Linux

I'm going to reframe the question as "Are computers good for someone tech illiterate?"

I think the answer is "yes, if you have someone that can help you".

The problem with proprietary systems like Windows or OS X is that that "someone" is a large corporation. And, in fairness, they generally do a good job of looking after tech illiterate people. They ensure that their users don't have to worry about how to do updates, or figure out what browser they should be using, or what have you.

But (and it's a big but) they don't actually care about you. Their interest making sure you have a good experience ends at a dollar sign. If they think what's best for you is to show you ads and spy on you, that's what they'll do. And you're in a tricky position with them because you kind of have to trust them.

So with Linux you don't have a corporation looking after you. You do have a community (like this one) to some degree, but there's a limit to how much we can help you. We're not there on your computer with you (thankfully, for your privacy's sake), so to a large degree, you are kind of on your own.

But Linux actually works very well if you have a trusted friend/partner/child/sibling/whoever who can help you out now and then. If you've got someone to help you out with it, Linux can actually work very very well for tech illiterate people. The general experience of browsing around, editing documents, editing photos, etc., works very much the same way as it does on Windows or OS X. You will probably be able to do all that without help.

But you might not know which software is best for editing photos. Or you might need help with a specific task (like getting a printer set up) and having someone to fall back on will give you much better experience.

If you're not doing anything crazy, there's no reason linux should be any harder to use than Windows.

Once you're up and running, daily life will be pretty straightforward.

Plenty of great advice in the other posts that I won't rehash. One thing I didn't see mentioned is using a live boot to try out linux. You can basically run it off a USB stick before you install it to get a feel for what it's like. Most "beginner friendly" distros will have tutorials on how to create the live disk. Example for Pop!_OS: https://support.system76.com/articles/live-disk/

I think it depends on what you plan to use it for.
If it's just browsing the web or basic usage (email, watching videos, etc.) it's perfect for a tech illiterate person. You have distros that just work, like Mint, or Pop!_Os (compared to distros like Debian that can require a bit of tinkering, or Arch/Gentoo where you need to tinker a lot more). I'm not certain but I think these distros work well for gaming as well.
If you have specific needs for software like the Adobe suite, Excel or audio/video software, it's still possible but definitely less accessible.

As far as the difference between Linux and Windows, I'm not sure you'd notice much if you stay at the surface. The main difference is the fact that you actually own your system and you can literally do what you want with it (even irreversibly break it).

Can you remember a password?

I tried helping someone with their steam deck and they got stuck because they didn't know what they set their password to.

That aside, start with running Linux on a liveboot USB. It is very easy. See how it is for yourself and decide from there

I really think you would have a great time with either "Linux Mint" because of its rocksolid philosophy of not breaking stuff or shipping "beta software".

Otherwise a safe option would be a Linux variant with professional support options - just in case you need it. ZorinOS, Tuxedo or Pop_OS! are the most common ones.

Personally i'd take Linux Mint, which in most cases works flawless out of the box. The premium options are nonetheless also great options.

I haven't seen anyone mentioning this yet, so I will: if you're looking for the most accessible way to use Linux, nothing beats Endless OS. It's a Linux distribution that is built specifically with ease of use and offline usage in mind (if you don't know what a "distribution" is, feel free to ask). It's pretty different from Windows (the user interface is nothing alike, you should download every program/app from the App Center instead of downloading from your browser), but I think you'd get the gist of it quickly.

Now, whether you would want to change to Linux or not greatly depends on what you use your computer for. If you use your computer mostly for browsing the Internet and making Word documents, then I think you should change. If you play videogames on your computer, but mostly via Steam, then Linux won't be bad. But if your work depends on something like Adobe Photoshop and you really aren't available to using any other program, then you would not want tochange to Linux, because Photoshop isn't compatible with it.

TL;DR: Have a look at Endless OS; and please share what you use your computer for / what devices other than a normal keyboard and mouse you normally connect to your computer, so we can help you determine whether you should just switch to Linux or not.

Depends on just how illiterate imo.

Here's a good usecase:

My mum is completely tech illiterate, I have to teach her how to every task individually, and she has to write them down and follow them step my step. Tasks like emailing a document are a challenge. Linux is great for her. She isn't used to windows anyway, and Linux makes it harder for her to accidentally make damaging changes, collect viruses or experience unexpected ui updates. It has much less maintaince, so it's a lot less work for me to manage the system.

Here's a bad usecase:

You are a user who can do the basics of using a website, install new apps, use usb drives etc etc. You are used to windows ui like where to find apps, where the close button is etc. You dont have a tech friend set up your stuff but if something goes wrong you are boned. This isn't a good use unless you are interesting in becoming more tech literate (its easier to learn, if you can google your problems).

