Thoughts About Switching ⭐️

In De-Enshittify Windows 11, I make the case that anyone can fix or work around its many problems and make it work for them instead of against them. But lingering in the back of my mind, of course, is the worry that Microsoft will, at some point, create problematic behaviors in Windows 11 or some successor that can't be fixed or worked around.

This is a rational fear, not a conspiracy theory: Microsoft wants for Windows what Apple and Google have in their locked-down mobile platforms. And while it has so far backed down to pressure and pushback, almost always from its biggest enterprise customers, it continues to quietly tighten the vice on our freedoms. Its ongoing work to require users to sign in to Windows 11 with a Microsoft account being an obvious example. Today, those who prefer to not do that still have an out. But what about tomorrow? We don't know.

I think about this kind of thing a lot. And as many readers here know, I spend a lot of time testing alternatives, be they apps and services or major changes like other OS platforms. And while a lazy analysis of my continued Windows usage is that it's mostly tied to inertia and familiarity, I feel like my extensive experiences with other platforms speak volumes. I still use Windows because it's better, even with all the enshittification, and in large part because those fixes and workarounds still exist. I still use Windows, but not for a lack of trying. I still use Windows because none of the alternatives are better.

But that's just me. And things change. Today, the contenders for the desktop throne are better than ever, as should always be the case, but there are also more of them now. And some of the more intriguing alternatives these days are mobile platforms like Android and iPadOS that are evolving desktop features at stunning speed after years of silence. That's an interesting space to watch.

It's also not for everyone. While I think that Windows 11 still provides the best overall experience for what I'll call desktop productivity, others have had enough, and they're ready to move on right now. Those people have a more limited set of choices that include basically the Mac and Linux. Neither is without its obstacles, but change is always difficult.

There are also use cases to consider. I spend entire days typing away on a computer keyboard, where its productivity focus and bigger screen really make a difference. But others--including a new generation of users who approach personal computing far differently than you or I--may view computers and larger screen devices as secondary to the phones they're glued to all day long. For this audience, an iPad, Chromebook, or MacBook Neo may fit the bill better. As will, perhaps, an Android/Aluminum OS-based laptop in the near future. Or, further out, some phone or folding phone with a Bluetooth keyboard or dock.

Workflow matters as well. Yes, I can type on any device with a screen and keyboard, but there's also a process that...