Why I Returned to Windows Again

Preface

First of all, by the three major mainstream operating systems, I mean Windows, macOS, and Linux. Windows is something I've used since childhood, starting with WinXP, which is the first version I clearly remember, and later Win7, Win8, Win10, and now Win11. Then, during a systems course in my freshman year of college, I used the desktop version of Linux on a Raspberry Pi. After that, I rented various servers myself, used all kinds of Linux servers, and switched both my laptop and desktop to dual-boot Linux and Windows. My experience with macOS came last year during the SD spring research program. At the time, my laptop was rather shabby and not easy to connect to a monitor, so I bought a US-version M4 Mac Mini with a student discount.

Why Use Desktop Linux

Compared with Windows, desktop Linux has worse compatibility with many software applications, various small issues need to be solved by yourself, and the default UI is ugly. So why not use Windows? The answer is as follows:

1. Linux is more convenient for development with NVIDIA GPUs; compared with Windows, it is more worry-free, and various graphics projects require a desktop environment
1. With the right configuration, Linux is lighter and also more power-efficient
1. After configuring the theme properly, although it may not beat macOS, it is definitely more aesthetically pleasing than Windows

In addition, poor game compatibility is actually the smallest drawback for Linux, because Valve's Proton project allows you to easily run most Windows games through a compatibility layer in the Linux version of Steam. macOS, by contrast, cannot do this.

For more specific usage of desktop Linux, you can read this article: Build Your Own Arch Linux.

Why Not Use a Mac

I have to say, the CPU performance of Macs is indeed strong, the system is indeed beautiful, and the battery life of MacBooks is indeed long. However, during the few months I used the Mac Mini, I often felt that the system's operating logic was awkward, unintuitive, and not very customizable. In one sentence: Apple is constantly teaching me how to do things and how to use a computer. Instead of giving users choices, it makes users adapt to it.

The simplest example: if you are using a Mac Mini with the default configuration but only have a mouse at hand and no keyboard, then unfortunately, you cannot even log in. This is because the macOS login screen does not show an on-screen keyboard by default; it needs to be enabled in Accessibility. And if you accidentally close the on-screen keyboard manually, your only option is to restart the system. Meanwhile, if you only have a keyboard and no mouse, by default you also cannot fully operate the settings interface via Tab. These most basic settings are taken for granted in Windows and Linux.
Second, the keyboard shortcuts are "anti-human". If I use shortcuts like Command + X/C/V for a longer period of time, my thumb joints start to ache. Moreover, the so-called "macOS shortcuts are easy to use" only applies to users who are not familiar with computers. With a bit of configuration, Windows and Linux can achieve the same effect, and they are more customizable.
There are few basic configuration options, and the surrounding ecosystem lacks an open-source spirit. As mentioned earlier, macOS has very low customizability by default. If you want to customize it within the range it allows, you need to install various third-party apps. Perhaps many macOS users are "indie developers" or "content creators", and many of these third-party apps require payment. A piece of software that implements a basic function often costs tens or even hundreds of dollars, while similar features in GNOME are all open source.
As for other issues such as awkward window management, poor software compatibility, and the system forcing you to log in with an account, there’s no need to say much more.

Why I Switched Back to Windows

The main reason I switched back to Windows is that I replaced my laptop and monitor, and both of them support HDR 1000. Unfortunately, Linux's color management is not outstanding; the OLED screen on my laptop cannot even enable HDR in GNOME. On the other hand, the color management and HDR support in the latest version of Win11 can already be considered usable.

The good news is that Arch Linux can be used in Windows via WSL2, and its support for NVIDIA GPUs is also very good. So in practice, I can still use Arch Linux, and switching has become even more seamless. At the same time, by applying my Linux Desktop usage habits to Windows, the experience in many areas has also become much more comfortable. I may write another blog post later, when I have time, about "how to use Windows the same way you use Linux".

Could this be the so-called "the best Linux distribution is WSL"?