This may be no shock to some people, but an article in Full Circle magazine today gave
links to ZDNET's articles:
China ditching Windows for Linux https://www.zdnet.com/article/china-drops-windows-for-linux/
and that article has a link to France doing it too. https://www.zdnet.com/article/france-leaves-windows-for-linux-desktop/
Granted it's governmental only but the reasons are the same.
Linux is a superior OS to Windows indeed.˙˙ It is
faster, far more stable, the GUI's are easier to
use (well, not gnome, which it too weird to be
usable), but Linux will have a very difficult
time getting widely accepted until major software
companies come out with Linux additions of
their software.˙ And properly support them.
M$ Office
QuickBooks
Anything Adobe
AutoCad
Solid Works
Point-of-Sale software
etc.
Users DO NOT CARE and often do not even know what their
OS is.˙ THEY ONLY CARE if their preferred applications
that they have invested years into work on their OS.
And as far as Windows goes, they have learned to HOLD
THEIR NOSES.
I am a Linux house myself (Fedora).˙ In my 32 years
of consulting, I have not found one single small business
I could switch to Linux.˙ (I do have a few Linux servers
and a few home users on it though.)
This is classic example of catch 22:
˙˙˙˙ Even if Linux were objectively a better operating
˙˙˙˙ system, people won't switch to it because the
˙˙˙˙ applications they need aren't available. But developers
˙˙˙˙ won't create those applications for Linux because
˙˙˙˙ people aren't switching to it.
And I would not have a job without Windows being the
mess that it is.
On 8/30/26 9:19 AM, s|b wrote:
Governments are a start. Next is schools, universities, companies, ...
Basically entities that have programming staffs and can
create the software they need for themselves.
Good lord, ever try to get someone to switch from M$ Office
to Libre Office. YIKES!
On 8/30/26 9:19 AM, s|b wrote:
Governments are a start. Next is schools, universities, companies, ...
Basically entities that have programming staffs and can
create the software they need for themselves.
Good lord, ever try to get someone to switch from M$ Office
to Libre Office.˙ YIKES!
On Sun, 30 Aug 2026 10:10:02 -0700, T wrote:
On 8/30/26 9:19 AM, s|b wrote:
Governments are a start. Next is schools, universities, companies, ...
Basically entities that have programming staffs and can
create the software they need for themselves.
You have to start somewhere.
Good lord, ever try to get someone to switch from M$ Office
to Libre Office. YIKES!
I've switched everybody in the family* to LibreOffice. Told them they
would either have to pay for M$ Office (Office365, is it?) or look for a cracked version which I would not help them with. (Money is a good
motive.)
Got one complaint: an aunt made a report which she shared with the rest
of her building and they couldn't open it. So I saved it as DOCX and
changed the settings so the default save was DOCX instead of ODT.
Problem solved.
I've got several family members still using W10, but they are already
using Thunderbird, Firefox and LibreOffice. A switch to Linux wouldn't
be that hard for them, but they're reluctant even though I could copy Fx
and TB's profile and they wouldn't lose anything.
* Doing my small part. (-:
On 30/08/2026 18:10, T wrote:
On 8/30/26 9:19 AM, s|b wrote:
Governments are a start. Next is schools, universities, companies, ...
Basically entities that have programming staffs and can
create the software they need for themselves.
Good lord, ever try to get someone to switch from M$ Office
to Libre Office.˙ YIKES!
Interesting you should say that. A number of government departments
*have* ditched MS Office in favour of Libre Office - presumably to make systems accessible to people who don't want to have to pay a lot of
money to M$. For example, if you are involved with a charity and need to re-claim the tax on donations which have been Gift Aided, the
spreadsheet which you submit, listing all the donors, amounts, dates,
etc. *has* to be in Libre Office format. They won't accept anything else.
Got one complaint: an aunt made a report which she shared with the rest[]
of her building and they couldn't open it. So I saved it as DOCX and
changed the settings so the default save was DOCX instead of ODT.
Problem solved.
On Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:29:57 -0700, T wrote:
Not that I noticed. Linux can be very universal, but with out the
applications people need, it is a catch 22.
I'm involved with a library project to help people move to Linux. Mint is the recommended one although we certainly would help with others. Part of the process is a document recommending backing up the current system,
doing due diligence on potential hardware problems like Apple silicon machines, and so forth.
