How Microsoft Tipped My Linux Love Over the ‘Edge’ – hackernoon.com

Once upon a time, you couldnt find a single machine in my home that wasnt running on Linux. A handful of laptops and one or two desktops came in and went out, but Linux stayed for more than ten years. If my fridge could run on Linux, I wouldve installed it. And then, Edge entered through the Windows, and showed Linux the door (for good?!).

Once upon a time, you couldnt find a single machine in my home that wasnt running on Linux.

A handful of laptops and one or two desktops came in and went out, but Linux stayed for more than ten years. If my fridge could run on Linux, I wouldve installed it. And then, Edge entered through Windows, and showed Linux the door (for good?!).

Theres a saying, once you try Linux, you never go back to Windows. My Linux transition can be best described as revelation and liberation.

For years I had only two options when it comes to Windows. The first one was to bleed for two years until I pay off my contract with a mobile provider. I get a laptop with a preinstalled Windows, which was usually a cheaper Home version strictly limited to one user without Office.

A bitter cherry on top was the simple math that could have bought two laptops for the price of a two-year contract. Why didnt buy a laptop and Windows separately? Well, this question brings us to option two.

Ive always hated the local self-proclaimed Windows Gurus.

You want Windows installed on your computer - you have to pay to play. Why didnt I do it myself? Because I didnt want to go on a treasure hunt for missing drivers, thats why. So, I had to call, wait, and eventually listen to the most boring life stories imaginable.

I lost count of how many times I bought a cat in a bag. God knows where these Windows versions came from. Im sure back in the day, I got some malware or trojan for free. Its on the house, buddy, but no worries, everybody is doing it. If you wanted a trustworthy key, you had to pay extra for it.

It wasnt about the money. I was sick and tired of feeling helpless on dependent on these Windows Gurus. Oh, how they enjoyed themselves showing off their expertise. I had to be grateful and generous, if I wanted to see them again doing their magic on my machines.

Then one day that was both the worst and the best at the same time, I just had enough. The famously infamous blue screen of death made me cry, literally. For the first time in my life, I was looking for Windows alternatives, for real.

I heard stories about the thing called - Linux, which my PC gurus referred to as Windows for the poor. At that point, I was absolutely desperate and determined.

Just in case, you havent been told - UBUNTU - is a beautiful word. Short story even shorter, I followed Linux-for-dummiest-dummies step-by-step how-to-this-and-that available online. A few hours later, not only did I kill the blue screen of death, but also installed my very first Linux on

HP Stream Notebook PC 13, which is a Windows 10 nightmare with 2 GB RAM and 32 GB hard drive. Ubuntu worked like a charm on my favorite laptop with a battery that lasts almost as long as the final season of Peaky Blinders.

I felt like I had been living under the Windows rock all that years before Linux. So much misery, time, and money wasted. But, no more baby, no more. I became a Linux missionary. You know what that means, dont you, for the bloodsucking Windows gurus from my neighborhood?

Whoever wanted Linux Ubuntu on their computer could get it for free. My reward was the challenge of installing Linux on the old and weak machines with more dust than their owners trust that theyd use them ever again. I never said no to a desperate call for help. I also never said no to a pizza and beer either. No money, but if you want to surprise your friendly Linux neighbor, knock yourself out, honey!

Those were the days. I was invincible. No more rage against the machines. Even when I got a new laptop with the preinstalled Windows, I had no mercy. I didnt care about the warranty BS for switching to another OS, which was a big deal back then.

They also say that love is blind. I was happy and careless that I didnt have the time or need to bother myself with the technicalities.

Somewhere along the way, Linux people got lost in translation. Maybe it was just me, but I could read it clearly between the lines of new Ubuntu releases. We can match Windows. If youre asking me, and you aint, Linux has been chasing its own tail with all these new releases. I dont want something thats as good as or even better than Windows. I want something different, as simple as that.

Then, one day, I realized that not even 4 GB RAM wont be enough for the latest Ubuntu release. Dont get me wrong. I dont live in the stone-computer-age. I aint no Scrooge McDuck when it comes to buying a new machine. But, cmon guys, Im a writer, not a gamer. If you are a coder or a designer, I can understand why you look down on anything thats running with less than 8 GB, 16 GB, or even 32 GB RAM.

For the first time in my Linux life, I started paying attention to the LTS dates. For example, Ubuntu Linux 16.04 LTS is no longer supported. So, whats the big deal? Upgrade to 18.04. But, I dont want to. After Ubuntu 20.04 got released, I just lost it.

