Dive into Linux Mint… and forget about Windows

Linux Mint 22 is the new major version of the most recommended Linux distribution for newcomers, especially if they are using Windows. It has just come out of the oven and, in addition to the corresponding new features of each release, it comes with something even more important, given that it is a fairly complete desktop system in itself: support to die for. Are you up for it?

No, dear reader, being bored is not bad, if your intention with the operating system you use on your PC is nothing more and nothing less than that: to use it. So, Linux Mint 22 is out now, but it will receive Support until 2029 which is a lot to say, so the only effort required of the user is to get on and go with the flow (updates between maintenance versions are a mere formality).

But… what does taking the plunge entail? Daring to Install Linux to replace Windowsa system that is not bad but, except for special needs, does not work as well as Linux. It is like that and I assure you with a lot of knowledge of the cause; again, except for special needs. Ergo, if you are not a megahardcoregamer for those who always want to be up to date or depend on a particular software that may not have support for Linux…

In Linux you will find More privacy, more security, more stability, better overall performance on the same hardwaresupport not as good as Windows, but still decent for gaming (just ask Steam Deck users), compatibility with many more applications than you can imagine… Yes, I know it sounds excessive, but it’s true. And I repeat: Windows, in my experience, is not that bad; it just doesn’t work that well.

However, the disaster that Windows is becoming is a fact. Not much time goes by without us hearing about problems with the system, more or less serious, but constant. The last one we reported on in these pages was just a couple of days ago and was warned as being susceptible to serious problems. The problem is the cadence, inexcusable for a company of Microsoft’s level.

Because yes, obviously there are also problems in Linux, there is no software that is free of bugs, security holes or other kinds of setbacks, but the situation with Windows has been, for a few years now, incredible. It’s been just over a month since Microsoft withdrew the last Windows update due to the number of errors it brought with it. It would be impossible to list in a single article all the problems that Windows 11 has had, only those that we have covered on MC.

So, if you’re tired of how Microsoft is doing things with Windows, if you can’t even upgrade to Windows 11 because the requirements don’t allow it, if you don’t depend on any application that isn’t supported on Linux… What are you waiting for to take the leap? Break free and try Linux, because if you’ve never done it or it’s been a long time since you did, you’re going to be surprised.

In addition, the Linux Mint 22 Released makes it very easy for you: it is a desktop system that looks similar to Windows, it is stable, customizable, very easy to install, configure and use… If you are interested in knowing the new features that this version brings, in the previous link we will tell you about them in more detail; but it is not necessary, you do not need to complicate yourself with that. All you have to do is:

1. Make backups to prevent data loss (or buy a separate storage unit, you can get them from 15 euros on Amazon).
2. Download the Linux Mint installation image (choose any link).
3. Flash the image to a USB drive using an application like Rufus.
4. Boot your PC from the USB and follow the wizard’s instructions.

All of the above is simplified, of course, but the truth is that there is not much more to it. With a minimum of knowledge and following the instructions on the screen, Installing Linux Mint is easier and much, much faster than installing Windows. Then it’s all about adapting the system to your tastes and needs: you install this application, try that other one, change this or that detail… The same as you would do with a newly installed Windows. Nothing more.

Once your system is installed, it will most likely be ready to go: the hardware drivers you need will have been automatically installed, basic applications, multimedia support. Linux desktop automation has reached the point where it is more expensive to maintain a Windows system. There is no doubt about this. Of course, problems may arise, nothing is perfect, but when it comes to the effort to keep the system up to date…

In Windows you can update some applications at once through the Microsoft Store, but with many others you will have to do it manually, and even with some you have to download the executable and repeat the installation process; then there is Windows Update, which, like with the Microsoft Store, takes an unusual amount of time (I have the feeling that it is partly a problem with the file system, which has not evolved much in these years)… And all this, doing things right, without letting time pass.

If you install Linux Mint 22 today and don’t log back in for another three months, you’ll find a bunch of pending updates that, as long as your connection is at least decent, will take just a few minutes to install. A practically instant reboot and you’re done. It’s a small detail, but it adds up. And so it is with almost everything. So don’t think about it too much and jump right in, taking advantage of the fact that the August holidays are coming and you’ll have more time to prepare everything.

What if you regret the change and want to go back? You can go back, which doesn’t cost much. In fact, Windows licenses are so cheap that I don’t even consider price a factor.

In any case, something tells me that many people would not consider turning back, once they have settled on Linux, as is usually the case and is reflected in the growth of the system: Linux may not have the market share of Windows on PCs, but that does not mean that it does not have many millions of users in all kinds of scenarios, from home to business, public institutions and top-level scientific institutions. And I am only talking about the PC.