Linux has come a long way and is very user friendly now that even non-techie people can hit the ground running when using it. Similar to what the other comment mentioned, installing it is like 80% of the hard part. Just pick a distro that is recommended for beginners (i.e. Mint), and read up on a guide for creating a bootable usb installer. Distros like Mint make it very easy to install, you just need to know how to boot it from a usb drive.

Assuming your laptop has hardware that has Linux support—wifi cards manufactured by certain companies are what typically make things difficult—a just works distribution like Ubuntu, Mint, and Pop!_OS will have a gentle learning curve for doing things that you want.

Mint is almost purpose made for people new to Linux or for people who just want to use their computer. It also has a large and friendly community around it, so there is community support, if you get stuck or confused on something. My parents, who are no tech people, have been happily using Mint for a couple of years now, with far less headache compared to Windows.

As others have said, the installation of whatever distribution you chose will probably be the most intimidating aspect of switching to Linux. It doesn't require being technically savy, just a willingness to learn and follow the procedures. It will be helpful to have your phone handy when you are doing the installation, so you can look things up incase there is something you don't understand.

If there is anything on the laptop that is important to you, back it up. The simplest way to install Linux will make whatever on the drive inaccessible. Additionally, find and record your Windows product key, just incase you want tk go back to Windows.

For someone as tech illiterate as my mom, I'd advise against trying it. But you are here and my mom would never know that Lemmy is a thing. You also ask about Linux.
I'd guess that you will have great fun using and appreciating what Linux and the foss communities have created.

It can be a great experience. I used to work in a program for teaching informatics to people who didn't have access to technology, and we used linux. The results were great. Most people who came from a phone-only background would feel more comfortable with gnome as a gui, so I'd recommend a gnome-based distro for you, like ubuntu, pop os or fedora. Don't think too much about the distr, just pick one and give it a try. And don't forget to post your experience here later.

Good luck!

I am very curious about the type of person who would rather use a phone than a computer. I am already getting annoyed just typing these two sentences on my phone, because I know hoe much more convenient this would be on my computer.

Probably the most important thing to ask before you do anything is, do you have someone who can fix the computer if you screw it up? Installing Linux means removing Windows, so if you get half way through and get stuck, you're going to be left with a computer that doesn't work. Will you be able to recover it, or have someone who can?

Once you're on the desktop, most of what you do is going to be very similar to Windows, except most of the programs will have different names. I would imagine that the vast majority of people can use Linux once it's installed, especially if they're in your situation, where they're not used to computers and don't have any habits from Windows.

Ok i'm reading up on this sub and not arch seems to be the consensus for a newbie. I want to download smth and just have it there without thinking bout it the way it is with windows. Not a hobby that i spend hours on.

Apparently theres many versions of linux you can get?

Your biggest tech challenge will likely be in installing linux. So take your time and work through a tutorial.

Linux is a fundamentally different OS from Windows. Some desktop environments resemble various Windows versions, while others are very different: they might be more Mac like, or more mobile like, or completely unfamiliar.

Installing programs is generally easier on linux because the default is to use the package manager (basically an app store) rather than downloading sketchy programs off websites that all want to update on their own schedule and all want to start when you boot the OS. Just search them, set updates to pop up weekly or whatever your preferred schedule is, and your package manager will do the rest.

Troubleshooting is harder for new users but easier for experienced users: it typically requires more work that can be daunting for casual users, but it lets you get much deeper into the OS to fix problems, where on Windows you might just be stuck waiting for a patch.

Compatibility is usually the biggest frustration, since many programs do not release a linux version, so you need to find alternatives or run them in a compatibility layer. Both of these solutions can sometimes cause problems getting the exact functionality you need, whereas if you’re using the natively supporting OS it may be smoother.

I'd say so, too. I've seen at least 3 tech illiterate people (who gave it a chance) be really happy with Linux. You will probably face some annoyance at some point, as it is with everything. But I think Linux is a good choice. Get help installing it if you know someone who can. It's not that difficult but that would speed up the process. The most important thing is to save your data so you don't accidentally overwrite it.

You shouşd definetly give mint a try it is one of the most just works distros. great for beginners, maybe test the software you want to use on the live environment before installing, if all goes well than give it a spin.

Yes just install something that never breaks, has a graphical appstore with the correct sources, and a good GUI.

I would say try Fedora Silverblue from Ublue.it. it updates automatically (at least it should), and all your apps can be installed from your software store.

Thank you so much everyone. I'm very likely going to try the live usb method with linux mint probably. I really appreciate all the advice.

• old laptop
• windows 11
• tech illiterate

Something doesn't add up, or only 2/3 are true.