to prove that it’s doable.
For example, Davinci Resolve is already doing it. I would love to see other companies like Affinity and more gaming companies to care more about Linux users. For now, I’m going to use Gimp and Inkscape because they are able to fill my creative needs.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I don’t like the direction that Microsoft is taking. I think that the future of Windows is going to be either:
- An experience full of ads and bloated softwares (you will most likely need an ad blocker to fix all of this).
- You’ll need to pay a monthly subscription to have a decent experience.
- You’ll be monitored and analyzed with AI and the cloud included and hidden inside Windows.
- A mix of a bunch of these.
A solution to this is to switch to Linux. It requires a little more technical knowledge, which I’m willing to deal with because I’m very comfortable with computers.
But ultimately, I get to:
- Own my softwares. That means free and open source OR buying a lifetime license.
- Cost effective ad-free without subscription.
- Own my data.
- Online privacy, freedom and security.
- Able to work and use productivity apps.
- Able to do a bit of gaming from time to time.
So that’s pretty much it, I hope this post was helpful to you. If it was, you could consider following me on social media and if you have any thoughts or comments, you can leave them below because your thoughts could help future readers.
I hope this helps, peace!
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