Because of you, I switched my 70+ yo father over to Linux mint. He uses it for the internet, he hasn't had any issues with it. Thank you for your vids.
I started working with Windows 7 Home Premium back in 2012. In 2016, on the same desktop and on the same drive, I added/upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate. NOT ONE HICCUP!!! Any short term problems were my fault and easily fixable. I still get security updates every 30 days or so (maybe because I installed it with a Product Key). About 6 months ago I bought a high end laptop that had Windows 11 pre-installed. I cranked it up, used ONE of 11's tools and installed Linux Mint Cinnamon, choosing to wipe out completely Windows 11. I have no use for anything Microsoft spits out post Windows 7. Like Christopher, my go-to thru out the day is 7's Ultimate There ARE various 7s out there with product keys. I wish you all well. and THANK YOU Mr' Barnatt for all your posts.
@@stevenwalley5620 I used W10 for years. It was the closest thing to W7 that followed, I think. W11 is just a stretch too far. After seeing the Zorin OS (Linux Ubuntu) video, I ditched Windows on both my machines. I'm very happy with it. It is also just screaming fast on both my desktop and laptop. Explaining Computers is such a great resource!
A lot of people talk about using the best operating system for your needs, but I think this is the first video I've ever seen where someone has demonstrated an example of exactly why and how to do that with more than, e.g., Windows 11 and a single Linux. :) Though, I have to admit … seeing Windows 7 and XP and Ribbonless Office hurt a bit. I'd let myself forget how much nicer everything used to look, feel, and work. Now I'm just inured to occasionally needing to pull up a TH-cam video to find a formatting button in Word 365. … I grew up with Word 5.1a on a Mac Centris 610. I fear I will never be satisfied with any modern option ever again.
Have you considered using LibreOffice Writer as your word processor if you like the ribbon-less style? It will allow you to edit and create Word documents, but is much more "traditional" in its menu layout. Same for its Excel equivalent, LibreOffice Calc. It's free and open source (although if you decide to keep using it, please contribute to its upkeep, asa that is only fair). AND, it has versions for Windows, Mac and Linux!
I like the idea of using different OS's, they all have their uses but it sounds like its a lot of computers being used when in reality most of it could be done with a virtual box and Windows 11 and maybe one Linux machine for the other tasks, I still don't get why he needs so many different systems.
@@davidgoodnow269 I had it from 6-12. And then, I had surgery and had to do distance learning over a Windows PC for high school, and … that was that. When we gave away the Centris (regret!), the top-case was actually starting to cave in from the weight of the 13" color monitor on top...
@@Praxibetel-Ix I am sure which ever one it is, he runs it on 58 RAID-ed hard drives on a Raspberry Pi on "Wacky Jeff's Computing Entertainment Channel".
I have helped numerous other seniors in our retirement community (I'm 77 and the go to guy for computer advice and anti-scam programs) and load Zorin for them in prep for the forced switch to Windows 11 which many of their computers won't run. I set up icons with links to their usual stuff and have yet to have a complaint or problem. Linux desktops have come a long way since I first started using Linux since it was created. And since most activity is online for most people I recommend they purchase Chromebooks or install Linux as an alternative to Windows 11. On my personal machines, I use Arch variations (I'm an inveterate distro hopper) with Windows 10 or 11 or both installed in a VM for demos.) I am intrigued by your Chrome Flex install on the TV and perhaps you could do a program on how you set that up. Thanks for a great channel.
I’m currently running LM Cinnamon 20.3 as a dual boot with Windows 7 (offline) on an old i3 2100, I really must upgrade the PC. I’d much rather be running Windows 7 as a VM in Linux Mint which I’ll get around to at some stage. I quite like the look of running Chrome OS Flex through the TV on a silent machine, it looks to be an interesting alternative. Thanks Chris my Sunday is complete!
Chris, nice to see you again! I am a longtime viewer of your going well back into your college teaching days. You are my go to guy for all things computing and really take the mystery out of lots of things especially as new technology evolves. I currently use Windows 10 (as long as I can) but have used all versions of Windows going back to 3.1 and before that BASIC programing. Because of my age and cognitive decline and illnesses over the years, I am not as forward thinking and constructive as I use to be. I have built many computers over my life and probably have owned 25 or more laptops for business. I currently use a desktop PC (Windows 10, I7 and am a big fan of all things GOOGLE and use many, many of their apps) I have a request for a video if I may, I think you would get lots of hits on this subject. Being of limited income now days, yet I still have one remaining computer build in mind and it is a simple one. We all are trying to reduce our number of subscriptions however what holds me back from cutting the cord with my cable company is the DVR they rent you and it's associated boxes to stream from. Could you make a video on how to make a low cost computer/DVR for the TV? A mini board would be a great start I believe and am interested to see how Chrome OS Flex would work on such a build! It would help me greatly and save me over $2000 a year. Lets face it, here in the US streaming is in and TV Cable providers are out, that is why they keep raising prices. My cable is fiber optic but through my phone company, right now a cable feeds into my DVR but it could also operate by talking to my network Bluetooth. This project is over my head but could put it together with a video that layed out a floor plan. Thank you sir for your consideration of the request. Allways a Chris Fan Rich aka moonpie
This is not a bad video question, as right now there are few systems that allow for using PCs as streaming boxes. The are apple tv boxes, android boxes (of which Amazon's fire stick and google chromecast is an option), but nothing like the media center of old which allows you to run modern apps. Kodi needs so much unnecessary faffing-about just to watch TH-cam, forget any other streaming app.
The key question in building a DVR system is where you are and what kind of OTA reception you get. If you are in a part of the US with good OTA reception, SiliconDust’s HD Home Run system or Tablo are hard to beat. CableCard killed using your own dvr with cable. So if OTA reception is poor, you will be better off dropping cabletv and gettin youtubetv, fubo, sling or one of the other subscriptions. They can drop that cable bill from $2k to $1k per year but wont get rid of it.
Linux Mint is my preferred desktop. I have tried all seven of the desktops you have featured here, including many other Linux desktops, and I always return to Mint. It is as stable as a 100-ton rock, has an easy-to-use interface, and works for everything I do daily. Occasionally, I use Win 10, but only when I need to run software that does not run on Linux. The other thing I like about Mint is that it is easily installed, even on old computers that can no longer run Windows 10 or 11. For me, Linux Mint ticks all the boxes, and it is the first desktop I recommend to friends who want to try Linux.
Sometimes - I run W10 & W11 - just to keep my skills up to date. But honestly - these days - I run *Linux Mint - LMDE-6* edition for my daily computer use. I have less & less reason to fire up Windows. if I really must - I can always start it in a virtual environment. I mostly use Only-Office - which is an almost carbon-copy of MS-Office. I have free access to MS-Office online as well - so little need to run Windows.
@@PaxAlotin I run Windows 11. It's kind of annoying and not well polished-(the interface and menu system on Win7/older office software was VERY functional), but it has the latest security features, can handle a lot of programs, and odd hardware. I have virtual machines in Linux and use them a lot (Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and others). I'm thinking of running/learning Fedora and eventually just compile things like Gentoo.
I like LinuxMint, but since Opensuse can easily support any desktop, be it whatever Kde, Gnome, and other obscure ones, I prefer that. You can even have cinnamon if you want.
@@sprockkets I hope you know - you can install any desktop environment in Mint. I've got KDE + Mate & LXQt working perfectly. No different to OpenSuse in that regard - but with the extra benefit of accessing Debian & Ubuntu packages.
2 วันที่ผ่านมา +21
As much as I don't like running outdated stuff, I totally understand your sentiment for Windows 7 and for Office 2002. Those were pretty much perfect in terms of UX.
Couldn't he set up LibreOffice or OnlyOffice to look and run exactly the way he wants and not worry about running 4 different versions of Windows? I understand having the offline rig, but this seems crazy over-complicated for a TH-cam channel...
Knowledge is power, and running so many OS for your use cases shows that. I dualboot PopOS and Windows 10 for mainly gaming now, but your Chrome OS Flex computer got me hankering for a media box now!
Thanks for posting, Mr B. After the Christmas mayhem, I find myself alone in the kitchen, sipping morning coffee, and enjoying your content. Happy New Year to you and yours, and thanks again
Happy New Year, Christopher; I have mentioned this before, but I've been running Linux Mint since shortly after Windows XP went End-of-Life. I have tried other Linux distros, but keep coming back to Mint.😀
I tried many Linux distros before finally settling on Debian. Debian is non-flashy, competent, workmanlike, and a bit dull, so it's the distro that best reflects my self-image.
Hello Chris. I use Fedora on my Framework laptop computer almost every day but my main computer is my MacBook Pro running MacOSX 15. Have been using a Mac since they came out in 1984 and have owned many Macs over the years. It is great for running virtual machines and Windows runs quite well on it. Since I’m retired now I mainly use it for my computer hobby which is learning new coding tools like Python and node.js and other stuff. Obviously I really like your channel for all the great Linux information and for things to try on small computers like the Raspberry Pi. It is amazing how well Linux runs nowadays and it really does seem like most people would only need a Linux system for daily use such as email, banking, writing documents et cetera. I continue to find the expense of using Windows ridiculous. Paying $129 for an OS seems almost criminal to me. Keep up the good work and have some Marmite for me!
