# WireGuard VPN developer can't ship software updates after Microsoft locks account
I should be surprised if Windows will ever be suitable outside niche hobbyist communities with this kind of unreliable behaviour.
Real users need consistency and stability.
@neil I would say that there is a certain amount of #AppleEnvy at #Microsoft and #Google right now.
A #WalledGarden allows higher #Rent and cheapens compliance with legislation that attempts to restrict what users can do.
Open source - and thus backdoor-free - VPNs and e2ee are probably being targeted as preemptive obedience to future laws.
@tomstoneham @neil to be fair it's quite easy for people to leave windows and switch to linux.
A lot of gaming is already happening on linux and I am astonished when like >60 people working in non-tech jobs are talking about linux distributions
> it's quite easy for people to leave windows and switch to linux.
For *some* people, sure.
For a lot of people, probably not, sadly.
@neil
This is an 'argument' I always refuse to accept.
It assumes that Windows and Mac users are proficient at using their respective operating systems to the point that they 1) can install and configure it independently, and 2) are able to troubleshoot and solve their own problems. It also suggests that only on Linux they would run into trouble, and become dependent on a third party.
The reality, in my experience, is rather different. Most users don't have a clue how to install their OS, as in all likelihood it came pre-installed with their system. Most people will call a friend or family member to help with a computer problem, or search the internet for instructions they don't actually understand. To them, computers are nothing more than a tool, much like their car. And their car, they take to a mechanic, even for the smallest thing they could do themselves.
Switching to Linux poses the same issues as switching from Windows to macOS (and vice versa).
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A Windows user switching to macOS, with no one in their social circle who's familiar with Macs, will suffer just as much as someone switching to Linux without having fellow Linux users they can ask for help. The same goes for macOS users wanting to move to Windows, Android to iOS, etc.
The real problem isn't the (perceived) difficulty of Linux, but rather the lack of popular software such as Microsoft Office, Photoshop, combined with the natural resistance to change, and the sheer unwillingness to learn something new.
Distros such as Linux Mint, Zorin OS, or Elementary OS, to name but a few, have pretty much eliminated the UI learning curve, thanks to their close resemblance to either Windows or macOS, or their ability to switch layouts at will.
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Neil Brown
Tom Stoneham
saxnot
Ærion