What's your opinion on Linux computer OS?

[Anonymous]

I'm planning on installing Linux Mint onto my laptop for the first time :-)

I used to meddle with Linux OS back in the early 2000's too and haven't used it in decades LOL

[llorando]

Really depends on the hardware your installing it on and what you plan on using for. Hardware compatibility has gotten a lot better, but keep in mind Linux still has issues with some hardware. If your a gamer or have windows specific software that doesn't have a viable Linux alternative either stick with windows or dual boot Linux and windows. Me personally I love Linux, especially on my laptop, it's snappier and provides slightly better battery life as it uses less resources then windows. Currently have Fedora installed on my Ryzen laptop and so far the experience have been extremely positive, much more positive then Windows 11(felt like a downgrade compared to windows 10). Instead of just jumping into installing Linux Mint, do a little research for the specific device and peoples experience with Linux on it, a distro my work flawlessly oneone device will being buggy on a different device. On my old laptop I used Linux Mint without issues, but had issues on my new laptop, tried several others before settling on fedora. Most Linux distros these days support live environment meaning you can try it without installing it which is convenient when your trying to find the right distro for your device. Aslo, you no longer have to boot/install linux from CD, there are several tools that converts the ISO to a bootable USB, my personal favorite is Universal USB installer. So my advice is, before installing, try out different linux distros till you find one that you like and works on your device without issue.

[jshm2]

Try it in a Virtual machine first.

Mint is OK for a first timer. But it does have issues with some specs.

[llorando]

Trying on a virtual machine isn't necessary anymore, you can run Linux from a live CD/USB without installing it, I do it all the time when testing out new Linux distros.

[Nikki1989]

Some hardware devices have limited or no Linux support, and the overall experience is still be less polished than that of mainstream operating systems. It is just more trouble than it is worth.

[bunny_luv]

I'm not sure what software platforms and services Linux provides and what the costs are but I'd do a comparison between both the Linux and Window licensing and fees.

[llorando]

Actually a majority of Linux distros are fee to download, so cost isn't an issue. Tho I do agree about doing a comparison between windows and Linux, not for licensing and fees but for compatibility.