I've been fascinated by operating systems since Windows 3.1. where a full install was using 18 diskettes. I did fresh installs often. Now I use only Linux Mint Debian Edition, KDE Neon and checking out Pop Os Cosmic on a test rig. Windows is gone from my life forever as of 2019. I don't know how you keep track of all that Chris but more power to you. Thanks for another great video.
Windows 7 was the last version that I found truly enjoyable to use. I've been using Linux Mint very happily for a couple of years, and a few months ago switched the last the last Windows holdout in my household to Mint. Strongly agree with your opinion on the ribbon interface!
I agree. From a users persepctive 7 was the last version i got along with and stayed with. I stayed with 7 till the end just like i did with XP. I dont really like 10 but run it since it playes games and it is "windows". But i dont like what data microsft now wants and how they collect it. I certainly dont like 11 and the new "features" that are included and soon to be made mandatary. Recall, that is. It wont be long and Recall will be mandatory. Mark my words. For personal stuff i will not be using windows come Oct 2025 when 10 officialy dies. I might get one year extended support for 33 dollars since i prefer 10 over 11. I dont like 10 compared to 7 but it is the lesser of the devils.
@@marstedt Dont get too excited. The only thing you got was defender definitions. Found and unfound day zero's will not be patched, looked at or addressed. You are swiming on your own and it is advised to keep it offline.
@@suminshizzles6951 - Defender definitions are not included in the security update pack. The latest update includes KB5048695-x64 and certificate update similar to KB931125, KB2917500. Also, all updates needed since SP1. Think of it as SP3 for Windows 7.
I'm a die-hard Linux Fedora user on my desktop PC and, until recently, on my laptop. I've recently installed Kubuntu on my laptop partly because I was getting fed up of updating it with every new release, and partly because I wanted my wife to see what it was like before I installed it on her laptop which is currently running a very old Fedora version. We also have an ancient PC with Windows XP on it which hasn't been booted in ages which really needs to be re-cycled. Oh, of course numerous Raspberry Pis all running Raspberry Pi OS.
No wonder. I've ran Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, openSUSE, Mandriva, Arch to name just few and Debian is the one I've tend to lean on for like last 5 years. It just works and there's so much documentation etc. for it. Also it's just nice to have some older hardware that I don't use that much with stable and see that I won't usually get gigs of updates after booting, unless like Flatpaks happen to be installed. Before I ran Linux Mint for quite long, but about year ago I ran into some issues and liking Cinnamon I now run LMDE on few desktops. Solid Debian base there after all. Even dated software isn't issue these days with like Flatpaks on some software. I still do run Windows and MacOS and don't have any issues with them either. But Debian is my choice for Linux based systems or VM's.
Must be nice. I'm like this guy, I have 4 PCs, Win11, Arch Linux w/Hyprland on dual boot plus my laptop, which is also running Arch w/Hypr, and then i have two apples. One from about 2010 era and the other more modern, 2016 era. My issue with committing to one OS is I use such a wide variety of tools and software for varying purposes, and in most cases, it is just easier to keep alternatives around when needed. Not to mention, some of the hardware I've grown attatched to using and find efficient in my workflow is often propietary and doesn't give me a choice which OS to use. Though, most days, I only touch the machine dual booting win11 and Arch. Win11 is for my gaming, VR and game dev. Arch being used for everything else. I pull the apples out occasionally for music production, but typically just running ableton on win11
I liked to experiment with Linux, but when Recall came and I had to finally pull the plug on Windows, I chose Mint. Simply because as my daily driver I needed a reliable system that just works. Experimental stuff is fun, but I need reliable. I am very surprised how much gaming has improved on Linux, I can run 90% of my Windows native games.
@@egyptian316 No, I disagree you can thank Steam using PROTON but gaming on Linux using Steam has been my thing since 2019/2020 although I do use Lutris and Bottles. Linux itself has really improved dramatically in my opinion since 2019 and it has been my only OS since moving away from MS Windows since 2016 purely because I didn't like the direction Win 10 was going with its data collection and undoing what modification that I was making when along came a new update. I finally landed on POP-OS after first using Linux Mint and then Ubuntu but found I was just much happier with POP-OS, maybe it is because they build PC's and actually use their own OS on their own PC's so resolve issues as and when they come along. Also they have given me free support via email within 24 hours concerning my new 7950X build within a week of it being released.
@@egyptian316 way to underestimate the software required that predates the steamdeck considerably. Without vkd3d and dxvk, we wouldn't have proton or the steamdeck as they currently exist
for the same "Recall" Reasons I'm considering switching.... it's just that Linux doesn't seem to F with NTFS file formats for read& WRITE... which I need for large quantities of Large size files. NTFS is the best format for dealing with that,( as far as I know...?!) My question is, is there a version of Linux that's ideal for NTFS read and write, large files and large quantities, high processing power for gaming or heavy 3d modeling work?
I have been using Windows since 3.1. Windows XP was not reliable. It is the OS I have had to reinstall the most number of times because it used to get botched from time to time. Windows 10 and 11 are much more resilient OSes under the hood, not talking about UI/UX.
Thank you ! I'm on Windows 11 now. Once i tried Ubuntu, it worked well for me when I purchased Ubuntu Desktop(Dell) and then converted it to Windows. I am going to try using it again.Enjoy watching your videos.Wishing you a Happy New Year, Chris 🎉🎉🎉 🎉🎉
Wow, XP offline for old games, 7 for some analog audio editing software, 10 is my daily driver on my desktop and laptop, and I use 11 for my HTPC. Great video as always Mr. Barnatt!! Can't wait until next week!!
I do also have Windows XP pro both 32-bit and 64-bit online and offline only for a few games best part is they still don't require analytics and day together I like that
Love to have Win 7 for virtual pipe organ software on a completely Offline PC. Was a great OS but the hardware failed and that PC is no longer in my possession.
@@cgriggsiv- you do realize you can play old PC games on Windows 10 with DosBox, right? Just do not connect to the internet. I need the internet daily, so I could never use XP or even 7. However, because I hate AI, I refuse to ever upgrade Windows past 10 Pro. I will be eventually having Ubuntu LTS 24 installed because I want the 15 plus years of guaranteed regular security updates and patches.
@@ernies8828 If you're used to using real hardware, emulator, USB and flatscreen lag can be a massive gamebreaker on anything that requires precise timing. If you're not used to using real hardware you'll likely never notice, but even one frame of lag can be a massive distraction for anyone used to it.
My gaming laptop runs Windows 11. My older backup gaming laptop runs Windows 10. Two alternative laptops that I use quite often runs Ubuntu. My Raspberry Pi’s run the official Raspberry Pi OS. The last one worth mentioning is an old desktop, that is a future project, running Windows Vista. Looking forward to your next video!
I use Ubuntu studio,dual booted with windows 10 on my Amd tyzen mostly for music and video production and I use Linux mint on my office Dell machine. Great show. I watch you very frequently. Thank you
So enjoyable.! Since you asked here are the operating systems that I run nearly every day: Daily Driver: Pop Os & LInux Mint. I have these on two N100 machines at opposite ends of my L-shaped desk. Additionally, I run 3 bare metal version of Proxmox for virtualization ( for Home Assistant, PiHole, Portainer, etc etc) on older hardware, a TrueNas Scale on ancient Dell hardware for NAS and about a dozen Raspberry Pi Ws, 2Ws, 3s and 4s (no 5s yet) for things such as ADS-B via SDR (SDRAngel). I also have a Win 11 gaming machine and a Win 11 system for all my freelance audio editing work. Generally, I have about 40-50 containers running at any given instant doing all sorts of tasks. I also have a 2001 Dell computer that still boots Windows ME to this day. Like you, I run several versions of older Windows off-line and virtualized (mostly on Proxmox). Even though I muck about in some more complex endeavors that you usually cover on this channel, I find your videos informative and both refreshing and good refreshers. Thank you.
This was an excellent video. I love how there are different operating systems per use case. That is somewhat how I did things at my last job. I had several computers and a couple virtual machines, and did the networked ones, I used software that let me use fewer mouse and keyboard sets. (Originally Mouse Without Borders, but as I used Linux more, I migrated to Barrier.) I should do more to tailor my environments for the specific uses. I'm glad this video inspired me!
Hey, I too am an old MS Office user. I run Office 2003. I run it on Windows 10 and it works flawlessly. However, Windows 11 does not play nice with it. I have figured out though if you uninstall OneDrive it will work. I use OneDrive as an offsite cloud backup of things that I can not lose, but I have configured the NAS to access it. So I can save to the OneDrive on the NAS and it will save to the cloud. No need to have OneDrive installed on every PC anymore. My hobby box has an interchangeable main hard drive and I swap Linux distros to my heart's content. This will also let me play with Proxmox. I have an offline Windows XP machine and an offline Windows 98SE machine for playing the games I bought in my youth. And I have a PC running Windows 11 for the sole purpose of running virtual machines and emulators that has a guest machine for running most OSes from Microsoft from DOS 6.22 to Windows 11, including 3.11, NT4, and 8 (The mistake that Microsoft now seems to want to forget)
I run Linux 22, Windows 10 on the main machine. The Raspi family runs the Pi OS as these are for projects. I have used a Pi to make a TV smart. When support for Windows 11 runs out in 2025 I will discontinue running windows. Great job, great show, keep up the good work.
WOW, your video camera is amazing. It's very crisp and clear. Great video. Thank you for all you do. I still dual boot from the bios into Mint, and it works very well. Two years running.
