Windows 7 is leaving, but Linux is ready: what is the best alternative?

Windows 7

There are six months left for Windows 7 to run out of support and although, as with Windows XP, there will be many people who will continue to use it for an indefinite period, many others will be looking for alternatives. And yes, GNU / Linux is ready to replace it.

The sad reality, however, is that most of these people will end up updating Windows 10 sooner or later. It is the most logical path, mandatory in some cases, and the only one that many millions of users know or contemplate. But there are alternatives and there are also more and more people who take them into consideration.

Now, what is the best alternative available to make the leap? It would be great if everyone we recommended to do it at one, but it is not normal and the answer varies depending on who you ask. Fortunately, Ubuntu's fame as a gateway to this world remains and although it is not the perfect representative - perfection does not exist, they say - it fulfills its role with abundant dignity.

Of course, this Linux is about alternatives and, we must repeat, there are. In plural. Our colleagues from MC published a few months ago 7 Linux distributions alternative to Windows 7 and as the title says it all, it should only be added that the list fits what anyone who has heard Linux bells can expect: modern distributions with desktop experiences more or less similar, but recognizable.

Curling the curl, the closest thing to Windows is KDE Plasma, so Kubuntu would be the most accurate recommendation to give to those looking for the closest thing ... But whoever used Windows will have no problem adapting to Linux Mint with Cinnamon, Zorin OS or to Deepin. There are also distributions with simpler desktops that will not pose any challenge to the traditional Windows user, such as elementary OS or Ubuntu itself, which is not only the most recognized representative of Linux for PC, but its desktop is the standard in corporate Linux .

So what do we recommend? The closest, the simplest or the most used? Is anyone really used to using Windows and dealing with that control center of patatús going to be intimidated when opening the preferences of KDE Plasma? Is that someone going to suffer a decrease in functionality if you choose to install the flavor of Linux Mint? Is it going to be confused with the (easily modifiable) GNOME default user experience?

In the MuyLinux mailbox we usually receive messages asking what Linux distribution to install and almost always we solve them quickly: Linux Mint or some flavor of Ubuntu, if they specify the type of hardware. But the truth is that there are other interesting options that can replace Windows, also to the limit of what we consider GNU / Linux.

Without going any further, Chrome OS, whether on a Chromebook as such or in the form of CloudReady or others, is a Linux system with which many Windows users could work without major problems, given that Chrome is the most used browser and that the browser is the application that is most used on the PC, especially for those who use the PC for minor issues, let alone those who use Android with intensity and the Google cloud.

If you were looking for a specific and exclusive recommendation, I'm sorry, but you won't find it here. Neither in GNU / Linux, because as you enter this world you will get to know things that will get your attention. And is that GNU / Linux and free software in general, is about alternatives. The crucial thing, however, is whether the platform - however diverse - can replace Windows with solvency and the answer in many cases is yes.

Whoever thinks about making the leap to Linux on PC has to know:

• That hardware support is often very good and improves very quickly;
• That performance and stability are up to par and can improve what Windows offers;
• That it enjoys a large and powerful ecosystem of applications in which to find a feasible alternative to what it used in Windows, and even that it will be able to continue using the same in many cases;
• That he will be able to play many games with guarantees;
• And that almost any distribution you install is as or more secure than Windows, and much more respectful of your privacy.

With the exception of those with specific requirements, GNU / Linux is willing to present itself as a valid alternative to Windows and that is what matters. Recommend it without shame.