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Why Linux use may soon surge

Linux has been a thing for many decades now but despite the multitude of benefits that are so oft-touted by fanboys, it has never really challenged Microsoft Windows for any significant share of the desktop computer market.

Linux fans have been waiting for "the year of the Linux desktop" for a very long time but it just never seems to happen, despite the best efforts of many distros that seek to make a transition from Windows less painful than it used to be.

However, there are two significant things happening right now that could well help boost Linux uptake significantly.

The first, and most obvious, is the "end of life" status of Windows 10.

This isn't the first time a version of Windows has reached EOL status but this time it is quite different.

Windows 10's successor, Windows 11, has special hardware requirements that not all computers can fulfill. Due to this, a good percentage of those currently operating quite happily with Win10 have no upgrade path, other than entirely replacing their computers.

To be clear, most PCs will run the latest Windows version but there are still a surprising number of very capable older machines running incompatible processors that are in regular use and running Windows 10. It would seem to be an awful waste to throw those machines out simply because there won't be any more security updates for their operating system.

Anyone or any business running those older machines may be considering a shift to Linux if only because it would extend the useful life of a lot of hardware by quite a few years.

The hardware requirements for even the latest versions of Linux are often significantly lower than those of Windows 11 and if a machine is only being used for basic websurfing or office tasks then there won't even be a need to purchase new versions of popular applications. Firefox and Libre Office should meet the requirements of many and they are 100 percent free, usually an intrinsic part of most modern distros.

Why not just upgrade that old hardware to a new system? Surely that's a simple solution which would allow the installation of Windows 11 and avoid the need to change OS?

Just a few short months ago I would have agreed that this might be the best strategy for most users but things have changed dramatically in recent times.

Why?

Well RAM prices have gone through the roof.

No, seriously, the price of RAM has risen faster than a hooker's skirt during shore-leave.

As reported in this story from The Verge, the price of ram has more than trippled in the last couple of months. With modern applications demanding ever-increasing amounts of memory to perform well, this is driving up the cost of new computer systems by a significant amount. That really does erode the viability of simply replacing old computers with newer ones.

Once again, Linux would seem to be the logical alternative, unless you're bound to the Windows plaform by specific applications that are only available on that OS.

Of course it's essential to mention that another alternative would be to switch to the Apple ecosystem but once you factor everything in that's probably the most expensive choice -- both in terms of hardware/software costs and re-training.

Another great bonus that is associated with the switch from Windows to Linux is freedom from the spyware and AI that is now deeply woven into the fabric of Windows 11. Linux doesn't try to second-guess your every move or see you as a potential customer for a million and one other services or products that it thinks you should be buying.

Will this be enough to push Linux into the mainstream?

I doubt it.

Most people are stupid and at least half of them have a below-average IQ so Windows will continue to be the platform for the masses, regardless of the costs, be they measured in terms of dollars, your privacy or your ability to think for yourself.

Carpe Diem folks!

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