Great video! I love all the hardware you have! I run Arch linux for my main laptop. I have couple of VPSs and raspberrypi. So for my raspberrypi I run raspberry pi OS and for rest of the VPS I have Debian 12, Alpine Linux and Alma Linux. Alpine Linux is really amazing. I especially love the how tiny footprint it has and can help me save where I have limited disk.
7 different operating systems?! It already annoys the piss out of me that my computer at home is Windows 11 24H2 and my computer at work keeps bluescreening during said upgrade and therefore it stuck on Windows 11 23H2. That's just 2 versions of the same operating system. I couldn't imagine using 7. Hats off to you for having the patience for that.
Haha you're reminding me how much I hate the modern ribbonbar design. Takes up so much space on screen and everything is laid out inconsistently, different sizes of icons all over the place, it always takes me forever to find what I want. I miss that old school menu design. And don't get me started on how modern software design opens an utterly useless splash screen when I select Open or Save As, and I have to hunt around for the button or link which opens File Explorer which is what should have been opened when I first clicked Open or Save As.
I use Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux Mint. Linux Batocera, And Windows XP across 19 computers and SBCs. 8 computers are servers, 2 are gaming computers, 2 are retro gaming consoles, 2 I use to run older program and play WinXP games, one is a laptop, 2 I have at my office at work, and one I use for remote work at home.
Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences with practically using different OS's. It's great to see you saying in effect, there's no "one size fits all" solution. Thanks for all the effort that you put into your videos, and have a great year 2025!
I'm still using Windows 7 as my daily driver. I just burned some DVDs for a friend. I used Windows 8 Movie Maker for the stabilization features and 7 to do the burning. I think these operating systems will always have a place in my life.
Using an unsupported version of Windows is dangerous (more dangerous than a supported version anyway). Twenty years ago I had to reinstall my copy of Windows 2000. The instant it connected to the internet afterwards (before applying any patches to bring it up to date), it was infected by one or more viruses.
I was a big fan of Linux Mint. About 6 months ago, I switched to KDE Neon. I haven't had a need to look back. I dual boot two laptops with Windows 11 and Neon. I also run a number of Raspberry Pi's. I have a Pi 5 as a daily driver for general use. I do run Pi os but with the KDE desktop. I run solar and am completely off grid with my cellphone as a hot spot. So power is important. Because of this, I find portable monitors are great. I always look forward to a video from you!
Blessed Sunday greetings all! I also have numerous OSes running which include Windows 10 and 11. I agree with you Chris that Windows 7 and XP are much better than the newer iterations of Windows which get progressively worse as time goes on. I also have MacOS as my daily driver with a MacBook as secondary. I have Debian Bookworm, RHEL9, Kali Linux, Oracle Linux and Fedora also running. My VMs are Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022. Also on VM are FreeBSD and Solaris but all of these VMs are more for testing purposes for my job. I have several SBCs running NEMS Linux to monitor the devices on my network since the creator of NEMS is a friend of mine. Be well everyone and Happy New Year!!
Hello Chris, thank you so much for this interesting insight! I'm so glad that an expert in computing pretty much does the same things that I do. Online Linux Mint, and, most important, offline Windoes 7 with my Adobe CS5 Master Collection. Never want to give up on Windows 7!
The computers you use really show that not everyone needs a high end PC. I hear so many TH-camrs say that a system like the N100 is useless because it cannot play the latest AAA games, but that really isn't true. The operating systems I run are Arch Linux on my main PC which is based on the exact same N100 motherboard you use every day. I use Linux Mint on the rest of my desktops and most of my laptops (I've got 39 computers which I know is ridiculous). I run ChromeOS non flex on my tablet/laptop hybrid thing. I run Windows 10 for when I need to use an application that doesn't run on Linux. I also run the Haiku operating on a few PC's, and also AntiX Linux, Zorin OS Lite, Debian Linux, and Raspberry Pi os on Raspberry Pi's.
N100s aren’t useless, they are pointless. For the same price or a little more you can get a low end Ryzen PC that is more than twice the performance. For power efficiency, ARM is better for small task/server functions.
It's true. Everything I do, except gaming, can be done on an N100-based mini PC like what Chris has at a pretty non-discernable performance difference. My unusual idea was to get a PC like that & then make my current PC be a "gaming server" where I would just stream games from it to the N100 one using Steam as well as run some game servers on it e.g. Minecraft
Gaming itself is a silly premise for building a computer. There is a massive library of old games that are perfectly fun, that you can run easily on older hardware. One game I spin up occasionally is Gothic (or one of the sequels). You can run those games on a potato, these days. (Gothic III does get a bit more demanding with settings maxed, but it's a relatively large game.) Games like Skyrim are also fun and not too demanding these days. Older versions of GTA. If you just started playing games that existed decades ago, you would never run out of things to do, and you would have a great time. By the time you might actually get to current games, you would likely be able to run them on something cheap in like 10 years. (Assuming they aren't attached to some terrible server-based activation scheme.)
@@sbrazenor2 I agree completely with your vintage game strategy, but a Ryzen APU is the way to do that. The N100 has about the performance limits on a $20 Onn streaming puck.
Me too, and I love it! I'm running Kdenlive, Audacity, Ardour 8, MuseScore, and Darktable. I also use Google Drive and apps, and I like the LibreOffice suite a lot.
I started working with Windows 7 Home Premium back in 2012. In 2016, on the same desktop and on the same drive, I added/upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate. NOT ONE HICCUP!!! Any short term problems were my fault and easily fixable. I still get security updates every 30 days or so (maybe because I installed it with a Product Key). About 6 months ago I bought a high end laptop that had Windows 11 pre-installed. I cranked it up, used ONE of 11's tools and installed Linux Mint Cinnamon, choosing to wipe out completely Windows 11. I have no use for anything Microsoft spits out post Windows 7. Like Christopher, my go-to thru out the day is 7's Ultimate There ARE various 7s out there with product keys. I wish you all well. and THANK YOU Mr' Barnatt for all your posts. ..
I've been scanning the comments: CB has a lot of old farts like me (Linux Kernel 0.89 Yggdrasil was my first). And thank goodness, because the best part of the channel is benchmarking and the associated commands.
@@ExplainingComputers "Any old iron?!!" _- Brendan Gleason in "A.I."_ Sure, run X on a Pentium with a whopping 4 meg. And that's why I ran console on that dog.
Linux mint cinnamon should be the one to bring linux to the masses. But the devs need to work on better cpu performance. Sometimes temps are much higher than gnome and kde but mint is the only one that makes linux easy and still looks good with the default theme.
I heavily disagree that Mint is the "only one that makes linux easy" I've had success with giving Kubuntu, PopOS, and Zorin to novice users and it's just as easy on those as on Mint. In fact depending on owned hardware and desired software other distros can be even easier to use than Mint. Mint is still fantastic I use it myself on my laptop but it's not alone in being an easy to use distro far from it.
The "masses" should go to Linux or, at least, meet in halfway as opposed expecting Linux to served up "on a silver platter" to them. Linux is a case of "effort in = reward out". When you truly understand why it's different to commercial OSes and why learning some basics of how computers work is important, only then can you embrace Linux fully.
Dear Chris, I like to imagine you in a Dr Evil (Mike Myers) style hollowed out volcano with banks of giant screens being powered by your hoard of SBCs where you sit and control your clone armies of ducks in public parks up and down the land...
I think what you admirably demonstrate is that we really don't need the latest\ greatest, because fundamentally the OS & Apps have not advanced one iota in 10 years... just got fatter.
I feel like you're making life way more complex than it needs to be. having to juggle between systems. and reading the comments make me feel like 70% of people who watch you are older than 40 years old. cause everyone I know uses only 2 operating systems, windows and whatever OS their phone has.
...and I don't think you understand how complicated your life has become when it comes to maintaining your personal information privacy when you've admitted that you run up to three "operating systems" with the main purpose of surveilling you and knowing exactly where you are at all times - Windows, Google Android and Apple iOS.
@amirmirzaei3940 I do, and that makes your use of the words "no one" incorrect, as well as your entire comment. Would you like to now alter it to therefore make it at least slightly more correct? In your own time...
@amirmirzaei3940 The words I write here don't make any sounds. If you're hearing sounds from my direction then maybe you need to a specialist. Off you go then, sonny. Mind how you go and stay away from sharp scissors. Discussion closed.
Wow, cover all OS bases for very good reasons. I too run a variety such as Kubuntu, WinXP, 7, 10 and 11 and Raspberry Pi OS. Installed bare metal or run virtually. These do make a very versitile toolbox. Great video as always!
Glad I wasn't the only one who zoomed in to see his CD collection. Alas, I couldn't make out the titles for most of them but what I managed to make out were compilations of TV and movie themes and the Bangles' greatest hits.
Hi Your videos are always no-nonsense, practical and insightful. I have finally made the Fedora KDE my daily driver. It supports everything. It has the simplicity and practicality. My HP printer is supported. My ThinkPad T480 works like a charm. Thank you Love from India
I'm in the US and do my own tax returns. The software from multiple companies only runs on Windows. I know, there are Linux apps. But, nowadays you don't even get a disk, it is all downloadable. I don't want to blow the money to find out it doesn't work. That's my "Why I still have Windows".
I love a good operating system video Chris, this is amazing!! I'm running a similar setup, Linux Mint on my desktop, and Win10 LTSC on my laptop, but I really like the idea of running Chrome OS Flex on a TV, might have to steal that idea from you. 📝
01:13 Linux Mint - Linux 03:07 Windows 10 - Windows 04:22 Windows 7 - Windows 06:35 Chrome OS Flex - Linux 09:08 Windows XP - Windows 10:58 Windows 11 - Windows 13:34 Ubuntu - Linux You run 2 Desktop operating systems.
