It’s fair to say that there are many people in our community who just love to dunk on Microsoft Windows. It’s an easy win, after all, the dominant player in the PC operating system market has a long history of dunking on free software, and let’s face it, today’s Windows doesn’t offer a good experience. But what might the future hold? [Mason] has an unexpected prediction: that Microsoft will eventually move towards offering a Windows-themed Linux distro instead of a descendant of today’s Windows.
The very idea is sure to cause mirth, but on a little sober reflection, it’s not such a crazy one. Windows 11 is slow and unfriendly, and increasingly it’s losing the position once enjoyed by its ancestors. The desktop (or laptop) PC is no longer the default computing experience, and what to do about that must be a big headache for the Redmond company. Even gaming, once a stronghold for Windows, is being lost to competitors such as Valve’s Steam OS, so it wouldn’t be outlandish for them to wonder whether the old embrace-and-extend strategy could be tried on the Linux desktop.
We do not possess a working crystal ball here at Hackaday, so we’ll hold off hailing a Microsoft desktop Linux. But we have to admit it’s not an impossible future, having seen Apple reinvent their OS in the past using BSD, and even Microsoft bring out a cloud Linux distro. If you can’t wait, you’ll have to make do with a Windows skin, WINE, and the .NET runtime on your current Linux box.
A distro aimed at helping people, reducing e-waste – and helping a charity, too
Emmabuntüs is just another Linux distro, but it's one guided by ethics more than tech. With exceptional help, documentation, beginner-friendly tooling and accessibility, there's a lot to like.…
Forbes reports that Microsoft complied with an FBI request for decryption keys to a suspect's personal laptops last year. While the company said it cannot fulfill every request, the case suggests that Windows devices are less private than those with stricter encryption policies, such as iPhones.
The prices for PC storage drives have been on the rise lately, particularly fast NVMe drives, so people are looking for alternative ways to meet their data storage needs without breaking the bank. One storage upgrade that’s a lot cheaper and more appealing than it seems at first glance is the humble external hard drive.
Imagine an operating system that forgets everything you did once you shut down your computer. One that not only erases all traces of your activity, but also protects your privacy online. That's exactly what Tails is meant to be.
As a frequent user of HBO Max, I love how easy—effortless, really—it is to explore and discover all the content its library has to offer. One of my favorite features to dive into is the streamer’s unique Discover Our Collections category, which contains a heck of a lot more than just random collections of content. The service also offers a rabbit hole into entertaining experiences and insider information.
If you’ve always wanted an Italian sports sedan but assumed the price would be out of reach, there’s now a compelling opportunity in the used market. The 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia, in its non-Quadrifoglio trims, has depreciated enough that well-equipped examples can now be found for less than $25,000. That’s a rare price point for a European performance-leaning sedan with distinct style and engaging dynamics.
I started a climate modeling project assuming I'd be dealing with "large" datasets. Then I saw the actual size: 2 terabytes. I wrote a straightforward NumPy script, hit-run, and grabbed a coffee. Bad idea. When I came back, my machine had frozen. I restarted and tried a smaller slice. Same crash. My usual workflow wasn't going to work. After some trial and error, I eventually landed on Zarr, a Python library for chunked array storage. It let me process that entire 2TB dataset on my laptop without any crashes. Here's what I learned:
The bar for a NAS can be lower than the ultra-expensive hardware it usually requires. Sometimes, it can be as simple as a hard drive or a DAS plugged into a Wi-Fi router via its USB port.
I use free apps every day, and I write about them constantly. In many cases, they’re genuinely great. Some of the most useful software on my phone and computer doesn’t cost me a cent upfront. But that doesn’t mean it’s actually free.
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