Then there is what the Catholics would call the Examination of Conscience. Is there any Windows application that you married until death do you
part? There is a list of Linux alternatives for the common stumbling blocks. For apps like LibreOffice that are cross platform we suggest installing it on the existing Windows system to see if they can live with it.
Even one of the people on the program admits he uses a Windows video
editing application and is really struggling to use the Linux equivalent. The muscle memory developed over the years doesn't work.
I'm lucky. Almost everything I use is available on both Windows and
Linux.
China ditching Windows for Linux https://www.zdnet.com/article/china-drops-windows-for-linux/
and that article has a link to France doing it too. https://www.zdnet.com/article/france-leaves-windows-for-linux-desktop/
Granted it's governmental only but the reasons are the same.
On 2026/8/30 20:0:8, s|b wrote:
[]
Got one complaint: an aunt made a report which she shared with the rest[]
of her building and they couldn't open it. So I saved it as DOCX and changed the settings so the default save was DOCX instead of ODT.
Problem solved.
Would have reached even more users if you'd used DOC :-)--
Once my cousin visited and she wanted to look at her mail. She is not a computer person. I just set the laptop on a table and started Firefox.
She did not even notice it was not Windows :-)
And M$ Word does support odt. They must have
had really old version of Word. You might have
to go all the way back to .doc.
In my technical opinion LibreOffice, with all
its numerous faults, is an equal product to
M$ Office, Maybe slightly better.
The only users I can get to use LO are the ones
who have never used M$O.
Often times what I come across is users with new
replacement computers. They get pissed that
they can not get M$O to run because they did not
buy an OEM copy of it with the computer.
I put Libre Office on for them so they can read
their old documents that I port over from their
old computer. Since they are a bit angry at the
cost of M$O, I tell them to try Libre Office first.
Then if they just do not like LO, then I will
assist them with purchasing the desktop version
of M$O. So far, not a single one has stayed with
LO and suddenly are not so pissed at the cost of M$O.
I chalk it up the the "I can't learn anything new!"
problem
I do not recommend the rental version of M$O (365).
But, I still remember a company that had me install LO on all
their computers. The office receptionist/office manager got
really pissed at me for it. She got so mad she actually
bought her own copy of M$O and installed it herself and
refused to use LO.
One of the YUGE difficulties with migrating to Linux is that
the users have, as you call it, mussel memory It is also
On 8/31/26 10:54 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/8/31 18:43:50, T wrote:
[]
One of the YUGE difficulties with migrating to Linux is that
the users have, as you call it, mussel memory It is also
Sounds fishy to me ...
It's not just major changes like windows to Linux; I also have muscle
memory for my Office 2003, and it's not supported in later versions.
(The first one or two after 2003 did, though popped up some
condescending message like "old key sequence recognised".)
[]
INDEED!
M$O 2003 was my favorite of all the M$O releases.
I have several customers and cling to the M$O 2003
CDs.
Can blame them, as once you have learned something, you
really do not want to relearn something else. But it
puts a real strain on trying to support them.
On 8/30/26 8:37 PM, rbowman wrote:
On Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:29:57 -0700, T wrote:
Not that I noticed.˙ Linux can be very universal, but with out the
applications people need, it is a catch 22.
I'm involved with a library project to help people move to Linux. Mint is
the recommended one although we certainly would help with others. Part of
the process is a document recommending backing up the current system,
doing due diligence on potential hardware problems like Apple silicon
machines, and so forth.
Then there is what the Catholics would call the Examination of Conscience. >> Is there any Windows application that you married until death do you
part?˙ There is a list of Linux alternatives for the common stumbling
blocks. For apps like LibreOffice that are cross platform we suggest
installing it on the existing Windows system to see if they can live with
it.
Even one of the people on the program admits he uses a Windows video
editing application and is really struggling to use the Linux equivalent.
The muscle memory developed over the years doesn't work.
I'm lucky. Almost everything I use is available on both Windows and
Linux.
Wow.˙ I admire you intestinal fortitude!
One of the YUGE difficulties with migrating to Linux is that
the users have, as you call it, mussel memory˙ It is also
years of intellectual property invested in a Windows
only programs.˙˙ The users really, really do not want to
learn anything new.
In my rounds, I will bend over backwards to assist people
with their old stuff.˙ I have even worked on DOS for them.
But I have to say, there does come a point where they
really do have to bite the bullet and learn something new.