Happy (almost ) New Year, Mr. Barnatt ! Yes ! Linux Mint is your first OS :D I love Linux Mint so much ! If they ever are able to get Windows apps to run natively on Linux without using WINE, Windows is in a butt load of trouble. Even if it's only a few distros like Mint and Ubuntu
No MS-DOS? You don’t know what you are missing! (Humour?) I built the J4105 Silent ITX pc from your video, my dad appreciated it, his grandson now has it, he loves it
I used Mint with the Cinnamon desktop for several years but didn't realise what I was missing until I tried some of the better Arch based distros. I finally settled on the Arch based Biglinux about three years ago and found it to be extremely stable and a joy to use with the plasma desktop. Despite a good few hardware changes along the way, I have NEVER had to even think about drivers !
Do you have a video on TAILS, Qubes, or Parrot OS? If not, please consider them for a future video. Each are privacy based, and all come with built-in support for TOR. I have used TAILS. But it is extremely restrictive (to keep me from causing problems for me). I have never used Parrot OS. It has an Anon Surf feature for TOR. I have never used Qubes, mainly because its hardware requirements are somewhat extreme (not horsepower wise -- but security wise). But it will probably run on most hardware. I am not sure what security you would be giving up by not using hardware approved by the developers.
Running Linux mint 20.3 and a virtual Windows 10 for two applications not available on Linux. My hardware is a home brew AMD based rig with nvme SSDs in 2 PCIe slots. I'm very satisfied with my setup and your help has proven invaluable.
That is some serious dedication to the old versions of Windows! For desktop OS I'm down to just Windows 11 for both personal and work use, but have Ubuntu and various other Debian derivatives for server use.
I switched to Linux three months ago and thus I get recommendations for Linux-videos like yours. 😀 Thanks for the comparison, my decision was absoultely right. I use Linux on all my laptops and even on my Mini PCs for home cinema. Windows 11 remains for some Windows-games. Keep up the good work!! 👍
I really like how you spread your workload across multiple operating systems. I do the exact same thing, as I find that using a single OS for everything literally doesn't work for me or foster the best creative experience. For 99% of things, I use Windows 8.0 (yes, 8.0, not 8.1), and for the other 1% (which isn't doable in 8 anymore) I use my laptop which has Mint XFCE edition and transfer files back and forth via USB. My machine is an HP Z640 with a Xeon E5-2680 V4 (14 cores, 28 threads), 32 GB RAM, a 1660 SUPER and a 2 TB SSD, so it's definitely no slouch :)
Happy New Year! Windows 7 is still very important to me as I have software and SCSI hardware that just wont run on anything newer. It was hard enough evolving drivers from Windows XP.
Thanks Chris for ano ther year of most excellent videos! I use a variety of operating systems myself from Apple IOS, and OSXes , FydeOS, Arch OS and Armbian OS, plus testing others that look interesting. Well see you in the far off year of 2025 or as I call it "Wednesday ".....! Happy New Year!
No desktop is complete without a Patience game installed. Happy new year professor! 🎉 Main PC (Win10Pro), MiniPC (Win11 and CrOS Flex) and SBCs (RPiOS and 9Front).
I have to admit... I haven't run Linux or Windows on my laptop (or even powered it up) in a good while. I'm retired, and do weekly volunteer work, so I do my monthly reports on my Android tablet or phone. Gets the job done nicely. Never thought I'd get a bit tired of tech devices/gadgets, but I find simplicity a lot better than complexity nowadays (until the next Raspberry Pi project, that is 😉). Thanks for another great video Chris. Happy New Year to you and yours.
Very interesting. I do sometime wonder what I'll run when I stop doing this kind of stuff and rebel against all the tech! Right now I imagine I would just run Chrome OS.
Mine, in order: Mac OS, Ubuntu, Windows 10, Windows 11. Merry Christmas Chris and thanks for the fabulous content mate. Regards from Adelaide, South Australia.
Mint 22 is installed on my main desktop and laptops as well as my media centre. I have a second SSD on the main laptop and desktop with Windows 11 that each rarely get used. My main laptop is a 13 inch Framework and it has USB C expansion drives, so Windows 11 is on one, GhostBSD on another and my third one is blank. If I want to change operating systems, pop in a drive and reboot. My old laptop runs Debian 12 because I was playing with it and saw no reason to 'Mint' another SSD. The "old" laptop is only two years old, but it got relegated when I got the Framework. If I were forced to limit myself to one operating system, I would be happy with Mint 22. I switched from Windows as my primary OS and Mint as occasional OS Christmas 2023 when I went on long-term disability. I didn't need the proprietary tools. One of the reasons that I keep Windows around is for Office, that I haven't needed since leaving work and to play Cities Skylines 2. I wish that I had a use for the GhostBSD, but for my use case, BSD just seems to be Linux 'with less stuff'.
Honestly, I used to do this, Windows 7, 8.1, and 10, I used three of them interchangeably. But now, I stick with Windows 11, although I do want to do the interchanging OS again soon.
I think, in the era of technological overcomplification we seem to find ourselves in, your approach of bare utility is really quite refreshing. As an electronics guy, I find myself using 20+ year old test equipment fairly frequently - I see no reason why consumers shouldn't strive to get the same level of longevity from their computer systems (lower-resource Linux distros, SSD upgrade, whatever helps.) Thanks for another interesting and oddly inspiring video, Chris.
Pi OS as daily driver, mac OS el capitan for music production and win xp (64bit and 32bit) for abandonware. Great video, and I agree: the old pull down menus are more practical... :D)))
Because of you, I switched my 70+ yo father over to Linux mint. He uses it for the internet, he hasn't had any issues with it. Thank you for your vids.
I thought you said you swapped your father for Mint OS. 😂
@Just_lift_anyone hahaha
@@Just_lift_anyone 😂😂
Mint for pretty much all but gaming is fine.
Y-you switched what!? 😧
😂
Good to see that your operating systems are serving you rather than the other way around...
Well said!
And exactly as it should be!
Exactly! :)
Personally I use steamOS and win10. Very cool video
Respect for still running that locked down Windows 7 setup.
I started working with Windows 7 Home Premium back in 2012.
In 2016, on the same desktop and on the same drive, I added/upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate.
NOT ONE HICCUP!!! Any short term problems were my fault and easily fixable. I still get security updates every 30 days or so (maybe because I installed it with a Product Key).
About 6 months ago I bought a high end laptop that had Windows 11 pre-installed. I cranked it up, used ONE of 11's tools and installed Linux Mint Cinnamon, choosing to wipe out completely Windows 11. I have no use for anything Microsoft spits out post Windows 7. Like Christopher, my go-to thru out the day is 7's Ultimate
There ARE various 7s out there with product keys. I wish you all well.
and THANK YOU Mr' Barnatt for all your posts.
My favorite Windows OS by far!
@@stevenwalley5620 I used W10 for years. It was the closest thing to W7 that followed, I think. W11 is just a stretch too far. After seeing the Zorin OS (Linux Ubuntu) video, I ditched Windows on both my machines. I'm very happy with it. It is also just screaming fast on both my desktop and laptop. Explaining Computers is such a great resource!
A lot of people talk about using the best operating system for your needs, but I think this is the first video I've ever seen where someone has demonstrated an example of exactly why and how to do that with more than, e.g., Windows 11 and a single Linux. :)
Though, I have to admit … seeing Windows 7 and XP and Ribbonless Office hurt a bit. I'd let myself forget how much nicer everything used to look, feel, and work. Now I'm just inured to occasionally needing to pull up a TH-cam video to find a formatting button in Word 365.
… I grew up with Word 5.1a on a Mac Centris 610. I fear I will never be satisfied with any modern option ever again.
LibreOffice. No ribbons crap, full & competent document format support and it's free!
Have you considered using LibreOffice Writer as your word processor if you like the ribbon-less style? It will allow you to edit and create Word documents, but is much more "traditional" in its menu layout. Same for its Excel equivalent, LibreOffice Calc. It's free and open source (although if you decide to keep using it, please contribute to its upkeep, asa that is only fair). AND, it has versions for Windows, Mac and Linux!
I like the idea of using different OS's, they all have their uses but it sounds like its a lot of computers being used when in reality most of it could be done with a virtual box and Windows 11 and maybe one Linux machine for the other tasks, I still don't get why he needs so many different systems.
Why on Earth did you leave the Centris?
(Quadra 700 and PowerPC 5500 for life!)
@@davidgoodnow269 I had it from 6-12. And then, I had surgery and had to do distance learning over a Windows PC for high school, and … that was that.
When we gave away the Centris (regret!), the top-case was actually starting to cave in from the weight of the 13" color monitor on top...
Good to see Action Retro hasn't converted you to run everything on Haiku!
Hi, Jeff! What kind of OS do you run on a daily basis? 😊
@@Praxibetel-Ix It has to be able to run on a pie whatever it is !
but haiku is cool
@@Praxibetel-Ix He's a Mac guy mainly 👍
@@Praxibetel-Ix I am sure which ever one it is, he runs it on 58 RAID-ed hard drives on a Raspberry Pi on "Wacky Jeff's Computing Entertainment Channel".
