Microsoft is takin’ the pee

Well, Windows 10 is out of support in a couple of weeks and those of us with laptops which (Microsoft tells us) won’t run Windows 11 are faced with a couple of stark choices:

1. Bin the faithful and still fully functioning Windows 10 laptops and
2. Buy a new fully functioning Windows 11 laptop or
3. Stop using laptops and go to a Chromebook or
4. Convert the faithful and still fully functioning Windows 10 laptop to Linux

Number 4 attracts me like I’m a dizzy moth fluttering around a very bright flame. A GUI-version of Linux running LibreOffice would tick almost all of the boxes:

• I wouldn’t lose any of the multiple email accounts I run
• I wouldn’t lose any of the admin functions I run on multiple websites
• I’d still have my spreadsheets
• I’d still have my documents
• I’d still have my presentations
• I’d still have multiple browsers for account separation
• I’d still have my VPN
• I’d still have FileZilla
• I’d still have my local and cloud-hosted databases
• I’d still have YouTube for all my ‘how do I…’ moments
• I’d still have Audacity for audio editing stuff
• I’d also still be able to run Spotify (though I am edging towards dumping it and going to qobuz)

So what would I lose?

• MS-Project (which I barely use any more anyway)
• Sony Vegas Pro 10 (which I do use – but Kdenlive on Linux is supposed to be a very good alternative)

Hmm. When one makes a list like this there’s actually very little rationale to staying within the clutches of Microsoft. But it’s the unknown. Not the fear of the unknown, as such – it’s the gulf of the unknown. I know Windows and all its little idiosyncrasies. I can fix Windows bugs, issues, and (ahem) ‘features’. But I’d be starting off with no knowledge at all if I jumped to Linux.

The question I’m asking myself currently is does the Linux ‘unknown’ factor outweigh the cost of £1,223.99 (the purchase price of a new HP EliteBook to replace the current EliteBook)?

Well, does it?