Reading time: 7 min
I’ve used Windows for decades. I’ve watched it go from being an operating system to becoming a clingy, ad-infested circus act that thinks it’s your life coach. It nags, it spies, it sells, it restarts, it talks back.
Ubuntu? Ubuntu just works. It doesn’t nag, it doesn’t cry for validation, and it doesn’t need your Microsoft account to let you open a text file.
Let’s stop pretending — Ubuntu’s not “better for geeks.” It’s just better, period. And Windows? It’s like being in a toxic relationship that keeps saying, “We’ve changed,” right before it installs Candy Crush again.
1. Edge — The Hooker Nobody Asked For
Edge is like that cheap street hooker you pass every day, and every time, her pimp (Microsoft) screams, “Try her! She’s fast! She’s new! She’s Chromium now!”
No, man. I don’t want to. I’m walking somewhere.
But Microsoft won’t take no for an answer. It’ll hijack your defaults, force itself onto PDFs, pop up “Are you sure you want to use Chrome?” screens, and sneak back like a virus.
Edge isn’t a browser — it’s a stalker with lipstick.
2. The Dumpster Fire of Bloatware
Every time I install Windows, I have to spend an hour dragging crap into the recycle bin. Candy Crush, Spotify trials, Photos, News, Weather, some random TikTok app — all of it squatting on my SSD rent-free.
Ubuntu gives you a blank desk. Windows gives you a flea market.
I don’t want to spend my first 30 minutes of a fresh OS installation uninstalling twenty “helpful” apps. I want to work.
3. Installation — The Rite of Suffering
Oh my God, the Windows installation process. Where do I even begin?
You plug in the USB — and Windows greets you with 15 versions that are all the same. “Pro,” “Pro N,” “Enterprise,” “Home,” “Education,” “Ultimate with sprinkles.” The only difference is how deep the registry chains are.
You make one C: partition — it creates five. Boot, recovery, reserved, shadow, FBI surveillance room — I’ve stopped asking.
You try to move on, and Windows goes, “We can’t find a media driver.” From the USB drive you just booted from. It’s like saying, “Sorry, I can’t hear you over the sound of my own stupidity.”
Then comes the product key — 25 characters from hell, usually printed in size 4 font under a laptop that’s been worn smooth by years of use.
Ubuntu? You click “Install.” It installs. No partitions spawning like mushrooms, no key, no interrogation. Just done.
The 2 AM Heart Attack
Picture this: it’s 2 a.m.
House is finally quiet. Wife’s asleep. Kid’s asleep after three boss fights and a bedtime speech. You’re at the final Windows setup screen — name, region, keyboard layout. You think you’re safe.
And then, out of nowhere:
“HI, I’M CORTANA, AND I’M HERE TO HELP!”
Maximum volume.
Highest pitch known to man.
The voice of a banshee echoing through your soul.
I jumped so hard I almost threw the laptop. I swear one day, they’ll find me in front of a glowing screen, lifeless, cause of death: Cortana jumpscare.
Ubuntu doesn’t do that. It installs quietly, respectfully, like software made by people who’ve seen a night before.
4. The Ads That Mock You
There’s a button in Settings that says “Turn off personalized ads.” You click it, and Windows calmly explains,
“Turning this off won’t reduce the number of ads you see.”
What?!
So basically: “We’ll still spam you — just less relevant ones.”
Oh, good. I can’t wait for Bing to recommend tractor simulators now.
Ubuntu? Zero ads. No nags, no upsells, no random pop-ups telling me to “Try OneDrive!”
Windows feels like walking into a mall you can’t leave. Ubuntu feels like stepping into your own garage.
5. Updates — The Digital Hostage Situation
You open your laptop. You just need to print one thing. Suddenly — bam:
“We need to schedule your restart.”
Schedule what? I just turned you on!
You delay it — it comes back. You postpone — it reboots anyway.
And when it finally starts updating, it proudly says:
“Hi! We’re working on it. Don’t turn off your computer.”
For 15 minutes.
Working on what, exactly? A cure for cancer? You’re updating Photos, not launching a rocket.
Ubuntu updates silently. You hit one button, it installs, no popups, no smug messages.
Windows updates feel like ransom notes. Ubuntu updates feel like chores. I’ll take chores.
6. TPM and the “Go Buy a New PC” Philosophy
I love reviving old machines — turning them into media centers, mini-servers, Minecraft boxes, anything. It’s green, smart, and satisfying.
Then comes Windows 11 with TPM 2.0 like, “Nah bro, your CPU’s too old. Buy a new one.”
Microsoft basically told half the world to throw working computers in the trash.
Ubuntu? If it turns on, it runs. It doesn’t care if your processor has wrinkles.
7. The 115-Task Circus
You open Task Manager on a clean Windows install. You’ve done nothing.
115 background tasks.
All I did was open Chrome and File Explorer. Why is there a process called “TextInputHostBrokerServiceHelperRunner”? Who hired this guy? What the fuck?
I swear half of these services are just Windows arguing with itself.
Ubuntu runs what it needs. Windows runs everything, everywhere, all at once.
8. Privacy — or Lack Thereof
Windows doesn’t watch you; it studies you.
It logs your clicks, your app usage, your typing, your browsing, probably your snack habits. And when you say, “Turn off telemetry,” it just smiles and says, “Sure thing, champ,” while writing everything down anyway.
Ubuntu asks once — “Can we collect anonymous data?” You say no — done. Silence.
Windows is that neighbor who installs a camera facing your window and says, “Don’t worry, it’s just for safety.”
9. Software Installation — The Vegas Gamble
Installing apps on Windows is like spinning a roulette wheel of regret.
Five times out of ten, you’ll get the software. The other five? You’ll get toolbars, McAfee trials, or something named DriverBoost Pro Plus Ultra Max 2024.
And the Microsoft Store? That’s not a store — that’s a trap. Fake apps, broken downloads, and microtransactions in file managers.
Ubuntu?
sudo apt install whatever
Done. Clean. Safe. No ads.
10. Coding on Windows — An Absurd Comedy
Trying to code on Windows is like trying to fire a nuclear missile using an Etch-A-Sketch and a toy piano as your control system.
You install WSL, Git Bash, Node, Docker Desktop, and somehow nothing talks to each other. Permissions break, paths fail, PowerShell cries.
Ubuntu? You just open Terminal and do your thing. It’s already built for you.
No emulation, no workarounds, no begging the admin gods for mercy.
11. The Duo Nobody Invited — Cortana and Copilot
Cortana was bad enough — a voice assistant that couldn’t assist. Then they added Copilot — Cortana’s overachieving cousin who wants to “AI-enhance” everything you do.
Nobody asked for this duo. They show up, uninvited, during setup, during work, during life.
Ubuntu doesn’t have assistants. It assists you by staying quiet.
12. The Real Reason I Stick With Ubuntu
At some point, I just stopped wanting drama from my operating system.
I don’t want fireworks. I don’t want ads. I don’t want a voice screaming at me. I want peace.
Ubuntu boots. It runs. It shuts down.
No manipulation, no upsells, no surveillance, no unsolicited screams at 2 a.m.
Windows 11 looks sleek, sure. But under the rounded corners lies a carnival of nonsense.
Ubuntu isn’t perfect — but it respects your time, your sanity, and your blood pressure.
And honestly? After years of fighting with Windows, respect is all I want.
If you want to know if Linux is for you, read this: Is Linux for you?
And if it is for you, and you are considering to move, read this: Moving from Windows to Linux