I have helped numerous other seniors in our retirement community (I'm 77 and the go to guy for computer advice and anti-scam programs) and load Zorin for them in prep for the forced switch to Windows 11 which many of their computers won't run. I set up icons with links to their usual stuff and have yet to have a complaint or problem. Linux desktops have come a long way since I first started using Linux since it was created. And since most activity is online for most people I recommend they purchase Chromebooks or install Linux as an alternative to Windows 11. On my personal machines, I use Arch variations (I'm an inveterate distro hopper) with Windows 10 or 11 or both installed in a VM for demos.) I am intrigued by your Chrome Flex install on the TV and perhaps you could do a program on how you set that up. Thanks for a great channel.
Great!
I’m currently running LM Cinnamon 20.3 as a dual boot with Windows 7 (offline) on an old i3 2100, I really must upgrade the PC. I’d much rather be running Windows 7 as a VM in Linux Mint which I’ll get around to at some stage. I quite like the look of running Chrome OS Flex through the TV on a silent machine, it looks to be an interesting alternative. Thanks Chris my Sunday is complete!
Hi, Alan! :)
Hi Alan, thanks for your support.
Chris, nice to see you again! I am a longtime viewer of your going well back into your college teaching days. You are my go to guy for all things computing and really take the mystery out of lots of things especially as new technology evolves. I currently use Windows 10 (as long as I can) but have used all versions of Windows going back to 3.1 and before that BASIC programing. Because of my age and cognitive decline and illnesses over the years, I am not as forward thinking and constructive as I use to be. I have built many computers over my life and probably have owned 25 or more laptops for business. I currently use a desktop PC (Windows 10, I7 and am a big fan of all things GOOGLE and use many, many of their apps) I have a request for a video if I may, I think you would get lots of hits on this subject. Being of limited income now days, yet I still have one remaining computer build in mind and it is a simple one. We all are trying to reduce our number of subscriptions however what holds me back from cutting the cord with my cable company is the DVR they rent you and it's associated boxes to stream from. Could you make a video on how to make a low cost computer/DVR for the TV? A mini board would be a great start I believe and am interested to see how Chrome OS Flex would work on such a build! It would help me greatly and save me over $2000 a year. Lets face it, here in the US streaming is in and TV Cable providers are out, that is why they keep raising prices. My cable is fiber optic but through my phone company, right now a cable feeds into my DVR but it could also operate by talking to my network Bluetooth. This project is over my head but could put it together with a video that layed out a floor plan. Thank you sir for your consideration of the request.
Allways a Chris Fan
Rich aka moonpie
This is not a bad video question, as right now there are few systems that allow for using PCs as streaming boxes. The are apple tv boxes, android boxes (of which Amazon's fire stick and google chromecast is an option), but nothing like the media center of old which allows you to run modern apps.
Kodi needs so much unnecessary faffing-about just to watch TH-cam, forget any other streaming app.
The key question in building a DVR system is where you are and what kind of OTA reception you get. If you are in a part of the US with good OTA reception, SiliconDust’s HD Home Run system or Tablo are hard to beat. CableCard killed using your own dvr with cable. So if OTA reception is poor, you will be better off dropping cabletv and gettin youtubetv, fubo, sling or one of the other subscriptions. They can drop that cable bill from $2k to $1k per year but wont get rid of it.
@@xmlthegreat that's where I am stuck, thanks for responding.
Linux Mint is my preferred desktop. I have tried all seven of the desktops you have featured here, including many other Linux desktops, and I always return to Mint. It is as stable as a 100-ton rock, has an easy-to-use interface, and works for everything I do daily. Occasionally, I use Win 10, but only when I need to run software that does not run on Linux. The other thing I like about Mint is that it is easily installed, even on old computers that can no longer run Windows 10 or 11. For me, Linux Mint ticks all the boxes, and it is the first desktop I recommend to friends who want to try Linux.
Sometimes - I run W10 & W11 - just to keep my skills up to date.
But honestly - these days - I run *Linux Mint - LMDE-6* edition for my daily computer use.
I have less & less reason to fire up Windows. if I really must - I can always start it in a virtual environment.
I mostly use Only-Office - which is an almost carbon-copy of MS-Office. I have free access to MS-Office online as well - so little need to run Windows.
@@PaxAlotin I run Windows 11. It's kind of annoying and not well polished-(the interface and menu system on Win7/older office software was VERY functional), but it has the latest security features, can handle a lot of programs, and odd hardware. I have virtual machines in Linux and use them a lot (Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and others). I'm thinking of running/learning Fedora and eventually just compile things like Gentoo.
@@josephfilm73 Have fun. You won't need to compile very much. These days most things have their own installer.
I like LinuxMint, but since Opensuse can easily support any desktop, be it whatever Kde, Gnome, and other obscure ones, I prefer that. You can even have cinnamon if you want.
@@sprockkets I hope you know - you can install any desktop environment in Mint. I've got KDE + Mate & LXQt working perfectly. No different to OpenSuse in that regard - but with the extra benefit of accessing Debian & Ubuntu packages.
As much as I don't like running outdated stuff, I totally understand your sentiment for Windows 7 and for Office 2002. Those were pretty much perfect in terms of UX.
Couldn't he set up LibreOffice or OnlyOffice to look and run exactly the way he wants and not worry about running 4 different versions of Windows?
I understand having the offline rig, but this seems crazy over-complicated for a TH-cam channel...
Yeah, they haven't added any new features, or improvements since 2002. Congrats of your infinite wisdom.
Knowledge is power, and running so many OS for your use cases shows that. I dualboot PopOS and Windows 10 for mainly gaming now, but your Chrome OS Flex computer got me hankering for a media box now!
Thanks for posting, Mr B. After the Christmas mayhem, I find myself alone in the kitchen, sipping morning coffee, and enjoying your content. Happy New Year to you and yours, and thanks again
After your video on how to do it I now dual boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu 24.04.
Great to hear, and a very solid combination.
Happy New Year, Christopher; I have mentioned this before, but I've been running Linux Mint since shortly after Windows XP went End-of-Life. I have tried other Linux distros, but keep coming back to Mint.😀
I tried many Linux distros before finally settling on Debian. Debian is non-flashy, competent, workmanlike, and a bit dull, so it's the distro that best reflects my self-image.
Debian + Cinnamon desktop is The best
Debian is my first choice for Linux. It’s rock solid.
Hello Chris. I use Fedora on my Framework laptop computer almost every day but my main computer is my MacBook Pro running MacOSX 15. Have been using a Mac since they came out in 1984 and have owned many Macs over the years. It is great for running virtual machines and Windows runs quite well on it. Since I’m retired now I mainly use it for my computer hobby which is learning new coding tools like Python and node.js and other stuff. Obviously I really like your channel for all the great Linux information and for things to try on small computers like the Raspberry Pi. It is amazing how well Linux runs nowadays and it really does seem like most people would only need a Linux system for daily use such as email, banking, writing documents et cetera. I continue to find the expense of using Windows ridiculous. Paying $129 for an OS seems almost criminal to me. Keep up the good work and have some Marmite for me!
I also use Linux Mint and Windows 8. Never felt like upgrading the OS. I enjoyed your video and learned a lot from it. Love from India.
I've been fascinated by operating systems since Windows 3.1. where a full install was using 18 diskettes. I did fresh installs often. Now I use only Linux Mint Debian Edition, KDE Neon and checking out Pop Os Cosmic on a test rig. Windows is gone from my life forever as of 2019. I don't know how you keep track of all that Chris but more power to you. Thanks for another great video.
Same, started with Win 3.1 (and fresh installs) and now on LMDE.
Thank you, Mr. Barnatt! 🙏🏼
Stay safe and well in the new year! 🤗
Windows 7 was the last version that I found truly enjoyable to use. I've been using Linux Mint very happily for a couple of years, and a few months ago switched the last the last Windows holdout in my household to Mint. Strongly agree with your opinion on the ribbon interface!
I agree. From a users persepctive 7 was the last version i got along with and stayed with. I stayed with 7 till the end just like i did with XP.
I dont really like 10 but run it since it playes games and it is "windows". But i dont like what data microsft now wants and how they collect it. I certainly dont like 11 and the new "features" that are included and soon to be made mandatary. Recall, that is. It wont be long and Recall will be mandatory. Mark my words.
For personal stuff i will not be using windows come Oct 2025 when 10 officialy dies. I might get one year extended support for 33 dollars since i prefer 10 over 11. I dont like 10 compared to 7 but it is the lesser of the devils.
FYI (and Win7 users and lovers) the last UpdatePack for 7 was released on 2024.12.12. My main OS and its used every day for every thing.
@@marstedt Dont get too excited. The only thing you got was defender definitions.
Found and unfound day zero's will not be patched, looked at or addressed. You are swiming on your own and it is advised to keep it offline.
@@suminshizzles6951 - Defender definitions are not included in the security update pack. The latest update includes KB5048695-x64 and certificate update similar to KB931125, KB2917500. Also, all updates needed since SP1. Think of it as SP3 for Windows 7.
I'm a die-hard Linux Fedora user on my desktop PC and, until recently, on my laptop. I've recently installed Kubuntu on my laptop partly because I was getting fed up of updating it with every new release, and partly because I wanted my wife to see what it was like before I installed it on her laptop which is currently running a very old Fedora version. We also have an ancient PC with Windows XP on it which hasn't been booted in ages which really needs to be re-cycled. Oh, of course numerous Raspberry Pis all running Raspberry Pi OS.
if you like simple OSs look at Zorin too.