It has become a hassle.
Your "Examination of Conscience" remark really hit the
nail on the head.
On Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:43:50 -0700, T wrote:
One of the YUGE difficulties with migrating to Linux is that the users
have, as you call it, mussel memory It is also years of intellectual
property invested in a Windows only programs. The users really, really
do not want to learn anything new.
I have never used Office so that whole set of memories is missing. If I received a RFP or something in Office format I used LibreOffice to read
it. Same for .xls. However I didn't use LO for document creation and even trying to edit something was a disaster.
My primary editor was, and still is, gVim. Cross-platform. I've started
On 8/31/26 2:57 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/8/31 19:11:48, T wrote:
On 8/31/26 10:54 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/8/31 18:43:50, T wrote:
[]
One of the YUGE difficulties with migrating to Linux is that
the users have, as you call it, mussel memory It is also
Sounds fishy to me ...
[]M$O 2003 was my favorite of all the M$O releases.
I have several customers and cling to the M$O 2003
CDs.
Can blame them, as once you have learned something, you
really do not want to relearn something else. But it
puts a real strain on trying to support them.
Well, it* works well enough for me under W10 - no support needed.
Remember, there is a difference between you and the general
compute using public. You are cleaver and know what
you are doing. Most of them do not. And it is our
jobs as consults to hold their hands.
On Tue, 1 Sep 2026 10:02:44 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2026-08-31 22:11, rbowman wrote:
On Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:43:50 -0700, T wrote:
One of the YUGE difficulties with migrating to Linux is that the users >>>> have, as you call it, mussel memory It is also years of intellectual
property invested in a Windows only programs. The users really,
really do not want to learn anything new.
I have never used Office so that whole set of memories is missing. If I
received a RFP or something in Office format I used LibreOffice to read
it. Same for .xls. However I didn't use LO for document creation and
even trying to edit something was a disaster.
My primary editor was, and still is, gVim. Cross-platform. I've started
Well, $O or LO are not Text Editors. They are, or contain, a Word
Processor. Way different thing. Different goals.
Not trying to say which is better. That's not possible really, makes no
sense.
Understood. I'm a programmer not someone who needs to create office type documents. WordStar had a fairly useful text mode but when office software replaced dedicated word processors like Wangs they became specialized, as
did programming editors and IDEs.
On 9/1/26 5:56 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
Are you accusing me of doing a hatchet job? ?
I am accusing you of knowing what you are doing.
:-)
On 9/1/26 7:52 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/9/1 16:22:28, T wrote:
On 9/1/26 5:56 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
Are you accusing me of doing a hatchet job? ?
I am accusing you of knowing what you are doing.
:-)
Oh dear, my humour is not being caught very much in this thread! I was
teasing because in the previous line you had told me I am "cleaver". and
earlier in the thread you had referred to "mussel memory", which I said
sounded fishy ...
My spelling is so bad I did not know the difference.
I went to Publik Skool.˙ Graduated with honors too.
I could barely read, write.˙ Did home work maybe
three times out of four years of Hi Skool.˙ My math
was pretty good though. When I hit Uni, oh holy ....
It was like I'd never been to skool.˙ Graduated
with honors again, but this time I earned it.
On 9/2/26 9:53 PM, Paul wrote:
On Wed, 9/2/2026 11:06 PM, T wrote:
On 9/1/26 7:52 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/9/1 16:22:28, T wrote:
On 9/1/26 5:56 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
Are you accusing me of doing a hatchet job? ?
I am accusing you of knowing what you are doing.
:-)
Oh dear, my humour is not being caught very much in this thread! I was >>>> teasing because in the previous line you had told me I am "cleaver". and >>>> earlier in the thread you had referred to "mussel memory", which I said >>>> sounded fishy ...
My spelling is so bad I did not know the difference.
I went to Publik Skool.˙ Graduated with honors too.
I could barely read, write.˙ Did home work maybe
three times out of four years of Hi Skool.˙ My math
was pretty good though. When I hit Uni, oh holy ....
It was like I'd never been to skool.˙ Graduated
with honors again, but this time I earned it.
The education system is amazing.
It's just like that machine that makes coleslaw.
˙˙˙ Paul
I got to watch it first hand as an adult when my sister,
who became a publik grade skool teacher, was correcting
papers and said, "oh this kid can't read, so we just pass
him through".
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