In the meantime, the little Microsoft bees were busy working on something that will/would turn out to be a game-changer. If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain.

I closed my Twitter account. Nah, its not what you think. It has nothing to do with Elon. So, chill out. I tweeted with pride and excitement when I installed Microsoft Edge on Linux while it was still on Dev Channel (Beta). It worked. It ate less memory than Chromium! I didnt keep the screenshots. Feel free to correct me if Im wrong, but thats not the point.

The almighty grandpa Microsoft made something for Linux. I was shocked, to say the least. What was that supposed to mean? What an unexpected nod to Linux. Why? Was that some kind of a recognition? Or an olive branch of some kind?

As I said, I tried it. I liked it. One thing led to another. I didnt know or I totally forgot that a Microsoft activation key stays attached to your Microsoft account. So, I installed Microsoft again after almost a decade. I felt as if I was cheating on Linux. I already explained to you that I have a thing against the browsers, which are memory eaters. One of my friends showed me that each new Chrome tab is another memory-hungry mouth your computer has to feed. I did a quick comparison of Edge against Chrome on Windows. However, when it comes to performance numbers, I prefer that the pros at Toms Guide have their final say:

I no longer need local Windows Gurus to do the installation work. I can do it myself. Only one of my machines runs on Windows 11. Honestly, I dont see it as a problem. Windows 10 will be supported by 2025. By then, I will renew my PC army, and all of my computers will have Windows 11 or 12 or whatever gets introduced in the meantime. One more shocking revelation. The same friend, I mentioned earlier, showed me that you can add extra RAM to a laptop, which I considered to be a heresy. Plus, an extra surgery that involves an SSD, and your laptop gets a new Windows life. This time, the math was on my side.

Lets not forget app compatibility. No need for Linux alternatives. Although it was fun to use Terminal. It made me feel - smart.

Three years ago I published a totally different story about my Linux experiences and feelings while using Ubuntu and LibreOffice. Now, Im writing this one on Windows. What a difference one browser made.

Even OMG!UBUNTU! cherished the moment of Edges stability with a headline that sounded as if came right from Microsofts marketing kitchen: Microsoft Edge for Linux is Finally Stable. Wow! Just in case someone would like to label me as a traitor.

Not so long ago, it used to be like this:

Once upon a time, you couldnt find a single machine in my home that wasnt running on Linux.

A handful of laptops and one or two desktops came in and went out, but Linux stayed for more than ten years. If my fridge could run on Linux, I wouldve installed it. And then, Edge entered through Windows, and showed Linux the door (for good?!).

Theres a saying, once you try Linux, you never go back to Windows. My Linux transition can be best described as revelation and liberation.

For years I had only two options when it comes to Windows. The first one was to bleed for two years until I pay off my contract with a mobile provider. I get a laptop with a preinstalled Windows, which was usually a cheaper Home version strictly limited to one user without Office.

A bitter cherry on top was the simple math that could have bought two laptops for the price of a two-year contract. Why didnt buy a laptop and Windows separately? Well, this question brings us to option two.

Ive always hated the local self-proclaimed Windows Gurus.

You want Windows installed on your computer - you have to pay to play. Why didnt I do it myself? Because I didnt want to go on a treasure hunt for missing drivers, thats why. So, I had to call, wait, and eventually listen to the most boring life stories imaginable.

I lost count of how many times I bought a cat in a bag. God knows where these Windows versions came from. Im sure back in the day, I got some malware or trojan for free. Its on the house, buddy, but no worries, everybody is doing it. If you wanted a trustworthy key, you had to pay extra for it.

It wasnt about the money. I was sick and tired of feeling helpless on dependent on these Windows Gurus. Oh, how they enjoyed themselves showing off their expertise. I had to be grateful and generous, if I wanted to see them again doing their magic on my machines.

Then one day that was both the worst and the best at the same time, I just had enough. The famously infamous blue screen of death made me cry, literally. For the first time in my life, I was looking for Windows alternatives, for real.

I heard stories about the thing called - Linux, which my PC gurus referred to as Windows for the poor. At that point, I was absolutely desperate and determined.