I use Debian 12 for everything: for work, watching videos, playing games. I stopped using Windows a long time ago.
No wonder. I've ran Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, openSUSE, Mandriva, Arch to name just few and Debian is the one I've tend to lean on for like last 5 years. It just works and there's so much documentation etc. for it. Also it's just nice to have some older hardware that I don't use that much with stable and see that I won't usually get gigs of updates after booting, unless like Flatpaks happen to be installed. Before I ran Linux Mint for quite long, but about year ago I ran into some issues and liking Cinnamon I now run LMDE on few desktops. Solid Debian base there after all. Even dated software isn't issue these days with like Flatpaks on some software. I still do run Windows and MacOS and don't have any issues with them either. But Debian is my choice for Linux based systems or VM's.
Must be nice. I'm like this guy, I have 4 PCs, Win11, Arch Linux w/Hyprland on dual boot plus my laptop, which is also running Arch w/Hypr, and then i have two apples. One from about 2010 era and the other more modern, 2016 era.
My issue with committing to one OS is I use such a wide variety of tools and software for varying purposes, and in most cases, it is just easier to keep alternatives around when needed. Not to mention, some of the hardware I've grown attatched to using and find efficient in my workflow is often propietary and doesn't give me a choice which OS to use.
Though, most days, I only touch the machine dual booting win11 and Arch.
Win11 is for my gaming, VR and game dev.
Arch being used for everything else.
I pull the apples out occasionally for music production, but typically just running ableton on win11
Made the switch to Linux in 2017.
1 year full linux so far. Went from ubuntu to debian to fedora
After trying a lot of different distros, Debian is the best. Ih has completely no downside. Im happy with it.
I liked to experiment with Linux, but when Recall came and I had to finally pull the plug on Windows, I chose Mint. Simply because as my daily driver I needed a reliable system that just works. Experimental stuff is fun, but I need reliable. I am very surprised how much gaming has improved on Linux, I can run 90% of my Windows native games.
You can thank the Steam Deck for that. :)
@@egyptian316 yep 😀
@@egyptian316 No, I disagree you can thank Steam using PROTON but gaming on Linux using Steam has been my thing since 2019/2020 although I do use Lutris and Bottles. Linux itself has really improved dramatically in my opinion since 2019 and it has been my only OS since moving away from MS Windows since 2016 purely because I didn't like the direction Win 10 was going with its data collection and undoing what modification that I was making when along came a new update. I finally landed on POP-OS after first using Linux Mint and then Ubuntu but found I was just much happier with POP-OS, maybe it is because they build PC's and actually use their own OS on their own PC's so resolve issues as and when they come along. Also they have given me free support via email within 24 hours concerning my new 7950X build within a week of it being released.
@@egyptian316 way to underestimate the software required that predates the steamdeck considerably. Without vkd3d and dxvk, we wouldn't have proton or the steamdeck as they currently exist
for the same "Recall" Reasons I'm considering switching.... it's just that Linux doesn't seem to F with NTFS file formats for read& WRITE... which I need for large quantities of Large size files. NTFS is the best format for dealing with that,( as far as I know...?!) My question is, is there a version of Linux that's ideal for NTFS read and write, large files and large quantities, high processing power for gaming or heavy 3d modeling work?
4:36 OMG! Most unexpected 90s home desk setup... I love this TH-cam channel ❤
I think we all miss the comparative reliability of Windows XP and 7.
Don't forget the customisation of Windows XP. Just look at how many Winamp skins are out there (and new ones are still being made to this day).
Windows 11 is pretty customizable with windhawk.
I find Linux to be an equally reliable, up to date desktop OS. It does depend on the distribution and desktop environment however.
I have been using Windows since 3.1. Windows XP was not reliable. It is the OS I have had to reinstall the most number of times because it used to get botched from time to time. Windows 10 and 11 are much more resilient OSes under the hood, not talking about UI/UX.
@@clutchboi4038 Can you configure what kind of spyware spies on you and what kind of advertising is forced on your OS?
Thank you ! I'm on Windows 11 now. Once i tried Ubuntu, it worked well for me when I purchased Ubuntu Desktop(Dell) and then converted it to Windows. I am going to try using it again.Enjoy watching your videos.Wishing you a Happy New Year, Chris 🎉🎉🎉 🎉🎉
Wow, XP offline for old games, 7 for some analog audio editing software, 10 is my daily driver on my desktop and laptop, and I use 11 for my HTPC. Great video as always Mr. Barnatt!! Can't wait until next week!!
I do also have Windows XP pro both 32-bit and 64-bit online and offline only for a few games best part is they still don't require analytics and day together I like that
Love to have Win 7 for virtual pipe organ software on a completely Offline PC. Was a great OS but the hardware failed and that PC is no longer in my possession.
@mikewurlitzer5217
I guess it's time to rebuild
@@cgriggsiv- you do realize you can play old PC games on Windows 10 with DosBox, right? Just do not connect to the internet. I need the internet daily, so I could never use XP or even 7. However, because I hate AI, I refuse to ever upgrade Windows past 10 Pro. I will be eventually having Ubuntu LTS 24 installed because I want the 15 plus years of guaranteed regular security updates and patches.
@@ernies8828 If you're used to using real hardware, emulator, USB and flatscreen lag can be a massive gamebreaker on anything that requires precise timing. If you're not used to using real hardware you'll likely never notice, but even one frame of lag can be a massive distraction for anyone used to it.
Amazing that you keep so many old PCs and operating systems going.
My gaming laptop runs Windows 11. My older backup gaming laptop runs Windows 10. Two alternative laptops that I use quite often runs Ubuntu. My Raspberry Pi’s run the official Raspberry Pi OS. The last one worth mentioning is an old desktop, that is a future project, running Windows Vista. Looking forward to your next video!
I use Ubuntu studio,dual booted with windows 10 on my Amd tyzen mostly for music and video production and I use Linux mint on my office Dell machine. Great show. I watch you very frequently. Thank you
So enjoyable.! Since you asked here are the operating systems that I run nearly every day:
Daily Driver: Pop Os & LInux Mint. I have these on two N100 machines at opposite ends of my L-shaped desk. Additionally, I run 3 bare metal version of Proxmox for virtualization ( for Home Assistant, PiHole, Portainer, etc etc) on older hardware, a TrueNas Scale on ancient Dell hardware for NAS and about a dozen Raspberry Pi Ws, 2Ws, 3s and 4s (no 5s yet) for things such as ADS-B via SDR (SDRAngel). I also have a Win 11 gaming machine and a Win 11 system for all my freelance audio editing work. Generally, I have about 40-50 containers running at any given instant doing all sorts of tasks. I also have a 2001 Dell computer that still boots Windows ME to this day. Like you, I run several versions of older Windows off-line and virtualized (mostly on Proxmox).
Even though I muck about in some more complex endeavors that you usually cover on this channel, I find your videos informative and both refreshing and good refreshers. Thank you.
Thanks Keith.
This was an excellent video.
I love how there are different operating systems per use case.
That is somewhat how I did things at my last job. I had several computers and a couple virtual machines, and did the networked ones, I used software that let me use fewer mouse and keyboard sets. (Originally Mouse Without Borders, but as I used Linux more, I migrated to Barrier.)
I should do more to tailor my environments for the specific uses.
I'm glad this video inspired me!
Congrats for the video. Greetings from Brazil!
Greetings from the UK! :)
Fascinating to see how you like to work! It had honestly never occurred to me that you can happily run older MS operating systems offline!
Hey, I too am an old MS Office user. I run Office 2003. I run it on Windows 10 and it works flawlessly. However, Windows 11 does not play nice with it. I have figured out though if you uninstall OneDrive it will work. I use OneDrive as an offsite cloud backup of things that I can not lose, but I have configured the NAS to access it. So I can save to the OneDrive on the NAS and it will save to the cloud. No need to have OneDrive installed on every PC anymore.
My hobby box has an interchangeable main hard drive and I swap Linux distros to my heart's content. This will also let me play with Proxmox.
I have an offline Windows XP machine and an offline Windows 98SE machine for playing the games I bought in my youth.
And I have a PC running Windows 11 for the sole purpose of running virtual machines and emulators that has a guest machine for running most OSes from Microsoft from DOS 6.22 to Windows 11, including 3.11, NT4, and 8 (The mistake that Microsoft now seems to want to forget)
I run Linux 22, Windows 10 on the main machine. The Raspi family runs the Pi OS as these are for projects. I have used a Pi to make a TV smart. When support for Windows 11 runs out in 2025 I will discontinue running windows. Great job, great show, keep up the good work.
WOW, your video camera is amazing. It's very crisp and clear. Great video. Thank you for all you do. I still dual boot from the bios into Mint, and it works very well. Two years running.
Great video! I love all the hardware you have!
I run Arch linux for my main laptop. I have couple of VPSs and raspberrypi. So for my raspberrypi I run raspberry pi OS and for rest of the VPS I have Debian 12, Alpine Linux and Alma Linux.
Alpine Linux is really amazing. I especially love the how tiny footprint it has and can help me save where I have limited disk.
7 different operating systems?!
It already annoys the piss out of me that my computer at home is Windows 11 24H2 and my computer at work keeps bluescreening during said upgrade and therefore it stuck on Windows 11 23H2. That's just 2 versions of the same operating system. I couldn't imagine using 7. Hats off to you for having the patience for that.
Haha you're reminding me how much I hate the modern ribbonbar design. Takes up so much space on screen and everything is laid out inconsistently, different sizes of icons all over the place, it always takes me forever to find what I want. I miss that old school menu design.
And don't get me started on how modern software design opens an utterly useless splash screen when I select Open or Save As, and I have to hunt around for the button or link which opens File Explorer which is what should have been opened when I first clicked Open or Save As.
I use Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux Mint. Linux Batocera, And Windows XP across 19 computers and SBCs.
8 computers are servers, 2 are gaming computers, 2 are retro gaming consoles, 2 I use to run older program and play WinXP games, one is a laptop, 2 I have at my office at work, and one I use for remote work at home.
In the times where people are running towards the latest and greatest (including me), it's nice to see Chris being very utilitarian with his rig.
Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences with practically using different OS's. It's great to see you saying in effect, there's no "one size fits all" solution. Thanks for all the effort that you put into your videos, and have a great year 2025!
I'm still using Windows 7 as my daily driver. I just burned some DVDs for a friend. I used Windows 8 Movie Maker for the stabilization features and 7 to do the burning. I think these operating systems will always have a place in my life.
Using an unsupported version of Windows is dangerous (more dangerous than a supported version anyway). Twenty years ago I had to reinstall my copy of Windows 2000. The instant it connected to the internet afterwards (before applying any patches to bring it up to date), it was infected by one or more viruses.
This is the kind of creativity in thumbnail i really enjoy. Made me chuckle.
Very cool thumbnail!
seconded!
Thanks! I was holding two bits of cardboard. :)
@@ExplainingComputers Haha that gave me a chuckle
@@ExplainingComputersThat's great!
I was a big fan of Linux Mint. About 6 months ago, I switched to KDE Neon. I haven't had a need to look back.
I dual boot two laptops with Windows 11 and Neon. I also run a number of Raspberry Pi's. I have a Pi 5 as a daily driver for general use. I do run Pi os but with the KDE desktop.
I run solar and am completely off grid with my cellphone as a hot spot. So power is important. Because of this, I find portable monitors are great.
I always look forward to a video from you!
7 PC operating systems that are my everday driver. 😂 Love you, fellow nerd. 💛
We must stick together. :)
Thanks for another great video. I love how you switch OS the way I switch lowly apps. My rebellious soul says to follow you!
Blessed Sunday greetings all! I also have numerous OSes running which include Windows 10 and 11. I agree with you Chris that Windows 7 and XP are much better than the newer iterations of Windows which get progressively worse as time goes on. I also have MacOS as my daily driver with a MacBook as secondary. I have Debian Bookworm, RHEL9, Kali Linux, Oracle Linux and Fedora also running. My VMs are Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022. Also on VM are FreeBSD and Solaris but all of these VMs are more for testing purposes for my job.
I have several SBCs running NEMS Linux to monitor the devices on my network since the creator of NEMS is a friend of mine.
Be well everyone and Happy New Year!!
Greetings my friend!
Hello Chris, thank you so much for this interesting insight! I'm so glad that an expert in computing pretty much does the same things that I do. Online Linux Mint, and, most important, offline Windoes 7 with my Adobe CS5 Master Collection. Never want to give up on Windows 7!
"Windows 11 because you have to, not because you want to" How true, and of Andriod too :-) (mainly XP, Kubuntu, and PiOS)
Happy new Year Chris.
A few of these seem either redundant or unnecessary but you definitely had some valid reasons for using multiple OS in there as well.
The computers you use really show that not everyone needs a high end PC. I hear so many TH-camrs say that a system like the N100 is useless because it cannot play the latest AAA games, but that really isn't true. The operating systems I run are Arch Linux on my main PC which is based on the exact same N100 motherboard you use every day. I use Linux Mint on the rest of my desktops and most of my laptops (I've got 39 computers which I know is ridiculous). I run ChromeOS non flex on my tablet/laptop hybrid thing. I run Windows 10 for when I need to use an application that doesn't run on Linux. I also run the Haiku operating on a few PC's, and also AntiX Linux, Zorin OS Lite, Debian Linux, and Raspberry Pi os on Raspberry Pi's.
Yeah, don't listen to the youtube kids. They can't fathom the idea of someone needing a PC for something other than gaming.
N100s aren’t useless, they are pointless. For the same price or a little more you can get a low end Ryzen PC that is more than twice the performance. For power efficiency, ARM is better for small task/server functions.
It's true. Everything I do, except gaming, can be done on an N100-based mini PC like what Chris has at a pretty non-discernable performance difference. My unusual idea was to get a PC like that & then make my current PC be a "gaming server" where I would just stream games from it to the N100 one using Steam as well as run some game servers on it e.g. Minecraft
Gaming itself is a silly premise for building a computer. There is a massive library of old games that are perfectly fun, that you can run easily on older hardware. One game I spin up occasionally is Gothic (or one of the sequels). You can run those games on a potato, these days. (Gothic III does get a bit more demanding with settings maxed, but it's a relatively large game.) Games like Skyrim are also fun and not too demanding these days. Older versions of GTA.
If you just started playing games that existed decades ago, you would never run out of things to do, and you would have a great time. By the time you might actually get to current games, you would likely be able to run them on something cheap in like 10 years. (Assuming they aren't attached to some terrible server-based activation scheme.)
@@sbrazenor2 I agree completely with your vintage game strategy, but a Ryzen APU is the way to do that. The N100 has about the performance limits on a $20 Onn streaming puck.
Your windows 7 setup is extremely clean. I love it.
I switched from W10 to Mint about a year ago thanks to Explaining Computers 👍
Snake Snake Snaaaaaaakkkeee!
Great to hear!
Me too, and I love it! I'm running Kdenlive, Audacity, Ardour 8, MuseScore, and Darktable. I also use Google Drive and apps, and I like the LibreOffice suite a lot.
I started working with Windows 7 Home Premium back in 2012.
In 2016, on the same desktop and on the same drive, I added/upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate.
NOT ONE HICCUP!!! Any short term problems were my fault and easily fixable. I still get security updates every 30 days or so (maybe because I installed it with a Product Key).
About 6 months ago I bought a high end laptop that had Windows 11 pre-installed. I cranked it up, used ONE of 11's tools and installed Linux Mint Cinnamon, choosing to wipe out completely Windows 11. I have no use for anything Microsoft spits out post Windows 7. Like Christopher, my go-to thru out the day is 7's Ultimate
There ARE various 7s out there with product keys. I wish you all well.
and THANK YOU Mr' Barnatt for all your posts.
..
I've been scanning the comments: CB has a lot of old farts like me (Linux Kernel 0.89 Yggdrasil was my first). And thank goodness, because the best part of the channel is benchmarking and the associated commands.
True. About 80 per cent of viewers of this channel are 35+, which is highly unusual here on TH-cam.
@@ExplainingComputers "Any old iron?!!" _- Brendan Gleason in "A.I."_
Sure, run X on a Pentium with a whopping 4 meg. And that's why I ran console on that dog.
Been your follower since 7 years & I must say you always upload something very Interesting for Tech lovers!
Disappointed that TempleOS is not on the list.
Yeah, It’s so good I’d almost call it the work of god!
are you serious?
TempleOS a must have 😂
@@betag24cnof course he is. Rip Terry
@jothain i cant believe people take this as a serious option
Can we all just stop and appreciate how Christophers shirts are always so pristine and inky black. Really quite wonderful 👌
Linux mint cinnamon should be the one to bring linux to the masses. But the devs need to work on better cpu performance. Sometimes temps are much higher than gnome and kde but mint is the only one that makes linux easy and still looks good with the default theme.
I heavily disagree that Mint is the "only one that makes linux easy" I've had success with giving Kubuntu, PopOS, and Zorin to novice users and it's just as easy on those as on Mint. In fact depending on owned hardware and desired software other distros can be even easier to use than Mint. Mint is still fantastic I use it myself on my laptop but it's not alone in being an easy to use distro far from it.
Are the temperature high because of cinnamon would using xfce or mate helps?
The "masses" should go to Linux or, at least, meet in halfway as opposed expecting Linux to served up "on a silver platter" to them.
Linux is a case of "effort in = reward out". When you truly understand why it's different to commercial OSes and why learning some basics of how computers work is important, only then can you embrace Linux fully.
Many thanks for your explaining computers sir...Thanks to you i have finally migrate to linux mint..Greetings fron Greece..Happy Holidays
Dear Chris, I like to imagine you in a Dr Evil (Mike Myers) style hollowed out volcano with banks of giant screens being powered by your hoard of SBCs where you sit and control your clone armies of ducks in public parks up and down the land...
This sounds cool! :) I will get one of those volcano hollowing-out tools . . .
And the power is generated by the steam engine in his TH-cam test video.
Also, you want to turn into an evil villain the man who has friends called "Mr Scissors" and "Stanley the Knife"?
Brave.
Thank you for another wonderful year of interesting videos.. I look forward to my Sunday morning video of explaining computers. Thank you!
I think what you admirably demonstrate is that we really don't need the latest\ greatest, because fundamentally the OS & Apps have not advanced one iota in 10 years... just got fatter.
Another excellent video mate. All the best for the new year from Sydney Australia.
I feel like you're making life way more complex than it needs to be. having to juggle between systems.
and reading the comments make me feel like 70% of people who watch you are older than 40 years old. cause everyone I know uses only 2 operating systems, windows and whatever OS their phone has.