Just in case, you havent been told - UBUNTU - is a beautiful word. Short story even shorter, I followed Linux-for-dummiest-dummies step-by-step how-to-this-and-that available online. A few hours later, not only did I kill the blue screen of death, but also installed my very first Linux on

HP Stream Notebook PC 13, which is a Windows 10 nightmare with 2 GB RAM and 32 GB hard drive. Ubuntu worked like a charm on my favorite laptop with a battery that lasts almost as long as the final season of Peaky Blinders.

I felt like I had been living under the Windows rock all that years before Linux. So much misery, time, and money wasted. But, no more baby, no more. I became a Linux missionary. You know what that means, dont you, for the bloodsucking Windows gurus from my neighborhood?

Whoever wanted Linux Ubuntu on their computer could get it for free. My reward was the challenge of installing Linux on the old and weak machines with more dust than their owners trust that theyd use them ever again. I never said no to a desperate call for help. I also never said no to a pizza and beer either. No money, but if you want to surprise your friendly Linux neighbor, knock yourself out, honey!

Those were the days. I was invincible. No more rage against the machines. Even when I got a new laptop with the preinstalled Windows, I had no mercy. I didnt care about the warranty BS for switching to another OS, which was a big deal back then.

They also say that love is blind. I was happy and careless that I didnt have the time or need to bother myself with the technicalities.

Somewhere along the way, Linux people got lost in translation. Maybe it was just me, but I could read it clearly between the lines of new Ubuntu releases. We can match Windows. If youre asking me, and you aint, Linux has been chasing its own tail with all these new releases. I dont want something thats as good as or even better than Windows. I want something different, as simple as that.

Then, one day, I realized that not even 4 GB RAM wont be enough for the latest Ubuntu release. Dont get me wrong. I dont live in the stone-computer-age. I aint no Scrooge McDuck when it comes to buying a new machine. But, cmon guys, Im a writer, not a gamer. If you are a coder or a designer, I can understand why you look down on anything thats running with less than 8 GB, 16 GB, or even 32 GB RAM.

For the first time in my Linux life, I started paying attention to the LTS dates. For example, Ubuntu Linux 16.04 LTS is no longer supported. So, whats the big deal? Upgrade to 18.04. But, I dont want to. After Ubuntu 20.04 got released, I just lost it.

In the meantime, the little Microsoft bees were busy working on something that will/would turn out to be a game-changer. If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain.

I closed my Twitter account. Nah, its not what you think. It has nothing to do with Elon. So, chill out. I tweeted with pride and excitement when I installed Microsoft Edge on Linux while it was still on Dev Channel (Beta). It worked. It ate less memory than Chromium! I didnt keep the screenshots. Feel free to correct me if Im wrong, but thats not the point.

The almighty grandpa Microsoft made something for Linux. I was shocked, to say the least. What was that supposed to mean? What an unexpected nod to Linux. Why? Was that some kind of a recognition? Or an olive branch of some kind?

As I said, I tried it. I liked it. One thing led to another. I didnt know or I totally forgot that a Microsoft activation key stays attached to your Microsoft account. So, I installed Microsoft again after almost a decade. I felt as if I was cheating on Linux. I already explained to you that I have a thing against the browsers, which are memory eaters. One of my friends showed me that each new Chrome tab is another memory-hungry mouth your computer has to feed. I did a quick comparison of Edge against Chrome on Windows. However, when it comes to performance numbers, I prefer that the pros at Toms Guide have their final say:

I no longer need local Windows Gurus to do the installation work. I can do it myself. Only one of my machines runs on Windows 11. Honestly, I dont see it as a problem. Windows 10 will be supported by 2025. By then, I will renew my PC army, and all of my computers will have Windows 11 or 12 or whatever gets introduced in the meantime. One more shocking revelation. The same friend, I mentioned earlier, showed me that you can add extra RAM to a laptop, which I considered to be a heresy. Plus, an extra surgery that involves an SSD, and your laptop gets a new Windows life. This time, the math was on my side.

Lets not forget app compatibility. No need for Linux alternatives. Although it was fun to use Terminal. It made me feel - smart.

Three years ago I published a totally different story about my Linux experiences and feelings while using Ubuntu and LibreOffice. Now, Im writing this one on Windows. What a difference one browser made.

Even OMG!UBUNTU! cherished the moment of Edges stability with a headline that sounded as if came right from Microsofts marketing kitchen: Microsoft Edge for Linux is Finally Stable. Wow! Just in case someone would like to label me as a traitor.

Not so long ago, it used to be like this:

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How Microsoft Tipped My Linux Love Over the 'Edge' - hackernoon.com