...and I don't think you understand how complicated your life has become when it comes to maintaining your personal information privacy when you've admitted that you run up to three "operating systems" with the main purpose of surveilling you and knowing exactly where you are at all times - Windows, Google Android and Apple iOS.
@@terrydaktyllus1320 no one cares about personal privacy.
@amirmirzaei3940 I do, and that makes your use of the words "no one" incorrect, as well as your entire comment.
Would you like to now alter it to therefore make it at least slightly more correct?
In your own time...
@@terrydaktyllus1320 You sound like an AI bot so yeah don't care what you say
@amirmirzaei3940 The words I write here don't make any sounds. If you're hearing sounds from my direction then maybe you need to a specialist.
Off you go then, sonny. Mind how you go and stay away from sharp scissors.
Discussion closed.
Wow, cover all OS bases for very good reasons. I too run a variety such as Kubuntu, WinXP, 7, 10 and 11 and Raspberry Pi OS. Installed bare metal or run virtually. These do make a very versitile toolbox. Great video as always!
Idea for another video: How about giving an overview about the best Solitaire games on different platforms?
Windows because the graphics look the best
Windows 7 is the one
It's great to see modest hardware doing such useful work - thanks for curing my upgradeitus.
6:40 If you zoom in you can see his rap cds. 2pac eminem Ja etc.
Glad I wasn't the only one who zoomed in to see his CD collection. Alas, I couldn't make out the titles for most of them but what I managed to make out were compilations of TV and movie themes and the Bangles' greatest hits.
I have those CDs, they are not the spins lol
Hi
Your videos are always no-nonsense, practical and insightful. I have finally made the Fedora KDE my daily driver. It supports everything. It has the simplicity and practicality. My HP printer is supported. My ThinkPad T480 works like a charm.
Thank you
Love from India
I tell a friend of mine about a new computer acquisition and he immediately assssks "does it support Win11?"... Who the hell wants Windows 11??
I'm in the US and do my own tax returns. The software from multiple companies only runs on Windows. I know, there are Linux apps. But, nowadays you don't even get a disk, it is all downloadable. I don't want to blow the money to find out it doesn't work. That's my "Why I still have Windows".
@@dlewis9760 The amount of software you absolutely cannot run on Linux this day and age can be counted with your own fingers.
There's no shame in using Windows. The only issue is when people talk about PCs as rhough Windows is the only option.@dlewis9760
I love a good operating system video Chris, this is amazing!! I'm running a similar setup, Linux Mint on my desktop, and Win10 LTSC on my laptop, but I really like the idea of running Chrome OS Flex on a TV, might have to steal that idea from you. 📝
01:13 Linux Mint - Linux
03:07 Windows 10 - Windows
04:22 Windows 7 - Windows
06:35 Chrome OS Flex - Linux
09:08 Windows XP - Windows
10:58 Windows 11 - Windows
13:34 Ubuntu - Linux
You run 2 Desktop operating systems.
Happy (almost ) New Year, Mr. Barnatt ! Yes ! Linux Mint is your first OS :D I love Linux Mint so much ! If they ever are able to get Windows apps to run natively on Linux without using WINE, Windows is in a butt load of trouble. Even if it's only a few distros like Mint and Ubuntu
No MS-DOS? You don’t know what you are missing! (Humour?)
I built the J4105 Silent ITX pc from your video, my dad appreciated it, his grandson now has it, he loves it
I used Mint with the Cinnamon desktop for several years but didn't realise what I was missing until I tried some of the better Arch based distros.
I finally settled on the Arch based Biglinux about three years ago and found it to be extremely stable and a joy to use with the plasma desktop.
Despite a good few hardware changes along the way, I have NEVER had to even think about drivers !
Do you have a video on TAILS, Qubes, or Parrot OS? If not, please consider them for a future video.
Each are privacy based, and all come with built-in support for TOR.
I have used TAILS. But it is extremely restrictive (to keep me from causing problems for me).
I have never used Parrot OS. It has an Anon Surf feature for TOR.
I have never used Qubes, mainly because its hardware requirements are somewhat extreme (not horsepower wise -- but security wise). But it will probably run on most hardware. I am not sure what security you would be giving up by not using hardware approved by the developers.
Nice know the pros and difference on all os used. great video. Happy New Year.
Happy new year!
Of course I cry. I'm Cryin' Brian. You have Disney+? Sucker.
I'm a Star Wars & Marvel fan, and have not given up yet! :)
Always enjoy your channel Christopher - Linux Mint is my "go to" system which is installed on my 4YO Leader (Aussie brand) laptop Intel© Core™ i5-8350U CPU @ 1.70GHz × 4 and 8 GiB RAM. Not blazing fast but suits my needs. Previously I was dual booting with Windows 11 due to mainly one native program I need. I now have W11 on a newer Surface Laptop Go that I use out and about. Happy with my set up...
Running Linux mint 20.3 and a virtual Windows 10 for two applications not available on Linux. My hardware is a home brew AMD based rig with nvme SSDs in 2 PCIe slots. I'm very satisfied with my setup and your help has proven invaluable.
That is some serious dedication to the old versions of Windows! For desktop OS I'm down to just Windows 11 for both personal and work use, but have Ubuntu and various other Debian derivatives for server use.
I switched to Linux three months ago and thus I get recommendations for Linux-videos like yours. 😀
Thanks for the comparison, my decision was absoultely right.
I use Linux on all my laptops and even on my Mini PCs for home cinema.
Windows 11 remains for some Windows-games.
Keep up the good work!! 👍
I really like how you spread your workload across multiple operating systems. I do the exact same thing, as I find that using a single OS for everything literally doesn't work for me or foster the best creative experience.
For 99% of things, I use Windows 8.0 (yes, 8.0, not 8.1), and for the other 1% (which isn't doable in 8 anymore) I use my laptop which has Mint XFCE edition and transfer files back and forth via USB. My machine is an HP Z640 with a Xeon E5-2680 V4 (14 cores, 28 threads), 32 GB RAM, a 1660 SUPER and a 2 TB SSD, so it's definitely no slouch :)
我太喜欢这个视频了，感觉真有意思，很多怀念的东西，拍的真好，讲解的真好
Happy New Year!
Windows 7 is still very important to me as I have software and SCSI hardware that just wont run on anything newer. It was hard enough evolving drivers from Windows XP.
Oh my, I've totally forgot about musicmatch jukebox. This was quite a trip down memory lane. Thank you for your content.
Thanks Chris for ano
ther year of most excellent videos! I use a variety of operating systems myself from Apple IOS, and OSXes , FydeOS, Arch OS and Armbian OS, plus testing others that look interesting.
Well see you in the far off year of 2025 or as I call it "Wednesday ".....!
Happy New Year!
No desktop is complete without a Patience game installed. Happy new year professor! 🎉
Main PC (Win10Pro), MiniPC (Win11 and CrOS Flex) and SBCs (RPiOS and 9Front).
I have to admit... I haven't run Linux or Windows on my laptop (or even powered it up) in a good while. I'm retired, and do weekly volunteer work, so I do my monthly reports on my Android tablet or phone. Gets the job done nicely. Never thought I'd get a bit tired of tech devices/gadgets, but I find simplicity a lot better than complexity nowadays (until the next Raspberry Pi project, that is 😉). Thanks for another great video Chris. Happy New Year to you and yours.
Very interesting. I do sometime wonder what I'll run when I stop doing this kind of stuff and rebel against all the tech! Right now I imagine I would just run Chrome OS.
Great video as always!
Mine, in order: Mac OS, Ubuntu, Windows 10, Windows 11. Merry Christmas Chris and thanks for the fabulous content mate. Regards from Adelaide, South Australia.
Mint 22 is installed on my main desktop and laptops as well as my media centre. I have a second SSD on the main laptop and desktop with Windows 11 that each rarely get used. My main laptop is a 13 inch Framework and it has USB C expansion drives, so Windows 11 is on one, GhostBSD on another and my third one is blank. If I want to change operating systems, pop in a drive and reboot. My old laptop runs Debian 12 because I was playing with it and saw no reason to 'Mint' another SSD. The "old" laptop is only two years old, but it got relegated when I got the Framework.
If I were forced to limit myself to one operating system, I would be happy with Mint 22. I switched from Windows as my primary OS and Mint as occasional OS Christmas 2023 when I went on long-term disability. I didn't need the proprietary tools. One of the reasons that I keep Windows around is for Office, that I haven't needed since leaving work and to play Cities Skylines 2.
I wish that I had a use for the GhostBSD, but for my use case, BSD just seems to be Linux 'with less stuff'.
Happy New Year! Greetings from Poland.
Happy new year! Greetings from the UK.
Honestly, I used to do this, Windows 7, 8.1, and 10, I used three of them interchangeably. But now, I stick with Windows 11, although I do want to do the interchanging OS again soon.
I think, in the era of technological overcomplification we seem to find ourselves in, your approach of bare utility is really quite refreshing.
As an electronics guy, I find myself using 20+ year old test equipment fairly frequently - I see no reason why consumers shouldn't strive to get the same level of longevity from their computer systems (lower-resource Linux distros, SSD upgrade, whatever helps.)
Thanks for another interesting and oddly inspiring video, Chris.
Tank you Professor. The perspective from a real user is the best one off all.
Pi OS as daily driver, mac OS el capitan for music production and win xp (64bit and 32bit) for abandonware. Great video, and I agree: the old pull down menus are more practical... :D)))